Best TV Theme Songs of All Time

Game of Thrones is undeinably one of the best shows ever made. If you watched Game of Thrones, you didn't skip the opening credits to get to the good stuff, because the opening credits were part of the "good stuff." You hummed and sang along during the opening credits, making instrumental sounds you didn't know you were capable of and enjoying every minute of it. The opening credits were part of the excitement, preparation, and delayed gratification of each Game of Thrones episode so much so that it's one of the most memorable TV show theme songs of all time, and I'm guessing it will be for a long time to come.

Title

"Game of Thrones Theme"

Genre

Television soundtrack

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Writer and producer- Ramin Djawadi

Label

Varèse Sarabande

I'm not sure I know anyone who grew up during the '90s who doesn't know The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song, by heart, give or take a few words. It was a '90s pop-culture right of passage to sit on the living room floor singing The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song before each episode. I sang it on the bus on the way to school, in the car on the way to do the weekly shopping, and while playing with my mermaid barbie. I still sing it at random moments when the song pops into my mind or when watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reruns on Sunday nights.

Title

"Yo Home to Bel-Air"

Genre

Rap and/or Hip hop

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Writer and artist- Willard Smith (known as Will Smith)
• Writer- Quincy Jones

Producer

DJ Jazzy Jeff

I didn't even watch Cheers and I know the theme song by heart. "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" is so iconic most people born in the '80s or '90s (I'm talking to you, Millenials), know the Cheers theme song regardless of if they watched the show. It's catchy, it's upbeat, it's nostalgic, and it's a stellar theme song with real representation for the '80s and early '90s babies out there. Most importantly, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" is relevant to the shows setting and subject matter, making it the type of intro that makes you feel all the feelings you feel when you watch the show.

Title

"Where Everybody Knows Your Name"

Genre

Pop

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Artist- Gary Portnoy
• Writers- Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart-Angelo

Label

Applause

I've never been much of a southern rock fan, but I certainly turn into one every time I watch an episode of True Blood. Given that so much of the show is about Sookie and her many love interests (Bill, Eric, Alcide), Jason's many love interests, goodness everyone's love interests, "Bad Things" lyrics are just the right introduction to this relationship-centric show. Plus, Jace Everett's accent and the southern rock nature of the song set the stage for True Blood, and its vampire-ridden town, Bon Temps, Lousiana.

If you were a huge True Blood fan, know that there are also rumors of a TV show reboot of True Blood

Title

"Bad Things"

Genre

Country and/or Southern rock

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Writer and artist- Jace Everett

Label

Epic Nashville

Everybody knows the Friends theme song, right? Everyone has clapped along before an episode? I have to admit, I liked friends, but I didn't love friends. It just didn't call to me the way other shows did. There were better TV shows and sitcoms about friendship in the '90s, but the Friends theme song, "I'll Be There For You," was the best theme song amongst all of them. The song was so popular it was number one on US Mainstream Top 40 Billboard for a time, and people are still clapping along with it, eighteen years later.

Title

"I'll Be There For You"

Genre

Rock

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Artists- The Rembrandts
• Composer- Michael Skloff

Label

East West America and Elecktra

Outlander's Scottish landscape is matched by its entrancing theme song, "The Skye Boat Song." This melodic song isn't just a beautiful theme song, it's a song about the time, place, and events that are the basis of the first few seasons of Outlander. After a long day of binging episodes of Outlander, I would find myself humming "The Skye Boat Song" throughout the house while doing dishes and wishing for a voice like Raya Yarbrough's.

Title

"The Skye Boat Song"

Genre

Scottish folk

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Singer- Raya Yarbrough
• Composer- Bear McCreary

Origin

Outlander's theme song is a 19th-century Scottish folk song adapted for the film, because the song tells the history of the Jacobite rebellion and Prince Charles Edward Stuart escape.

I grew up watching Bewitched and trying to master Samantha's iconic nose twitch, which I still haven't mastered, and trying to do her famous nose twitch to the beat of the Bewitched theme song, imagining myself flying on a broom like the animated Samantha does during the Bewitched opening credits. Though there were several versions of the opening credits created throughout the course of the show's lifetime, the version most fans of the show are familiar with, is known as one of the most recognized theme songs of all time.

Title

"Bewitched Theme Song" (instrumental version)

Genre

Television soundtrack

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Writers- Howard Greenfield and Jack Keller
• Composer- Warren Baker

Fun fact

Did you know there is a lyrical version of the Bewitched theme song sung by Steve Lawrence?

Check out the lyrics:

"Bewitched, bewitched, you've got me in your spell. Bewitched, bewitched, you know your craft so well!"

Full House being one of the best TV shows from the late '80s and '90s, it's only right that it was accompanied by a theme song that is its equal. "Everywhere You Look" is the theme song that always makes me nostalgic for life lessons, Kool-Aid, and wholesome catchphrases. "Everywhere You Look" is catchy, memorable, and comes with a reminder integral to the show: "Everywhere you look, there's a hand to hold onto." No matter what they went through, they had each other.

Title

"Everywhere You Look"

Genre

Television soundtrack

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Composers- Jesse Frederick, Jeff Franklin, and Bennett Salvay
• Artist- Jesse Frederick

Lyrics

"What ever happened to predictability? The milk man, the paper boy, the evening TV? How did I get delivered here? Somebody tell me please This old world's confusing me

Clouds as mean as you've ever seen Ain't a bird who knows your tune Then a little voice inside you whispers "Kid, don't sell your dreams so soon!"

Everywhere you look, everywhere you go There's a heart (there's a heart), a hand to hold onto Everywhere you look, everywhere you go There's a face of somebody who needs you Everywhere you look

When you're lost out there and you're all alone A light is waiting to carry you home Everywhere you look Everywhere you look Shoo-bit-a-ba-ba-bow"

It's hard to have favorites on this list with so many of my favorite theme songs, but the All That theme song is one of them. Did you know that the members of TLC are the voices behind the All That theme song? If you didn't grow up in the '90s watching All That, drinking orange soda, dancing, and singing the All That theme song, thinking you were way cooler than you probably were, you really missed out on a rare and wonderful space in time.

Title

"All That Theme Song"

Genre

R n' B and/or Hip Hop

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Artists- TLC

Label

Loud, RCA, and Nick

During my junior year of high school, I watched The Big Bang Theory with my sister over Dairy Queen banana splits. The Big Bang Theory is by far one of the wittiest sitcoms that I've seen in my lifetime and the theme song by the Barenaked Ladies is no exception. "Big Bang Theory Theme" is a fun, wordy, and alternative theme song about the real big bang, of course. "Big Bang Theory Theme" is a clever and brainy theme song that was the perfect pairing with The Big Bang Theory subject matter and themes.

Title

"Big Bang Theory Theme"

Genre

Alternative Rock

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Artists- Barenaked Ladies

Producer

Faye Oshima Belyeu

Did you know that The Smiths are behind Charmed's theme song, "How Soon Is Now?" I watched Charmed, one of my favorite shows in my teen years, and never once skipped past the theme song, only realizing that it was The Smiths years later. How I didn't recognize Morrisey's voice and The Smith's signature sound is beyond me, but here I am. These well-matched lyrics, "I am the sun, I am the air," always put me in the Charmed mood and got me ready for each new episode of Charmed (and they still do).

Title

"How Soon Is Now?"

Genre

Alternative rock

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Artists- The Smiths
• Writers- Morrissey (singer) and Johnny Marr (guitarist)

Label

Rough Trade

"Gotta Move," also known as "Moesha: Theme Song," is an obvious addition to list, being performed by the star of the show, and hip hop artist, Brandy. I always loved that Brandy was the star and the theme song's artist. She put an undeniable stamp on the show, which, as a young girl, was inspiring to me. "Gotta Move" is the nostalgic theme song every Moesha fan remembers and can still sing at the drop of a hat. The theme song itself, and Brandy's very identifiable, unique, voice make it one of the best TV show theme songs of all time.

Title

"Gotta Move" or "Moesha: Theme Song"

Genre

Hip Hop and/or Rn'B

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Artist- Brandy
• Writer- Keith Crouch

Lyrics

"Mo to the E to the Mo to the E to the

Up in the morning A new day is starting It's me, it's me Am I realizing my responsibility? It's me

My best friend is always on my mind You wanna be down for mine I gotta do, what I gotta do I gotta move on

Moesha Moesha Moesha!"

Okay, so I know I said no favorites, but this one is the favorite of favorites. Everybody, or almost everybody, knows about the grouchy, rule-breaking, genius Dr. House who solves rare illnesses and doesn't care if anybody likes his messy or unusual methods. I'm not sure if everyone knows the theme song, Teardrop, quite the way they know the show or its characters, but it's been part of my walking playlist for years and will remain there. Massive Attack's Teardrop is the melodic, hypnotizing trip-hop song your cleaning, walking, or workout playlist has been missing. If you've never heard the full song, do yourself a favor and give it a listen.

Title

"Teardrop"

Genre

Trip-hop

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Artists- Massive Attack

Label

Circa and Virgin

Stranger Things. I loved, and still love, Stranger Things. Did you totally go off the deep end watching Stranger Things like I did? Of course, you did. Stranger Things is still too new to be considered a cult classic, but it has a serious cult following and the theme song is part of that. The eery pulsing of the Stanger Things theme song, "Dirge," puts you in a marvelous, sci-fi ready mood. It's just the right amount of ominous, exciting, and mysterious enough to get you prepared to be submerged in each episode.

Title

"Dirge"

Genre

Soundtrack synthwave

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Band/Artists- Survive
• Composers- Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein from Survive

Producer

Lakeshore Invada

Another ominous theme song, "The X-Files Theme," has a similar eery pulse, written nearly twenty-three years before Stranger Things. In the '90s, The X-Files was the sci-fi show, and, today, The X-Files is considered a cult classic. Mulder and Scully were the FBI agents you thought about being when you grew up, and the song was the song you whistled with your family before going to bed (which you were too afraid to get into because you just saw scary monsters, of course). The X-Files theme song is a TV show theme song I can still recall by memory, and I know there are plenty of '90s and '80s babies out there who can do the same.

Title

"The X-Files Theme"

Genre

Soundtrack

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Composer- Mark Snow

Label

Twentieth-Century Fox

Buffy was the beautiful, vampire-slaying Sunnydale high school student, played by Sarah Michelle Geller, everyone wanted to be or be friends with in the '90s and early '00s. While it wasn't the most realistic premise for a show, nobody questioned it and I never cared. Buffy had all the best '90s outfits, amazing hair, and she was the queen of vampire slaying (quite the trio of qualities, right?). The Buffy the Vampire Slayer theme song and opening credits were the punk rock pairing you needed to get excited for each episode, and perfect for dancing and jumping on the bed to.

Title

"Buffy Theme"

Genre

Pop and/or punk

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Artists- Nerf Herder

Fun fact

Did you know that Nerf Herder also made an appearance in the final episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer to honor the show?

Have you ever had a TV show that became a part of you? My uncle is a huge fan of MASH. I still remember him making franks and beans and after he was done, and we all ate, the MASH theme song would echo through the house. He still watches reruns on a regular basis. This theme song has been crystallized in my memory as a part of my aunt and uncle's home, along with franks and beans. Years later, people still know the iconic song, are still singing the lyrics, and are still watching the reruns of this classic theme song.

Title

"Suicide is Painless" (instrumental and band version of the song both used)

Genre

Television soundtrack

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Writers- Michael Altman and Johnny Mandel

Producer

Thomas Z. Shepard

Luther, for me, was up there with BBC's Sherlock (starring Benedict Cumberbatch) in quality and subject matter. Luther is the self-destructive detective that makes way too many bad decisions and, consequentially, finds himself in some serious predicaments (but you still love him anyway). I binged this show one winter when I was sick and became obsessed with the characterization of Luther, the many mysteries he solves, and the melodic trip-hop theme song, "Paradise Circus." While I tried not to put the same artist on this list twice, Massive Attack hit it out of the park again with this TV show theme song.

Title

"Paradise Circus"

Genre

Trip-hop

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Artists- Massive Attack

Label

Virgin

I have a confession: I had never seen The Office until last year. I know. Of course, I binged all nine episodes over the course of a couple of months to make up for it. However, before I ever knew anything about The Office, its characters, relationships, or any of the scenarios that play out within the show, I knew "The Office Theme." Even those few people, the number keeps getting smaller and smaller, who haven't seen The Office, know the theme song. It's another universally appreciated TV show theme song. Now that I've watched The Office, the theme song is the cheery song that will never leave the cabinets of my memory.

Title

"The Office Theme"

Genre

Television soundtrack

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Composer- James Ferguson
• Artists- The Scrantones

Fun fact

Did you know James Ferguson also composed music for Tales from the Crypt?

Living Single is the '90s show about friendship that surpasses even Friends, and Queen Latifah is an icon. She has been since the '90s and Living Single has a lot to do with that. She starred in the show, wrote the theme song, and performed it like the queen she is. Living Single is a big point of nostalgia for me. I watched it with my big brother along with a handful of amazing '90s TV shows like the ones on this list. "We Are Living Single" is so '90s Queen Latifah even quotes, "And in a '90s kind of world, I'm glad I got my girls" in the lyrics. If you loved this '90s show and how completely dedicated to the '90s it was, you also love the theme song as much as I do.

Title

"We Are Living Single"

Genre

Television soundtrack

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Writer and artist- Queen Latifah

Producer

Warner Bros.

The OA gained a lot of traction in 2016 for its amazing writers Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, as well as the incredible plot and backstory woven into the plot of The OA. Brit Marling also stars as Prairie in the show. If you've watched the show, you know Prairie plays the violin, it's a huge part of her backstory and she's seen playing the violin throughout the show (primarily at the beginning). The OA's theme song, composed by Rostam Batmanglij, is a beautiful, dramatic theme that makes the violin the star, reminding the fans in the introduction of each episode, about Prairie's crucial backstory.

Title

"The OA Theme Song"

Genre

Television soundtrack

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Composer- Rostam Batmanglij

Fun fact

Zal Batmanglij, who directed and co-wrote The OA with Brit Marling, and Rostam Batmanglij are brothers.

I have a theory that many, many years from now people will still adore Orange Is the New Black. I loved Orange Is The New Black for many reasons. Orange Is The New Black had an impressive cast, tons of jokes, and even more drama. While Orange Is The New Black takes place in a minimum-security prison, Orange Is The New Black is another TV show about friendship, relationships, and drama, and a seriously epic theme song. The theme song, "You've Got Time," is an angsty, exciting, a little indie, and beloved favorite theme song for anyone that's seen and loves Orange Is The New Black.

Title

"You've Got Time"

Genre

Television soundtrack

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Writer, composer, and artist- Regina Spektor

Label

Sire Records

"The BradyBunch, The Brady Bunch," you know the rest of the lyrics, right? Go ahead, sing them! The Brady Bunch theme song is yet another example of a theme song that most people seem to know, even if they've never seen a single episode of the show or know the family that is The Brady Bunch. In my case, however, I remember "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha," George Glass, and Jan Brady's always swaying ponytail (how did she always make her ponytail swing like that?). Though the Brady Bunch was way before my time, it was still a popular show that played on Nick at Night and other popular channels during the '90s and '00s and the theme song is one that always stuck with me.

Title

"The Brady Bunch"

Genre

Television soundtrack

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Artists- The Brady Bunch Kids (originally performed by Peppermint Trolley Company)

Lyrics

"Here's the story Of a lovely lady Who was bringing up three very lovely girls All of them had hair of gold Like their mother The youngest one in curls

It's the story Of a man named Brady Who was busy with three boys of his own They were four men Living all together Yet they were all alone

'Til the one day when the lady met this fellow And they knew that it was much more than a hunch That this group must somehow form a family That's the way we all became the Brady bunch

The Brady Bunch, the Brady Bunch That's the way we became the Brady Bunch"

My Uncle's lifelong show might be MASH, but mine is Gilmore Girls. A really cool, smart, funny mom who's best friends with her book-loving, fast-talking daughter? It was so right up my alley of interest, how could I not like it? I've loved The Gilmore Girls since I still had a little, box TV that sat on the desk I did my schoolwork at. Gilmore Girls is the show I can watch and watch again and again and rewatch after that. I've rewatched it more times than I can count. I've even put it on as background noise while I clean or sleep or write. The theme song is one I can't help but sing every time it plays. I've never, not even once, fast-forwarded past it or skipped it. It's part of the joy of each episode, part of the experience and culture of the show.

Title

"Where You Lead, I Will Follow"

Genre

Folk and/or Pop

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Artists- Carole King and Louise Goffin

Producer

Lou Adler

I'm going to say it, The Witcher is one of the best TV shows to come out since Game of Thrones. Based on the books, The Witcher is a fantasy that follows Geralt of Rivia, a witcher (a typer of mutant who hunts monsters) as he slays the bad guys and monsters for gold. The soundtrack, including the "Geralt of Rivia" theme song, is a big factor to the success of The Witcher's first season, second season forthcoming, and is unforgettable. The rhythm and drama in The Witcher theme song always gets me excited for the upcoming episode, each time I've decided to binge and binge this amazing, fantasy show. If you watched the show, you also know the highly addictive to listen to, "Toss A Coin To Your Witcher." How can I mention songs and The Witcher in the same list and not mention "Toss A Coin To Your Witcher?"

Title

"Geralt of Rivia"

Genre

Television soundtrack

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Writers and composers- Giona Ostinelli and Sonya Belousova

Label

Milan Records

The Nanny was great. Fran Drescher had serious fashion sense, tons of character, and an unmistakable voice, and even a steamy romance with Mr. Sheffield. Like, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, "The Nanny Named Fran" was like a '90s right of passage. If you're an '80s baby, a '90s baby, or you've seen The Nanny, you know the song. It's just that catchy and memorable. Probably one of the most memorable TV theme songs to date, "The Nanny Named Fran," was cleverly written, kind of adorable, and the lyrics were relevant, since they described the show and main character. I haven't watched the show in years, but I can still sing that song from memory and without a refresher.

Title

"The Nanny Named Fran"

Genre

Television soundtrack

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Writer and artist- Ann Hampton Callaway (and her sister Liz Callaway)

Album

Sibling Revelry

Speaking of Game of Thrones, Vikings is like the Scandanavian Game of Thrones. Am I right, or am I right? The characters, writing, and the plot are all in the same fantasy, drama realm as Game of Thrones. Both shows have a lot of drama and shocking deaths, they both have a stellar cast, and they both have theme songs good enough not to skip over during the opening credits. "If I Had a Heart," is captivating. It sucks you in, and the next thing you know you're singing the song all day, searching for it on Spotify, and can't get it out of your head. "If I Had a Heart" is up there with the two TV show theme songs by Massive Attack (House and Luther) in mood and quality.

Title

"If I Had a Heart"

Genre

Synth and/or Indie

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Producer, writer, and artist- Fever Ray

Label

Rabid

I've never been a big fan of Star Trek, not because I don't like it, but it's just not my thing. However, I respect it, and I'll never forget the really cool philosophy professor I had who played episodes of Star Trek: Voyager during class. We were learning about what it means to be human, and she had specific episodes and scenes that we watched and discussed, and it was maybe one of the coolest college-level courses I've taken. While I wouldn't necessarily choose Star Trek as my first choice if I was looking for something to watch, the "Star Trek: Voyager Theme" is still one of my favorite TV theme songs. Again, there are some theme songs so good, you don't need the context or knowledge of a show to appreciate it, and this is one of them.

Title

"Star Trek: Voyager Theme"

Genre

Television soundtrack

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Composers- Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

Label

Crescendo Records

Black Sails is another amazing show that came out in recent years, 2014 to be specific, that had huge critical acclaim and an even bigger response from the fans at home. Though the show was canceled, apparently the producers felt the ending of the show couldn't be matched, it's stuck with us Black Sails fans in a big way because of all of the drama, action, and the complicated (and surprising) plot. The drama and build-up of the Black Sails theme song fits the show wonderfully and, as a theme song should, always got me excited for the show, and put me in the right mindset to really enjoy it and added to the anticipation of the new events that would take place on Nassau.

Title

"Black Sails Theme Song"

Genre

Television soundtrack

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Artist and composer- Bear McCreary

Fun fact

The string instrument used in this theme song is called a hurdy-gurdy.

Supernatural has an unnatural following, so much so that it's on its been considered by many a cult classic. Two brothers, with a sad and complicated backstory taking on all that's Supernatural always reminded me of its predecessor, The X-Files. While the shows are very different, they both sets of partners hunt for supernatural creatures and have similar eery tones. The Supernatural theme song, "Carry on Wayword Son," is by far one of the most iconic TV theme song choices a show has ever made. A well-known rock song, and also one of my little brother's favorite songs, it's impossible not to sing along each and every episode.

Title

"Carry On Wayward Son" (after the first season)

Genre

Rock

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Artists- Kansas

Label

Kirshner

Sons of Anarchy was a wild ride. I had a love, hate relationship with this show. Sometimes the drama was amazing, shocking, and truly enjoyable. Other times, I found myself annoyed by the events taking place (Tell me Gemma's decisions didn't drive you crazy too!). However, the show itself was incredibly well-written, the cast and acting were better than most of the shows on TV, and the theme song was a noteworthy, relevant TV show theme song. "This Life," is just the right song to set the stage for Sons of Anarchy and all the craziness that happened on each and every episode.

Title

"This Life"

Genre

Southern Rock

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Artist- Curtis Stigers

Producer

Bob Thiele Jr.

The Golden Girls was a staple in my home. You couldn't flip through channels and not stop to see what the girls were going to get themselves into next. They were funny, witty, bonded, and extremely loyal to each other. The Golden Girls was a gem of the '80s and '90s, so much so that people still love the show. There are still memes to laugh at and merch to buy. "Thank You for Being a Friend" is still loved and sung by people of all age groups, and I hope it stays that way for a long time.

Title

"Thank You for Being a Friend"

Genre

Rock and/or pop

Songwriter, artist, or composer

• Artist- Cynthia Fee (original by Andrew Gold)
• Writer and producer- Andrew Gold

Label

Asylum Kirshner