Top 20 TV Show Theme Songs
This past summer, we asked you to name your favorite TV theme song, and the answers came pouring in!
So what is the best TV show theme song of all time?
Topping the list was the Hawaii Five-0 theme, from the original series starring Jack Lord. And no wonder – it’s a snazzy, upbeat song recorded by legendary surf-rock group the Ventures.
Related: ‘This Strange Effect’: the Story Behind the ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ Theme Song
Many of your choices came from classic shows from the mid/late 20th century – Sanford & Son, the Jeffersons, Mary Tyler Moore, Barney Miller. And of course Welcome Back, Kotter, which had an unforgettable theme written and sung by John Sebastian.
A few more recent theme songs made the list, too, from shows including the Sopranos, South Park, and the Wire (specifically, the Tom Waits version of “Way Down in the Hole”).
Another standout was the theme song for What We Do in the Shadows. Used in both the TV show and the film of the same name, the song is by American folk/pop singer Norma Tanega, and it first appeared on her 1966 album Walking My Cat Named Dog.
You can see the full list below.
Top 20 TV Theme Songs
| 1 | Hawaii 5-0 (original) | 11 | Miami Vice |
| 2 | Twin Peaks | 12 | The Jeffersons |
| 3 | The Sopranos | 13 | WKRP In Cincinnati |
| 4 | Sanford & Son | 14 | The Rockford Files |
| 5 | Peter Gunn | 15 | Welcome Back, Kotter |
| 6 | Cheers | 16 | The Wonder Years (original) |
| 7 | What We Do In The Shadows | 17 | The Greatest American Hero |
| 8 | The Wire (Tom Waits) | 18 | The Golden Girls |
| 9 | Barney Miller | 19 | South Park |
| 10 | Mission Impossible | 20 | Mary Tyler Moore |
Related: What are your favorite Colorado Sound songs of all time?
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