Saturday, June 28, 2008

Mr Mike's Top 10 Favorite TV Show Theme Songs

Reminiscing about old tv show theme songs back in the day. Well, maybe not this far back.
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To start vacation I wanted to make a post that was a little different. Time off means time for reflection, new ideas and lists about Tv show theme songs. So get ready! One O'Clock, Two O'Clock, Three O'Clock rock for a chance to Swing on a Star 'cause you'll never guess My Secret Identity. The Top 10 (and a half) favorite Tv Show Theme songs as determined by...well...me. If you disagree, all I can say is - don't taze me bro! Don't taze me!

Number 10 1/2: Speed Racer

I think I've already established that I like the original Speed Racer, part of the reason is that killer theme song. Here he comes, here comes Speed Racer, he's a demon on wheels! Driving that fast and furious Mach 5. I was recently reminded I had a toy Mach 5 as a kid, great memories.


Number 10: The A Team

"If you've got a problem, if no one else can help and if you can find them, maybe you can hire...The A Team." Well f*ck yeah! I don't think any one can hear this song and not want to shoot people and blow stuff up in a consequence free environment where no one dies. I pity the fool who doesn't enjoy this theme song.


Number 9: Petticoat Junction

Hey, who wouldn't like to stop at the Shady Rest with beautiful women bathing in water towers (but don't they drink that water?) and Uncle Joe? Particularly with this great chugging theme song. My favorite part is "There's Uncle Joe, he's movin' kinda slow at the Junction." I can really relate to that.


Number 8: That 70's Show

The forgotten Big Star classic got a rocked up remix courtesy of fellow 70's power poppers Cheap Trick. The Tricksters pumped up the guitar and threw in a touch of their own "Surrender" at the end for a brief flash of 70's rawk nirvana. Great stuff.


Number 7: China Beach

The 80's drama was one of the most visually symbolic shows I've ever seen and the usage of The Supremes "Reflections" fits it perfectly. It's a great song anyway, but the poignancy of the lyrics and mood come across stronger in this context. Because they're so deep and things.


Number 6: The Fall Guy
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...And it begins as Stewie from Family Guy would say. Lee Majors is second only to Chuck Norris in Godhood (you know it's true) and it's tough to beat the weathered actor warbling his ode to Stuntmen. He's the unknown stuntman as sure as Heather Thomas is high on coke, you better believe it!


Number 5: Mr Belvedere

Belve buddy got me through College, what else was there to watch at 10am on weekdays? Mr Belvedere's theme song had such an offhand attitude (I think it was that guy with the white hat and glasses that sang it but I can't recall the name) with a little English stuffiness at the end. Wesley!

Number 4: Mad About You

I think this is called "The Final Frontier" though it has nothing to do with Star Trek. This bit of coffeehouse jazz is fun, one of the reasons is (TMI Approaching) I can play the beat on my stomach. If I eat a lot, I get really good acoustics going. Now that just sounds gross, I'll take that one back. Very pleasant show.

Number 3: Spider Man (animated)

The song has become a Pop Culture classic, it's so fondly remembered it fades the memory that the animation on the actual cartoon was pretty cheap. The same five shots used over and over on each show. Spidey's theme is catchy as hell and deserves a place in Pop Culture history.

Number 2: Beverly Hills 90210

So what was it about a bunch of teen kids with silver spoons in their mouths portrayed by thirty year olds that got everyone's attention? For me, it was the jammin' theme song. Now, I know the song is forever linked to this teen drama queen fest but there's no denying the melodic power of that guitar. It's been copied by legit guitarists since then (like Van Halen in "Can't Stop Lovin' You") and is probably being revived for the new edition of this show. So, Dylan has to be what, 50 now?

Number 1: Space 1999

From the opening drum roll and orchestration to the super futuristic disco beat topped with some twangy guitar, it's hard to top the intro to the Martin Landau classic. Science Fiction never seemed so...overblown and unrealistic yet fascinatingly irresistible. That's how life should be, Space ships and disco. Season 2's theme was more direct but no less bombastic.


13 comments:

Jeb said...

awesome list! Has a lot of great shows! Love reading your blog! Thanks for the comments!

Some Kinda Wonderful said...

Hey Mr. Mike! How could you leave out "Just a Good Ol Boy" from the Dukes of Hazzard? Or the theme from "Love Boat"? Or how about the Pink Panther cartoon theme music? I loved that music, loved the Pink Panther. Was there ever a cooler, more hip pink cat? Anyway... hope you and the Missus are enjoying your vacation. Tell her I said "thank you, thank you, thank you. the tea is smashing fabulous and I love the cup and you are too good to me. I love you!"
See you guys later. :)

Jeannie said...

Good for you for picking my all-time-favorite theme song! Do you know what that even is?? I didn't think so. It's #6- The Fall Guy. That's the best darn song!

Jeannie said...

Awww, I just missed you, SKW. I'm very glad you are likin' the package.

I have to agree with you. Mr. Mike should have squeezed in The Dukes somewhere.

Mr. Mike said...

The Dukes of Hazzard would be a great addition to the list. My wife just mentioned Simon & Simon that I had forgot all about, more cowbell! The Love Boat is also worthy, I bet Isaac made a great Martini. The Pink Panther is good too.

My personal runners up on the list included Growing Pains (sharing the laughter and love), The Patty Duke Show (identical cousins! think about it), thirtysomething (yuppie whininess set to muzak), Original Battlestar Galactica (by the Lords of Kobol!), Batman (Pow!!), The Super Friends and Night Court.

bmh67wa said...

Gotta throw in the theme song to MASH. I just watched MASH the other day for the first time in years. It was the episode when Henry Blake was going home and his helicopter crashed and he died. The theme song came on shortly after to end the show and I almost shed a tear even though I had seen that episode a dozen times at least. That song was a perfect match to the show. The Cheers song was a good one too. It was also a good place to go to and "where everyone knows your name".

Jeannie said...

Hey, BMH, come over here. We have all 11 seasons of MASH on DVD.

Some Kinda Wonderful said...

How I could I forget M*A*S*H? I used to watch that show religiously. I know just the episode you are talking about bmh. It was very sad.

Night Court was a good one, too.

pamwax said...

Speed Racer...how many times did I listen to that. Not that it was me watching it. Now the A Team...that was me watching Dirk Benedict.

Mr. Mike said...

MASH is a good one, I've memorized the horn parts to the ending credits and hum along to it when I hear it.

Dirk Benedict was the essence of cool on the A Team and particularly Battlestar Galactica. Starbuck always had a frakkin' good time with as little feldacarb as possible.

Anonymous said...

Magnum PI and Greatest American Hero.....did you see the youtube video of the brothers playing the 90210 theme on one guitar?

Mr. Mike said...

Great choices Frontrow! Can't believe I forgot Greatest American Hero. Okay, scenario: I looked for that youtube video you mentioned and I think I found it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXYHYbDxr9g

If that's the one you mean, it's pretty awesome. Never saw it before, thanks!

Anonymous said...

That's the one!