Listed here are prime time series theme songs that reached the top 60 on Billboard magazine's top pop singles chart. The year and highest position reached is in parentheses. Not included are previously popular songs that were later adopted by a series—an increasingly prevalent practice in the 1980s and 1990s (e.g., “Love and Marriage” on Married … with Children , “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” on Life Goes On).
Increasingly this has become a historical list because TV themes are disappearing, a victim of very short breaks between programs and the desire of networks to give viewers as few reasons as possible to tune out. The days of the long, leisurely theme song that set the mood—and perhaps the premise—for a show (remember the theme for Gilligan's Island?) are long gone. Many of today's hit series, such as Lost and Grey's Anatomy , have no theme at all. For those who want to relive the musical days of yore, numerous CDs of classic themes are available (coauthor Tim Brooks wrote the liner notes for several on TVT Records) and this list will provide a tuneful swing down memory lane.
Addams Family
(“Addams Groove” incorporating “Addams Family Theme”) Hammer (1991, #7)
All in the Family
(“Those Were the Days”) Carroll O'Connor & Jean Stapleton (1971, #43)
Ally McBeal
(“Searchin' My Soul”) Vonda Shepard (1998, airplay chart #16)
Angie
(“Different Worlds”) Maureen McGovern (1979, #18)
Baretta
(“Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow”), Merry Clayton (1975, #45), Rhythm Heritage (1976, #20)
Batman , The Marketts (1966, #17) Neal Hefti & Orchestra (1966, #35)
Ben Casey , Valijean (1962, #28)
Beverly Hillbillies
(“The Ballad of Jed Clampett”) Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs (1962, #44)
Bonanza , Al Caiola (1961, #19)
Charlie's Angels , Henry Mancini (1977, #45)
Cops
(“Bad Boys”), Inner Circle (1993, #8)
Dr. Kildare
(“Three Stars Will Shine Tonight”) Richard Chamberlain (1962, #10)
Dragnet , Ray Anthony Orchestra (1953, #3)
The Dukes of Hazzard , Waylon Jennings (1980, #21)
Dynasty , Bill Conti (1982, #52)
Friends
(“I'll Be There for You”) The Rembrandts (1995, #17)
The Greatest American Hero
(“Believe It or Not”) Joey Scarbury (1981, #2)
Happy Days , Pratt & McClain (1976, #5)
Have Gun Will Travel
(“Ballad of Paladin”) Duane Eddy (1962, #33)
Hawaii Five-O , The Ventures (1969, #4)
The Heights
(“How Do You Talk to an Angel”), The Heights (1992, #1)
Here Come the Brides
(“Seattle”) Perry Como (1969, #38)
Hill Street Blues , Mike Post, featuring Larry Carlton, guitar (1981, #10)
I Love Lucy
(“Disco Lucy”) Wilton Place Street Band (1977, #24)
Laverne and Shirley
(“Making Our Dreams Come True”) Cyndi Grecco (1976, #25)
Magnum, P.I. , Mike Post (1982, #25)
Makin' It , David Naughton (1979, #5)
Medic
(“Blue Star”) Felicia Sanders (1955, #29)
The Men , Isaac Hayes (1972, #38)
Miami Vice , Jan Hammer (1985, #1)
Mission: Impossible , Lalo Schifrin (1968, #41), U2 (Adam Clayton & Larry Mullen) (1996, #7)
Mr. Lucky , Henry Mancini Orchestra (1960, #21)
Moonlighting , Al Jarreau (1987, #23)
My Three Sons , Lawrence Welk Orchestra (1961, #55)
Peter Gunn , Ray Anthony Orchestra (1959, #8), Duane Eddy (1960, #27), The Art of Noise (1986, #50)
The Rockford Files , Mike Post (1975, #10)
Route 66 , Nelson Riddle Orchestra (1962, #30)
S.W.A.T , Rhythm Heritage (1975, #1)
Secret Agent
(“Secret Agent Man”) Johnny Rivers (1966, #3), The Ventures (1966, #54)
Then Came Bronson
(“Long Lonesome Highway”), Michael Parks (1970, #20)
Welcome Back, Kotter
(“Welcome Back”) John Sebastian (1976, #1)
Zorro , The Chordettes (1958, #17)