Reddit user RasheenHyuga asked:
"What tv show has the best theme song of all time?"
Obviously the comments were full of people passionately defending their choices for the best theme.
My initial response was the theme from Steven Universe, particularly the way that it evolved over the seasons to reflect the evolution of the storyline.
The simple little love song reflects something altogether massive by the time it's done; just like a simple cartoon about a little boy who thinks ice cream makes him magic evolves into a story about war, colonization, identity, family dynamics, transitions, what it means to be human and the value of forgiveness - AND boundaries.
Also, guitar solos and fry bits.
Having said aaaaaall of that - Reddit had some incredible answers, too.
Resist Rapping, If You Can
Will Smith Happy Dance GIF by WHOSAYGiphy"The Fresh Prince."
- sherlockhound5
"You just mention the show at all and people start rapping the theme song at you 9 times out of 10."
"It's quite cool how many people know the theme song, even if they've never watched the show or were born after it was finished. You know it's good when that happens!"
- thegurrkha
"I've probably only seen less than a full season and just had it on for background noise and I can still recite the opening rap!"
- Which_Minute_9671
"I’ve never watched the show but I’m still yet all the time singing the song in my head."
- NarutoPretzelx2
Woo-Hoo!
duck tales television GIFGiphy"DuckTales..woo hoo"
- TomatilloLopsided895
"I downloaded the song 'for my kid' and the amount of times I yell the lyrics out to the song without him near me is embarrassing."
- dachshundaholic
"The rhythm and beat of the DuckTales intro alone gets me hype. As a 36 year old."
- ayojimoh
"Any time any two syllable phrase is spoken in my house, either me or my husband always does the 'woo hoo.' It is compulsive."
" 'Babe what do you want for breakfast?' "
" 'Fried eggs.' "
" 'Woo hoo!' "
" 'I don't see it, is it on the left or right?' "
" 'Right side.' "
" 'Woo hoo!' "
"You get the point."
- dryerfresh
SnapSnap
the addams family dancing GIFGiphy"The Addams Family with Lurch at the harpsichord and the cast snapping their fingers in time to the music and memorable lyrics."
- Back2Bach
"I came here to say this!"
"EVERYONE knows this song even if they have never seen the original show! It’s an iconic tune which can be recognized within a few notes and has been unofficially turned into other songs such as The Days of the Week, for young kids to learn the days of the week and their order!!!"
- princess_cupcake72
"It's the snap snap."
- Kuro_08
Gold
Golden Girls Flirting GIF by HULUGiphy"The Golden Girls, thank you very much."
- MrTeeWrecks
"AND IF YOU THREW A PARTY!!!"
- PutItOnMyTombstone
"I bloody love the Golden Girls!"
"This song was on Heart 70s (which is ace) the other day and I had a good sing around my kitchen."
- Sad_Review8093
"That was a song by a guy named Andrew Gold in the 70s and it was a pretty big hit back then."
- horkus1
Not Made For The Show, But Made For The Show
Fucked Up Lol GIF by What We Do in the ShadowsGiphy"What We Do In the Shadows"
- Professional-Tax-936
"You're Dead by Norma Tanega!"
- SakuOtaku
"In terms of matching the show I don't think anything could be more perfect."
- CamelSpotting
"As soon as I read the title of this post I heard the WWDITS theme song in my head."
- coconutlemongrass
"Happy I didn’t have to scroll far to find this one. I always assumed it was written for the show as it fits so perfectly, until two seasons in I Shazammed it out of curiosity and woah, mind blown."
- jasmminne
"A perfect song for the show! I never skip past it because it just sets the ideal mood for the show."
- gpgarrett
"In our house we just call the show 'you’re dead, you’re dead' because of the theme."
- Vance_Hammersly
Well-Chosen Adjectives
Knight Rider Nbc GIFGiphy"Knight Rider (1982)"
"Slick, funky, dark, bit of new wave synth. So good."
- spesimen
"Agreed. I think it is a perfect theme tune."
"And I would add 'original' to your well-chosen adjectives. I haven't heard anything else like it."
- OminOus_PancakeS
"Not just the theme music but that kickass opening monologue that tells you everything you need to know."
" 'Knight Rider... A shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist. Michael Knight: a young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law.' "
- groolthedemon
"Epic. I used to have this as my ringtone (when those were still things)."
- jamikins23
The Bands Best Work
disney channel hello GIFGiphy"Phineas and Ferb"
- 69for_president
"This!"
"It's fast paced and yet almost everyone I know remembers the words if they ever watched it."
- TopNotchGamerr
"Some of Bowling For Soup's best work."
"The hilarious part is that the chorus didn't even make it into the intro!"
"The song is called 'Today is gonna be a great day' and I thought the chorus 'This could possibly be the best day ever, today is gonna be a great day' was going to be the catchy bit that they'd include."
- Mysticpoisen
"Dude Bowling For Soup is pretty responsible for the whole Phineas and Ferb vibe. The lead singer is also the lead singer for Love Händel!"
- [Reddit]
"Retrowave"
Season 1 Netflix GIF by Stranger ThingsGiphy"Stranger Things. It's just so sexy."
- AttractiveHammer
"It didn’t start my love of the retrowave music genre by itself, but it was one of the first dozen retrowave tracks I heard."
"Then followed all the other wave rabbit holes. Love that sh*t!"
"The Stranger Things theme is still one of the best pop culture references for when someone asks what music I’m into."
- Zeibyasis
"That opening was such a nostalgia slap when I first saw it. So very 80s."
- manyconclusion
Nothing And Everything
Donald Glover Community GIFGiphy"Community."
"Such a perfect sitcom intro - insanely catchy, doesn’t explicitly say anything about the show, but somehow encapsulates the entire thing, and is short and sweet and always makes you wish it was longer."
-Hagbard_Shaftoe
"Agreed."
"I swear, though, it sounds like the lyrics are slightly different every once in a while and it would make me feel like a lunatic if my wife didn’t also notice it."
- PretendThisIsMyName
Bone Chilling
Unsolved Mysteries GIF by FILMRISEGiphy"Most bone chilling? Old school episodes of Unsolved Mysteries."
"That show absolutely terrified me as a child. And yet I was allowed to watch it when I was like four haha."
"There was something about that theme that somehow made it like 200% scarier than any other show or movie."
- magical_bunny
"That theme song made me lunge for the remote to change the channel. That show was 5spooky4me."
- HicJacetMelilla
"My mom would put me to bed just in time for her to watch Unsolved Mysteries."
"I had to fall asleep with Robert Stack talking about serial killers that could be anywhere & that music playing. That f*cking music."
- ozzmodan
Yeah, that Unsolved Mysteries answer gave me flashbacks to my childhood and the feeling of fear in my throat as soon as the dododododododoot dododododoDOODOOT got started.
There was something about the pitch of the sound that always made me imagine the notes were stabbing me.
... ... ... I was a weird kid, but if you're a music-head I guarantee you knew exactly what I was talking about right there.
Don't judge me.
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