100 Fun Facts About TV & Movie Theme Songs

'Suicide Is Painless', sung in the 1970 film, became the instrumental theme of which long-running TV series?

Robert Altman demanded 'the stupidest song ever written', and the lyrics were finally supplied by his 14-year-old son Mike; the show never used them.

Who composed the iconic main theme for Star Wars?

John Williams has more Oscar nominations than any living person, over 50; Star Wars won him the 1977 award for Best Original Score.

Who wrote and rapped the lyrics of the theme to his own 1990 NBC sitcom, set in a Bel-Air mansion?

He wrote them after reading the pilot scripts, and his partner DJ Jazzy Jeff produced the track after Quincy Jones's early version was set aside.

Who composed the main title theme for The Simpsons?

Danny Elfman wrote the Simpsons theme in 1989 after Matt Groening approached him. Alf Clausen went on to score the show's episodes for decades, but not the title theme.

Which sitcom's pilot used R.E.M.'s 'Shiny Happy People' before its famous theme was written?

When Michael Stipe declined to license the song, the producers wrote a new one with Allee Willis and handed it to The Rembrandts to record.

The two-note "dun-dun" sound is the signature of which TV franchise?

Law & Order plays it at every scene change; Post calls it 'the clang', and it has run since 1990.

Which 1975 film has a two-note bass theme, alternating E and F, that tells you something is in the water?

Jaws' composer John Williams played the two notes on a piano and Spielberg laughed, assuming it was a joke; the score won him an Oscar.

Cindy Fee's cover of 'Thank You for Being a Friend' was the theme of which sitcom?

Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night re-recorded it for the short-lived spin-off The Golden Palace.

Jonathan Wolff re-recorded the Seinfeld theme for every episode. Which instrument carries its melody?

Slap bass licks were re-cut each time so they would fit around Jerry's opening monologue, complete with mouth pops and lip smacks.

Which Disney animated film features the song "Circle of Life" in its opening?

"Circle of Life," performed by Carmen Twillie and Lebo M, opens The Lion King (1994) with the iconic sunrise over the African savanna.

Who co-wrote and sang 'Where Everybody Knows Your Name', the bar-set sitcom theme first heard in 1982?

He and Judy Hart Angelo had originally written the tune as 'People Like Us' for a failed Broadway musical; he re-recorded a longer version soon after the premiere.

Which director composed and performed the piano theme for his own 1978 slasher film Halloween?

He wrote the whole score in about three days on a budget of roughly $300,000; the piano riff sits in an unsettling 10/8 metre.

Who composed the main title theme for HBO's Westeros saga, and scored all eight seasons?

He also wrote the piano-and-choir piece 'Light of the Seven' for the season six finale, and later scored the prequel House of the Dragon.

"Gonna Fly Now" is the inspirational theme from which sports film franchise?

Rocky's steps now have a statue of Stallone at the bottom, and the song reached number one in 1977.

Which studio built the clockwork-map title sequence for HBO's Westeros saga?

The map changes every episode to show only the locations that episode visits, with buildings unfolding out of the terrain like clockwork.

The instrumental theme for the US version of The Office was performed by which group?

Producer Greg Daniels had considered using The Kinks' 'Better Things' and Modest Mouse's 'Float On' before commissioning Jay Ferguson's tune.

Which James Bond film features the theme song "Skyfall" by Adele?

Skyfall's song was the first Bond theme ever to win the Oscar; Sam Smith and Billie Eilish then won for the next two films.

'Hedwig's Theme', the celesta melody first heard in 2001, is the signature of which film series?

Harry Potter's theme is named after an owl; John Williams scored only the first three films, but every composer after him kept it.

Which sitcom's theme song begins with 'In West Philadelphia born and raised'?

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air's theme tells the plot: one basketball-court fight and a one-way flight to his aunt and uncle in Los Angeles.

Which composer is known for the scores of The Dark Knight, Inception, and Interstellar?

Hans Zimmer composed the scores for The Dark Knight (2008), Inception (2010), and Interstellar (2014), establishing himself as one of the most prolific film composers of the modern era.

Which 1980s TV show opened with "Believe it or not, I'm walking on air"?

"Believe It or Not" by Joey Scarbury was the theme song for The Greatest American Hero (1981-1983), about a teacher given a superhero suit by aliens.

Which mockumentary sitcom won the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy five years running from 2010?

It won 22 Primetime Emmys in all, and its title card was later imitated shot-for-shot by an episode of WandaVision.

The "Imperial March" (Darth Vader's theme) first appeared in which Star Wars film?

Nothing like it appears in the 1977 original; the 1980 sequel introduced both the march and Yoda's theme.

Randy Newman's 'You've Got a Friend in Me' is the theme of which Pixar franchise, starting with its 1995 original?

Toy Story's song is a duet with Lyle Lovett in the first film, and the Gipsy Kings did a Spanish-language version for the third.

Which TV drama's theme song is "Woke Up This Morning" by Alabama 3?

HBO used a shortened 'Chosen One Mix' over Tony's drive from Manhattan to New Jersey in every episode.

'My Heart Will Go On' by Celine Dion won an Oscar as the theme of which 1997 blockbuster?

Titanic's director James Cameron did not want a pop song at all; Dion recorded the demo in one take and it became one of the best-selling singles ever.

Which band recorded 'Eye of the Tiger' for Rocky III after Queen refused Stallone 'Another One Bites the Dust'?

Survivor then spent six weeks at number one, and the song was nominated for an Oscar.

Which cartoon's opening theme is built on a sped-up sample of Clyde Stubblefield's 'Funky Drummer' break?

The closing theme, by contrast, was performed by the Scottish band Bis; both bookend the tale of sugar, spice, everything nice and Chemical X.

The Stranger Things theme is built mainly on which kind of instrument?

Synthesizer, in homage to Tangerine Dream, Vangelis and John Carpenter; Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein wrote it.

Which film's main theme is nicknamed the "Bond Theme" or "James Bond Theme"?

The iconic James Bond Theme was first heard in Dr. No (1962), the first film in the franchise. It was composed by Monty Norman and arranged by John Barry.

Which TV series opens with "Tank!", the Seatbelts' jazz theme?

Yoko Kanno formed the Seatbelts specifically to play the series' jazz score; the track's alto sax solo is by Masato Honda.

Howard Shore composed the complete score for which epic film trilogy?

Howard Shore composed the scores for all three Lord of the Rings films (2001-2003), winning Academy Awards for The Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King.

Who wrote the Mission: Impossible theme for the 1966 TV series?

He wrote it for the original 1966 TV series; the film versions since 1996 have reused it every time.

'Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got' opens the theme of which sitcom?

The full-length version was not released on an album until the singer's 2004 record Keeper.

Which streaming series features an ominous choral theme titled "Light of the Seven"?

The piano-and-choir piece plays through the Sept of Baelor sequence in the season six finale 'The Winds of Winter'.

'It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights' opens which puppet variety show of the 1970s?

The Muppet Show's theme was written by Jim Henson and Sam Pottle in 1976; Disney+ used the line as its slogan when adding the series in 2021.

Who composed the famous guitar-and-bongo Twilight Zone theme that replaced the original after season one?

The stately first-season theme was by a far more famous film composer, but it is the dissonant replacement everyone can hum.

Billie Eilish performed the theme song for which James Bond film?

No Time to Die won her an Oscar and topped the UK chart; it was Daniel Craig's last outing as Bond.

Which sitcom's theme covers Big Star's 'In the Street', mimed by the cast in a station wagon?

Todd Griffin sang the season-one version; Cheap Trick took over from season two, and their take also opens the sequel That '90s Show.

Who wrote the shrieking strings for Psycho's shower scene?

He scored the whole film for strings alone, muted everywhere except the shower scene so its screeching would cut through.

Which Morricone score opens with a two-note coyote howl and gives each lead a different instrument?

The whistling was by Alessandro Alessandroni: flute for Blondie, arghilofono for Angel Eyes and human voices for Tuco.

Which Grammy-winning composer wrote The Mandalorian's bass-recorder theme?

He came recommended by Ryan Coogler and Donald Glover; the theme's signature is a bass recorder, and he took the Oscar for Black Panther the year before.

Which TV show's banjo-driven theme is "The Ballad of Jed Clampett"?

"The Ballad of Jed Clampett" by Jerry Scoggins opens The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971), narrating how Jed struck oil and moved to Beverly Hills.

What unusual time signature is the Mission: Impossible theme written in?

Its composer joked that the five-beat meter was for mutant people with five legs; the film versions by Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. flattened it into 4/4.

'Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs', sung by its star over the closing credits, belongs to which sitcom?

Kelsey Grammer recorded several versions of the final spoken line, which were rotated across episodes.

Which TV show's theme song includes the lyric "Love is all around, no need to waste it"?

"Love Is All Around" by Sonny Curtis was the theme for The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977). The song captured the show's optimistic spirit about an independent working woman.

"The Pink Panther Theme" was composed by which legendary film scorer?

Henry Mancini composed "The Pink Panther Theme" for the 1963 film. The jazzy saxophone melody became so popular it spawned an entire animated franchise based on the animated panther from the opening credits.

Which 1960s sci-fi show's theme was written by Alexander Courage and features a wordless soprano line?

Gene Roddenberry later wrote never-sung lyrics purely so he could claim half the royalties, a move Courage resented for years.

Which 1980s NBC action show has a militaristic march theme composed by Mike Post and Pete Carpenter?

The duo were the go-to team for 1980s TV; Post alone went on to write the themes for Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue.

Who realised Ron Grainer's Doctor Who theme at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in 1963?

It was the first electronic signature tune on television, built note by note long before commercial synthesisers existed.

Which 1950s hit served as Happy Days' opening theme in its first season?

Bill Haley & His Comets re-recorded it in 1973 for the show; the 'Happy Days' song replaced it from season three and cracked the Top 5 in 1976.

Which instrument dominates the Addams Family TV theme alongside a bass clarinet?

Vic Mizzy improvised the finger snaps while pitching the song for approval, and they stuck as part of the percussion.

Which Canadian band wrote The Big Bang Theory's theme about the universe's history?

Fans call it 'History of Everything', but the single's cover art titles it simply 'Big Bang Theory Theme'.

'Boss of Me', the Malcolm in the Middle theme, won a Grammy for which band?

It was their first Grammy, for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media in 2002.

Frank Sinatra's 'Love and Marriage' opened which sitcom?

Sony's DVD sets from season three dropped it over licensing, and Mill Creek later restored the Sinatra recording.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' 'Red Right Hand' is the theme of which crime drama?

PJ Harvey, Patti Smith, Laura Marling and Snoop Dogg have all covered it for the show.

Whose cover of a Beatles song opens The Wonder Years?

Three different title sequences were made, each set to the same rendition of 'With a Little Help from My Friends'.

Jeopardy!'s 'Think!' music was originally written by Merv Griffin as what?

First titled 'A Time for Tony', it earned Griffin an estimated $70 million in royalties over his lifetime.

Who wrote 'Won't You Be My Neighbor?', the opener of a long-running PBS children's show?

He wrote it in 1967; jazz pianist Johnny Costa arranged and performed the show's music live in the studio until 1996.

Whose 'Chariots of Fire' theme reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1982?

The single debuted as 'Titles' in December 1981 and was renamed after seven weeks on the chart.

Which 1973 horror film made Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells' famous?

Oldfield credited its success in the film to the opening's unusual 15/8 time signature; the album had sold slowly until then.

Harold Faltermeyer's synth hit 'Axel F' is the theme of which 1984 film?

He played all five instruments himself, and the producers only warmed to it after director Martin Brest voiced his approval.

Which composer's 'Also sprach Zarathustra' fanfare opens 2001: A Space Odyssey?

Kubrick used a 1959 Vienna Philharmonic recording under Herbert von Karajan; Elvis later used the fanfare as his entrance music.

Who wrote 'I Will Always Love You', which Whitney Houston made The Bodyguard's theme?

She wrote it in 1973 as a farewell to her mentor Porter Wagoner; Houston's version spent a then-record 14 weeks at No. 1.

Which actress first performed 'Moon River' on screen in 1961?

Johnny Mercer's working title was 'Blue River', and an inlet near his hometown of Savannah was later renamed Moon River.

Which band's 'Live and Let Die' was the first Bond theme nominated for an Oscar?

It was also the first rock song to open a Bond film and lost the Oscar to 'The Way We Were'.

Which instrumental band took the Hawaii Five-O theme to No. 4 on the Hot 100?

Morton Stevens wrote the original; the cover became a marching-band staple and the unofficial fight song of the University of Hawaii.

Whose 'Miami Vice Theme' hit No. 1 in 1985, the last instrumental to do so until 2013?

It won two Grammys in 1986; the next instrumental to top the Hot 100 was Baauer's 'Harlem Shake' 28 years later.

Who composed The X-Files' whistling theme?

The whistle came from a Proteus 2 sound module preset called 'Whistl'n Joe', and the theme first appeared in the second episode, 'Deep Throat'.

Who wrote the 'na na na na' theme for the 1966 Batman TV series?

He also released a 1966 album, Batman Theme and 11 Hefti Bat Songs, while Nelson Riddle conducted the orchestra for the show.

The SpongeBob SquarePants theme's melody was inspired by which sea shanty?

Painty the Pirate sings it in every opening, with creator Stephen Hillenburg's own lips superimposed on the painting.

Who wrote 'Way Down in the Hole', recorded by a different act for each season of The Wire?

It first appeared on his 1987 album Franks Wild Years; season four's version was sung by five Baltimore teenagers.

Which singer belted out the whip-cracking Rawhide theme?

Dimitri Tiomkin composed it, and the chorus was conducted by a young Johnny Williams, later famous as John Williams.

Who composed 'The Streetbeater', the funky Sanford and Son theme?

It was released on record through A&M in 1973, during his run as one of the decade's busiest producers.

Whose 'Welcome Back' sitcom theme topped the Hot 100 in 1976?

The former Lovin' Spoonful frontman could rhyme 'Kotter' only with 'otter', so he skipped the name; the producers then retitled the show to match his song.

'It's a Jungle Out There' became the theme of which detective show in its second season?

Season one used a jazzy Jeff Beal instrumental; the replacement won the 2004 Emmy for main title music.

Which 1979 film's Jerry Goldsmith theme was reused for The Next Generation's opening?

The series theme spliced it with Alexander Courage's original fanfare.

Which band was originally intended to record Top Gun's 'Danger Zone' before legal trouble?

Kenny Loggins eventually got it; the same recording returns in 2022's Top Gun: Maverick.

Who sued Ray Parker Jr. claiming the Ghostbusters theme copied 'I Want a New Drug'?

The filmmakers had used 'I Want a New Drug' as temp music and had first offered the job to Lewis's band, who declined.

Whose 'Theme from Shaft' made him the first Black winner of a non-acting Oscar?

He performed it at the 1972 ceremony in his chain-mail vest, then accepted the award later that night in a tuxedo.

Bono and the Edge wrote which Bond theme, sung by Tina Turner?

The U2 pair joined only after Turner was signed; critics heard echoes of the 1964 Goldfinger sound in Nellee Hooper's production.

Which violinist performed the main theme of Schindler's List?

John Williams wrote the score and reportedly told Spielberg he needed a better composer, to which Spielberg replied they were all dead.

Which jazz guitarist plays on the Hill Street Blues theme?

Early episodes used a version with audible edits, replaced by a longer unedited take partway through season two.

An instrumental of which Julee Cruise song became the Twin Peaks theme?

The other songs from her album Floating into the Night were used as her roadhouse performances within the series.

What was the instrumental theme of The Flintstones' first two seasons?

'Meet the Flintstones' only took over in season three, possibly because the earlier tune resembled The Bugs Bunny Show's theme on the same network.

Which future sitcom producer co-wrote the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme?

He and Dennis Challen Brown had $2,000 and 48 hours to make it, and he performed the spoken parts himself.

Mad Men's title sequence plays over 'A Beautiful Mine' by which producer?

The track comes from Magnificent City, his 2006 album with rapper Aceyalone.

Which country singer's 'Bad Things' opens True Blood?

The song came from his 2005 debut album and won a BMI Cable Award in 2009.

Which cast member suggested Lazlo Bane's 'Superman' as the Scrubs theme?

Creator Bill Lawrence liked the 'I'm no Superman' lyric as a nod to the characters' fallibility; WAZ re-recorded it for season nine.

What is the title of Curb Your Enthusiasm's bouncy theme by Luciano Michelini?

It is never mentioned in the credits, and it bookends every episode as both opening and closing music.

Which jazz harmonica player was enlisted for the Sesame Street theme?

Joe Raposo composed it and co-wrote the lyrics with Jon Stone and Bruce Hart; it has opened every episode since 1969.

Brad Fiedel's synth theme for The Terminator is in which unusual time signature?

It arose when Fiedel accidentally created an incomplete loop on his sequencer and liked the herky-jerky propulsion.

Which song did director Guy Hamilton play John Barry as a model for 'Goldfinger'?

Lyricists Bricusse and Newley never saw a script; they were told only about the gilded Jill Masterson and built the lyric on 'the Midas touch'.

Who composed the surf-rock 'Munsters' Theme'?

It earned a Grammy nomination in 1965, and Fall Out Boy sampled its guitar riff on 'Uma Thurman'.

Who wrote the breakfast-making opening title theme for Dexter?

Daniel Licht scored the episodes, but the main title is Kent's work.

Glen Larson lifted part of the Knight Rider theme from a ballet by which composer?

The borrowed passage is the 'Marche et Cortège de Bacchus' from Sylvia; Stu Phillips co-wrote the finished theme.

Nino Rota's Godfather theme partly reused music from which 1958 film he had scored?

Coppola went to Italy to find Rota, who had scored many Fellini films, to give the picture an Italian feel.

Which Alanis Morissette song did Dawson's Creek want before settling on Paula Cole?

Cole re-recorded 'I Don't Want to Wait' in 2021 so Netflix could use it after years of streaming releases swapping it out.

Kenny Loggins' 'Footloose' lost the Best Original Song Oscar to a song from which film?

Stevie Wonder's 'I Just Called to Say I Love You' took the prize; 'Footloose' had spent three weeks at No. 1 in 1984.

Who scored the first season of The White Lotus?

He returned for seasons two and three before announcing he would leave over creative differences.