{"id":226,"date":"2026-01-05T09:21:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T09:21:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/?p=226"},"modified":"2026-01-05T09:21:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T09:21:44","slug":"the-surprising-stories-behind-11-tv-show-theme-songs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/?p=226","title":{"rendered":"The Surprising Stories Behind 11 TV Show Theme Songs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"inline-text-0\" class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Whether it\u2019s a wordy epic that chronicles the show\u2019s backstory or an orchestral piece that lends itself to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=e-6K2CjJ6dk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" aria-label=\"lyrical parody - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">lyrical parody<\/a>, a good theme song can augment a TV show\u2019s popularity and even sometimes outlive it. But there\u2019s no clear path to creating\u2014or even just\u00a0<em>choosing<\/em>\u2014the perfect track. If you\u2019re trying to include a sleigh bell, it could take months of tinkering; if Will Smith is involved, on the other hand, it might only take 15 minutes. From\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/56491\/25-things-you-might-not-know-about-sopranos\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/56491\/25-things-you-might-not-know-about-sopranos\" aria-label=\"The Sopranos\" data-uw-rm-empty-ctrl=\"\"><em>The Sopranos<\/em><\/a>\u2019s gritty intro to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/12611\/40-fun-facts-about-sesame-street\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/12611\/40-fun-facts-about-sesame-street\" aria-label=\"Sesame Street\" data-uw-rm-empty-ctrl=\"\"><em>Sesame Street<\/em><\/a>&#8216;s much sunnier one, here\u2019s how 11 iconic TV theme songs came to be.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-1\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">1.\u00a0<em>The Sopranos<\/em>\u00a0\/\/ \u201cWoke Up This Morning\u201d<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Sopranos Opening Theme (High Definition)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RLxSUKA--Dg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>In 1990, a British woman named Sara Thornton was\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/uk_news\/7530582.stm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"http:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/uk_news\/7530582.stm\" aria-label=\"sentenced - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">sentenced<\/a>\u00a0to life in prison for murdering her abusive husband. The case caught the attention of Rob Spragg (also known as Larry Love), who\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2007\/sep\/27\/usa.art\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2007\/sep\/27\/usa.art\" aria-label=\"penned - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">penned<\/a>\u00a0a song about the ordeal for his band, Alabama 3.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-4\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">That song was \u201cWoke Up This Morning,\u201d which eventually fell upon the ears of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/501524\/when-sopranos-blacked-out\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/501524\/when-sopranos-blacked-out\" aria-label=\"The Sopranos\" data-uw-rm-empty-ctrl=\"\"><em>The Sopranos<\/em><\/a>\u00a0creator David Chase. With bluesy overtones and lyrics like \u201cYou woke up this morning \/ Got yourself a gun,\u201d the track was the ideal theme for Tony Soprano and his gun-toting goons, and HBO reportedly\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/facts\/alabama-3\/woke-up-this-morning\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/facts\/alabama-3\/woke-up-this-morning\" aria-label=\"offered - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">offered<\/a>\u00a0the band $40,000 to use it for the series. Alabama 3 agreed, but the irony of the song\u2019s origin wasn\u2019t lost on its members. \u201cIt was meant to be about female empowerment, and it ends up becoming a gangster anthem,\u201d Spragg\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2007\/sep\/27\/usa.art\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2007\/sep\/27\/usa.art\" aria-label=\"told - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">told<\/a>\u00a0<em>The Guardian<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-5\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">2.\u00a0<em>Succession<\/em>\u00a0\/\/ \u201cSuccession (Main Title Theme)\u201d<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Succession Opening Credits Theme Song | Succession | HBO\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/77PsqaWzwG0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Nicholas Britell had\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vulture.com\/2019\/08\/succession-nicholas-britell-piano-theme-song.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.vulture.com\/2019\/08\/succession-nicholas-britell-piano-theme-song.html\" aria-label=\"composed - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">composed<\/a>\u00a0all the music for\u00a0<em>Succession<\/em>\u2019s debut season when he finally got around to tackling the intro, so he already knew how to translate the show\u2019s darkly comic elements into melodies. His eccentric recipe for the perfect, Emmy-winning theme would involve several out-of-tune pianos, some hip-hop beats (a passion of his from college), and a literal sleigh bell. Though Britell had collaborated closely with the show\u2019s creators throughout the first season, he was still nervous to send them the track. \u201cI remember thinking to myself, \u2018I hope they like this because if they don\u2019t, I actually don\u2019t know what else to do,\u2019\u201d he\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/tv-interviews\/succession-theme-nicholas-britell-2689089\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/tv-interviews\/succession-theme-nicholas-britell-2689089\" aria-label=\"told - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">told<\/a>\u00a0NME. \u201cSo I emailed it over and [creator Jesse Armstrong] almost immediately responded and said, \u2018I think the right response to this is: F*** yeah!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-8\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">3.\u00a0<em>Gilmore Girls<\/em>\u00a0\/\/ \u201cWhere You Lead\u201d<\/h2>\n<p id=\"inline-text-9\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">If you grew up listening to Carole King\u2019s \u201cWhere You Lead\u201d usher in a new episode (or rerun) of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/60420\/22-things-you-might-not-know-about-gilmore-girls\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/60420\/22-things-you-might-not-know-about-gilmore-girls\" aria-label=\"Gilmore Girls\" data-uw-rm-empty-ctrl=\"\"><em>Gilmore Girls<\/em><\/a>, you might consider it the ultimate mother-daughter song. But if you grew up listening to the original version on King\u2019s 1971 album\u00a0<em>Tapestry<\/em>, you might have a different association. With lyrics like \u201cI always wanted a real home \/ With flowers on the windowsill \/ But if you wanna live in New York City \/ Honey, you know I will,\u201d the track embodied a submissive quality that King later soured on. When King\u2019s friend Amy Sherman-Palladino approached her about using the song for\u00a0<em>Gilmore Girls<\/em>\u00a0in 2000, the \u201970s singer\/songwriter saw an opportunity to give it a makeover. She asked her daughter, Louise Goffin, to sing it with her, and the two came up with some new lyrics, including: \u201cYou never know how it&#8217;s all gonna turn out, but that&#8217;s OK \/ Just as long as we&#8217;re together, we can find a way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-10\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">\u201cWhen she was singing it with me, it just gave it a whole new spin,\u201d Goffin\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzfeed.com\/krystieyandoli\/where-you-lead-i-will-follow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzfeed.com\/krystieyandoli\/where-you-lead-i-will-follow\" aria-label=\"told - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">told<\/a>\u00a0BuzzFeed, explaining that the new version was more about how \u201cthere is no distance that is too far to go be with your child.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-11\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">4.\u00a0<em>The Proud Family<\/em>\u00a0\/\/ \u201cThe Proud Family Theme Song\u201d<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"&#039;The Proud Family&#039; theme song Solange feat Destiny&#039;s Child 2001\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HfOP5bFR1oM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>In July 2001, Disney Channel\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20010717123606\/http:\/\/biz.yahoo.com\/bw\/010710\/0436.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20010717123606\/http:\/\/biz.yahoo.com\/bw\/010710\/0436.html\" aria-label=\"announced - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">announced<\/a>\u00a0that the theme song for its upcoming animated series\u00a0<em>The Proud Family<\/em>\u00a0would be performed by Solange Knowles, then a virtually unknown 15-year-old who had never released any music. The ensuing excitement wasn\u2019t unfounded: Her sister, Beyonc\u00e9, had agreed to sing backup with the other two-thirds of Destiny\u2019s Child. According to songwriter Kurt Farquhar, the producers (one of whom was his brother, Ralph) had gone through \u201ca virtual who\u2019s who of [popular] artists\u201d and snagged a deal with Solange and Destiny\u2019s Child at the eleventh hour. \u201cIt was so last minute that I don\u2019t think any of them had really heard the song when they came into the studio,\u201d he\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vulture.com\/2020\/08\/kurt-farquhar-superlatives-moesha-proud-family-sister-sister.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.vulture.com\/2020\/08\/kurt-farquhar-superlatives-moesha-proud-family-sister-sister.html\" aria-label=\"told - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">told<\/a>\u00a0<em>Vulture<\/em>. Fortunately, they were impressed with it, and Beyonc\u00e9 even helped produce the track. But even if things hadn\u2019t worked out with the Knowles sisters,\u00a0<em>The Proud Family<\/em>\u00a0probably still would\u2019ve boasted one of the best kids\u2019 show intros of all time; Ralph Farquhar\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=kZbhplKuTg0&amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;t=1294\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" aria-label=\"revealed - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">revealed<\/a>\u00a0during a recent cast reunion that their backup plan was Alicia Keys.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-14\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">5.\u00a0<em>Friends<\/em>\u00a0\/\/ \u201cI\u2019ll Be There For You\u201d<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Rembrandts- I&#039;ll be there for you (official video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/q-9kPks0IfE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>When\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/56565\/25-things-you-might-not-know-about-friends\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/56565\/25-things-you-might-not-know-about-friends\" aria-label=\"Friends\" data-uw-rm-empty-ctrl=\"\"><em>Friends<\/em><\/a>\u00a0producer Kevin S. Bright sent the pilot episode to The Rembrandts\u2019s Danny Wilde and Phil Solem, its placeholder theme song was R.E.M.\u2019s \u201cIt\u2019s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine),\u201d which he was hoping they could emulate if they took the gig. They did take the gig, but the band itself didn\u2019t actually come up with the sitcom\u2019s still-ubiquitous theme song.\u00a0<em>Friends<\/em>\u00a0co-creator Marta Kauffman\u2019s husband, Michael Skloff, composed it, with lyrical help from Allee Willis (who\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/12\/25\/arts\/music\/allee-willis-dead.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/12\/25\/arts\/music\/allee-willis-dead.html\" aria-label=\"co-wrote - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">co-wrote<\/a>\u00a0Earth, Wind, &amp; Fire\u2019s hit \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/630450\/important-events-that-happened-on-september-21\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/630450\/important-events-that-happened-on-september-21\">September<\/a>\u201d). The Rembrandts \u201cRembrandt-ified it,\u201d as Solem\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzfeednews.com\/article\/jaimieetkin\/the-amazing-story-behind-the-friends-theme-song\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzfeednews.com\/article\/jaimieetkin\/the-amazing-story-behind-the-friends-theme-song\" aria-label=\"told - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">told<\/a>\u00a0BuzzFeed News, and the show\u2019s producers surprised them by adding their own finishing touch: the four claps, which took them more than a few takes to get right.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/section\/friends-tv\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/section\/friends-tv\" aria-label=\"Friends\" data-uw-rm-empty-ctrl=\"\"><em>Friends<\/em><\/a>\u00a0premiered about a week after they wrapped, and The Rembrandts returned their focus to their forthcoming album,\u00a0<em>L.P.<\/em>\u00a0But after a Nashville radio program director named Charlie Quinn played a looped version of the 45-second theme song, it became clear that the public wanted more. \u201cIt got a crazy amount of requests. The phone lines started blowing up and all the sister stations started playing it and it went national,\u201d Wilde told BuzzFeed News.\u00a0<em>L.P.<\/em>\u00a0was completely done, but their label insisted they record a longer edition of the\u00a0<em>Friends<\/em>\u00a0theme and add it to the end of the album. Though they weren\u2019t exactly thrilled, they eventually came to appreciate the song\u2019s success. \u201cIt didn\u2019t really fit,\u201d Wilde explained. \u201cBut it helped sell that record!\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-18\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">6.\u00a0<em>Gilligan\u2019s Island<\/em>\u00a0\/\/ \u201cThe Ballad of Gilligan\u2019s Isle\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>Years before\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/90402\/john-williams-has-never-seen-star-wars-and-doesnt-think-much-his-score\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/90402\/john-williams-has-never-seen-star-wars-and-doesnt-think-much-his-score\">John Williams<\/a>\u00a0gained acclaim for composing the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/section\/star-wars\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/section\/star-wars\" aria-label=\"Star Wars\" data-uw-rm-empty-ctrl=\"\"><em>Star Wars<\/em><\/a>\u00a0score (among many other blockbuster themes), he came up with a calypso intro for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/65360\/15-fateful-facts-about-gilligans-island\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/65360\/15-fateful-facts-about-gilligans-island\" aria-label=\"Gilligan\u2019s Island\" data-uw-rm-empty-ctrl=\"\"><em>Gilligan\u2019s Island<\/em><\/a>, written and performed by the show\u2019s producer, Sherwood Schwartz. Not only did the song\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=qx7A4sxJi7c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" aria-label=\"sound - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">sound<\/a>\u00a0completely different from the one we\u2019re familiar with today, but the lyrics\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/metv.com\/stories\/have-you-ever-heard-the-original-calypso-theme-song-to-gilligans-island\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/metv.com\/stories\/have-you-ever-heard-the-original-calypso-theme-song-to-gilligans-island\" aria-label=\"tell - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">tell<\/a>\u00a0a slightly different story, too. The professor is just a \u201chigh school teacher,\u201d Ginger and Mary Ann are \u201ctwo secretaries,\u201d and the passengers take a \u201csix-hour ride\u201d instead of a \u201cthree-hour tour.\u201d By the time the show premiered, Schwartz had scrapped the song for \u201cThe Ballad of Gilligan\u2019s Isle,\u201d which he composed with George Wyle and booked folk singers The Wellingtons to perform.<\/p>\n<p>Schwartz wasn\u2019t quite done tweaking the tune, though. In the version that aired during season 1 of\u00a0<em>Gilligan\u2019s Island<\/em>, the list of passengers ends with \u201cthe movie star, and the rest,\u201d omitting both\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/54580\/11-professors-best-inventions-gilligans-island\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/54580\/11-professors-best-inventions-gilligans-island\">the Professor<\/a>\u00a0and Mary Ann.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.metv.com\/stories\/there-was-drama-on-gilligan-s-island-over-who-appeared-in-the-credits-and-when\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.metv.com\/stories\/there-was-drama-on-gilligan-s-island-over-who-appeared-in-the-credits-and-when\" aria-label=\"According to - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">According to<\/a>\u00a0MeTV, this was because Tina Louise\u2019s (Ginger, the movie star) contract mandated that her name come last in the credits. For season two, Bob Denver (Gilligan) told the producers that unless they worked those two castaways into the opening credits, he\u2019d like his name to get bumped to the end credits in solidarity. Since Denver was the top-billed cast member, they agreed. \u201cThe Professor and I still send each other little notes saying \u2018Love, The Rest,\u2019\u201d Dawn Wells (Mary Ann)\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/4nHtvV_2-w0?t=212\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/4nHtvV_2-w0?t=212\" aria-label=\"said - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">said<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0<em>Today<\/em>\u00a0in 1995.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-22\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">7.\u00a0<em>The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air<\/em>\u00a0\/\/ \u201cYo Home to Bel-Air\u201d<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air Theme Song (Full)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1nCqRmx3Dnw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-24\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">When NBC gave Andy Borowitz the green light for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/56299\/20-things-you-might-not-know-about-fresh-prince-bel-air\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/56299\/20-things-you-might-not-know-about-fresh-prince-bel-air\" aria-label=\"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air\" data-uw-rm-empty-ctrl=\"\"><em>The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air<\/em><\/a>, he already knew he wanted the theme song to tell the story of how\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/91120\/why-will-smith-does-not-swear-in-his-music\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/91120\/why-will-smith-does-not-swear-in-his-music\">Will Smith<\/a>\u2019s character ended up in Bel-Air. \u201cI was like, \u2018We\u2019re basically doing the hip-hop\u00a0<em>Beverly Hillbillies<\/em>\u00a0here. Let\u2019s not run away from that\u2014let\u2019s just go for it,\u201d he\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/tv\/2017\/03\/30\/fresh-prince-of-bel-air-theme-song-oral-history\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/tv\/2017\/03\/30\/fresh-prince-of-bel-air-theme-song-oral-history\/\" aria-label=\"told - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">told<\/a>\u00a0<em>Entertainment Weekly<\/em>. It was near the end of pilot season, and Borowitz didn\u2019t have much time to deliver an episode to the network. Luckily, Smith didn\u2019t need much time to write the now-iconic bars.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-25\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">\u201cWe literally went into the studio and made the theme song in about 15 minutes,\u201d DJ Jazzy Jeff, the other half of Smith\u2019s hip-hop duo, told\u00a0<em>Entertainment Weekly<\/em>. \u201cI ended up just going in and programming some music, and he wrote something and laid it down. I did [a] rough mix and sent it in, and in about three weeks it was on NBC.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-26\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">8.\u00a0<em>The Andy Griffith Show<\/em>\u00a0\/\/ \u201cThe Fishin&#8217; Hole\u201d<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Fishin&#039; Hole\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/j_IfSxMQ7yg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Composer Earle Hagen (who was also behind the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2008\/05\/28\/arts\/television\/28hagen.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2008\/05\/28\/arts\/television\/28hagen.html\" aria-label=\"themes - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">themes<\/a>\u00a0for\u00a0<em>The Dick Van Dyke Show<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>That Girl<\/em>) didn\u2019t have an easy time dreaming up a simple song for\u00a0<em>The Andy Griffith Show<\/em>\u00a0until he realized just how simple it should be. \u201cOne morning I got up after beating our brains out for a couple of months, and I thought \u2018That thing ought to be simple enough to whistle.\u2019 And it took me about 10 minutes to write it,\u201d he\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/tl03kYAobGE?t=629\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/tl03kYAobGE?t=629\" aria-label=\"said - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">said<\/a>\u00a0in an interview with The Television Academy. He presented it to producer Sheldon Leonard, who immediately suggested filming Andy Griffith and Ron Howard ambling lakeside with fishing poles while the song played. Hagen himself whistled on the track. \u201cI had never whistled before in my life, and never since,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-29\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Though \u201cThe Fishin\u2019 Hole\u201d was instrumental in the show, actor Everett Sloane\u2014who guest-starred as farmer Jubal Foster in a season 2 episode\u2014later\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/metv.com\/stories\/this-andy-griffith-show-guest-star-wrote-the-theme-song-lyrics-too?marketid=46\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/metv.com\/stories\/this-andy-griffith-show-guest-star-wrote-the-theme-song-lyrics-too?marketid=46\" aria-label=\"wrote - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">wrote<\/a>\u00a0lyrics for it, and Griffith sang them for the 1961 album\u00a0<em>Songs, Themes And Laughs From The Andy Griffith Show<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-30\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">9.\u00a0<em>Batman<\/em>\u00a0\/\/ \u201cBatman Theme\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>Batman\u2019s theme song has been covered so often in the last half century that younger fans might not even know where it originated. The year was 1966, the show was ABC\u2019s animated series\u00a0<em>Batman<\/em>, and the musical genius was Neal Hefti. In a 2006\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.robertfarnonsociety.org.uk\/index.php\/jim\/the-special-articles\/212-neal-hefti-is-interviewed-by-forrest-patten\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.robertfarnonsociety.org.uk\/index.php\/jim\/the-special-articles\/212-neal-hefti-is-interviewed-by-forrest-patten\" aria-label=\"interview - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">interview<\/a>\u00a0for\u00a0<em>Journal Into Melody<\/em>, Hefti admitted that he struggled to develop a tune that was as \u201coutrageous\u201d as the show itself, and he didn\u2019t have high hopes for his pitch to producers. \u201cI had to sing it and play it on the piano. Well, I&#8217;m no singer, and I&#8217;m no pianist,\u201d he said. \u201cMy first thought was that they were going to throw me out, very quickly, but as I was going through it, I heard them both reacting with statements like, \u2018Oh, that&#8217;s kicky. That will be good in the car chase.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-33\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Hefti eventually\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.snopes.com\/fact-check\/batman-tv-theme\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.snopes.com\/fact-check\/batman-tv-theme\/\" aria-label=\"used - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">used<\/a>\u00a0eight singers to bring the \u201cBatman!\u201d chorus to life, but he suggested cutting two different tracks in case producer William Dozier preferred a purely instrumental intro. Though Dozier chose the vocal version,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/74315\/15-campy-facts-about-batman\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/74315\/15-campy-facts-about-batman\" aria-label=\"Batman\" data-uw-rm-empty-ctrl=\"\"><em>Batman<\/em><\/a>\u00a0star Adam West later propagated the myth that instruments\u2014not voices\u2014were behind the \u201cBatman!\u201d bit. \u201cOld pals would call to congratulate me and also to ask, \u2018Are those horns or voices saying \u2018Batman\u2019 during your theme song?\u2019\u201d he wrote in his 1994 autobiography. \u201c(They were horns.)\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-34\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Since the single word did technically qualify as \u201clyrics,\u201d Hefti was credited as both songwriter and composer. \u201cOne of the choir members on the recording session wrote on his part: \u2018Word and Music by Neal Hefti,\u2019\u201d Hefti told the\u00a0<em>Los Angeles Times<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-35\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">10.\u00a0<em>Sesame Street<\/em>\u00a0\/\/ \u201cSunny Days\u201d<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sesame Street: Sunny Days Show Open Through the Years | #Sesame50\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/y5FOA0oM5I8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>When it came to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/12611\/40-fun-facts-about-sesame-street\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/12611\/40-fun-facts-about-sesame-street\" aria-label=\"Sesame Street\" data-uw-rm-empty-ctrl=\"\"><em>Sesame Street<\/em><\/a>\u2019s opening ditty, creator Jon Stone loved Joe Raposo\u2019s composition just as much as he hated Bruce Hart\u2019s lyrics\u2014and he didn\u2019t downplay either emotion. According to Michael Davis\u2019s book\u00a0<em>Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street<\/em>, Stone\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=i3ilsEuFUkAC&amp;q=%22just+plain+brilliant%22#v=snippet&amp;q=%22just%20plain%20brilliant%22&amp;f=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=i3ilsEuFUkAC&amp;q=%22just+plain+brilliant%22#v=snippet&amp;q=%22just%20plain%20brilliant%22&amp;f=false\" aria-label=\"called - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">called<\/a>\u00a0Raposo\u2019s music \u201cjust plain brilliant,\u201d commending how it was \u201cmelodic and easy enough for a child to recognize and even sing along to, but still had a musical sophistication.\u201d Though it was Stone\u2019s idea to center the song around the line \u201cCan you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?\u201d he thought the rest of Hart\u2019s \u201cplatitudinous kiddie-show lyrics\u201d were \u201ctrite and thoughtless.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-38\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">\u201cI kept thinking that in a week or so I\u2019d get around to getting rid of such hackneyed phrases as \u2018It\u2019s a magic carpet ride,\u2019 but I never did, and once it aired there was no way to go back and make repairs,\u201d he explained, calling the whole work a \u201cmusical masterpiece and a lyrical embarrassment.\u201d Evidently, it wasn\u2019t embarrassing enough to preclude Stone from listing himself as a co-writer and claiming a portion of the royalties.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-39\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">11.\u00a0<em>Cheers<\/em>\u00a0\/\/ \u201cWhere Everybody Knows Your Name\u201d<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cheers Intro In Full 1080P HD (Thank You HDNet)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rS0VQOHX7lM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>In the early 1980s, Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo were busy mailing cassette tapes featuring songs from their fledgling Broadway show,\u00a0<em>Preppies<\/em>, to potential backers in the entertainment industry. Soon, the musicians were contacted by brothers Glenn and Les Charles, who didn\u2019t want to invest in the musical at all. Instead, they wanted to buy its opening number, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SL8tIf2xjbE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" aria-label=\"People Like Us - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">People Like Us<\/a>,\u201d for their upcoming NBC sitcom,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/56133\/30-things-you-might-not-know-about-cheers\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/56133\/30-things-you-might-not-know-about-cheers\" aria-label=\"Cheers\" data-uw-rm-empty-ctrl=\"\"><em>Cheers<\/em><\/a>. Since\u00a0<em>Preppies<\/em>\u00a0producers wouldn\u2019t let them poach it, the Charles brothers simply commissioned Portnoy and Hart Angelo to pen a similar song for the TV series. What they originally wrote centered on Ted Danson\u2019s rather amorous character, Sam, and classic Boston culture; lyrics included, \u201cSinging the blues when the Red Sox lose \/ It\u2019s a crisis in your life \/ On the run \u2019cause all your girlfriends want to be your wife.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey called us back and said, \u2018We really love that, but we love our show and think it\u2019s going to run forever, so if you could make the verse more universal in nature,'&#8221; Portnoy\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2019\/11\/25\/cheers-theme-song-lyrics-ted-danson-sam-kirstie-alley-11132733\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2019\/11\/25\/cheers-theme-song-lyrics-ted-danson-sam-kirstie-alley-11132733\/\" aria-label=\"told - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">told<\/a>\u00a0Metro.co.uk. The duo took their advice, and ended up with \u201cWhere Everybody Knows Your Name,&#8221; which Portnoy recorded himself\u2014all six singing parts. The beloved and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/29606\/25-most-powerful-songs-past-25-years\" target=\"_self\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/29606\/25-most-powerful-songs-past-25-years\">meaningful song<\/a>\u00a0still generates healthy royalty checks for its creators, but the same can\u2019t be said for their ill-fated musical.\u00a0<em>Preppies<\/em>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ivy-style.com\/from-collar-pop-to-total-flop-preppies-the-musical-1982.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"http:\/\/www.ivy-style.com\/from-collar-pop-to-total-flop-preppies-the-musical-1982.html\" aria-label=\"debuted - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">debuted<\/a>\u00a0Off-Broadway to lackluster reviews and shuttered just weeks later.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether it\u2019s a wordy epic that chronicles the show\u2019s backstory or an orchestral piece that lends itself to\u00a0lyrical parody, a good theme song can augment a TV show\u2019s popularity and even sometimes outlive it. But there\u2019s no clear path to creating\u2014or even just\u00a0choosing\u2014the perfect track. If you\u2019re trying to include a sleigh bell, it could [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":227,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=226"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":228,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226\/revisions\/228"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}