How much are you guys liking this idea of voting for your All-Time Favorite TV Themes???
Well, we received nearly 1500 votes on Day One ... so I'd say you're liking it quite a bit!!!
Well, we received nearly 1500 votes on Day One ... so I'd say you're liking it quite a bit!!!
We've already got a couple of runaway early leaders ... but we've also learned how quickly things can change.
So get YOUR votes in now ... we'll keep tabulating for the next week or two if interest remains high ...
And then count down your favorites at a later date.
Get in on the fun.
Suggest your own titles ... or take some hints from those listed below.
(In fact, scroll down for a TV Guide Link to a brand new CD featuring 50 All-Time Television Favorites ... you'll find ALL kinds of great ideas there!) kk
Kent,
Your listing of the top ten theme songs for television brought back memories to me of the theme that listed at number six, the theme from the Beverly Hillbillies. This Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs tune made our local top 40 radio station's weekly survey back in 1963. They had a follow-up called PEARL PEARL PEARL which also made our survey (both on Columbia). Curious to know if those records hit your survey back then.
Larry
"The Ballad Of Jed Clampett" (Theme from "The Beverly Hillbillies") made it to #17 in Chicago ... but it was the only chart hit here for Flatt and Scruggs. ("Foggy Mountain Breakdown", used in the film "Bonnie And Clyde" charted as an "Extra" for one week on WCFL ... and I actually remember it being played quite a bit at the time.) kk
(Nope ... not this one!)
You left off Scooby Doo which was on the TV Guide list and I agree should be on a Top 50 list just like "Mister Ed" is there. Not necessarily because it is great musical art but because the two shows have not only spanned several generations of fans in reruns (in the case of Mister Ed") and new shows (in The Case of Scooby Doo) but even people who did not watch the shows recognize the name / characters immediately. They have made a major influence on our lives.
Also TV Guide sold their own set with some titles missing from the list.
http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/5028744/a/tv+guide%3A+50+all-time+favorite+tv+themes.htm
The real list:
http://www.tvguide.com/News/Greatest-TV-Theme-Songs-60-1064098.aspx
Paul Urbahns
Radcliff, Ky
I didn't run TV Guide's complete list ... only assorted selections ... that's why "Scooby Doo" was missing ... but several people have voted for it since. Why will the Forgotten Hits list be more accurate than TV Guide's ... when TV Guide has been covering the business for 60 years and has millions and millions of readers? Because THEIR selections were chosen by their own panel of judges that work for the magazine. We've put this out to The Forgotten Hits Nation ... and will be in a better position to judge where your TRUE favorites are. (Odds are "Prince Of Bel Air WON'T make OUR Top Ten List!!! lol)
Also TV Guide sold their own set with some titles missing from the list.
http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/5028744/a/tv+guide%3A+50+all-time+favorite+tv+themes.htm
The real list:
http://www.tvguide.com/News/Greatest-TV-Theme-Songs-60-1064098.aspx
Paul Urbahns
Radcliff, Ky
I didn't run TV Guide's complete list ... only assorted selections ... that's why "Scooby Doo" was missing ... but several people have voted for it since. Why will the Forgotten Hits list be more accurate than TV Guide's ... when TV Guide has been covering the business for 60 years and has millions and millions of readers? Because THEIR selections were chosen by their own panel of judges that work for the magazine. We've put this out to The Forgotten Hits Nation ... and will be in a better position to judge where your TRUE favorites are. (Odds are "Prince Of Bel Air WON'T make OUR Top Ten List!!! lol)
Actually this TV Soundtrack sounds pretty good, even though I've already got most (if not all) of these tracks on other compilations. An "official" TV Guide Release would be a stand-out in ANY collection. (kk)
Am I the only guy on the planet who remembers 'Johnny Staccato'? The theme tune by Elmer Bernstein is unforgettable, and coupled with John Cassavetes, one of America's great actor/ directors, was unmissable here in the UK on Friday nights.
Am I the only guy on the planet who remembers 'Johnny Staccato'? The theme tune by Elmer Bernstein is unforgettable, and coupled with John Cassavetes, one of America's great actor/ directors, was unmissable here in the UK on Friday nights.
George Van Win
So far, yes ... you are the ONLY one who remembers "Johnny Staccato"! (lol) kk
I really loved watching "Dr. in the House" back in the early 70's here in the states. It aired on WOW TV in Omaha at 5 in the afternoon. An odd time, since it was quite racy for TV in that time period. Always liked the theme as well. I just thought of it today and sure enough, there it is on youtube! Have not seen or heard the show / theme since probably 1975 and find it interesting that this show originated in UK TV in 1969!! I don't remember if I'd seen "Monty Python" or not by that time. Funny even today!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4juSDIP05PA
Clark Besch
Wow ... never heard of THIS one before either. But it DID inspire me to cast my own vote for "House". In fact, some of TV's recent themes have won me over ... enough to go out and buy or download these tracks. Beside the theme from "House", I'd add "Save Me" from "Smallville", "Calling All Friends" from "What About Brian?" and the themes from "Justified" and "Boss", too. (kk)
Hey Kent,
It's really funny you posted the TV theme songs list. I always thought that would be a cool list to do and I couldn't remember if you had done it before.
The TV guide top 10????? Fresh Prince, Sesame Street (WTF ... who made this list)???
Here's some of the ones I thought should get at least an Honorable Mention:
- Sanford and Son ( It's got that Quincy Jones sound. Almost sounds like Billy Preston too)
- The Munsters (The 2nd theme with the guitar riff)
- Petticoat Junction (A catchy little tune, but the instrumental at the end is very cool)
- The Rockford Files (I always liked the harmonica)
- The Dick Van Dyke Show (A classic)
- The Fugitive
- The Twilight Zone
- Alfred Hitchcock
- Perry Mason Theme
- Bewitched
- Green Acres
- Magilla Gorilla and The Merry Melodies Tune
btw ...Yesterday on the freeway I happened to see the John Lennon Educational Bus. It's a traveling studio that teaches kids about music. Very cool!
I wanted to take a picture of it, but being a responsible driver I didn't want to fuck with my camera going 70 mph on the freeway!!!!
Mike Mertes
Hi Kent -
I'm saddened but not surprised that I didn't see my favorite TV theme nominated because I know it's a sleeper. My favorite TV theme always will be the great Mike Post instrumental, "The Rockford Files Theme". The louder you play it, the better it gets!
Thanks for the opportunity, Hi to Fran:)
Rich & Mamie
Actually, "The Rockford Files" has been getting quite a few votes ... this one was a Top Ten Hit back in 1975 ... in fact, Mike Post has several television themes to his credit. (I'm hoping to get a comment from him for our series.) At this exact moment in time "Rockford Files" is in first place ... but we're still in the early rounds of voting ... so anything can happen! Thanks, Rich ... best to you and Mamie as well! (kk)
As far as T.V. themes go, one of my favorites that hasn't been mentioned..... yet is from "The Rockford Files", followed closely by Charles Gunod's "Funeral March of the Marionette" for Alfred Hitchcock's show, Quentin's theme for "Dark Shadows and the theme from "77 Sunset Strip".
I'm saddened but not surprised that I didn't see my favorite TV theme nominated because I know it's a sleeper. My favorite TV theme always will be the great Mike Post instrumental, "The Rockford Files Theme". The louder you play it, the better it gets!
Thanks for the opportunity, Hi to Fran:)
Rich & Mamie
Actually, "The Rockford Files" has been getting quite a few votes ... this one was a Top Ten Hit back in 1975 ... in fact, Mike Post has several television themes to his credit. (I'm hoping to get a comment from him for our series.) At this exact moment in time "Rockford Files" is in first place ... but we're still in the early rounds of voting ... so anything can happen! Thanks, Rich ... best to you and Mamie as well! (kk)
As far as T.V. themes go, one of my favorites that hasn't been mentioned..... yet is from "The Rockford Files", followed closely by Charles Gunod's "Funeral March of the Marionette" for Alfred Hitchcock's show, Quentin's theme for "Dark Shadows and the theme from "77 Sunset Strip".
Dube
The Rockford Files Theme.
Mike
Hmmm ... at this rate this one might have a COMMANDING lead before we're done today! (lol) kk
Hi Kent! My favorites always seem to be bass line driven ... but there are so many great themes, how can you pick? In the end, I'll just go with the song writer ... Mike Post. And more often than not, you get Larry Carlton in the mix!
Mike
Hmmm ... at this rate this one might have a COMMANDING lead before we're done today! (lol) kk
Hi Kent! My favorites always seem to be bass line driven ... but there are so many great themes, how can you pick? In the end, I'll just go with the song writer ... Mike Post. And more often than not, you get Larry Carlton in the mix!
Thanks for your incredible effort, Forgotten Hits!
Woody Johnson
TV Themes:
TV Themes:
1. American Bandstand
2. Flintstones
3. Cheers
4. Tonite Show Theme
5. Any Warner Brothers cartoon show
6. The Adams Family
7. I Love Lucy
8. Bonanza
9. Gilligan's Island
10.NYPD Blue
Rick Barr
New Colony Six / Shadows of Knight
I would love to nominate the The Theme From The Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not) Performed by Joey Scarbury the show might not have lasted very long but the song did peak at #2 on the Billboard charts ... it also peaked at the #1 position on the Record World Chart.
I would love to nominate the The Theme From The Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not) Performed by Joey Scarbury the show might not have lasted very long but the song did peak at #2 on the Billboard charts ... it also peaked at the #1 position on the Record World Chart.
Sev
Keep those votes coming, folks! We're off to a great start.
One thing we ARE going to do (since we already have over 150 nominations!!!) is limit this to music strictly developed for tv shows ... in other words, Billy Joel's "My Life" (used on "Bosom Buddies"), Andrew Gold's "Thank You For Being A Friend" (used on "The Golden Girls") and Joe Cocker's version of "With A Little Help From My Friends" (used on "The Wonder Years") are NOT going to be eligible for your votes. That being said, an awful lot of short 30-second TV themes were later expanded to Top 40-friendly radio length and became hits in their own right. As such, they became familiar to a far wider audience. (I'm hoping to run a list of the biggest TV Themes on the Pop Charts soon ... in fact, our chart guru Randy Price is currently working up the stats right now!!! So ... as they say in television-land ... stay tuned!!!) kk
Keep those votes coming, folks! We're off to a great start.
One thing we ARE going to do (since we already have over 150 nominations!!!) is limit this to music strictly developed for tv shows ... in other words, Billy Joel's "My Life" (used on "Bosom Buddies"), Andrew Gold's "Thank You For Being A Friend" (used on "The Golden Girls") and Joe Cocker's version of "With A Little Help From My Friends" (used on "The Wonder Years") are NOT going to be eligible for your votes. That being said, an awful lot of short 30-second TV themes were later expanded to Top 40-friendly radio length and became hits in their own right. As such, they became familiar to a far wider audience. (I'm hoping to run a list of the biggest TV Themes on the Pop Charts soon ... in fact, our chart guru Randy Price is currently working up the stats right now!!! So ... as they say in television-land ... stay tuned!!!) kk
