The 17 Best Theme Songs in TV History

Even before MTV came along some of the best music could be heard right at home on the boob tube. From sitcoms to dramas, some television shows (most of which are still available for your viewing pleasure) contain intros that feature songs that you can't -- and don't want to -- get out of your head. A few of these jams even managed to top the charts. Here are the best:





17. "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" - The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Grammy-winning star Will Smith contributed his own vocals and lyrics for his show's theme song, which conveniently sum up his character's backstory along with the series' premise: a Philly kid gets shipped of to California to live with his rich uncle.









16. "Love and Marriage" - Married with Children

It's pretty hard to go wrong with Frank Sinatra, whose crooning about how great married life is completely belies the concept of the show.









15. "Who Are You?" - CSI

The folks at CSI sorta cheated. Instead of hiring an anonymous band to compose a theme specifically for their show they licensed a classic rock song from Hall of Fame rock group The Who.









14. "With a Little Help from My Friends" - The Wonder Years

Joe Cocker's passionate rendition of a Beatles classic about friendship were guaranteed to grab the attention of curious channel-surfers.

13. "Without Us" - Family Ties

After Family Ties' first season the producers kept the theme song they'd already used but the recruited new vocalists. Legendary singers Johnny Mathis and, especially Deniece Williams, add some soul to this duet about Steven and Elyse Keaton's relationship.









12. "Won't Get Fooled Again" - CSI: Miami

The CSI creative team hedged their bets once again and wisely decided not to change a winning formula. CSI: Miami is introduced by yet another classic song by The Who.









11. "Moving On Up" - The Jeffersons

Good Times star Ja'Net DuBois co-wrote and performed this gospel song about George and Louise Jefferson's upward mobility.









10. "Woke Up This Morning" - The Sopranos

Alabama 3's "Woke Up This Morning" contains a menacing sound and lyrics that perfectly capture the mindset of central character Tony Soprano.









9. "C'mon C'mon" - Rescue Me

8. Inspector Gadget Theme

Inspector Gadget's theme song far outshines the show itself and is so catchy that legendary producer Teddy Riley sampled it for the classic hip hop jam "The Show".









7. Miami Vice Theme

Composer Jan Hammer's instrumental theme for this drama about Miami narcotics detectives was so popular that it actually reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1985.









6. "Paradise Circus" - Luther

British band Massive Attack's "Paradise Circus" gives you a sense of the sometimes sinister thoughts rolling around inside the head of star Idris Elba's Detective Chief Inspector John Luther. 

5. "Tuyo" - Narcos

4. WKRP in Cincinatti Theme

3. "Thank You for Being a Friend" - The Golden Girls

2. Moonlighting Theme

Jazz singer Al Jarreau both wrote and performed this theme song for a comedy about two private detectives in a love/hate relationship. He won a Grammy for his troubles (rightly so).

1. "Welcome Back" - Welcome Back Kotter

Lovin' Spoonful frontman John Sebastian's mellow ode to central character Gabe Kotter not only reached the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1976, it also sold over one million copies. Not bad for a sitcom song.

Originally Posted 5/3/20