My mission, which I decided to accept, was to pick five TV show themes from each of the first, four television decades. So many shows, so few selections allowed. This is hard, many deserving themes will be left-out. I know that you feel my pain.
In the 1950s, entertainment was transitioning from radio and vaudeville to television. Show begun as live, in the studio productions, while others were filmed like old studio serials. Orchestras provided the music, and sometimes lyrics, but often with an announcer like in the days of radio. Later in the 50’s, theme songs began appearing, particularly on Westerns and detective shows which introduced the main character and premise of the show. Jazz and Country & Western worked their way into the mix to set the mood and establish the show’s style.
In the 1960s, the theme songs became more ambitious, with more style and creativity going into the production. Even cartoon shows like The Flintstones and The Jetsons had lavish musical themes. Rock and roll influenced many show themes as producers were already aiming for younger demographics for advertisers. Escapism ruled the decade with science fiction, fantasy and adventurous shows giving families escape from political and social issues surrounding them. Shows became even more creative with introducing the show through clever storytelling set to music. Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, Gilligan’s Island, The Fugitive and Brady Bunch brought viewers into their stories.
In the 1970s, Welcome Back Kotter, All in the Family, One Day at a Time continued the storytelling theme song tradition as families and social situations were rapidly changing. Jazz stylings were evident in shows set in urban soundings like Barney Miller, Taxi and The Streets of San Francisco.
The 1980s carried forward the cute backstories that served to set up shows like The Facts of Life, Family Ties, Cheers, The Golden Girls, as examples. Nighttime soaps got big musical productions. The 80’s also embraced breaking rules, designing opening title sequences with unexpected music, going against expectations. For St. Elsewhere, Hill Street Blues and Seinfeld it worked beautifully. For Magnum, P.I., it did not and they switched themes in the first season.
1950s
Peter Gunn – Written and performed by cool master Henry Mancini, who won an Emmy and two Grammys. John Williams, a young pianist at the time, plays the distinctive piano riff.
Bonanza – The theme was composed by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, arranged by Billy May and orchestrated by David Rose. Tommy Tedesco, known as a member of the Wrecking Crew, played the famous guitar part. He’s represented on other songs on this list.
Twilight Zone – The theme most remembered from this show was a combination of different pieces of music, one by composer Marius Constant. There’s a backstory to this theme, and two conflicting versions, but it appears that Constant wrote at least part of what you hear. He accepts a one-time payment for submitting his work and was given an additional payment when the music was accepted for the series, but apparently no more money for the decades of use. CBS claimed it purchased the music outright and was exempt from the usual union rules on royalties. It’s an iconic and eerie creation of music. The original theme music that was only used in limited broadcasts was by frequent Hitchcock composer Bernard Herrmann. Tommy Tedesco is credited as one of the guitarist on the session.
Perry Mason – The show’s famous these is called “Park Avenue Beat” and composed by Fred Steiner. He said that CBS wanted music to represent the two distinct sides to Mason: “the suave, well-dressed man about town, which seemed to need a sophisticated sound; and then you have him dealing with criminals and crime.”
Alfred Hitchcock Presents – The theme is adapted from “Funeral March of a Marionette” by Charles Gounod in the 1870s. Hitchcock remembered the music from a 1927 film and used it his television anthology series.
Honorable mention: Bat Masterson, Have Gun Will Travel, Rawhide
1960s
Batman – Big Band trumpeter Neal Hefti wrote the guitar riff song, a rockin surf style theme. Playing guitar on the recording was? Tommy Tedesco! Joining him on the jazzy bass was another Wrecking Crew member – Carol Kaye. Hefti is also known for the iconic theme for The Odd Couple.
Hawaii Five-O – Mort Stevens composed the song, which The Ventures covered. One of the most recognizable themes of the 1960s, the song and the title montage are one of the best show opens of all time.
Mission Impossible – Written by Lalo Schifrin, one of the most iconic themes, it has jazz, rock and Latin elements. The theme evokes mystery, intrigue and action. A recipient of Emmy and Grammy awards, plus an honorary Academy Award, Schifrin wrote many television and film scores.
The Brady Bunch – One of the best of the “story” opening TV themes. You learn all about the show’s premise in a cute kind of way. Frank De Vol and show creator Sherwood Schwartz wrote the song. For the first season, the vocals were done by the Peppermint Trolley Company. From the second season onward, the Brady kids did the vocals.
Secret Agent Man – Composed by P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri for a British TV series that also aired in the U.S. called Secret Agent. Made famous by Johnny Rivers riding it up the charts in 1966.
Honorable mention: Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Andy Griffith Show, The Flintstones, Green Acres, Gilligan’s Island, The Beverly Hillbillies, Route 66, Jonny Quest, Mannix, The Monkees
1970s
The Rockford Files – The theme was composed Mike Post and Pete Carpenter, it was a Grammy winner and top ten single. As with many shows, the arrangement changed a few times over the run of the show. The guitar part was played by Dan Ferguson.
Streets of San Francisco – Composed by Patrick Williams, who had more than 150 TV and film scores to his credit. This theme was a raucous, driving jazz/rock instrumental that set the tone for a stylish and hard-edged detective show.
Mary Tyler Moore Show – The theme is called “Love is All Around” and was written and sung by Sonny Curtis. In later seasons the arrangement was changed and the words were dropped. Curtis was a member of the Crickets who backed Buddy Holly. Curtis wrote many other songs including “I Fought the Law.” Curtis passed away in 2025.
Taxi – Jazz pianist Bob James wrote and arranged a series of songs used in the show. The opening title sequence uses “Angela (Theme from Taxi)”.
Barney Miller – Jack Elliott & Allyn Ferguson wrote the theme. Chuck Berghofer is credited with creating the amazing bass line on the spot. The guitar solo was played by Ferguson’s son Dan, who did the Rockford Files guitar part too.
Honorable mention: Sanford & Son, ABC Movie of the Week, Bob Newhart Show, WKRP in Cincinnati
1980s
Hill Street Blues – Written by Mike Post, top ten single and Grammy winner (for Post and guitarist Larry Carlton). This song was written in a style that was opposite of cop shows at the time. It was cool jazz, introspective and poignant.
St. Elsewhere – The upbeat score was written by jazz great Dave Grusin. It’s majestic, plaintive and expresses the complexity of the show’s many themes.
Seinfeld – Jonathan Wolff was hired to write some quirky, unusual music to fit underneath and complement, not compete with, Jerry Seinfeld’s jokes during the intro and outro of each episode. Wolf used a slapping sound on the bass along with some percussion, synth riffs and odd sounds to create what is unique about Seinfeld.
Magnum P.I. – From episode 12 onward, the theme you hear is this one. The original theme was deemed too laidback and didn’t really match the vibe the producers were wanting. Mike Post and Pete Carpenter were hired to write a more uptempo theme, and used guitar great Larry Carlton (Steely Dan, Foreplay) for the distinctive guitar sound.
Miami Vice – Written jazz/rock techno composer Jan Hammer, it was a Grammy winner and topped the Billboard chart. When you hear this song, you instantly think of the show and the neon cool colors of that pretentious decade.
Honorable mention: Cheers, Night Court, thirtysomething, Simon & Simon
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