Best Sixties TV Show Theme Songs of All Time

[beamjockey]

Blame James Nicoll for this.

1. Mission: Impossible
2. The Prisoner
3. Hawaii Five-O
4. Dragnet (a Sixties show by virtue of its revival Dragnet 1967, which retained the classic theme song of the radio and Fifties TV versions)
5. Perry Mason
6. The Green Hornet
7. The Wild, Wild West (love the bass line)
8. Batman
9. John Williams's second theme song for Lost in Space
10. The Addams Family
11. Green Acres

(Did I forget one?)

I didn't watch Westerns, so I may be overlooking some good theme music there.

Comments

[del-c.livejournal.com]

Great British theme songs of the Sixties: Doctor Who, Thunderbirds, The Avengers. You already have The Prisoner

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

Ron Grainer composed the themes for Doctor Who and The Prisoner. Though Delia Derbyshire's electronic and musique concrete arrangement was a large part of what made the original theme so great.

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

Since I haven't seen any episodes earlier than the Pertwee era, I had to root around on Youtube for early versions of the Doctor Who theme. Having done so, I have to agree, it's terrific!

While The Avengers is certainly the best TV show EVER, Laurie Johnson's theme, pleasant enough, doesn't rise to the level of greatness.

So, too, Barry Gray's stirring march for Thunderbirds. Does a fine job, but I don't leave the theater humming it.

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

I'd include Dudley Simpson's theme from The Tomorrow People, which I think actually does rise to greatness, but it's from the Seventies.

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

The original Delia Derbyshire Doctor Who theme was actually used until the last season of the Tom Baker era. They gradually added various sound effects to it, though, and sometimes didn't play the bridge even in the closing-credits version.

The early-1980s version with more of a rock sound was arranged by Peter Howell; I have to admit I kind of like that one too. Subsequent versions were not as good.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

I thought I watched plenty of sixties TV but I can only spontaneously generate 4 of those. The "Bonanza" theme is a memorable tune.

K.

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

As aired on TV, mercifully instrumental.

Here in the West
we're livin' in the best
Bonanza!

With a gun and a rope
and a hat full of hope
we're plantin' our family tree!

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

The Jetsons!

K.

[von-krag.livejournal.com]

Peter Gunn?

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

Surely as good as TV themes can get. Composed by Henry Mancini. I thought "Fifties," but no, it ran from 1958 through 1961.

Among my favorites, I would place it above Hawaii Five-O and just below The Prisoner.

[von-krag.livejournal.com]

I'm going to add in the Saint theme too, just a great set of hooks. Mentioned was the Avengers & the brit Danger Man but what about the M Squad Theme - Count Basie?

[stickmaker.livejournal.com]

Have you heard the Max Sedgley Remix version with Sarah Vaughan?

[maiac.livejournal.com]

You didn't include the Star Trek theme?!?

Also, the theme from Bonanza. I second del_c's vote for the theme from The Avengers, and add "Secret Agent Man".

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

Star Trek gets points for the inspiring narration, but the tune doesn't do much for me.

"Secret Agent Man" is okay, I guess. Tells you, in a hamfisted way, what the show's about; totally fails to convey the show's sophistication.

It does not seem to have been the original theme to Danger Man. I presume it was only used for the American version.

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

The brilliant part of the Alexander Courage Star Trek theme is the prologue and fanfare under that opening narration, so good they retained it with the Jerry Goldsmith movie theme for Star Trek: The Next Generation.

[seawasp]

Well, this is another vote for Star Trek as one of, if not THE, greatest themes EVAR.

Plus, as I mention below, Jonny Quest.

[stevegreen.livejournal.com]

The Danger Man theme wasn't always played that fast, but you've certainly nailed the right music.

[peteralway.livejournal.com]

The Jetsons and the Munsters! The Munsters theme was better than the show!

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, those are both brilliant. You can tell the Jetsons theme was the major inspiration for Danny Elfman's main theme for The Simpsons.

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

Also, the Flintstones theme (actually the second theme, edited back into early episodes for syndication) deserves at least an honorable mention. That and the Jetsons theme were both written by Hoyt Curtin, who in general gave Hanna-Barbera cartoons much better music than they deserved.

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

I suppose that Rawhide doesn't count since it debuted in 1959 even though most of its run was in the 60s.

"Secret Agent Man" from 64-66 winds up getting a lot of radio play.

[bibliofile.livejournal.com]

No, if he's counting Peter Gunn, then surely Rawhide counts.

(NB: I didn't watch Westerns either, and even I know about the theme song.)

[wcg.livejournal.com]

For the westerns, I'd add Wagon Train, Have Gun, Will Travel, Rawhide, and Wyatt Earp. Mostly because those four bubbled right up when I thought about 1960s TV themes.

[kip-w.livejournal.com]

I was going to say The Munsters too, and I was going to say the theme was better than the show as well.
"This Is It!" from the Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show is perhaps the greatest show biz song ever, and it fits the theme here. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. works for me. The main theme (by Frank Comstock) from Rocky & Bullwinkle is great, and the Dudley Do-Right theme song is unforgettable, to me with its silly affinity for Suppé's "Light Cavalry" Overture. And Milt Lava's theme from "F Troop" sticks in my soul somehow.

[stickmaker.livejournal.com]

If you're including animated shows, I have long thought the _Underdog_ opening theme to be the ultimate essence of a superhero anthem.

[seawasp]

"SPEED OF LIGHTNING, ROAR OF THUNDER
FIGHTING ALL WHO ROB OR PLUNDER
UNDERDOG!
UUUUUUUUUNDERDOG!"

But even that, to me, despite its powerful nostalgia, pales in comparison with the Jonny Quest theme.

[stickmaker.livejournal.com]

When criminals in this world appear
Who break the laws that they should fear
Who frighten all who see or hear
The cry goes out both far and near
For Underdog!

[seawasp]

"Not plane nor bird nor even frog,
Just li'l old me -- Underdog!"

"There is no need for you to fear
Underdog at least is here!"

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

Kids of my generation have a more instinctive reaction of joy to another piece of Hawaii Five-O music: the brief snippet of bongo-heavy incidental music excerpted for the animated "CBS SPECIAL PRESENTATION" logo.

[stickmaker.livejournal.com]

Don't forget the very interesting custom character theme for Lewis Avery Filer in _Over Fifty? Steal!_

[archiver-tim.livejournal.com]

> 4. Dragnet
He will knock 4 times.

> Peter Gunn?
No show with a Henry Mancini theme was a failure.

> 11. Green Acres
All of the good CBS sit-coms had those good narrative set-up theme songs,
Petticoat Junction, Beverly Hillbillies, Gillians Island, It's About Space.

Plenty of heard plenty of times music from 60's games shows.

[stevegreen.livejournal.com]

Couldn't agree more about 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 (I liked both versions) & 10.
5, 6 & 7 barely registered (minimal screening over here).
4's a bit of a cheat. 11, I've never heard of.

With one exception, it's also a list of UStv themes. What about Doctor Who, The Avengers, Danger Man, The Champions..?

Not forgetting Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and the glorious UFO...

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

I'd add "Time Tunnel" to the list.

[bigbumble.livejournal.com]

The theme music for National Geographic Specials. (It was used in the Twilight Zone movie as impossible to name music.)

[seawasp]

Oh, that!

And the Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau!

[tb-doc-smith.livejournal.com]

My dear wife insists that the theme from the Twilight Zone be mentioned here. Whenever the situation gets a little weird, people start humming it. Even people who were born 10, or 20, or 30 years after it went to syndication.

The lyrics aren't terribly memorable, of course.

[seawasp]

"You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension - a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into the Twilight Zone. "

[tb-doc-smith.livejournal.com]

I won't argue that the words are memorable. I will point out, though, that they aren't lyrics. OK, so some would call Shatner a singer for declaiming some verses with ancillary music. But nobody would call Serling a singer, right?

Come to think of it

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

I insist on including Sesame Street (1969) and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (sometime in the mid-Sixties; it went through various titles and I'm not sure exactly when "It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood" was introduced).

The Electric Company was 1971, so neither its theme song nor its unforgettably funkatized soundtrack makes it under the bar.

Re: Come to think of it

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

...excuse me, the title is actually "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" Like Sesame Street, Mister Rogers had a huge number of other children's songs of gentle brilliance.

[bigbumble.livejournal.com]

This instantly brings the theme music of Captain Kangaroo to mind.

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

I think the opening music Captain Kangaroo used for most of its run (before the "Good Morning, Captain" song) was actually a piece of stock music.

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

Right. It's "Puffin' Billy" by Edward G. White. Here's a clip.

[jebra.livejournal.com]

One more vote for the "Johnny Quest" theme. I still get a charge out of it.

[charlie-meadows.livejournal.com]

" 'Secret Agent Man' is okay, I guess. ...
It does not seem to have been the original theme to 'Danger Man'. I presume it was only used for the American version."

The original theme (used only in the end credits in the U.S.) is Edwin Astley's "High Wire", which is one of my favorites (and perhaps one of the few TV themes employing a harpsichord). It is also a musical jumping-off point for "The Prisoner" 's theme...

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

(and perhaps one of the few TV themes employing a harpsichord)

Their house is a museum
Where people come to see 'em
They really are a scream
The Addams Family

[charlie-meadows.livejournal.com]

That was the second one that came to mind. I was covering myself, figuring that there had to be at least one more in the course of the subsequent forty to fifty years. (I seem to recall that there was a brief vogue for harpsichord in pop music around this time...).