Thursday Thirteen.

For this week's Thursday Thirteen, I decided to make a list of my 13 favorite television theme songs.  (The list is in no particular order):

1. The Brady Bunch - This is definitely a theme song we all know... and can probably sing from start to finish.  It is just as cheesy and cliché-ridden as the show itself, but what's wrong with that?  And, if you listen to the lyrics, you'll know the entire plot of the series.  Fun and practical!





2. Saved By the Bell - I used to have such a crush on Zach, and this song just makes me think of him... It's also upbeat, catchy, and just screams 80s tween/teen TV.




3. Cheers - Who wouldn't like to get away and go somewhere where everyone knows your name... and is glad you came.  That's where I want to go.  The beginning of this show always makes me smile.  It's just so comforting and welcoming.  Love it!




4. The Sopranos - The theme song, like the show itself, was bad ass.  And who cares that this song wasn't actually written for the show?  It works so perfectly.




5. Arthur - Ok, ok so this show is for small children.  But who doesn't love the opening sequence anyway?  Plus, Arthur is the coolest aardvark I've ever seen and he had a sweet theme song to match.




6. The X-Files - For a show about mystery and discovering the unknown, this theme song does a great job of evoking the necessary emotions.  Eerie and haunting, the opening tune is sure to make UFO-chasers everywhere salivate.




7. Rawhide - This show was definitely before my time, but I still know the theme song... definitely a classic. And I just recently saw The Blues Brothers (Landis, 1980) for the first time.  Their rendition of this theme song was awesome!








8. Malcolm in the Middle - Great theme song? Yes, no, maybe... YES! It is.  I love this one.  Who doesn't want to sing along "you're not the boss of me now"?  Word.  I do what I want.  Oh, and this one actually won a Grammy in 2002.  Pretty legit.




9. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - Old-school Will Smith at his finest.  Enough said.




10. Laverne & Shirley - The upbeat, optimistic tone and lyrics always make me happy.  Oh, and I always thought the beginning of the song (the spoken words - "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Schlemiel, Shlemazel, hasenfeffer incorporated!) were like gibberish, but apparently they are not.  "Schlemiel" is a stupid/unlucky/awkward person, "schlemazel" refers to a consistently unlucky/accident-prone person, and "hasenfeffer" is rabbit stew.  So now you know.





11. The Andy Griffith Show - Oh, the famous whistling.  How can you not love this simple, happy song?  The theme introduces the wholesome family entertainment to come.  Plus, it's the only TV show theme to heavily feature whistling.  And come on, whistling is way cool.




12. The Addams Family - The theme to this show is definitely as quirky and fun as the characters themselves.  And bonus points for making up the word "ooky."




13. The Simpsons - This is one of the best themes without any words.  Of course, when you hire one of the most prolific composers in the biz, it seems reasonable to expect nothing but the best.  And after more than twenty seasons, Danny Elfman's theme song has reached "classic" status and is just as recognizable as Homer and the rest of the characters.

What are your favorite TV theme songs?