TV Show Theme Songs
From generation to generation, the theme songs from our favorite television shows make us want to sing along, dance, and re-watch the episodes we enjoy. As time passes, the style of television theme songs changes as well. These songs convey the tone and theme of the shows.
The Office
The Office, NBC’s five-time Emmy winning hit that ran from 2005 to 2013, portrays what seems like the simple lives of everyday white-collar Americans. The show’s theme song, performed by The Scrantones and written by Jay Ferguson, is a light-hearted, fun theme song that reflects the tone of the show quite well. While watching the opening, viewers see shots of Scranton, P.A., and names of cast members over short clips of each actor. This opener accurately conveys the show’s cheerful, comedic atmosphere while showing clips of office merriment, developing office relationships, and the calamity that Dunder Mifflin’s wacky boss Michael Scott causes each day.
Pretty Little Liars
Based on the novels by Sara Shephard, the dramatic thriller series Pretty Little Liars revolves around four teenage girls determined to find a hidden stalker who claims the identity of their deceased friend. The shows opener with the theme song “Secret” by The Pierces reflects the show’s mysterious tone, also showing images displaying the superficial focuses of the cast such as primping hair and makeup. However, the primping is for their deceased friend Alison while she is placed in her coffin. The show’s theme song draws viewers in with its curious and dark melody, making it the perfect representation of its eerie plot.
The Brady Bunch
Unlike the first two twenty-first century shows, the theme song for The Brady Bunch gives viewers immediate context regarding the show’s plot and title. In the opener, the family sings to describe how parents Mike and Carol Brady met and joined their families together. The jolly tone of the theme song accurately shows the sitcom’s pleasant nature. The Brady Bunch displays life with the newly adjusting Bradys, a recently blended family with three sons and three daughters. ABC aired the sitcom from 1969 to 1974, and in 1975 the show went into syndication.
Full House
Similar in theme to The Brady Bunch, coming of age sitcom Full House depicts a widowed father, trying to raise his three girls, who asks both his best friend and brother-in-law to help him. The show follows DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle Tanner as they grow up in an unconventional but loving home, trying to maneuver through adolescent life. The show’s theme song, “Everywhere You Look” by Jesse Frederick, contains lyrics that display Full House’s theme, being no matter what happens, your family is always there to help.
Fresh Prince of Bel Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air has a theme song that describes the show’s premise, just as The Brady Bunch does. The song’s humorous visuals and lyrics give viewers an insight as to the shows tone and theme, preparing them for a fun sitcom. In 1989, NBC approached Will Smith, a popular rapper at the time, with the idea to create a sitcom revolved around a fabricated version of himself. Smith then wrote and performed the opening theme song under his rap stage name, The Fresh Prince. Quincy Jones III composed the song for Smith.
- Deanna Preziosi '18