I think theres a big difference between great song and memorable one. sometimes a minute and a half of an intro is what makes the song great, but if you heard the entire song without watching the show you wouldn't think so.

For example, Alabama 3, Woke up this morning for the Sopranos. For some reason this song is great and memorable for this show, but if you heard the entire 4 minute version it kinda sucks. Other songs with memorable but not really great intro songs

The Wire (having different version for each season was a nice twist) Game of Thrones Breaking Bad Curb Your Enthusiasm

@RCH2288 said:

I think theres a big difference between great song and memorable one. sometimes a minute and a half of an intro is what makes the song great, but if you heard the entire song without watching the show you wouldn't think so.

True.

The Wire (having different version for each season was a nice twist) Game of Thrones Breaking Bad Curb Your Enthusiasm

The Wire! Obvious one. Tom Waits. Yes I did look forward to each new season so I could hear what they'd do next with it.

Did Breaking Bad have a song? Wasn't it just like a 2 second musical couple of notes. Game of Thrones is great but it's a tune rather than a song. We could make a list for tunes too though.

WKRP in Cincinnati

Suddenly Susan

Welcome Back, Kotter

Flashpoint

The Love Boat

Moonlighting

@DRDMovieMusings said:

WKRP in Cincinnati

Suddenly Susan

Welcome Back, Kotter

Flashpoint

The Love Boat

Moonlighting

Thanks. I'll give those a listen when I get a sec. I must also add The Deuce. Which I have recently seen and has the hippest intro tune I've ever heard.

@DRDMovieMusings said:

WKRP in Cincinnati

Suddenly Susan

Welcome Back, Kotter

Flashpoint

The Love Boat

Moonlighting

Again I gotta exclude things like Flashpoint and Suddenly Susan because they are tunes rather than songs. Otherwise the list would be huge and oversaturated with Knightriders, Airwolfs and A-Teams. But I think I will make a list for that sort of thing at some point.

I'm looking for actual songs that were used for TV shows. For example True Detective uses a Leonard Cohen song, The Wire uses a Tom Waits song, etc.

I'm absolutely clueless when it comes to the kind of songs used in the other things you've mentioned. Were they actually seen as well regarded songs at the time or is it more a case of a nostalgia thing? Not that I'm criticizing, I honestly don't know.

I would have said Firefly https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/1437-firefly?language=en-US , but it's a song written for, rather than used by, the show.

Did Charmed https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/1981-charmed?language=en-US ever get to the vocal portion of "How Soon is Now?"?

Wynonna Earp https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/65988-wynonna-earp?language=en-US uses "Tell That Devil" - may be a bit "country" for your taste.

The late, unlamented, Shannara Chronicles https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/64122-the-shannara-chronicles?language=en-US used Ruelle's "Until We Go Down".

On a related note, I used to hear a lot of music used in shows that I then needed to track down but these days it's quite rare. Is it just less music used in that way, or are my tastes not in sync with the people picking the music these days?

@JustinJackFlash said:

@DRDMovieMusings said:

WKRP in Cincinnati

Suddenly Susan

Welcome Back, Kotter

Flashpoint

The Love Boat

Moonlighting

Again I gotta exclude things like Flashpoint and Suddenly Susan because they are tunes rather than songs. Otherwise the list would be huge and oversaturated with Knightriders, Airwolfs and A-Teams. But I think I will make a list for that sort of thing at some point.

I'm looking for actual songs that were used for TV shows. For example True Detective uses a Leonard Cohen song, The Wire uses a Tom Waits song, etc.

I'm absolutely clueless when it comes to the kind of songs used in the other things you've mentioned. Were they actually seen as well regarded songs at the time or is it more a case of a nostalgia thing? Not that I'm criticizing, I honestly don't know.

Ah, gotcha. I misunderstood what your list was about.

Would Married... With Children fit? Theme is a Frank Sinatra song Love and Marriage.

https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/60905-salem?language=en-US Salem, with Marilyn Manson's "Cupid Carries A Gun"? Though that one seems to have been developed in tandem with the show. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupid_Carries_a_Gun.

Can we get a clarification on whether the songs have to have existed prior to the show, or if vocal themes are OK? Also, does it have to be opening themes, or are closing themes OK? I've remembered some of the earlier Gerry Anderson shows...

@M. LeMarchand said:

https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/60905-salem?language=en-US Salem, with Marilyn Manson's "Cupid Carries A Gun"? Though that one seems to have been developed in tandem with the show. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupid_Carries_a_Gun.

I really liked that one. The whole intro sequence looks cool too. I'm thinking of giving this Salem a go as I'm really intrigued by the premise. It looks like the song was released separately so that counts.

Can we get a clarification on whether the songs have to have existed prior to the show, or if vocal themes are OK? Also, does it have to be opening themes, or are closing themes OK? I've remembered some of the earlier Gerry Anderson shows...

They have to have been released separately by the band/artist. And just opening themes. Something about intro images mixed with a track seems to make for such a cool and memorable combo.

I would have said Firefly https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/1437-firefly?language=en-US , but it's a song written for, rather than used by, the show.

Yeah, that was a good one but yeah, it's made for the show. Gotta have some filter or the list would be never ending.

Did Charmed https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/1981-charmed?language=en-US ever get to the vocal portion of "How Soon is Now?"?

I'd never actually seen the intro to Charmed. A cover of The Smiths? I'll add that one.

Wynonna Earp https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/65988-wynonna-earp?language=en-US uses "Tell That Devil" - may be a bit "country" for your taste.

The late, unlamented, Shannara Chronicles https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/64122-the-shannara-chronicles?language=en-US used Ruelle's "Until We Go Down".

They are both good. Nothing wrong with country. Listening to the whole song I'd say it say it sounds better than the little bit they used in the intro.

On a related note, I used to hear a lot of music used in shows that I then needed to track down but these days it's quite rare. Is it just less music used in that way, or are my tastes not in sync with the people picking the music these days?

I don't know, I hear quite a few, I keep forgetting to look them up. But then I do watch a lot of shows. Most recently I found a couple of exceptionally cool tunes in Altered Carbon by Sune Rose Wagner.

@JustinJackFlash said:

@DRDMovieMusings said:

WKRP in Cincinnati

Suddenly Susan

Welcome Back, Kotter

Flashpoint

The Love Boat

Moonlighting

Again I gotta exclude things like Flashpoint and Suddenly Susan because they are tunes rather than songs. Otherwise the list would be huge and oversaturated with Knightriders, Airwolfs and A-Teams. But I think I will make a list for that sort of thing at some point.

Fair enough. (As an aside, I use Flashpoint as my main phone ring tone!)

I'm looking for actual songs that were used for TV shows. For example True Detective uses a Leonard Cohen song, The Wire uses a Tom Waits song, etc.

Frank Sinatra did a song called Love and Marriage which was used for the TV Show Married...with Children. I can't believe I forgot to include that in my first list above.

I'm absolutely clueless when it comes to the kind of songs used in the other things you've mentioned. Were they actually seen as well regarded songs at the time or is it more a case of a nostalgia thing? Not that I'm criticizing, I honestly don't know.

The smooth voice of Al Jarreau makes _Moonlighting'_s theme song could have made this a real stand-alone song.

And hey, how about Family Ties' theme?

The Love Boat theme](https://youtu.be/m_wFEB4Oxlo) is TV them show royalty, who didn't sing along whenever it comes on? (those of a certain age).

Not "real songs", I guess. TV nostalgia, sure.

Regarding opening-credits songs with singing, I really like (and it's ideally suited) Jake Bugg's "Trouble Town" that was used for the gritty UK crime series Happy Valley. I quite hated that song and the singing thereof the first couple or so episodes, then suddenly found myself unexpectedly totally onboard with it, and actually kinda loving it, from that point onward (including still). Excellent lyrics, by the way!

A wonderfully spot-on marriage of terrific sung song to superhero series is this.

For classic cartoon series, how about this enjoyable, catchy song?!

Another all-time fave, that superbly used a major hit of years earlier (the retro series is set in Vietnam during the war there), is Diana Ross & the Supremes' "Reflections" for the 1988-91 series China Beach.

@DRDMovieMusings said:

@JustinJackFlash said:

@DRDMovieMusings said:

WKRP in Cincinnati

Suddenly Susan

Welcome Back, Kotter

Flashpoint

The Love Boat

Moonlighting

Again I gotta exclude things like Flashpoint and Suddenly Susan because they are tunes rather than songs. Otherwise the list would be huge and oversaturated with Knightriders, Airwolfs and A-Teams. But I think I will make a list for that sort of thing at some point.

Fair enough. (As an aside, I use Flashpoint as my main phone ring tone!)

I'm looking for actual songs that were used for TV shows. For example True Detective uses a Leonard Cohen song, The Wire uses a Tom Waits song, etc.

Frank Sinatra did a song called Love and Marriage which was used for the TV Show Married...with Children. I can't believe I forgot to include that in my first list above.

I'm absolutely clueless when it comes to the kind of songs used in the other things you've mentioned. Were they actually seen as well regarded songs at the time or is it more a case of a nostalgia thing? Not that I'm criticizing, I honestly don't know.

The smooth voice of Al Jarreau makes _Moonlighting'_s theme song could have made this a real stand-alone song.

And hey, how about Family Ties' theme?

The Love Boat theme](https://youtu.be/m_wFEB4Oxlo) is TV them show royalty, who didn't sing along whenever it comes on? (those of a certain age).

Not "real songs", I guess. TV nostalgia, sure.

I put in Married With Children. I do know that Sinatra song.

I don't know why but I don't really remember these shows being around when I was young. I'm obviously aware of them all but mainly just through word of mouth. I know exactly what Moonlighting is but I'd never seen it. I don't know if it's because I maybe just a couple of years too young but then I remember things like Dallas and Dynasty very well which is weird. I'm thinking it might be because they weren't really on over here in the UK. Or not really in the zeitgeist in the same way. Could anyone else from the UK who reads this maybe shed some light? Were they on over here? It seems like I just missed out a big part of famous culture.

@genplant29 said:

Regarding opening-credits songs with singing, I really like (and it's ideally suited) Jake Bugg's "Trouble Town" that was used for the gritty UK crime series Happy Valley. I quite hated that song and the singing thereof the first couple or so episodes, then suddenly found myself unexpectedly totally onboard with it, and actually kinda loving it, from that point onward (including still). Excellent lyrics, by the way!

Never watched Happy Valley but I like that song. I've got Jake Bugg's first two albums, he's really good. My favourite is Ballad of Mr Jones.

A wonderfully spot-on marriage of terrific sung song to superhero series is this.

I think that song actually sounds better in full when not in the credits.

For classic cartoon series, how about this enjoyable, catchy song?!

Another all-time fave, that superbly used a major hit of years earlier (the retro series is set in Vietnam during the war there), is Diana Ross & the Supremes' "Reflections" for the 1988-91 series China Beach.

Again China Beach is another show I'm unfamiliar with which is strange because I should be if it started in 1988. So again maybe it's more an American show that was never on over here. I added it to the list though.

@mechajutaro said:

The criminally overlooked Get A Life opened to REM

And I've never heard of Get a Life. Even though I've never been a big R.E.M. fan I do like that one.

Did you ever watch Salem? I enjoyed the few I saw, but it keeps getting pushed down the list by shows that aren't primarily of interest due to attractive women in not very many clothes.

I want to suggest Due South and The Protectors, but on a rewatch I was surprised to find that both have instrumental intros, with the vocal versions only over the end credits.

Due South intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwIVJXVmAxU

Due South closing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkfoDTfA0TM

Protectors intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXseqmFmFOc

Protectors closing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuFWrx9mdTQ

@genplant29 said:

A wonderfully spot-on marriage of terrific sung song to superhero series is this.

Allison Mack used to look (and seem) so innocent! Things are a bit different now.