Television's Top Theme Songs to Sing Along With

There are different levels of pleasure to be had when it comes to television theme songs. Some are the best because they have a catchy melody; others because they've simply endured the test of time. Some become favorites because of classic monologues like "Space, the final frontier" or "This is the city: Los Angeles, California", or even "In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups." Yet as great as knowing your favorite show's opening monologue might be, there is one type of theme song that one-ups the classic narrator's lines: the theme song with amazing lyrics. What follows is a look at the top ten television themes that prove the most fun to sing along with.

At number ten on the list is the theme to Batman. Quite frankly, even if the lyrics are a bit lacking, it will never cease to be fun to sing a rousing rendition of "Na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, Batman." Insert "Pow," "Wham," and "Bam" as frequently as you'd like. One could even choose to make this theme a duet, with someone taking on the main lines and the other person inserting fight sounds at will. All that is to say, it may not be the greatest song lyrically, but that doesn't take anything away from the creative powers that can go into singing it!

At number nine is the theme song to The Wonder Years. This song is best known to Joe Crocker fans as "With a Little Help from My Friends." Real fans of the song will know that it is, in fact, originally a Beatles song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. For some reason the opening line, "What would you do if I sang out of tune" automatically elicited the nostalgic feel of the show; it also found a way to emblazon itself in the minds and memories of many television viewers nationwide. It only helps that there are so many beloved renditions to choose from, though those who agree it deserves a spot on this list would probably share a soft spot for Crocker's version. Of course, for the sake of the kids, when singing along to this tune it might be better to sing the censored "I get by with a little help from my friends."

Remember that episode of Seinfeld where George created that hilariously obnoxious answering machine message, in which he sang, "Believe it or not, George isn't home?" If so, you might have some idea of why the theme to The Greatest American Hero, titled simply "Believe it or Not," found its way to the number eight spot on this list. To put it very basically: the song is catchy. It's cheesy, heartwarming, and has an almost too happy instrumental baseline that makes the song almost irresistible. If those of us who love it didn't love it so much, we'd probably hate it; even if we did hate it, it would probably still be a little hard not to sing along! After all, the cheesier the lyrics, the more fun it is to sing along!

If I sing "Come and knock on my door," what do you sing? If you answered, "The same line," you know at least a little of the Three's Company theme song, which made it to number seven on this list. If you're looking for something easy to sing along with, you've found a friend in this song! This simple call-and-response track is almost too easy to remember, and sometimes a little too hard to forget. It's extremely catchy, and one could almost be sure that when one starts singing the tune it won't be too long until they've got themselves a nice little duet going. As a friend pointed out to me, one hardly even has to be able to carry a tune to sing along with this song, making it a great sing-along-song for everybody!

At number six is a song most children know and love. It speaks of sunny days and places where the air is sweet. Everything is "A-Okay" when you make your way to Sesame Street. Everything feels a-okay when you get to singing, whistling, or humming this delightful tune. Let's face it: you're never too old for the Sesame Street theme song! It was just the other day that I caught myself whistling the familiar tune while I was cleaning. Doesn't a song that so easily brings a smile to the face just belong on a list like this?

Right smack-dab in the middle of the list is a song definitely for those who complain about their vocal abilities. I'll give you a hint: one of the most famous lines of this song is sung in key, yes, but also in a high pitched squeal that's so horrible it's hilarious. That's right. The number five track is the theme song to All in the Family. The good old days get their spot in the limelight as Archie and Edith Bunker sing a duet during the opening credits of this loveable show. This might not be a song you have memorized, but it's definitely a fun song to pretend you know when it's playing! I dare you not to laugh when you try to imitate the precise pitch, tone, and emphasis of Edith singing "And you knew who you were then!"

The number four track is a personal preference; it may belong lower on the list, yet after the number of times I heard crowds of college students screaming the lyrics at the tops of their lungs this academic year, I couldn't help but put it where it is. When you're in Philadelphia, it's hard not to every once in a while find yourself singing or just thinking the words, "Now this is the story all about how my life got twist-turned upside-down." The theme song to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air certainly is a song many people know and find almost irresistible to sing along with. It's fun, it has a nice rhythm and beat, and it has remained cool for this long. Many people might not know most of the lyrics, but most people know many of them. I won't lie: if I ever get the chance to meet Will Smith, I probably won't be able to help myself and will find myself bursting into my loudest, proudest rendition of this television theme.

At number three on the list is the story of a lovely lady and a man named Brady who raise six all-American children together as the Brady Bunch. There is no denying that this theme song has endured the test of time; even if you hate it, you know it. The Brady Bunch theme song is a classic story telling theme song (though definitely not the only story-telling theme on this list, hint-hint for number two). If there were any injustice in this song, it would be the complete exclusion of the show's best character: Alice. There are also several possibly sexist issues raised by the song . . . but that's a story for another tune.

If you were paying attention, you know that the song that made it to number two also tells a story. This time, the story is that of Gilligan, the Skipper, too, a millionaire and his wife, a movie star, the professor and Mary Ann. Once again, many people might not know all of the lyrics to this tune, but there is one line almost everyone is sure to know. Sing it with me, if you please: "A three hour tour." This theme that speaks of a three hour tour has been sung and loved for over forty years; that's about 116,800 three hour tours, in case you were wondering.

And so we come to number one on this humble collection of television theme songs. As has already been stated, there are a number of characteristics that go into making a theme song fun to sing along to. As Batman's theme showed, it has to allow for some creativity while singing it. The Greatest American Hero and Three's Company themes added the cheesy factor. Sesame Street showed us that the song must be cheerful and heartwarming. All in the Family showed the song doesn't have to be completely memorized, but at least have some memorable parts. The theme for The Fresh Prince, along with Sesame Street, showed that the song is a song for all ages. The number two and three songs told us that a great theme tells some kind of story. So of course, the number one theme had to somehow combine all of these attributes into one creatively performed, cheesy, cheerful, heartwarming, memorable, timeless, tale-filled song. Have you heard the theme song to Green Acres? This track tells not one but two stories: the story of a man for whom "farm living is the life", and that of a woman who would rather you "give [her] Park Avenue." There is no denying that the song is cheerful and cheesy. If you question the creative aspect of this, consider this question: How down-on-the-farm-pig-calling can your voice get when you sing those first words, "Green Acres is the place to be?" And of course, the timelessness factor is of no question: I've no doubt that this song will be remembered and loved for quite a long time to come!

Whatever theme songs you love and think should have earned their own spots on this list-I had several requests for The Addams Family when compiling this list-be sure to have fun singing along with the ones you love . . . and hey, why not sing along with the ones you love to hate, too?