Top 8 TV Show Themes Currently on the Air

The theme song for a TV show is a vital mood setter. A good theme song conveys the tone of the show and gets you ready to enjoy the coming half or full hour of entertainment. A bad theme song can foul the mood and set bad expectations for the program to come. While TV is a slowly growing and changing medium the theme song has remained an important element for decades and is likely to continue to be important. I would offer the following list as the top eight TV show theme songs on currently running programs.

8. "The Cleveland Show"
Main Title Music by Walter Murphy
Theme Song Sung by Mike Henry

"The Cleveland Show: is a poor rehash of same model that "Family Guy" follows. While not as good as its parent program "The Cleveland Show" does have a catchy and clear theme song. It introduces us to our main character, sets up the background of the series, and the bouncy song provides an excellent set up for the tone of the program.

7. House, M.D.
Theme "Teardrop" by Massive Attack

The character driven medical mystery program "House, M.D." features a slow and unconventional theme song for its type of show. It fits well with the mystery angle of the program and the style being different from that of similar programs nicely fits with the titular character's attitude towards his job and the rest of the world.

6. "30 Rock"
Main Title Music by Jeff Richmond

The main title music for "30 Rock" evokes a bouncy sense of fun that fits well with the bizarre adventures of Liz Lemon and her crew. The song itself moves between a slow pace and a frenetic pace mirroring how the show itself will sometimes move from a normal seeming plot thread into strange and sometimes even unsettling territory. The song paired with the opening titles for the series even has a little bit of the flavor of Saturday Night Live, the show it is loosely lampooning.

5. "The Office" (US)
Main Title Music by Jay Ferguson

The theme to "The Office" shares the qualities of the "30 Rock" theme. It provides a tonal preparation for the viewer. Starting with a slow small town, office-friendly tune it soon speeds up into a more bouncy and fun tune, reflective of the depicted Dunder-Mifflin office's tone.

4. "Family Guy"
Main Title Music by Walter Murphy
Theme Song Sung by the Show's Main Cast

Much like its child series, "The Cleveland Show," the theme song for "Family Guy" is catchy and clear. It is evocative of classic television theme songs, "All in the Family" being a particularly clear reference in the opening of the song. This fits well as classic television and the tropes of television are frequent targets of the program's humor.

3. Rescue Me
Theme "C'mon C'mon" by The Von Blondes

The troubles of Tommy Gavin and the firefighters of Ladder 62 are presented to us following a shortened version of alternative rock song "C'mon C'mon." A fast paced tune with a bit of edge the music and the lyrics reflect the show's tone, which is often rough and often reflective. An excellent introduction to any episode of the show.

2. The Simpsons
Theme "The Simpsons" by Danny Elfman

"The Simpsons" is one of the longest running television programs ever and so has one of the most enduring theme songs on television. Danny Elfman's bouncy cartoonish theme sets the tone and like the show's visuals and humor camouflages the occasional poignant themes and social commentary the show has provided for over 20 years.

1. Doctor Who
Main Title Music By Murray Gold
Original Doctor Who Theme by Ron Grainer

The Doctor is among the UK's most enduring television characters. The original series began in 1963 and ended in 1989 featuring variations on its original theme composed by Ron Grainer. In 2005 a continuation of the show began with Murray Gold taking a hand at a variation on The Doctor's theme music. The music has changed a few times since 2005 retaining elements of the original theme with increasing variation. The best of these variations by Gold came with the 2008's 4th new season of "Doctor Who" stories. Heavier use of drums and a melody suggesting a chase marked this variation and fit well with the tone of the revived series.

Honorable Mention: Lost

"Lost" doesn't have a theme song. We get eerie sounds and the title after the episode's cold open. Yet, this lack of a theme makes "Lost" weirdly fitting for this category. It's perfect for the show. The show relies heavily on mystery and on unsettling sights and sounds. The lack of theme refuses to let you get a comfortable sense of what is to come in the hour of television before you. The perfect setup for an episode of "Lost." The theme song is a lack of a theme song. It didn't literally qualify for this list but it struck me as still somewhat appropriate to the list.

Sources:

The Cleveland Show on imdb
House, M.D. on imdb
30 Rock on imdb
The Office on imdb
Family Guy on imdb
Rescue Me on imdb
The Simpsons on imdb
Doctor Who (2005) on imdb
Lost on imdb