TV Show Theme Songs That Were Actual Hits
A lot of TV show theme songs become famous without ever becoming hit singles. However, these classic rock TV theme songs are the exception to the rule. Notably, one of the songs in question was supposed to sound like The Lovin’ Spoonful.
4. ‘Welcome Back’ from ‘Welcome Back Kotter’
According to Stereogum, TV producer Alan Sacks created the premise of the show Welcome Back, Kotter. He decided the theme song for the show should sound like The Lovin’ Spoonful, enlisting The Lovin’ Spoonful’s John Sebastian to write a song for the series.
Sebastian wanted to write a song called “Kotter” but this proved impossible, as the only word that rhymes with “Kotter” is “otter.” Sebastian wrote a tune called “Welcome Back” that stuck with the show. In addition, “Welcome Back” became a No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. The track became Sebastian’s biggest hit since The Lovin’ Spoonful disbanded in 1969.
3. ‘Batman Theme’
Neil Hefti’s “Batman Theme” is so famous it’s familiar to people who never saw the 1960s TV show Batman. It’s become shorthand for the Caped Crusader in popular culture. Surprisingly, the track was a top 40 single, peaking at No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100.
During a 2008 interview with The New York Times, Hefti’s son, Paul Hefti, discussed the origin of the “Batman Theme.” “He told me he tore up more paper on ‘Batman’ than on any other work he ever did,” Paul Hefti said. “He had to find something that worked with the lowest common denominator, so it would appeal to kids, yet wouldn’t sound stupid. What he came up with was a 12-bar blues with a guitar hook and one word.”
2. ‘Theme from S.W.A.T.’
S.W.A.T. was a police procedural that lasted from 1975 to 1976. It’s probably more known for its theme music — “Theme from S.W.A.T.” by Rhythm Heritage — than its story or its characters. That’s warranted. After all, “Theme from S.W.A.T.” is an awesome funk instrumental. However, I’m not sure it really communicates the idea that it’s a theme song, much less a theme song to a cop show. The “Batman Theme” doesn’t have that problem.
Stereogum reports “Theme from S.W.AT.” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a single week. The tune started a trend of record companies releasing TV themes as singles, paving the way for future hits.
1. ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’ from ‘The Wonder Years’
Joe Cocker released his rendition of The Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends” in 1968. The Official Charts Company reports his cover peaked at No. 1 in the United Kingdom the same year. Subsequently, the tune became the theme song for the beloved sitcom The Wonder Years, which premiered in 1988.
The Wonder Years didn’t make Cocker’s “With a Little Help from My Friends” a hit. However, it introduced the song, Cocker, and The Beatles to a new generation.
TV theme songs don’t always get much attention but some were good enough to hit the top of the charts.
