'The Office' showrunner Greg Daniels wanted a tune that was poignant, but with a classic rock feeling. This is when Jay Ferguson's synthesizer-only track was approved to be in the show's iconic opening.
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‘Weeds’ (2005-2012)
- Versions of folk singer-songwriter and political activist Malvina Reynolds' 'Little Boxes' are used in 'Weeds.' Reynolds' original recording is in season one, with the different covers in the following seasons.
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‘Stranger Things’ (2016-)
- 'Stranger Things' creators Matt and Ross Duffer wanted the theme to feel both modern and nostalgic at the same time. And nothing evokes '80s nostalgia quite like the synthesizer in the show's opening.
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‘Mad Men’ (2007-2015)
- The opening theme 'A Beautiful Mine' was created by RJD2, an Ohio-based DJ and producer. The animation was created by a production house called Imaginary Forces, and paid homage to Alfred Hitchcock's 'Vertigo'(1958) and 'North by Northwest' (1959).
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‘The O.C.’ (2003-2007)
- LA rock band Phantom Planet are behind the series hit theme, 'California.' The track appears on the band’s 2002 album 'The Guest.' Fun fact: actor Jason Schwartzman was the band's drummer.
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‘CSI’ (2000-2015)
- The opening to 'CSI' features 'Who Are You' by The Who. When the song was first suggested, the producers sent the intro for approval on VHS to the band's guitarist Pete Townshend, who loved it.
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‘Scrubs’ (2001-2010)
- For its first eight seasons, 'Superman' was performed by alternative rock band Lazlo Bane. When the show went on with a ninth season, it relaunched with a cover by musician WAZ.
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‘Game of Thrones’ (2011-2019)
- The iconic theme came easily to composer Ramin Djawadi after screening an early version of the opening. Without many changes, the melody stayed the same and became one of the world's most recognized themes.
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‘The Big Bang Theory’ (2007-2019)
- Creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady knew that they wanted an opener that told the whole history of the universe in 20 seconds. So after attending a concert of Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies, they reached out to the band, who gladly said yes.
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‘It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ (2004-)
- The opening theme song for the show is 'Temptation Sensation.' It was written and performed by Heinz Kiessling (1926-2003), a German musician, conductor, and producer.
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‘New Girl’ (2011-2018)
- The star herself, Zooey Deschanel, helped craft the comedy's sunny theme. The tune was swapped to a shorter, electric-guitar version in season four, but remained equally memorable.
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‘Succession’ (2018-)
- 'Succession' composer Nicholas Britell was inspired to mix classical music vibes with a hip-hop beat for the show's theme. Britell got the inspiration when he heard actor Jeremy Strong's media executive Kendall Roy rapping along to the Beastie Boys. The track was immediately approved by show creator Jesse Armstrong.
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‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ (2000-)
- The famous theme song 'Frolic' was written by Italian composer Luciano Michelini. Creator and star Larry David heard the track in a bank commercial years before the show’s creation and saved it for the right moment.
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‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ (2015-2019)
- ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ went big when it comes to theme songs. The Emmy-winning songwriting team created four unique pieces of original music and lyrics, each mirroring the main character's evolution to find love.
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‘The Office’ (2005-2013)
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‘Veronica Mars’ (2004-2019)
- The series used The Dandy Warhols’ song 'We Used to Be Friends,' which for season three got swapped for a darker version of the same song. However, the change wasn't well received.
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‘Two and a Half Men’ (2003-2015)
- The iconic theme song (of only two words, "man" and "manly") is by composer Grant Geissman, who earned an Emmy nomination for it in 2004. It may look like the series' two main stars are behind the vocals, but it's actually the voices of Elizabeth Daily and Angus T. Jones.
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‘Malcolm in the Middle’ (2000-2006)
- Alternative rock band They Might Be Giants are behind the Grammy-winning theme, titled 'Boss of Me.' They also performed most of the music for the show’s first two seasons.
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‘Gilmore Girls’ (2000-2007)
- 'Where You Lead' was written decades before the show by Carole King, who made a new recording with her daughter Louise Goffin. King appeared in several 'Gilmore Girls' episodes as Sophie, owner of the town’s music shop.
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‘Mixed-ish’ (2019-2021)
- The voice behind the show's opening is none other than Mariah Carey. The bouncy theme even features her iconic trademark high note.
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‘WandaVision’ (2021)
- ‘WandaVision’ has many themes songs that reflect the series' inspiration of sitcoms from different eras. Songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who are behind the tunes, had to research era-appropriate intros inspired by shows like 'I Love Lucy' and 'The Office.'
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‘The Wire’ (2002-2008)
- The gospel/blues track 'Way Down in the Hole' was written by Tom Waits for his 1987 album 'Frank’s Wild Years'. In the first season, the song was performed by The Blind Boys of Alabama, and then saw a new artist covering the track for each season.
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‘How I Met Your Mother’ (2005-2014)
- The theme for ‘How I Met Your Mother’ is a 12-second clip from The Solids’ song 'Hey, Beautiful.' Interestingly, two of the band’s members are the series’ creators, Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.
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‘Alias’ (2001-2006)
- Composer Michael Giacchino wrote almost all of the tracks for the show, but the opening theme song was actually written by creator J.J. Abrams.
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‘Reba’ (2001-2007)
- The theme song 'I’m a Survivor' is written by Shelby Kennedy and Phillip White and performed by the series' star Reba McEntire. It was recorded slower and softer for the first few seasons, and then changed for a livelier pace.
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‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ (2015-2019)
- Before there was a script, there was already the idea for the theme song. Series co-creator Tina Fey wanted the song to retell the premise of the show with the ridiculousness of internet culture. It resulted in a catchy and heavily auto-tuned track.
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‘One Tree Hill’ (2003-2012)
- 'I Don't Want to Be' by Gavin DeGraw became an instant hit, and found fans beyond the iconic teen drama. For season eight, the tune was sung by different artists each week, but that changed the following season.
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‘True Blood’ (2008-2014)
- 'Bad Things' by Jace Everett is the theme song for the vampire drama 'True Blood.' Years prior, he had lost his record deal and gotten into a financially rough spot. But thanks to the series, his life turned around.
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‘Parks and Recreation’ (2009-2015)
- With less than three weeks until its premiere, producers of the show received over 70 entries of potential theme songs. In the end, they chose a track by Vincent Jones and Gaby Moreno.
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‘Smallville’ (2001-2011)
- The original theme song was by Mark Snow, but was ultimately replaced with the livelier 'Save Me' by Remy Zero. The band even appeared in the season one finale performing the song at a school dance.
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‘Community’ (2009-2015)
- The comedy's catchy tune, 'At Least It Was Here,' is by Los Angeles pop-rock band The 88. The band was also prominently featured on the first season of 'How I Met Your Mother' in the episode 'Best Prom Ever.' Sources: (Entertainment Weekly) (TV Line)
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The best TV theme songs of the 21st century
Do you know these tunes?
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Since the year 2000, many beloved TV shows have provided memorable theme songs we still enjoy today. From catchy melodies to epic rock songs, these shows deserve extra credit for their tunes.
Click through this gallery to discover the 21st-century shows with the best theme songs.
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