"The best theme to any tv show ever"

I wouldn't go quite THAT far.

(Ever notice how people are nowadays very quick to say something is the best or the worst 'ever', but they then say this about multiple things.. )

I don't get why music or TV shows have to be 'ranked'. It's like ranking different colors; each has their unique beauty and function, and the world is prettier because all of them exist.

Every good song - or indeed any good creative expression - has its own, unique reason for being good. A modern song might have a nice rhythm and structure to it. A very old song may be notationally complex, weaving intricate and delicate musical delights taht join together as delightful masterpieces.

The eighties', especially early eighties' TV theme tunes as well as many other songs have a quality that most music (etc.) doesn't have.

The Tripods theme tune has bounds and bounds of it.

You probably know what I mean, don't you? It's the wonderful 'atmosphere', the inspiring 'feel' or 'energy' - I don't have a perfect word for it, but it existed in the eighties, and it immediately connects to your soul and takes you to places, and makes you resonate in a way you would never remember to resonate otherwise.

An eighties song, when created as the true expression of someone's finest self, is usually filled with this 'essence' that can elevate your whole being and remind you of that wonderful, bygone era, when things still felt 'magical' instead of 'mundane'.

The Tripods title tune has this atmospheric elegance and excitement in abundance, and it really feels good to listen to.

However, it is very short, and musically, not that much happens in it - it doesn't dramatically change, its structure is simple and remains constant, it doesn't take you to places musically (only 'energy-wise'), and it doesn't explore interesting notational paths that most musicians wouldn't dare take.

In a way, it's a very conventional, conformistic, little ditty or jingle more than a full-fledged song.

It fits The Tripods perfectly, though, and brings the mood exactly where I think the mood should be for a story like this. It's a 'perfect song' for this, and I don't think anything could fit this TV show better.

But I have noticed more energetic, more pumping, more inspiring songs elsewhere, some even among TV themes. If you listen through all the 1980s best cartoon theme songs and other TV show themes, you are bound to find some that are indeed spectqacular.

Heck, just the Dr. Who theme is already a different sort of moody excellence, although also very simple musically speaking (but it fits that TV show and them as well, creating a haunting feel - too bad the TV show itself isn't as good as its theme).

I don't think TV show themes should be ranked or compared to each other, because they each contribute something unique to the world, and they each deserve their place in existence. Even slightly silly shows like 'Dynasty' can have almost haunting theme musics.

The Twilight Zone doesn't really even have a theme song, it's even less musical and even shorter - heck, the main, repetitive jingle consists of three notes.

I like it, though, and it fits the show nicely.

Some of the excellent TV show themes that give The Tripods' wonderful theme a run for its money (not that a TV theme can own money), could be mentioned here in the end.

These are NOT in any specific order.

Please note, that each conjure up the exact kind of mood, atmosphere and 'setting' in their feel that the show requires.

- Knight Rider
- Airwolf
- Dr. Who
- Street Hawk
- Dynasty
- Jay and the Wheeled Warriors
- Transformers (original theme)
- Jem and the Holograms
- M.A.S.K.
- Miami Vice
- Dallas (yes, even this is sort of good)
- ALF
- Dempsey and Makepeace (very energetic and pumping)
- 'Allo 'Allo (incredibly atmospheric, but in a very different way)
- Mork & Mindy
- Love Boat (a bit syrapy but nice melody)
- MacGyver (you knew it was coming)
- Robin of Sherwood
- He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (I know, but it's still energetic)
- Around the World with Willy Fog
- Chip 'n Dale
- Ducktales
- Dogtanian and the Three Muskahounds (a good example of a real song, by the way)
- TaoTao
- Once Upon a Time... Space
- Thundercats
- Inspector Gadget
- Battlestar Galactica (who could forget this one?)
- Northern Exposure
- Star Trek
- Star Trek: The Next Generation (originally from the Star Trek movie)

As a bonus, though not a TV show:

- Rocky IV Training Montage (the movie version, not the soundtrack version)

There are others, but I had to end this post some time.

I am sure that among these contenders, there must be some that could be considered 'as good as' or 'better then' the few-second-ditty that doesn't even have much in it, musically speaking. No real musical structure, no chords or chord progressions, no singing, no lyrics, and it lasts only for around 40 seconds.

As I said, it's very atmospheric, and fits this show very well, but it's also very short and minimalistic, and doesn't offer that many notes, or almost any structure, musically speaking.

My point is that it's pointless (heh) to rank TV show themes as 'the best ever' or 'second best ever', because each song is unique, there are SO many great ones, and each song supports and expresses the TV show they're written for, so it would be even worse than comparing apples and oranges.

There's so much good music in the world, that it's only limiting yourself to declare some particular piece 'the winner' and ignore the rest, when really, they're not directly competing, but each brings another gem of wonder that makes life richer. Comparing and ranking music or songs is for fools.

Don't do it - just enjoy them.