Tuesday, November 16, 2010: TWOfer Tuesday - The Cool TV Theme Song Of The Day Edition

What ever happened to TV Theme tunes?

When I was growing up pretty much every show I was into had amazing theme music.  And, that's not just rose-tinted glasses I'm looking through, have a listen:

Sanford and Son. Welcome Back, Kotter. Hill Street Blues. Chico & The Man.  Barney Miller. The Jeffersons.  Hawaii 5-0.  Mission: Impossible.

There is so much awesomeness in those themes alone I have barely enough energy to type.  After listening to each one I just wanted to curl up into a fetal position under my computer desk; cold, alone and afraid that my life is dark and meaningless and void of anything even resembling cool when compared to what these contributed to the world.

Yes, they are that great. I've actually considered doing an entire theme week devoted just to TV tunes. I still might.

And it's not even that very little in the past two decades hasn't come close to being cool. No, what bothers me down to my core is the fact that nobody is even trying.  Not making any effort whatsoever.

For my prime example: The Theme to Everyone Loves Raymond.

Really?  Are you F****** S******* ME?  What is that?  It's like John Cage decided to take up playing lite jazz.  If such a character driven comedy was made in the 70's, it would have an amazing theme song by default.  Just because.

Which is why I love Falling by Julee Cruise.  In fact, it's why I loved Twin Peaks in total.  It tried.

Now, normally, it's axiomatic that if something TRIES to be cool, it's not.   But Twin Peaks tried SO HARD to be cool, that its Herculean efforts alone proved to make it cool.  Yes, the show was nonsense, but gave us some great images, and a killer soundtrack.

And damn good coffee.

But, most importantly, it had an absolutely amazing theme song.

Truly music out of a dream, a beatific vision of glory and majesty lit by both the warm light of the morning's sun and the cold blue tint of a full moon in unison. Falling is one of those songs that wrap around you like a warm blanket.

My second choice for CTVTSOTD was a no brainer, the single coolest theme song written in the last 20 years, and the exception that proves the rule.

Yes, of course you can listen to extended versions of this, but for everyone who loves this show, this one says all that needs to be said, in just under a minute. Fan-frickin'-tastic. Did a TV theme ever rock out as loud and as hard?

Discuss.

In the meantime, ponder the fact that an entire generation is growing up without iconic TV Theme Songs. Please, please, please, won't SOMEONE bring back the cool TV theme?

Do it for the children!