New book about TV music

[Mr. Mike]

A new book about TV music has come out ... and you know what theme is included in the top tunes...

https://blog.oup.com/2023/04/music-f...est-tv-themes/

[ringfire211]

Interesting list but I would argue with quite a few of those on the list. For starters I think he only has one sitcom theme on there - Cheers. Sorry but that’s hardly the greatest sitcom theme of all time. Ok, he also has Andy Griffith Show - I’ll give him that one. But where’s Happy Days? Probably my vote for greatest sitcom theme ever! Hogan’s Heroes? Gilligan’s Island? Laverne & Shirley? Whatever you think of those shows you gotta admit the themes were fantastic! I mean I never cared for Laverne & Shirley but that’s one great theme!!

And I won’t even go into why Knight Rider or Airwolf or Magnum PI or The A-Team or Miami Vice aren’t on that list. Simply some of the best TV themes ever. Or Bonanza? Sorry but I’ll take Bonanza over Rawhide and any number of themes over Peter Gunn. It seems like he’s listing those themes which had some sort of cultural impact when they came out or became major radio hits. As opposed to just going with personal picks of what gets you in the groove. Or maybe these are his personal picks.

[Bobbi]

Those are some good examples, Ringfire.

I can guarantee that one of the best themes ever isn't on the list - it wasn't prime time. It was for a syndicated show in 1978 written by Hoyt Curtin. He did the "The Flintstones" and "The Jetsons", which are great themes too. "Battle of the Planets" has one of the best themes ever. It's been covered several times, although only commercially released in the 2000s (I think).

[Mr. Mike]

It says the music in the list is "15 of the greatest TV themes," not "the 15 greatest TV themes."

This book has been ordered by the local library, and I am first in line to read it.

[ringfire211]

It says the music in the list is "15 of the greatest TV themes," not "the 15 greatest TV themes."

LOL! Not sure I see the difference between the 2 statements.

[Bobbi]

[/QUOTE]
LOL! Not sure I see the difference between the 2 statements.[/QUOTE]

I do. "15 of the greatest" is only part of the equation whereas "the 15 greatest" is the entire list.

Let me know how the book is, Mr. Mike. I'll be sure to tell my buddy Jason about it.

[ringfire211]

LOL! Not sure I see the difference between the 2 statements.

I do. "15 of the greatest" is only part of the equation whereas "the 15 greatest" is the entire list.

Let me know how the book is, Mr. Mike. I'll be sure to tell my buddy Jason about it.

Well that’s like splitting hairs then lol. If I’m making a top 15 then I’m definitely picking THE TOP 15 and not any random 15 out of, say, top 50. Because what’s the point of that.

[Mr. Mike]

Ringfire, I think are a "child of the 80s" judging by your selection of "the greatest TV themes ever." Have you ever actually watched Peter Gunn? Probably not to the extent that I have, anyway. When I was a kid, and I was a "child of the 50s," my favorite TV theme was that for Walt Disney's Zorro, though I wouldn't put that in the greatest TV themes of all time category. I actually wrote this theme out (like the music), so I must have been very precocious to do this, being about 10 years old at the time.

I'm sure I heard the Peter Gunn theme, though I don't recall watching this TV show at the time ... it probably qualified as an "adult" show. However, I played this theme in rock groups I was in in the early 60s.

Peter Gunn is very important in several ways, but Burlingame in his previous version of the book which I got from the library (it's called TV's Biggest Hits) points out that the show M Squad which was on around the same time as Peter Gunn in the late 50s also used jazz ... so it's debatable as to which of these shows "started the trend" for jazz in detective shows. However, Mancini's score went totally nuts as far as sales and ratings was concerned, and he won two Grammys for it as well.

In this earlier version of Burlingame's book, you will be interested to know the discussion for Miami Vice goes on for 3 pages, which is the same as that for H50. Some of the other shows you mentioned in your posting above are also in the book, maybe once or twice.

[ringfire211]

While I think that the 80s had some really fantastic themes (with Knight Rider and Airwolf being the absolute best!) I enjoy themes from the earlier decades as well. Five-O, Mission: Impossible, Bonanza, etc. are all timeless and outstanding in every way!! And while I do find the Peter Gunn theme pretty cool and catchy (big fan of Mancini as well) I just wouldn’t put it as high on my list as many other themes from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Actually if we look at themes that were around at exactly the time Peter Gunn was on the air I would place the Perry Mason theme by Fred Steiner above it. Same with the themes for Maverick, The Rifleman, and Rawhide. They would all rate higher than Peter Gunn in my book. Also the Johnny Western theme “The Man Called Paladin” which was featured during the end credits of Have Gun, Will Travel.

[Ghostsoldier]

I was gonna say, "The Ballad of Paladin" ranks right up there with the best; I recently acquired an autograph from Johnny Western, at 88 years old, to go along with my Richard Boone autograph.

Rob