Most Recognizable Movie Theme Songs

 
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40. The X-Files For a show that's all about mystery and discovering the unknown in this strange world, The X-Files' creators did an excellent job securing a theme that evokes the necessary emotions. Empty and haunting, the opening riff to the song is enough to make conspiracy theorists and UFO-chasers everywhere salivate. -CC

39. Love Boat This enjoyably corny 1970's show came complete with an enjoyably corny 1970's theme song. What made the Love Boat theme so perfect was that it seemed like just the kind of music you might actually hear on a cruise ship. And likely still would. -EG

38. Laverne and Shirley From the opening counting and 'Sclemeel, schlemazel, hasenfeffer incorporated… We're gonna do it!' to the chorus of 'We're gonna make our dream come true,' this fun and breezy theme to the Happy Days spin-off excellently captures the enthusiastic and optimistic nature of the main characters. -BZ

American Film Institute Announces List Of 100 Best Movie Songs. American Film Institute Announces List Of 100 Best Movie Songs. From 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' and 'Arthur's Theme.

37. Miami Vice Jan Hammer's electro-jazz schmooze, complete with syncopated rhythms and faux conga burble, provided aural magic to Michael Mann's pastel infused, cigarette boat laden, very '80s ode to the sunbelt's gritty city and the men (and women) who protect its streets from swank drug dealers. Once a member of the legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra, Hammer's pulsating keyboard driven theme actually hit the #1 spot on the pop charts in 1985, making it the first TV theme song to do so since 1976. -SA

36. Diff'rent Strokes Who says a sitcom theme song can't have a message of tolerance and understanding? Sure, it sounds pervier then intended out of context, but in just under a minute, this incredibly popular show's theme tells you all you need to know about a man of means, a couple of kids who got nothing but their jeans, and the home they make together. -EG

35. Dr. Who Yeah, we're talking about the Tom Baker-era theme, here… not that other drivel. Perfectly matched to the interstellar odyssey, the spacey, haunting theme song is an instant mood-setter, and one of the great, iconic pieces of sci-fi music ever recorded. -CC

34. Sanford and Son Another indelible slice of condensed funk, the proverbial mainstay of many '70s television comedies (see Barney Miller), the Sanford and Son theme song was as funky as the junk yard set on which Red Foxx and Demond Wilson practiced their kibitzing. Composed by legendary multi-instrumentalist Quincy Jones--who had earlier instilled Bill Cosby's show with the same sense of down-n-dirty, yet playful nuance--this little ditty was nothing if not gritty. -SA

  1. Instant nostalgia: The 20 best theme songs in TV history. By Darian Lusk. 'The Addams Family' theme is instantly recognizable, even if you don't know all the words: 6. 'Full House' (1987-1995).
  2. Why it struck a chord: Picking the best Disney theme song is a Herculean task (except for, ironically, when it comes to the bland ”Go the Distance” from 1997’s Hercules).

33. Seinfeld Like the show itself, Seinfeld's theme song is 'about nothing.' Almost impossible to duplicate with human vocal chords, its opening song is all about quirky noises and slap bass. However, this curious blend of sounds perfectly stages the show, which is all about finding odd fun in the mundane. -CC

32. The Cosby Show Although the show's opening went through several iterations, the main theme was always there. Our favorite was the Bobby McFerrin rendition, but the Carribean theme wasn't shabby, either. What's important is that when you heard the Cosby music pipe up from across the house, you came running no matter what you were doing. That's the function of a theme after all: to call you to action (or inaction?). Whatever the case, Cosby's theme was a call to laughs. -CC

Hasbi rabbi jallallah mafi kalbi. Another video here. Presenting you Hasbi Rabbi Jallallah Mafi Kalbi Gairullah Urdu Islamic gojol.

31. SWAT Here's a case of a show whose theme song truly had a life of its own. The series it came from was only on for two seasons, but the theme, with its screeching alarm going into a sublimely 70's action theme riff is a classic. -EG

There's no song like 'Over the Rainbow.' Kansas farm girl Dorothy Gale's wistful ditty in 'The Wizard of Oz' led the American Film Institute's list of 100 best movie songs Tuesday, followed by 'As Time Goes By' from 'Casablanca' at No. 2 and the title tune from 'Singin' in the Rain' at No. 3.

'Over the Rainbow,' sung by Judy Garland in the 1939 musical fantasy, was picked as the top song in U.S. cinema in voting by about 1,500 actors, filmmakers, writers, critics and others in Hollywood.

'That deserves it. It's one of the great, great songs. Judy Garland, the emotion in that song. It gives me chills whenever I hear it,' said Burt Bacharach, who was represented on the list for co-writing 'Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head' (No. 23) from 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' and 'Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)' (No. 79) from 'Arthur.'

In 2001, Garland's 'Over the Rainbow' (and Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas') also topped the 365 'Songs of the Century' selected by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Recording Industry Association of America.

The rest of the AFI top 10: 4. 'Moon River' from 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'; 5. 'White Christmas' from 'Holiday Inn'; 6. 'Mrs. Robinson' from 'The Graduate'; 7. 'When You Wish Upon a Star' from 'Pinocchio'; 8. 'The Way We Were' from 'The Way We Were'; 9. 'Stayin' Alive' from 'Saturday Night Fever'; 10. 'The Sound of Music' from 'The Sound of Music.'

Most Recognizable Movie Theme Songs

Two other songs made the list from both 'The Sound of Music' ('My Favorite Things' at No. 64 and 'Do Re Mi' at No. 88) and 'Singin' in the Rain' ('Make 'Em Laugh' at No. 49 and 'Good Morning' at No. 72). 'West Side Story' also landed three songs: 'Somewhere' (No. 20), 'America' (No. 35) and 'Tonight' (No. 59).

Chosen from 400 nominees, the list was announced in the CBS special 'AFI's 100 Years .. 100 Songs,' the institute's latest countdown to promote U.S. film history. The show's host was John Travolta, star of 'Saturday Night Fever' and 'Grease,' whose 'Summer Nights' came in at No. 70.

'A list like this really drives people back to rediscover or discover these movies,' said Jean Picker Firstenburg, the institute's director. 'It's about older generations revisiting them and younger generations finding them for the first time.'

Past specials presented such lists as the best 100 American movies, comedies, screen legends and love stories. AFI leaders had been mulling a list of best movie songs for years.

'It's an idea we've had floating around since the beginning,' said Bob Gazzale, who produces the AFI specials. 'Movies and music are so obviously linked at the heart, really. Even before sound came to films, there were songs that went with silent pictures, as well.'

The earliest song to make the list was 'Isn't It Romantic' (No. 73), sung by Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald in 1932's 'Love Me Tonight.' The newest came from 2002 with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger's rendition of 'All That Jazz' (No. 98) from 'Chicago' and Eminem's 'Lose Yourself' (No. 93) from '8 Mile.'

Unlike the Academy Awards, which honors songs written specifically for new movies, the AFI list allowed any tune integral to a movie. So songs such as 'It Had to Be You' (No. 60) from 'When Harry Met Sally..' and 'Ain't Too Proud to Beg' (No. 94) from 'The Big Chill' made the cut.

Other tunes ranged from sublime with Paul Robeson's 'Ol' Man River (No. 24) from the 1936 version of 'Show Boat' and Garland's 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (No. 76) from 'Meet Me in St. Louis' to the goofy with 'Springtime for Hitler' (No. 80) from Mel Brooks' 'The Producers' and Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle's wacky rendition of 'Puttin' on the Ritz' (No. 89) from Brooks' 'Young Frankenstein.'

Songs came from blockbusters ('My Heart Will Go On' from 'Titanic' at No. 14 and 'Unchained Melody' from 'Ghost' at No. 27) and from counterculture flicks ('Born to Be Wild' from 'Easy Rider' at No. 29 and 'Aquarius' from 'Hair' at No. 33).

Mp3 Movie Theme Songs

'I think this list is about music that has made its way into daily lives, rather than an assessment of what's great,' said Jennifer Warnes, who sang two duets that made the list, 'Up Where We Belong' (No. 75) from 'An Officer and a Gentleman' and '(I've Had) The Time of My Life' (No. 86) from 'Dirty Dancing.'

'The reason why my songs made it there is that they're used. I still hear `Up Where We Belong' when I'm at the store buying frozen peas, and it makes me happier to be buying frozen peas.'

The American Film Institute's list of top 100 songs From U.S. movies, with film title and year of release:

Most

1. 'Over the Rainbow,' 'The Wizard of Oz,' 1939.
2. 'As Time Goes by,' 'Casablanca,' 1942.
3. 'Singin' in the Rain,' 'Singin' in the Rain,' 1952.
4. 'Moon River,' 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' 1961.
5. 'White Christmas,' 'Holiday Inn,' 1942.
6. 'Mrs. Robinson,' 'The Graduate,' 1967.
7. 'When You Wish Upon a Star,' 'Pinocchio,' 1940.
8. 'The Way We Were,' 'The Way We Were,' 1973.
9. 'Stayin' Alive,' 'Saturday Night Fever,' 1977.
10. 'The Sound of Music,' 'The Sound of Music,' 1965.
11. 'The Man That Got Away,' 'A Star Is Born,' 1954.
12. 'Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend,' 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,' 1953.
13. 'People,' 'Funny Girl,' 1968.
14. 'My Heart Will Go On,' 'Titanic,' 1997.
15. 'Cheek to Cheek,' 'Top Hat,' 1935.
16. 'Evergreen (Love Theme From `A Star Is Born'),' 'A Star Is Born,' 1976.
17. 'I Could Have Danced All Night,' 'My Fair Lady,' 1964.
18. 'Cabaret,' 'Cabaret,' 1972.
19. 'Some Day My Prince Will Come,' 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,' 1937.
20. 'Somewhere,' 'West Side Story,' 1961.
21. 'Jailhouse Rock,' 'Jailhouse Rock,' 1957.
22. 'Everybody's Talkin',' 'Midnight Cowboy, 1969.
23. 'Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head,' 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,' 1969.
24. 'Ol' Man River,' 'Show Boat,' 1936.
25. 'High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin'),' 'High Noon,' 1952.
26. 'The Trolley Song,' 'Meet Me in St. Louis,' 1944.
27. 'Unchained Melody,' 'Ghost,' 1990.
28. 'Some Enchanted Evening,' 'South Pacific,' 1958.
29. 'Born to Be Wild,' 'Easy Rider,' 1969.
30. 'Stormy Weather,' 'Stormy Weather,' 1943.
31. 'Theme From `New York, New York,' 'New York, New York,' 1977.
32. 'I Got Rhythm,' 'An American in Paris,' 1951.
33. 'Aquarius, 'Hair,' 1979.
34. 'Let's Call the Whole Thing Off,' 'Shall We Dance,' 1937.
35. 'America,' 'West Side Story,' 1961.
36. 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,' 'Mary Poppins,' 1964.
37. 'Swinging on a Star,' 'Going My Way,' 1944.
38. 'Theme From `Shaft,' 'Shaft,' 1971.
39. 'Days of Wine and Roses,' 'Days of Wine and Roses,' 1963.
40. 'Fight the Power,' 'Do the Right Thing,' 1989.
41. 'New York, New York,' 'On the Town,' 1949.
42. 'Luck Be a Lady,' 'Guys and Dolls,' 1955.
43. 'The Way You Look Tonight,' 'The Swing Time,' 1936.
44. 'Wind Beneath My Wings,' 'Beaches,' 1988.
45. 'That's Entertainment,' 'The Band Wagon,' 1953.
46. 'Don't Rain on My Parade,' 'Funny Girl,' 1968.
47. 'Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah,' 'Song of the South,' 1947.
48. 'Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera),' 'The Man Who Knew Too Much,' 1956.
49. 'Make 'Em Laugh,' 'Singin' in the Rain,' 1952.
50. 'Rock Around the Clock,' 'Blackboard Jungle,' 1955.
51. 'Fame,' 'Fame,' 1980.
52. 'Summertime,' 'Porgy and Bess,' 1959.
53. 'Goldfinger,' 'Goldfinger,' 1964.
54. 'Shall We Dance,' 'The King and I,' 1956.
55. 'Flashdance .. What a Feeling,' 'Flashdance,' 1983.
56. 'Thank Heaven for Little Girls,' 'Gigi,' 1958.
57. 'The Windmills of Your Mind,' 'The Thomas Crown Affair,' 1968.
58. 'Gonna Fly Now,' 'Rocky,' 1976.
59. 'Tonight,' 'West Side Story,' 1961.
60. 'It Had to Be You,' 'When Harry Met Sally ..,' 1989.
61. 'Get Happy,' 'Summer Stock,' 1950.
62. 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'Beauty and the Beast,' 1991.
63. 'Thanks for the Memory,' 'The Big Broadcast of 1938,' 1938.
64. 'My Favorite Things,' 'The Sound of Music,' 1965.
65. 'I Will Always Love You,' 'The Bodyguard,' 1992.
66. 'Suicide Is Painless,' 'M-A-S-H,' 1970.
67. 'Nobody Does It Better,' 'The Spy Who Loved Me,' 1977.
68. 'Streets of Philadelphia,' 'Philadelphia,' 1993.
69. 'On the Good Ship Lollipop,' 'Bright Eyes,' 1934.
70. 'Summer Nights,' 'Grease,' 1978.
71. 'The Yankee Doodle Boy,' 'Yankee Doodle Dandy,' 1942.
72. 'Good Morning,' 'Singin' in the Rain,' 1952.
73. 'Isn't It Romantic?' 'Love Me Tonight,' 1932.
74. 'Rainbow Connection,' 'The Muppet Movie,' 1979.
75. 'Up Where We Belong,' 'An Officer and a Gentleman,' 1982.
76. 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,' 'Meet Me in St. Louis,' 1944.
77. 'The Shadow of Your Smile,' 'The Sandpiper,' 1965.
78. '9 to 5,' '9 to 5,' 1980.
79. 'Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do),' 'Arthur,' 1981.
80. 'Springtime for Hitler,' 'The Producers,' 1968.
81. 'I'm Easy,' 'Nashville,' 1975.
82. 'Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead,' 'The Wizard of Oz,' 1939.
83. 'The Rose,' 'The Rose,' 1979.
84. 'Put the Blame on Mame,' 'Gilda,' 1946.
85. 'Come What May,' 'Moulin Rouge!' 2001.
86. '(I've Had) the Time of My Life,' 'Dirty Dancing,' 1987.
87. 'Buttons and Bows,' 'The Paleface,' 1948.
88. 'Do Re Mi,' 'The Sound of Music,' 1965.
89. 'Puttin' on the Ritz,' 'Young Frankenstein,' 1974.
90. 'Seems Like Old Times,' 'Annie Hall,' 1977.
91. 'Let the River Run,' 'Working Girl,' 1988.
92. 'Long Ago and Far Away,' 'Cover Girl,' 1944.
93. 'Lose Yourself,' '8 Mile,' 2002.
94. 'Ain't Too Proud to Beg,' 'The Big Chill,' 1983.
95. '(We're Off on the) Road to Morocco,' 'Road to Morocco,' 1942.
96. 'Footloose,' 'Footloose,' 1984.
97. '42nd Street,' '42nd Street,' 1933.
98. 'All That Jazz,' 'Chicago,' 2002.
99. 'Hakuna Matata,' 'The Lion King,' 1994.
100. 'Old Time Rock and Roll,' 'Risky Business,' 1983.