All-Time Top 100 TV Themes

I remember watching a few of the shows on this CD as a first-run in the 80's, but most of the rest I caught as reruns. But to my young mind back then it was like watching it as a first-run no matter how old it was. Shows such as The Twilight Zone, Bewitched, Sansord and Son, etc., will always occupy a sweet and nostalgic part of my mind.

Of all the TV theme type compilations that I've run across, this one manages to represent the widest array of selections. From some of the oldest to relatively recent ones. All the songs are original. Certain collections only have the really old ones and some present non-originals.

Of course, no collection will be absolutely complete for everyone. I wished this one had the theme from Dukes of Hazzard. But overall the selection is rather large and should please most fans hungry for a trip down retro-TV lane.

Listening to these CD's brought back some fond memories of childhood. The quality of the tracks were very good. Simply a lot of fun to listen to!

I know others have commented on the less-than-stellar production values of this compilation, but I think they're fine. The collection of songs is great, and even though at first I wasn't thrilled about the newer stuff, we've come to love those as well. This is a great collection to listen to with the whole family. I think it would be difficult to find a comparable compilation for a similar price. Good value.

The fact that this has generated over 30 reviews to date, ranging from 5 stars to 1, indicates that it's impossible to please everyone when putting this kind of project together. In one respect I can sympathize with those who were hoping to get full versions of some of the tunes, especially those that were good enough to produce hit singles - some of them smash hits - and so felt compelled to award just 1 or 2 stars. I have less sympathy for those who bemoan the sound "quality" since, as one reviewer has pointed out, many are soundtrack bytes and some of that 60s and 70's TV had pretty dismal sound.

The way I look at it, these are memory-joggers and this is a CD that can be hauled out and played at a party or family gathering to see how many can recognize the series they came from. Did they miss some obvious ones? Well, in a word, "yes" with some that come to mind at once being The Themes from - - Ben Casey, a # 28 hit in 1962 for Valjean; Dr. Kildare [Three Stars Will Shine Tonight], a # 10 in 1962 for star Richard Chamberlain; Dynasty, a # 52 in 1982 for Bill Conti; and The Dukes Of Hazzard [Good Ol' Boys], a # 21 in 1980 for Waylon Jennings.

But while this 2-CD set is fun, I too would like to see a similar set offering the full versions of those that went on to become hit singles, including the ones just mentioned and these which became Top 10 hits: Theme From The Greatest American Hero (Believe It Or Not), a # 2 in 1981 for Joey Scarbury; Theme From Hill Street Blues, a # 10 in 1981 for Mike Post, who also had hits with The Theme From Magnum P.I. (# 25 in 1982)and The Rockford Files (# 10 in 1975); Theme From S.W.A.T. by The Rhythm Heritage (# 1 in 1976); Miami Vice Theme by Jan Hammer (# 1 in 1985); Welcome Back (from Welcome Back, Kotter) by John Sebastien of The Lovin' Spoonful (# 1 in 1976); Happy Days by Pratt & McClain (# 5 in 1976); and Hawaii Five-O by The Ventures (# 4 in 1969).

Others that made the Billboard charts in the lower regions include: I'll Be There For You (from Friends) by The Rembrandts (# 17 in 1995); Where Everybody Knows Your Name (from Cheers) by Gary Portnoy (# 83 in 1983); Moonlighting Theme by Al Jarreau (# 23 in 1987); Theme From My Three Sons by Lawrence Welk (# 55 in 1961); Theme From Charlie's Angels by Percy Faith & His Orchestra (# 49 in 1977); WKRP In Cincinnati by Steve Carlisle (# 65 in 1981); Making Our Dreams Come True (from Laverne & Shirley) by Cyndi Grecco (# 25 in 1976); The Song From M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless) by Al DeLory & His Orchestra (# 70 in 1970); Those Were The Days (from All In The Family) by Carroll O'Connor & Jean Stapleton (# 43 in 1972); and Batman Theme, a hit for both The Marketts (# 17) and Neal Hefti & His Orchestra (# 35) in 1966.

I've probably overlooked a few, but the point is, they could easily come up with a 2-CD volume containing just the hit versions.

Both the CD's and the insert are filled with vintage TV sets, and inside you get a re-listing of the contents showing composers, performers, and the running length of the series concerned for each track.

I love this cd. It has really good themes. I recomend it to everyone because it's a great addition to your cd collection.