io9
Here's a catchy compilation of theme tunes from the late 70s and early 80s, featuring Shaft-esque guitars and stomping drum-beats. It's amazing how every science fiction TV show from a particular era features a similar-sounding opening theme tune. And the trends in theme music say something about the shows of the eras they belong to. Click through for a complete history of TV openings.
Here's a catchy compilation of theme tunes from the late 70s and early 80s, featuring Shaft-esque guitars and stomping drum-beats. It's amazing how every science fiction TV show from a particular era features a similar-sounding opening theme tune. And the trends in theme music say something about the shows of the eras they belong to. Click through for a complete history of TV openings.The Theremin Era (1950s-1960s). The emphasis is on weird noises and screechy howls. Sometimes, it's an actual electronic scream, as in the Doctor Who theme, or to some extent the Outer Limits theme. Sometimes, it's an actual human trying to sound like a theremin, like the Star Trek theme's crazy opera singer. Either way, the message is clear: This is some freaky shit right here.
The Disco Era (late 1970s-early 1980s). You can totally boogie down to the theme tunes of Amazing Spider-Man, Bionic Woman or Logan's Run the series. Some themes, like Buck Rogers, try to sound sort of "adventure-y" and bring up associations with John Williams' heroic theme tunes for Star Wars and Superman: The Movie. But mostly the message is: groovy times ahead!!! Put on some tight pants and boogie!
The Orchestra Era (1990s). The themes from the two Star Trek TNG spin-offs, Babylon 5, Andromeda, Seaquest and even Time Trax all feature heroic-sounding strings and soaring horns. There's a strong melodic hook, but it's not as toe-tapping as the themes from the 70s and early 80s. Message: Epic saga (with heartstring-yanking) ahead.
The Alt-Country Era (early 2000s). Okay, so this was just two shows: Firefly and Enterprise. But it still felt like a mini-trend, especially since these were half the SF shows on TV at the time. You had the twangy voice, the deep soul-searching lyrics and the guitar anti-heroing. "Take my love, take my land, but you can't take my faith of the heart." Message: It's tough out here on the frontier.
The Weird Wailing Era (mid-2000s). All of a sudden, shows like the new Battlestar Galactica and Heroes featured a Middle Eastern-sounding person in distress, or just voices going "oooh" in the background. The new Doctor Who had a boppier version of the original theme, but whenever the Doctor acted mysterious, you'd hear a distinct "ooooh" sound in the background. In many ways, it's like a throwback to the theremin era. The message it sends: This is some freaky shit right here.
Comments
Joss Whedon wrote the Firefly theme. I heard an mp3 of him singing it, once. He didn't really do it justice.
Excellent Recap.
Although I'm generally partial to the disco-boogie era, the Doctor Who theme is quite simply the greatest composition in human history and if you disagree....I. Will. Fight You.
Great article!! Despite the diversity of styles, there are very few sci-fi themes that I don't like!
@92BuickLeSabre: I concur! It is difficult, if not impossible, to argue against the musical merits of the theremin.
Thanks for the nostaligia.
I guess the Orignal Battlestar Galactica theme sort of straddled the Disco and Orchestra eras.
@braak: Until you try to play one.
The Star Trek themes are all not only epic but iconic. I don't think I could pick out which theme belongs to which show, but if I heard one, it's immediately recognizeable as Star Trek.
My favourite TV Show and favourite theme: Quantum Leap
+ Watch video
bana nana, NA NANA. do do do doodloodoo
oh yeah.
They altered it a bit in the later seasons, but for the worse.
I once heard the words for Buck Rodgers and was glad that they went to an instrumental for the series. ST:TOS would have been as lame if they used words instead of instrumentals and screeching cats.
My fav TV theme of all will be the opening sequence to the 1st season of Space 1999. Electric guitars and orchestra that said, exciting, cheesy and very bad show ahead.
I always liked the original BSG theme. It seems much more like the 90's era music (ST:TNG etc.), much more orchestral. And I have to agree that the Doctor Who theme still holds up.
Great recap!
As someone who played a theremin (and violin) in a band, I'm really getting a kick out of these replies. And, as a note- yes, the purpose of the theremin was to announce, "this is some freaky shit right here". More horror movie soundtrack than sci-fi, but the spirit is the same.
@braak: I heard it to. It was awful. Not "Enterprise" theme awful, but Wheedon isn't much of a performer. Of course, he's not (in my estimation) much of a writer, producer or director. "Firefly" was, as best I can tell, a fluke. I've hated everything else he's ever done.
X-files' theme must have been ahead of its time.
Also, I think we're all overlooking how bad-ass the original Knight Rider theme song was.
Fun fact - the new series WHO theme is a remix of the original 1963 recording featured in your "theremin" clip. Nice to know some things are built to last!
(The TARDIS engine noise is also the original recording from '63).
I loves me some Theremins! greatest instrument, ever.
Another fun fact: The atonal, electronic music for Forbidden Planet was created on hand made electronic synthesizers, designed by the composer. Now I'd like to see that hack, John Williams do that! Sure you can conduct the London Symphony Orchestra pretty good, but can you build your own synthetic orchestra out of spare parts and vacuum tubes?
Don't forget the theme from UFO - I place it up there with Space:1999
@92BuickLeSabre:
Dr Who's theme is one of Ron Grainger's best, however I prefer his Theme to the Prisoner!!!
[video.google.com]
This list left out the greatest of the 1980s Disco Era: the themes to MacGyver and Buckaroo Banzai.
This list left out the greatest of the 1980s Disco Era themes: Buckaroo Banzai and MacGyver.
Sorry Ron, the Grainer, not Grainger.
Never really thought about it, but this post is spot-on.
Earth: Final Conflict nicely bridges the gap between orchestra and wailing, sitting as it does right between the mid-90's and mid 2000's.
+ Watch video
Farscape's theme also bridges the orchestral and wailing periods rather well.
...and it's here, incidentally.
+ Watch video
I don't want to take anything away from Ron Grainer, but I honestly think Delia Derbyshire needs more love for her work on the original Doctor Who theme. She was brilliant and pioneering, and her work still stands up 45 years later.
I refuse to classify the Enterprise theme as alt-country. It was clearly mind-numbing, blow-your-brains-out-with-your-speakers soft rock.
I have an immense fondness for the KLF (as the Timelords) doin' "Doctorin' The Tardis".
Sure, it's not the real theme song. But it kicks ass.
@Plague: Doctor Whoooo HEY Doctor Who.
Doctor Whooooo HEY The TARDIS!
Kicks ass indeed.
What was up with those few seconds of the Dune miniseries at the end of that last video, there? I was confused.
@tyamar: It featured wailing... and it was the closest I could find to theme music.
I personally loved how futuristic tv and movies tried to depict the music of the future. It always ended up being a guy on a sythesizer with a pitch bender. I remmeber thinking, if this is the rock of the 25th century, I don't want to go there.
Oh, how do we categorize "All along the watchtower" showing up in BSG?
In general, I'd agree about there being "eras" in theme songs, especially in the sci-fi genre (and I agree with everyone else that Space: 1999 is firmly in the Disco Era), but you seem to be stretching a bit here. You've lumped some orchestral themes in with the disco stuff, shoehorned ST:TNG (1987, using a theme from 1979) and Andromeda (2000, whose more orchestral theme came later) into the 1990's, and created a "trend" out of two very different theme songs because they both happened to have lyrics...
I think this is a good example of "picking your data" to support certain "types" of themes. Star Trek is no more "Theremin-like" than Andromeda, really. @TheAlmanac has it right.
Would have been more useful and fun just to have a lot of the opening theme music, rather than attempting to categorize it by era.
What? No love for the theme songs for X-FILES, MILLENIUM, CARNIVALE, SURFACE, FUTURAMA, JONNY QUEST & VENTURE BROTHERS?
Oops--I'll add THE AVENGERS & SECRET AGENT MAN while I'm at it.
@TheAlmanac: actually, I didn't even mention ST: TNG. Not sure what your point is about that. I never tried to say that *all* TV theme tunes from a particular era followed the trends described here. Just that the trends existed, and here are a ton of examples of them.
@vjmurphy: Maybe I'm weird, but the aaawoooooaaaaa of the Star Trek theme sounds exactly like someone trying to imitate a theremin to me. If you want to do your own impression of someone trying to sing like a theremin, send me an mp3 and we'll post it on the blog.
High Five turbob5, UFO is definitely one of my favorites, I think in between The Theremin Era and The Disco Era, there was The Shagadelic Era of the late 60s-early 70s, with UFO and Space 1999 in there.
Wow Good times, good times, a bunch of great inclusions and a few glaring ommisions but good stuff.....man I sure do miss me some Waka-Waka Spiderman.
Wonder if I could get the kids to sit through that?
Yhea Right
the xfiles theme was by DJ Dado. It was minimal in comparison to his other stuff (trance/techno/rave) but had strong elements of anthem trance in its melody.
With the exception of the neo-orchestral stuff, most of the tv scifi themes tend to pick up on whatever is futuristic and edgy at the time.
The wailing themes typical in current shows is interesting because for the first time... scifi seems to be going primordial. There's this subtext of reconnecting with a past where technology was more advanced.
"in the year 3000.." = old & busted
@Charlie Jane Anders: Actually, you did mention ST:TNG, but upon a second glance, I didn't parse it the way you meant it, since you reference the spinoffs. Nevertheless, there's an orchestral trend throughout the history of SF theme music (and it goes back and forth between movies and television), so I don't think restricting it to one decade is particularly accurate.
I never tried to say that *all* TV theme tunes from a particular era followed the trends described here.
Umm, that's exactly what you said: "It's amazing how every science fiction TV show from a particular era features a similar-sounding opening theme tune."
Start a discussion:
Login with your username and password below. Or comment on this post via email.
Forgot your username or password? New User?