Theme music

Lore & Background

Theme music is a musical composition often written specifically for radio, television, video games, or films, typically played during title sequences, opening or closing credits, or at some point within the program. Its purpose is similar to that of a leitmotif. The phrase "theme song" or "signature tune" can also refer to a piece associated with a particular performer or dignitary, often used for their entrance. From the 1950s, theme music became a significant additional revenue source for Hollywood studios, many of which launched their own record labels, leading to more systematic cross-promotion of music and movies.

An early influential success was the theme for High Noon (1952). In film, the main title is the music heard during opening credits, distinct from music playing from on-screen sources like radios. It can be a vocal tune, an orchestral theme, a medley of film themes, or an overture in roadshow releases, where the overture plays before the film begins.

In movie musicals, the main title usually consists of one or more songs from the film played by the orchestra. Television has featured theme music since its beginning, using a wide variety of styles, some adapted from existing tunes and others composed specifically. A few have become popular commercial hits.

Some themes, such as those for long-running serials like The Young and the Restless or Coronation Street, have become iconic due to the shows’ longevity and minimal changes to the original mix. In sports broadcasting, certain themes have become synonymous with the sport itself, such as the association football theme for Match of the Day, the cricket theme "Soul Limbo," or the Hockey Night in Canada theme, once called Canada’s second national anthem. Most television shows have specific, melodic theme music, even if just a few notes, though exceptions like 60 Minutes use only a stopwatch ticking, and Body of Proof has no theme song or title sequence. In most series, the theme plays during the opening sequence, but Regular Show plays its theme only during the ending credits in most episodes.

Reader's Guide

Theme music serves as an identifying signature for a program or performer, often becoming iconic due to a show's longevity. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, iconic sports shows have such strong associations with their theme music that the sports themselves are synonymous with the theme tunes. In the United States, themes have become associated with sports such as Monday Night Football and the Olympic Games.

The phrase theme song or signature tune may also refer to a signature song associated with a particular performer or dignitary, often used as they make an entrance. Theme music can also be a valuable source of additional revenue for studios, as seen from the 1950s onward. Notable examples include the theme for the game show The Price Is Right, reimagined as Crystal Waters' 'Come On Down', which marked the first time lyrics were added to that theme and the first song based on a television theme to reach number 1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.