After five rounds of voting, AOL TV users have selected their choice for the best TV theme song ever. And the winner is (drum roll) ...
'Gilligan's Island.'
The toe-tapping tune about seven stranded castaways ousted 'Happy Days' in the championship round, squeaking by with just over 50 percent of the vote.
Meanwhile, 'The Andy Griffith Show' beat 'Mission: Impossible' in our consolation round, to finish in third place.
How did the rest of your favorite theme songs do? Relive the entire tournament with our final results.
Then tell us: What do you think of the results? What are your memories of these theme songs, and what is your favorite?
1. 'Gilligan's Island' - WINNER
Sample lyrics:
Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale
A tale of a fateful trip
That started at this tropic port
Aboard this tiny ship
2. 'Happy Days'
Sample lyrics:
Sunday, Monday, Happy Days
Tuesday, Wednesday, Happy Days
Thursday, Friday, Happy Days
Saturday, What a day
Groovin' all week with you
3. 'The Andy Griffith Show'
Trivia:
The whistling in the theme song was provided by songwriter Earle Hagen.
4. 'Mission: Impossible'
Trivia:
The theme features bongos, which were played by percussionist Emil Richards.
5. 'Bonanza'
Trivia:
A vocal version of the 'Bonanza' theme was used in the pilot. A number of artists have since recorded their own versions of the song, including Johnny Cash.
6. 'M*A*S*H'
Sample lyrics:
'Cause suicide is painless
it brings on many changes
and I can take or leave it if I please.
...and you can do the same thing if you choose.
7. 'The Addams Family'
Sample lyrics:
They're creepy and they're kooky,
Mysterious and spooky
They're all together ooky,
The Addams Family
8. 'Green Acres'
Sample lyrics:
Green acres is the place to be
Farm livin' is the life for me
Land spreadin' out so far and wide
Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside
9. 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show'
Sample lyrics:
Love is all around, no need to waste it
You can have the town, why don't you take it?
You're gonna make it after all!
10. 'Hawaii Five-O'
Trivia:
Sammy Davis, Jr. recorded a version of the song, called 'You Can Count on Me (Theme from Hawaii Five-O)'
11. 'The Jeffersons'Sample lyrics:
Well, we're movin' on up, to the East Side
To a deluxe apartment in the sky
Movin' on up to the East Side
We finally got a piece of the pie!
12. 'Laverne and Shirley'
Sample lyrics:
And we'll do it our way, yes our way
Make all our dreams come true
And we'll it our way, yes our way,
Make all our dreams come true
For me and you
13. 'The Brady Bunch'
Sample lyrics:
'Til the one day when the lady met this fellow
And they knew that it was much more than a hunch
That this group must somehow form a family
That's the way we all became the Brady bunch
14. 'Rawhide'
Sample lyrics:
Move 'em on, head 'em up,
Head 'em up, move 'em out,
Move 'em on, head 'em out, Rawhide!
Set 'em out, ride 'em in,
Ride 'em in, let 'em out,
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in, Rawhide!
15. 'Welcome Back, Kotter'
Sample lyrics:
Welcome back,
Your dreams were your ticket out.
Welcome back,
To that same old place that you laughed about.
16. 'Cheers'
Sample lyrics:
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name
And they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see
Our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows your name.
Reader Comments (216)
macfute at 11:47PM on Oct 11th 2009
So far (through page 1 groups 1 and 2) I agree with the majority answer of every comparsion.
onitsoga at 10:28AM on Oct 13th 2009
The theme to the Sopranos is superior, but that was a song taken for the show. For original themes, I'd be hard pressed to find a better one than the themes to "Perry Mason" or "Secret Agent Man" although in the generational time warp I can see how those wouldn't make the poll.
doc tari at 6:13AM on Oct 13th 2009
er....you missed the Twilight Zone.
howard423 at 6:53AM on Oct 13th 2009
Twilight Zone is listed above vs. (ugh - and no comparison) "Gilligans Island"
Usher, B. at 8:37AM on Oct 13th 2009
You missed the theme music for MASH also.
BANMAN at 9:24AM on Oct 13th 2009
ERRRRR LOOK AGAIN TWILIGHT ZONE IS THERE BUT SO FAR IT HAS THE LOWER SCORE,,, BUMMER
steve e at 6:26AM on Oct 13th 2009
Old vs. new - seems more like an young vs. old poll
Rick at 5:02PM on Oct 13th 2009
You noticed that too, huh?
Admittedly, Laverne & Shirley's and the Jeffersons' theme songs are classic, but I don't think the numbers would be quite so skewed if the readership wasn't so skewed (and, let's be honest, there aren't a lot of young people using AOL anymore), because the X-Files and Sopranos theme songs are also great.
And, i'm sorry, but Fresh Prince kicks the heinie of Hawaii Five-O.
hsliny at 11:03AM on Oct 13th 2009
So true. I think of how far back those shows go and I insist I saw them all as re-runs lol. Another one I have not seen yet is Get Smart. You knew you were in for a good laugh just listening to the theme song
Ginny at 9:31AM on Nov 6th 2009
is it Old v. Young or simply that the more recent audio devices have so damaged the younger ears that they can't hear the softer more musical themes as well as our older ears the oldfashioned owners of which turn down indoor volumes and wear earprotectors to outdoor concert venues?