tv show theme songs bands
[Photos via Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Phineas And Ferb, That ’70s Show]

10 popular TV show theme songs your favorite bands created

The first thing that comes to mind when you think of your favorite television show is the theme song. That tune is vital as it sets the mood for the whole series. Usually, a network have their own writers compose the opening, but every so often they employ others with the task. From Bowling For Soup to Simple Plan, here’s 10 times the scene created popular TV theme songs.

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1. They Might Be Giants – Malcolm In The Middle

They Might Be Giants’ “Boss Of Me” was used in the opening for all seven seasons of Malcolm In The Middle. In 2002, the track won the band’s John Flansburgh and John Linnell their first Grammy in the category of Best Song Written For A Motion Picture, Television And Other Visual Media. 

2. Bowling For Soup – Phineas And Ferb

A bright and fun show such as Phineas And Ferb deserves an energetic track to go with it, and that’s exactly what Bowling For Soup delivered. Frontman Jaret Reddick later voiced Danny in the cartoon band Love Händel. For those of us living in nostalgia, you can still hear the group play the track at a show or two.

3. Barenaked Ladies – Big Bang Theory

In an interview with CBSNews, Barenaked Ladies revealed that due to previous film and television collaborations falling through, the song might not have even happened. When the producers asked them to write the track, lead vocalist Ed Robertson had some concerns about whether they would be in competition with many other bands. Thankfully, everything worked out, and the Big Bang Theory theme song was born.

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4. Ozzy Osbourne – Dog The Bounty Hunter

Who better to sing the theme for a bounty hunter than Ozzy Osbourne? Several of his other tracks can also be heard throughout the series, and the theme song is featured on his Prince Of Darkness box set. 

5. Marilyn Manson – Salem

Marilyn Manson’s “Cupid Carries A Gun” from 2015’s The Pale Emperor is used as the theme for horror series Salem. In season 3, Manson was also landed a role as barber/surgeon Thomas Dinley. “He said, ‘Well, you’ll be a barber that gives autopsies and travels somewhere in between the worlds of the dead and the living, and he has to deal with all of the things that witchcraft has caused and can’t fix—basically the alchemical end,’” Manson told Rolling Stone. “That’s pretty much my interest in regular life, so it would be the perfect fit.”

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6. Primus – South Park

Before Primus settled on what’s the current opener for South Park, they had originally intended for the track to be used in end credits. “If you listen to the outro, that’s actually the original song,” frontman Les Claypool reveals to the Hollywood Reporter. “And they came back to us and said, ‘Comedy Central thinks the theme song is too slow and not peppy enough.’”

7. Joan Jett – Freaks And Geeks

Though first released in 1980, Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation” was later used for the opening credits in Freaks And Geeks. Though the show was canceled after just one season, it will always be remembered for its badass intro track.

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8. Nerf Herder – Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Nerf Herder composed and performed the theme song for TV drama Buffy The Vampire Slayer. The band make a cameo appearance in the 19th episode of season 7 as the last band to play at the Bronze. 

9. Cheap Trick – That ’70s Show

Cheap Trick covered ’70s rock band Big Star to create the opener for That ’70s Show. The track was used for seasons 2 through 7 of the series. Before then, it was sang by Todd Griffin. 

10. Simple Plan – What’s New, Scooby-Doo?

With plenty of Scooby-Doo series popping up throughout the years, it’s easy to get mixed up with all the opening themes. There’s one that will always be special to us, though. Not only did Simple Plan create the theme song for What’s New, Scooby-Doo? but they were also animated and featured in the series in the episode “Simple Plan And The Invisible Man. 

Which TV show theme song is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!