Theme music

A television program's theme music is a melody closely associated with the show, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits. If it is accompanied by lyrics, it is a theme song.

The purpose of the music is to establish a mood for the show. In same cases, as with The Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island, the lyrics of the theme song provide some necessary exposition for people unfamilar with the show.

Theme music has been a feature of the majority of television programs since the medium's inception, as it was for the ancestral radio shows that provided their inspiration. Programs have used theme music in a huge variety of styles, sometimes adapted from existing tunes, some composed specifically for the purpose. A few have been released commercially and become popular hits; the theme tune to Friends, I'll Be There For You, was a hit for The Rembrandts.

See also

• List of theme songs