The 20 best TV theme songs of all time, from Doctor Who to Dad’s Army

As audience’s attention spans grow shorter, a piece of music that grabs the viewer by the ears is more important than ever before

Kieran Read
Monday 12 September 2022 05:55 BST
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The Sopranos - series trailer

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In the age of streaming, it’s becoming easier and easier for shows to get away with having a sub-par theme song.

No matter what is on the screen, it’s likely that those opening credits are getting texted through or, thanks to Netflix’s “skip credits” feature, ignored altogether.

This doesn’t mean that there’s not a subtle art behind the TV theme song, however. As audience’s attention spans grow shorter, a piece of music that both embodies the ethos of a show and grabs the viewer by the ears is actually more important than ever before.

Click through the gallery to below for the greatest TV theme songs of all time:

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