We are in the midst of a TV superhero renaissance. While super-powered heroes and villains have been part of the television landscape from its beginning, recent years have seen a marked increase in not just superhero shows, but good superhero shows. Between network, cable, streaming, and online, there are over 20 programs currently featuring live-action or animated heroes. And with as many as a dozen new shows planned in the next year, superhero fans are singing a happy tune.
Yet the one thing most modern superhero shows lack is a kick-ass theme song. Gone are the action-packed earworms of old. No “Here I come to save the day!” or “Thunder-Thunder-Thunder-Thunder-Cats!” Not even a “Na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, BATMAN!”
Instead we’re left with an assortment of indistinguishable instrumentals that do little to set the tone (or tell the story) of their shows — with nary a memorable melody among them. Can you hum the intro to Gotham, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or Arrow? Didn’t think so.
But rather than harping on what’s lacking in the current bumper crop, I want to celebrate the rich, raucous history of where campy TV, catchy jingles, and spandex-clad heroes collide…by making an EPIC LIST. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be ranking the TOP 50 SUPERHERO TV THEME SONGS OF ALL TIME! My choices are based on popularity, catchiness and cultural impact… with a heaping dose of personal preference. I welcome your criticisms, your praise, and your suggested omissions!
But first, let’s kick things off with a BANG!, a POW! and a penis-shaped car!
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50. THE AMBIGUOUSLY GAY DUO
1996-2011
These animated shorts aired only 12 times during a 15-year period on Saturday Night Live, but this questionably close pair of heroes certainly left their mark. Ace and Gary (voiced by Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell) poke fun at Batman and Robin’s oft-rumored homoerotic relationship, while both the animation style and silly/serious theme song ape the ‘toons of the 1960s and 70s. Kudos to creator Robert Smigel for crafting a jingle from such an unwieldy mouthful of words.
49. THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO
1981-1983
I’ll admit I never liked this show, even as a kid. Riding clumsily on the coattails of successful live-action heroes like Superman and Hulk, The Greatest American Hero was about a regular dude becoming a super-powered one. While it might have made superheroing more relatable to some, this hardcore comics fan just found it silly. Yet there’s no denying the popularity of the theme song. “Believe It Or Not” spent 18 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1981, peaking at #2.
48. ELECTRA WOMAN & DYNA GIRL
1976-1977
The first (but not last) appearance in the “So Bad It’s Good” category. Electra Woman and Dyna Girl was part of the 1976 lineup of psychedelic Saturday-morning staple, The Kroft Supershow. Riffing on Batman and Wonder Woman, EW&DG was sheer low-budget/high-camp fun — and the theme song fit perfectly, with it’s corny premise set-up and funky disco beat. It starred Deidre Hall as Electra Woman, who would go on to play equally-campy Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives for 32 years and counting. Dyna Girl was played by Judy Strangis, who… had fun pigtails.
Fun fact: A reboot of the series is set to premiere online in late 2015!
47. DAREDEVIL
2014-present
Daredevil, one of the few currently-airing shows on this list, debuted on Netflix in April of 2015, and hit the ground running, bloody, and pummeled to a pulp. The opening titles strike the perfect balance between visuals and music, (literally painting the themes from Daredevil mythology: the struggle for justice, an embattled Hell’s Kitchen, a somber church graveyard, and the tormented vigilante himself.
46. YOUNG JUSTICE
2010-2013
“Brief, but dramatic” is a fitting way to describe both the opening of Young Justice, and the run of the series itself. The two season-long show was essentially a darker, alternate-dimension Teen Titans, focusing on themes of betrayal, deception, and angst. Lots and lots of angst.
Fun fact: Composers Kristopher Carter, Michael McCuistion, and Lolita Ritmanis wrote music for five other shows on this list.
45. THE SUPER HERO SQUAD SHOW
2009-2011
It’s mind-numbing how many post-90s superhero shows rely on rock music clichés for their theme songs. One of the few that actually works is the pop-punky opener for Marvel Animation’s The Super Hero Squad Show. Like the show, it’s fast, rowdy and in-your-face. It was written and performed by Parry Gripp, lead singer of the band Nerf Herder, known for another TV theme song about a girl named Buffy.
44. POWER RANGERS TIME FORCE / POWER RANGERS JUNGLE FURY
2001 / 2008
The Power Rangers have been doing battle in the U.S. since 1993, with its effective formula of super-powered teens versus an endless parade of poorly-dubbed baddies. Each season sports a slight variation on the Power Rangers name, as well as tweaks to the setting, weaponry, and team color palette. Yet the theme songs tend to run together in a nauseating medley of cheese-rock. Two seasons successfully cracked the musical mold — the pile-driving chant of Power Rangers Time Force and the arena-sized harmonizing of Power Rangers Jungle Fury.
Not-so-fun fact: Another iteration that explored new sonic territory is the cringe-worthy, hip-hoppish opening of Power Rangers Mystic Force. Listen at your own peril.
43. SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN
2008-2009
Thanks to superhero shows like Spectacular Spider-Man, indie bands still have a chance to become one-hit wonders. Performed by LA band The Tender Box, SSM‘s theme song captures the laid-back cool and lurking urgency of modern day, teenage Spidey.
Fun fact: This is appearance number two by composing team Carter, McCuistion, and Ritmanis. Appearance number one (of three) by everyone’s favorite wall-crawler.
42. THE SUPERMAN-AQUAMAN HOUR OF ADVENTURE
1967-1968
Corny as hell, but I love it all the same. The Superman-Aquaman Hour of Adventure was the first television appearance for any of the characters introduced in the theme song, save Superman. It included the booming voice of Ted Knight (Mary Tyler Moore, Too Close for Comfort) at the start of the song, as well as narrating the entire show. I seriously doubt the composers were true comics fans (it’s pronounced “AH-kwa-man” not “ACK-wa-man”), but the bouncy literalness of the lyrics and music socks me in the nostalgic feels every time.
41. WONDER PETS!
2006-2013
Unless you’ve got a child under the age of 10, you’ve probably never heard of Wonder Pets! or its adorably operatic theme song. Try this: the next time you’re around the parent of a preschooler, randomly shout “What’s gonna work?” If they don’t answer “TEAM-WORK!” you’ve very likely met your first alien.
An Emmy winner in 2008, 2010 and 2012 for Music Direction & Composition, Wonder Pets! features a trio of classroom pets (a guinea pig, turtle, and duckling) who don capes, build flying cars out of toy parts, and rescue baby animals while demonstrating the benefits of — you guessed it — teamwork. My favorite episode is “The Wonder Pets Save The Beetles,” where they retrieve a band of four young beetles trapped in their “yellowish” submarine.
Way to go, True Believers — you made it through the first 10! Be sure and leave your comments (and complaints) below, and check back soon for numbers 31-40!
Same Bat-time… same Bat-channel…
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