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In my previous blog, Theme Tunes That Stuck in Our Heads, I looked at the power of sitcom theme songs — how they act as emotional shorthand, brand identity, and occasionally, a full-blown therapy session.

From The Office (UK)’s mournful waltz to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s lyrical life story, we explored how theme tunes shape our memories and moods. So, now that we know why they matter, it feels only right to ask the next, far more divisive question:

Which ones are actually the best?

Because let’s be honest — some theme tunes just hit harder. Some instantly drop you into a world, while others make you reach for the remote faster than you can say “skip intro.”

So here it is: the ultimate, absolutely objective, definitely-not-up-for-debate list of ten sitcom theme tunes that have truly stood the test of time.

1. Only Fools and Horses

“Stick a pony in me pocket…”

Del Boy could have been introduced by a trumpet fanfare or a pop hit. Instead, writer John Sullivan did what any self-respecting writer would do — he wrote and sang it himself.
The result? A tune that tells the entire story in one go: working-class ambition, dodgy deals, and unshakeable optimism. It’s cheeky, it’s hopeful, and it somehow makes you feel that next year really could be the year.

2. Friends

“I’ll Be There for You” – The Rembrandts

If clapping four times counts as a personality trait, this one’s yours.
The Friends theme is pure comfort: jangly guitars, relentless cheer, and lyrics that basically narrate your twenties (“your job’s a joke, you’re broke…”). It’s shamelessly on-the-nose — and that’s the point. It wasn’t just about six friends in New York; it was a promise that even when everything’s falling apart, someone will still bring snacks.

3. Cheers

“Where Everybody Knows Your Name” – Gary Portnoy

A slow, sad ballad about belonging shouldn’t work as a sitcom opener. But it does — spectacularly.
Those first piano notes say, you’ve had a day, haven’t you? Then the lyrics wrap around you like a pub-shaped hug. It’s nostalgic, it’s grown-up, and it’s still my ringtone (yes, really — I admitted that in the first post, and I stand by it).

4. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

“Now this is a story all about how…”

An entire origin story in rhyme, performed by its own lead actor, and catchy enough to turn any 1990s house party into a choir? It’s practically Shakespeare in high-tops.
The Fresh Prince theme remains the gold standard for exposition songs. Every bar builds the world: West Philly, Bel-Air, taxi with dice in the mirror. It’s joyful, defiant, and impossible not to join in — even if you were born decades after it aired.

5. The Big Bang Theory

“Our Whole Universe…” – Barenaked Ladies

Proof that fast-talking science rock can, in fact, be catchy.
This rapid-fire history lesson packs cosmology, anthropology, and chaos into twenty seconds flat. It shouldn’t work, but it does — mostly because it owns its weirdness. Nerds everywhere found their anthem, and for once, the cool kids were the ones confused.

6. The Office (UK)

“Handbags and Gladrags” – Mike d’Abo, performed by Fin Muir

We talked about this one before, but it earns another mention because no other sitcom theme makes ennui sound so beautiful.
It’s a sad little waltz about materialism that somehow fits a paper company in Slough perfectly. It’s the sound of wasted potential, awkward silences, and office birthday cake eaten in despair. Gorgeous.

7. Dad’s Army

“Who Do You Think You Are Kidding, Mr Hitler?”

Written to sound like a genuine WWII marching song, this theme manages to be patriotic, funny, and oddly moving all at once.
Sung by Bud Flanagan, it captured the spirit of British resilience — the underdogs who’d probably lose the map but win your heart. Even now, it’s impossible to hear without straightening up just a little and then immediately giggling.

8. The Golden Girls

“Thank You for Being a Friend” – Andrew Gold (sung by Cynthia Fee)

If warmth had a melody, this would be it.
It’s less a theme song and more a love letter to enduring friendship — sincere, simple, and completely disarming. There’s no irony, no wink to camera. Just four women who love each other, share cake, and somehow turned kindness into a cultural phenomenon.
Bonus points for becoming a surprise gay-bar anthem in the ’80s. You can’t plan that kind of legacy.

9. MAS*H

“Suicide Is Painless” – Johnny Mandel

When you open a sitcom with a tune this beautiful, you’re declaring that comedy and tragedy can coexist.
The melody is soft, the mood haunting, and the title — if you know it — devastating. It’s a song that invites reflection before a single joke lands. MAS*H proved that laughter doesn’t need to be separate from feeling, and its theme remains one of TV’s most quietly daring choices.

10. The Addams Family

“They’re creepy and they’re kooky…”

A masterclass in branding. Two finger snaps and you’re instantly in the mansion.
Playful, gothic, and perfectly weird, it’s the rare theme where everyone joins in — kids, grown-ups, even your dog probably knows the rhythm. It’s camp, catchy, and still haunting Halloween playlists everywhere.

Honourable Mentions

Because narrowing it to ten is cruel:

• Frasier – “Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs” (nonsense jazz brilliance)

• Absolutely Fabulous – “This Wheel’s on Fire” (cool chaos personified)

• Red Dwarf – “It’s Cold Outside…” (sci-fi crooner meets glitter)

• Gavin and Stacey – “Run” by Stephen Fretwell (melancholy, perfect)

• Happy Days – pure jukebox nostalgia

Why We Still Need Theme Tunes

In the first blog, I said theme tunes are emotional shorthand — a signal that you’re entering a familiar world. But they’re also a kind of promise.
They tell you: you’re safe here. For twenty-odd minutes, you’ll laugh, maybe cry, definitely quote along. In an era where everything’s bingeable and disposable, that little intro gives you a rhythm — a beginning and an end.

Even now, when “Skip Intro” hovers like a test of loyalty, the great ones stop us in our tracks. We hum along, clap four times, or raise a glass in a Boston bar that doesn’t exist.

That’s the real magic of sitcom themes — they’re not just songs. They’re memory triggers. Emotional bookmarks. The soundtracks to the comfort shows we keep coming back to.

Your Turn

So, which theme makes you drop everything and sing along? Are you a Cheers sentimentalist? A Fresh Prince lyric machine? Or are you still out here finger-snapping to The Addams Family like it’s a full-body workout?

Let me know your favourites by clicking here — and yes, humming them in the comments absolutely counts.

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