Okay, so this top 10 list needs a little bit of explaining. First off, I will start by saying a cartoon theme song is there to get you hyped for what is to come. It’s there to introduce you to a potentially amazing experience. Don’t get me wrong, some are very misleading, while others put a little too much exposition of the show itself. Sometimes it’s necessary…sometimes not so much.
When considering my top ten cartoon theme songs I had to eliminate orchestral themes and straight-up instrumental themes. Why? They are their own category, and honestly, I would have been too torn. What are my qualifications for this list? Awesome lyrics, great music/instrumentals, and I wanted to go for less obvious choices to enable music and cartoon exploration.
A quick shout out to the awesome theme songs I will not be including on this list (with lyrics that is) Pepper Ann, Dark Wing Duck, Animaniacs, Talespin, Muppet Babies, Arthur, Rocko’s Modern Life, Rocket Power, Adventure Time, Spongebob, Inspector Gadget, and Alvin and the Chipmunks. I love all of you, you deserve honorable mentions, but to me, I had some songs on the side that I have been seeing behind your back. I’m sorry…All of these lovely tunes can be found on the internet…cough Youtube cough.
10. Three Delivery
Three Delivery was a cartoon that went under the radar back in 2008. I came across it while watching re-reruns of Avatar the Last Airbender. The show was on a three-block with Avatar and an awesomely weird puppet show called Mr. Meaty (another lost treasure). Although I am against talking expositions within the beginning of the show, I do believe later episodes dropped the exposition and went right into the super catchy theme song. It was 90’s alternative meets early 2000’s emo. Although it never got picked up for a second season, the show had a fun animation style and fun concept. Three teens basically work as delivery bicyclists in Chinatown for their family’s restaurant. Their other job involves them looking for various recipes that contain mystical powers and keeping them out of the clutches of the show’s villain. It was a shame that a second season never materialized.
9. The Weekenders
This was one of the shows that made Disney’s One Saturday Morning worth getting up for. It is also one of the Disney cartoons that people forgot about. The Weekenders was basically are very laid-back Rocketpower. It had rollerblading…I think. It was a stellar cartoon just about friends hanging out on the weekends and getting into shenanigans…on the weekends. The characters were lovable and the fact that they had a change in wardrobe in every episode was impressive to my young twelve-year-old self. The theme song though, was fun and incorporated keys the way that they should be incorporated into a song. The show ran from 2000-2004.
8. The Magic School Bus
The original Magic School Bus theme is amazing for one main reason. Little Richard! Yes the song is solid and memorable, but nothing can beat the emphasis made by Richard’s vocals. His high notes and those distinctive Little Richard voice squeaks that nobody can recreate when singing this song out loud are why every 90’s kid knows this song. And dare I say it? We all loved it. The lovable show based on the scholastic book series of the same name ran from 1994-1997. There is a reboot, but nobody really cares about it…for reasons…Its theme song was pretty unmemorable too. Also, did anyone else notice in the original show, that when the magic school bus was inside Arnold’s body that there was brief clip where Arnold was actually on the bus?…weird.
7. Tiny Toon Adventures
Tiny Toon Adventures was an early 90’s classic that ran from 1990-1992. During its short run it had a fairly massive following. There were video games, fast food toys, stuffed animals, and any other merch that you can think of. Yes, the show was quite memorable, but…that opening string section in the opening song? Absolute classic! With a fairly complex orchestral section and simply memorable lyrics, it couldn’t go wrong. In fact, I had to choose between this and my absolute favorite cartoon growing up, Animaniacs. It was an incredibly hard decision, but again, the strings in this song slap from the very start, and it was not something that I could deny. Plus cameos from the original Looney Tunes cast were always a plus.
6. Steven Universe
When cartoon fans think of catchy theme music and the strides that have been made in modern cartoons, many enthusiasts will bring up this modern masterpiece. Steven Universe aired on Cartoon Network from 2013-2020. Aside from unforgettable characters the show explored excellent ways of representing the self, as a whole, and how the self is expressed both mentally and physically. A lot of these self explorations and representations were done through song. The show’s creator, Rebecca Sugar, composed many of the songs on an ukulele and a lot of kids (including my 20 something-year-old self) decided to pick up the instrument because of it. The songs are a combination of folksy and laid-back indie rock. The intro theme is only an example of many.
5. Duck Tales
This show was Disney’s answer to Indiana Jones. I didn’t have cable but I did own quite a few of these adventures on VHS. What was the highlight for me? Well, other than my love of history and adventure, it was obviously this theme song. The immediate jolt that one would get from that opening bass line, would just bring out sheer joy. The bass line, the catchy vocals, the simple lyrics; this was truly a cartoon theme song that would get you hyped for the show. And sometimes I would just hit rewind to hear it again. I am, of course, talking about the theme song to the original show, which ran from 1987-1990. I will admit, however, that the reboot does cover the original well enough, but doesn’t hit in the same way. Not that it’s supposed to. However, the reboot as a series far surpasses the original.
4. Craig of the Creek
This show is an absolute modern classic, and one of my favorite cartoons currently circulating. The animation is amazing, the characters are funny and endearing, and the theme song is very memorable. Craig of the Creek aired on Cartoon Network back in 2018 and is still running. If you haven’t seen it yet, go check it out. The show follows Craig and his neighborhood friends as they have many adventures through their local “creek” area. It is goofy, nerdy, and at times quite heartfelt. The theme song to this cartoon is great due to its heavy ska nerd rock theme. The song’s build-up and chorus are quite memorable, and honestly, I have been humming them since working on this article. That is what an excellent theme song should do. It should get stuck in your head, and you should never get tired of it. This is one of the few cartoons that can make my partner and I laugh until we cry. Again, check it out.
3. Teen Titans
I honestly think that I started watching this cartoon series because of the theme song. Whether it’s the English or Japanese version of this song, it is absolutely one of the best. Although I could never figure out if it was a drawbar organ, a transistor organ, or none of the above that was involved in the composition. Was it even synthesized? The music for this was too good. So much so, that I found myself asking musical theory application questions for a cartoon jingle. Which isn’t farfetched or beneath me, it was the first time that a kids show inspired me to simply do so. Although many have a soft spot for Teen Titans Go!, the original (Teen Titans 2003-2006) just takes me back to when Saturday mornings were awesome.
2. The Spectacular Spider-Man
Growing up, the two staple superhero cartoons I remember enjoying were the 90’s iterations of X-Men and Spider-Man. Yes, there were plenty of other greats; but The Spectacular Spider-Man reincarnation really surprised me. Apart from the amazing opening guitar riff and super catchy melody, the show was pretty fun. The animation was less severe and detailed than other comic-based shows at the time. To be honest, I thought it was going to be kind of a dud. It followed the original Amazing Fantasy Spider-Man comics a little more closely than other adaptions had in the past. Granted, it was geared to a slightly younger audience, but it wasn’t too juvenile. I remember eventually overlooking the animation style (it was the face design) and decided to give it a chance. Why? The intro! In fact, I enjoyed it enough to start appreciating the animation style too.
1. Over the Garden Wall
Yes…Over the Garden Wall was technically a mini-series, with only one season. My argument here is that a few of the cartoons on this list only lasted one season. Therefore, it counts. Even if it didn’t I would cut off my right hand just to appease the karma gods for cheating. The music was just that darn good. I know the orchestral score doesn’t count in this top 10 list, per my rules; but it is definitely worth mentioning. The brilliant thing? The opening theme song and many of the songs within the cartoon show were piano-driven. Honestly, it had been a while since I had heard a piano leading score that was absolutely intriguing. The last time was when I had heard a decent piano score Hayao Miyazaki films that had those incredibly memorable Joe Hisaishi pieces. I’m sure that there were more, but my memory is foggy at the moment.
The vocals to the show’s intro were okay, but the lyrics were fantastic. The lyrics were cryptic and haunting with an air of nostalgia that remained unknown to me. It is a show about life and death as two children are stuck in limbo. The animation is breathtaking and the voice cast including Elijah Wood, Melanie Lynskey, Christopher Lloyd, John Cleese, Tim Curry, Collin Dean, and Shirley Jones was pure joy. The series ran in 2014 on Cartoon Network. It has had re-runs on the channel, typically in the Fall. If you are a fan of cartoons, animation, and awesome theme songs; I highly recommend that you seek it out.
