Recently, I came across a Watch Mojo list of the the Top 30 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. While I agreed with some of them, many I did not. So I decided to make my own list. As hard as I tried, I just couldn’t go with the Top 30. There were too many great themes that fell in the 50-31 range. That being said, I decided to count down my Top 50 Greatest TV Themes of All Time.
When I get to #30, I will post my #30 along with the Watch Mojo #30, and so on. For now, sit back and enjoy 20 themes that “bubbled under” the Top 30.
Coming in at #45 is Star Trek, The Original Series.
The theme from Star Trek has become quite iconic, both for the music and the vocal intro by star William Shatner. It is is an instrumental musical piece composed by Alexander Courage for the show. After Shatner’s monologue, the main theme begins, punctuated at several points by the Enterprise flying toward and past the camera with a “whoosh” sound for dramatic effect. The “whoosh” was created vocally by Courage himself.
Courage identified the song “Beyond the Blue Horizon” by Richard Whiting as his inspiration for the main part of the theme, giving him the idea for a song which was a “long thing that … keeps going out into space … over a fast-moving accompaniment.” The melody is sometimes said to have been performed on an ondes Martenot, an early electronic instrument. However, it was in fact performed by a singer.
This falls slightly higher on the Mojo list. As iconic as it is, I just didn’t feel it should be in the top 30. Feel free to disagree with me, that is perfectly ok. Remember, I disagreed with the original list to create this one.
Next week, we’ll tune in for #44. It features a guitar lick that would eventually be sampled for a 2015 hit for a group from Wilmette, Illinois. See you then ….
