Before streaming playlists, a TV theme had to earn its place on the radio. In the 1970s, a handful of them did. Some were rerecorded as full singles, and some were never meant to be pop songs at all.
The ten below all made a chart somewhere, mostly the Billboard Hot 100. Peak positions come from chart records and music history sources, and they’re listed here in roughly chronological order.
“Those Were the Days” (All in the Family)
The song was performed by the show’s stars, Carroll O’Connor and Jean Stapleton, with lyrics by Lee Adams and music by Charles Strouse. It opened every episode with a piano and a wobbly duet, which is hardly the usual recipe for a pop single.
A longer version of the theme reached number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 30 on the Adult Contemporary chart in early 1972. It was released through Atlantic Records.
“Eye Level” (Van der Valk)
This one crossed the Atlantic in the other direction. “Eye Level” was an instrumental by the Simon Park Orchestra, used as the theme for the British detective series Van der Valk, which was set in Amsterdam. It has a bouncing keyboard line that sounds more like a lounge record than a crime show.
The single went to number one on the UK chart in 1973 and stayed there for several weeks. It’s a good reminder that the TV theme as hit single wasn’t only an American habit.
“TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)” (Soul Train)
MFSB recorded it with vocals by The Three Degrees, and it served as the theme for Soul Train. It showcased the Philly sound created by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff.
It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974 and stayed there for two weeks, the first television theme song to do so. It was rerecorded for later versions of the show, but it returned in the 1980s and remained the theme.
“The Rockford Files Theme” (The Rockford Files)
Mike Post wrote the theme for the James Garner detective series, and the harmonica and synthesizer mix gave it a relaxed, slightly wry feel. It suited a private eye who kept getting stiffed on his fees.
The single reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. That put a prime time instrumental into the top ten, which wasn’t common at the time.
“Baretta’s Theme (Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow)”
The song was selected as the theme to the TV show Baretta, starring Robert Blake. Sammy Davis Jr. sang it first, and his 1975 version reached number 45 on the Hot 100.
Rhythm Heritage turned it into a Top 20 hit in 1976. That instrumental peaked at number 20 on the Hot 100 and number 14 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The same song charted twice in two different arrangements.
“Theme from S.W.A.T.” (S.W.A.T.)
Written by Barry De Vorzon and performed by the funk group Rhythm Heritage, it reached number one on the Hot 100 in February 1976, a year after the ABC cop drama debuted. The bass line and brass hits are still easy to recognize.
There’s a catch. The hit isn’t the version heard on the show, which was played by De Vorzon’s own orchestra with an arrangement by Dominik Hauser. Viewers were hearing one recording while radio listeners were buying another.
“Making Our Dreams Come True” (Laverne & Shirley)
Cyndi Grecco sang the theme to the Happy Days spinoff, and the lyrics stay in your head thanks to the famous “schlemiel, schlimazel” chant that opens the show. It was written by Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox.
The full single made it to number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. Billboard also included it in its look back at 50 TV theme songs that became chart hits.
“Happy Days” (Happy Days)
The show first used “Rock Around the Clock” as its theme, but that was replaced by a song made for the show, “Happy Days.” Pratt and McClain recorded the single version, which has a bright, bouncy feel.
It reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. That is a higher peak than most TV themes of its decade managed.
“Welcome Back” (Welcome Back, Kotter)
Lovin’ Spoonful frontman John Sebastian wrote and recorded the theme. Sebastian wasn’t expecting much from it, since it was written for a sitcom set in a Brooklyn classroom.
It hit number one on the Hot 100 in May 1976. That happened after only five weeks on the chart, helped by the show’s rapid success and by John Travolta’s rising fame. It also reached number 93 on the country chart.
“Makin’ It” (Makin’ It)
The 1979 series Makin’ It followed a young disco dancer in Staten Island, riding the Saturday Night Fever craze. David Naughton sang the theme, and the disco beat did most of the work.
The show itself was short lived. The single, however, peaked at number 5 on the Hot 100 in 1979. It outlasted the series that inspired it.
