I can think of 2 immediately:


Stand by R.E.M for Get A Life

My Life by Billy Joel for Bosom Buddies

Danny Boy, for the Danny Thomas Show

ooooooooooo


good thread!

“Rock Around The Clock” for early season Happy Days

Oh, Love and Marriage for Married...with Children

The short-lived Henry Fonda-Ron Howard show, "The Smith Family," used Primrose Lane by Jerry Wallace (edit: it seems to be a knockoff, sung by Mike Minor)

Doris Day Show used Que Sera, Sera through all of its format changes.

Edit: Of course, movie themes like The Odd Couple and MASH preexisted the sitcoms. 2nd Edit: Or 9 to 5.

Britcoms:

Coupling uses a knockoff of Doris Day's "Perhaps."

Waiting for God uses part of Schubert's "Trout Quintet."

Colin's Sandwich uses part of Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 4.

The wonder years- A little help from my friends by Joe Cocker

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Funeral March of a Marionette by Charles Gounod

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Absolutely Fabulous - This Wheel's on Fire by Bob Dylan and Rick Danko

William Tell Overture - The Lone Ranger

I dedicate this one to my boy, Opus. #RebootSydney

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I dedicate this one to my boy, Opus. #RebootSydney

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Deep and eternal shame for me not thinking of that one.

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Oh, and what show is this from?

Oh, and what show is this from?

Wings.

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The short-lived sitcom Here and Now (1992-1993), which the late Malcolm-Jamal Warner starred in immediately after The Cosby Show wrapped, used this song as its opening theme:

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Wings.

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I guess I’m officially outed as having never seen Wings.

Two from the HBOverse

It Welcome To Derry used the 1956 song "A Smile and a Ribbon" by Patience & Prudence.

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https://youtu.be/5wl4nzJEgIM?si=K0xu8FOuX5M985tT


And True Detective season 4 used Bury A Friend by Billie Eilish


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https://youtu.be/VDBJ9uD4Y8s?si=ni8SnLHY5FHQxRdj

Two from the HBOverse

It Welcome To Derry used the 1956 song "A Smile and a Ribbon" by Patience & Prudence.

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https://youtu.be/5wl4nzJEgIM?si=K0xu8FOuX5M985tT


And True Detective season 4 used Bury A Friend by Billie Eilish


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https://youtu.be/VDBJ9uD4Y8s?si=ni8SnLHY5FHQxRdj
Season 1 of True Detective used an established, but not well known, song as its opening theme: “Far from Any Road,” from 2003, by the husband-and-wife duo The Handsome Family.

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Also on HBO, The Sopranos “Woke Up This Morning” (by Alabama 3)

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https://youtu.be/mJpNmYeooQE?si=JLjkT2PKOhZErJF8

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China Beach - Reflections by The Supremes

I’m old enough to remember this. I can’t remember when they switched to “As Days Go By,” but it was definitely early on in the first season.

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Married With Children: Love and Marriage (Frank Sinatra)

That 70's Show: In the Street (various)

The Tonight Show: It's Really Love (Paul Anka, Annette)

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HBO's "True Blood" theme was Jace Everett's 'Bad Things'

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The short-lived NBC horror anthology "Fear Itself" used Serj Tankian's 'Lie Lie Lie'

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Used as the theme song for the short-lived Dan Aykroyd late ’90s sitcom, Soul Man…

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…and as the theme song for the third season of Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper.

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Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da by The Beatles for Life Goes On

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Deep and eternal shame for me not thinking of that one.

Yeah. How could you have forgotten that one?

Not a theme song, but this 1970 Beach Boys song was featured heavily throughout Full and Fuller House — and they took great pains to make it seem like a Jesse Katsopolis/Full House original, but it was written by Dennis Wilson (who died in 1983) and his writing partner, Gregg Jakobson.

In Full House canon, though, I believe Jesse wrote the song for his wedding(?).

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Roc used "God Bless the Child" which was originally recorded by Billie Holiday for its theme song.

Yeah. How could you have forgotten that one?

Senility?

Harper Valley PTA was a hit song before it became the theme song of a not as much of a hit same titled sitcom.

The Office [UK]:

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Extras:

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Remember Joey? Me, neither.

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Queen's 'Princes of the Universe' was composed for the 1986 film Highlander.

It was then used as the theme for the '90s series "Highlander: The Series".


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Tour of Duty - “Paint it, Black” by the Rolling Stones

The Round Table used David Bowie's "Young Americans."

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The Round Table used David Bowie's "Young Americans."

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And surprisingly the show Young Americans did not

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https://youtu.be/tglbNxlXljY?si=CUgLxZPQTubdyCVG

The iconic theme to Friends, I'll Be There for You by The Rembrandts

The iconic theme to Friends, I'll Be There for You by The Rembrandts

I thought that was written for the show

Family Law's theme song is super catchy.

I thought that was written for the show

Correct. The Rembrandts did have a top-20 hit song four years before Friends, though.

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The iconic theme to Friends, I'll Be There for You by The Rembrandts

Iconic for some, like nails on a chalkboard for me.

Gosh I hate that show :D

Speaking of Friends, it almost fit the category

When R.E.M. song ‘Shiny Happy People’ nearly became the ‘Friends’ theme song (https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/rem-song-shiny-happy-people-friends-theme-song/)


>>> The funny thing about the song [I’ll Be There For You], however, it that wasn’t the intended opener for the classic sitcom. The Friends franchise was owned by Warner Bros. Television, who had initially wanted R.E.M.’s 1991 hit ‘Shiny Happy People’ as the theme tune. In fact, ‘Shiny Happy People’ was used in the pilot for the U.S. comedy, which was then called “Friends Like Us”.

However, R.E.M. rejected Warner Bros. request to use their classic hit.<<<


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https://youtu.be/t7udpZG1Nu4?si=jYpWbsBET9f2-52O

Crime Story used Del Shannon's "Runaway"
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Unhappily Ever After used Hit The Road Jack by Ray Charles.

Sue Thomas F.B.Eye used Jessica Andrews' Who I Am.

(I've Had) The Time of My Life was the theme song of the Dirty Dancing tv series after it already had been popularized by the same named movie.