Because I'm struggling with ideas for material to write about, I figured I'd do a run through of my all-time favorite television theme songs, broken down by decade, over the last 30 years. The only rule for ranking is my own personal preference. So, without further adieu:
Though the show is typically forgotten amongst folks my age and younger, the theme song will live on as a shining example of the 80s sitcom approach to themes. Catchy intro, memorable hook, and just the right amount of cheese; "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now" gets double-checks across the board.
Another important component of the television theme song, like it or not, is the interplay between the melodies we hear and the introduction we see. In 1:30 seconds were able to discover that this show will contain the odd-couple hi-jinks of a lovable foreigner from the Island of Mypos and his somewhat up-tight, Wisconsin bred distant cousin. The theme gives us hope that somehow these crazy kids will make it even as they travel away from their homelands to the "City of the Big Shoulders." Plus, this extended intro allows us to find out how Balki ended up in Chicago in the first place.
Creating the proper emotional attachment to the characters was something that 80s themes seemed to do better than all other eras I'm familiar with. You were cheering for Balki and Larry to make it in Chicago because nothing would stop them... now (or is it then?). Regardless of the final, subpar seasons of Perfect Strangers, the theme song remained a saving grace, a glimmer of hope that maybe - just maybe- the show could live up to its promise of hilarity. At the very least, it spawned Family Matters and (more importantly) that show's theme song, but more on that later.
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