Top Ten 90s TV Themes - Number 1

So here we are – the number one theme of the 1990s.  However, before entering into our last and greatest entry, I present to you the previous nine entries:

10. “Second Time Around” from Step by Step

9.  “I’ll Be There For You” from Friends

8.  “Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs” from Frasier

7. “I’m Always Here” from Baywatch

6.  “The Simpsons Theme” from The Simpsons

5. “Theme of Law & Order” from Law & Order

4.  “As Days Go By” from Family Matters

3. “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

2. “Theme from Beverly Hills 90210” from Beverly Hills 90210

Quite a list huh? We’ve certainly come a long way baby. In looking back at the top ten, I can say that my only regret would be the uncreative titles many of the theme writers gave their moving works of television nostalgia.  Seriously, 4 of the last 5 on the list include the show title in their theme name.  Of course, I guess that’s my fault for choosing mostly instrumentals and a referential theme that directly addresses the main character of the show as four of the top six. Thankfully, the number one television theme song of the 1990s breaks this mold.

It’s no surprise to anyone who grew up in the 1990s:

Top 10 90s TV Theme Song #1 “Everywhere You Look” from Full House.

Note: You need to click the link above as for some reason none of the Full House intros are able to be embedded.

Your Comedy Moment

From this past weekend's SNL, two great clips of Back to the Future screen tests.  Bill Hader and Jay Pharoah steal the sketch, but Jon Hamm doesn't do half bad for himself.  Make sure to watch the clips before they're taken down by NBC.






Plan is to have the last entry into the top ten on Tuesday. However, on a serious note, I will be attending my grandmother's funeral tomorrow so I'm not sure whether I'll have time to finalize the write-up.  She was a good woman who this blogger will miss a great deal.

Name the Cartoon Contest

I'll be thoroughly impressed should anyone get this one correctly.

ETA: Knowing my hobbies and special interests may guide you more clearly to finding the correct answer.

Your Comedy Moment

To keep with the 90210 theme, I decided to choose a scene of Tori Spelling first attempting to act and then attempting to model.  She fails on both counts. But it is hilarious.

Top Ten 90s TV Themes - Number 2

In delving into the annals of television theme songs, I always tried to pick one specific version of the theme to feature for the countdown – at least as far as choosing my favorite for the list.  When it comes to number two, however, I cannot narrow my choices down to just one choice as different seasons of the show featured variations both on the theme and the intro.  At number two, the “Theme from Beverly Hills, 90210.”

Beware, plenty more videos after the jump:

Name the Cartoon Contest

The difficulty in naming this cartoon may have more to do with its relatively recent creation as opposed to obscurity.  Who watched the occasional cartoon in their tween years?

Your Comedy Moment

With The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as our featured theme song today, could "Your Comedy Moment" be anything but Alfonso Ribeiro doing "The Carlton?"


First, here's a compilation of some of the best Carlton dancing scenes set to Tom Jones' "It's Not Unusual." The second video (after the jump) is an unedited version of Carlton's dance with that laugh track clear as day.

Top Ten 90s TV Themes - Number 3

As I touched on in my review of “I’ll Be There For You,” sometimes the theme song of a show crosses over from television theme into part of the American consciousness. “I’ll Be There For You” showed its relevance to the country pretty immediately as it reached as high as #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 (when those figures still mattered). The song at number three, however, has shown its reach of the American consciousness by being the one song (outside of “Happy Birthday”) that everyone aged 20-35 can sing off the top of their head.

Top 10 90s TV Theme Song #3 “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” by Will Smith and Quincy Jones.

Unfortunately embedding was disabled for this particular intro so here it is in its hyperlink glory.

Live Music on the Television

From Live on Abbey Road its MGMT with "Electric Feel."

Podcast?

Wanted to throw it out there to my readers before beginning the process, but would any of you be interested in listening to a podcast (either weekly or monthly) regarding my views on television both past and present?  I figure a podcast format would allow me to comment a little more in-depth about shows I'm digging without running into my problem of over-writing or repeating points.


Anyway, leave your opinion in the comments if you think it'd be something you're interested in or not.


Here's a shot of the cast of Mad Men in honor of their excellent 4th season which concluded on Sunday.

Your Comedy Moment

Today I wanted to share with the audience one of my favorite South Park moments. I can't help but laugh out loud whenever I see (or I guess hear) this clip. Remember new episodes of South Park are running Wednesday at 10/9c on Comedy Central.

Your Comedy Moment

What Family Matters thought of as a "comedy moment," here's a compilation of the one and only Steve Urkel:

Top Ten 90s TV Themes - Number 4

Though I’ve expressed my occasional enjoyment for instrumental theme songs (and looking at the countdown, both number five and number six would qualify), there is something even more special about a cheesy, emotional theme with lyrics written specially for the show.  No one did it better than Jesse Frederick, who previously made an appearance at number ten and makes another here at number four.

Top 10 90s TV Theme Song #4 “As Days Go By” by Jesse Frederick from Family Matters.

Your Comedy Moment

Hate Jim Rome, but in honor of former LSU Tiger Brian Wilson's performance in the NLDS here is his appearance on Rome is Burning from September.  Oh yeah, Wilson is crazy.

Name the Cartoon Contest

No one got last week's cartoon; so here's a new image from it to make it easier:

Now onto this week's:

Your Comedy Moment

I wanted to feature some great, clever pre-title lines of the late Jerry Orbach as Det. Lennie Briscoe on Law and Order, but I can't seem to find any compilations online.  Thus, in his place, I'll use the poor-man's version.  Here's some horrible lines from David Caruso on CSI:Miami.

Top Ten 90s TV Themes - Number 5

In the Top 10 90s TV Theme Song countdown, the themes picked all contain two separate yet equally important features: listenability which makes me want to hear the song again, and memorability which keeps me from forgetting it. This is one such song. BUM-BUM

Top 10 90s TV Theme Song #5 “Theme of Law and Order” by the great Mike Post from NBC’s Law and Order.

Sorry for lack of a real intro, couldn’t find a version that would let me embed it.  Here’s Season One’s intro though if you don’t mind following a link.

Big Ups to Blackened Out

Just wanted to throw some props to the folks at Blackened Out for the Twitter shout out today.  Blackened Out is my favorite blog dealing with New Orleans food. Rene and Peter do a great job and update it daily. Check it out for all your New Orleans dining needs.


Now, because I know how big a Les Miles fan Rene is, I figured I'd unveil my sequel to "Where Les Miles Happens" to my blog audience.  Revel in the genius of Lesticles.

Your Comedy Moments

To go with our theme song of the day, here's a collection of some great The Simpsons clips.  This will be out biggest clip post in blog history, so if you love The Simpsons you'll be in heaven. You're welcome. 


Sorry for having to use Hulu, Youtube Simpsons clips tend to suck.  More clips after the break.

Top Ten 90s TV Themes - Number 6

I’ve made it a point in these countdowns to exclude themes from Saturday morning cartoon-type shows and their live-action brethren because of plans to produce a later countdown based solely around them.  Still, if a cartoon was regularly aired during primetime, it can qualify for this list.  Today we have a just such a cartoon.

Top 10 90s TV Theme Song #6 “The Simpsons Theme” composed by Danny Elfman