Here are my top 5 cartoon intros and/or theme songs. My only criteria was it had to be a cartoon from my childhood. So, shows like Cowboy Bebop, Futurama, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Creatures were all out of the running. All great theme songs, but all were irrelevant to the shaping of my impressionable young mind. The cut off was puberty, if I was already growing awkward facial hair then it’s those cartoon lyrics had little to do in why I’m such a nerd. Also, shows like Jem, She-Ra, and the Smurfs were out because I was far too macho a child to watch them. I did the research and these are the cartoon shows I came up with. I’ve found that all great cartoon intros of the 80’s have a few things in common: A hero role call that showcased powers and hobbies, stutter hook (i.e. Ch-ch-chi-Chip ‘N Dale), and some sort of really great synthesizer action, possibly a Moog.
Follow up:
5.MASK
No, MASK was not the animated story of Rocky Dennis. M.A.S.K. stood for Mobile Armored Strike Kommand and I mostly remember it for its transformer-esque toys. However, thanks to the theme song I always referred to it as “Mamamamamask.”
4.Inspector Gadget
Don Adams, miming dogs, computer notebooks, how could you go wrong? You know that the Inspector Gadget theme is good because the amount of Gadget remixes out there, including Justin Timberlake’s Cry Me a River. Give it a listen and tell me it’s not the same song.
3.ThunderCats
While, ThunderCats hasn’t made it as a live action movie, it was still a kick ass cartoon. The best episode, of course, when Lion-O had to fight all the other ThunderCats to become leader. And P.S. was it just me or was Cheetara way too hot for Saturday morning cartoons.
2.Chip ‘N Dale Rescue Rangers
Rescue Rangers makes the list because the passion in the theme song. Studio singers gave it there all on this one. Ranger, Danger, Stranger, Manger—the song really writes itself. The reason you know Chip ‘N Dale is a truly great song though is because of been singing it all day. “Ch-ch-ch-Chip ‘N Dale, when there’s danger.” Now you will, too.
1. Duck Tales
Duck Tales comes in at number one for two reasons. The first the “Whoo-hoo.” Whoo-hoo makes anything better. And the second reason is the Dutch version of Duck Tales. I went to Amsterdam a month ago, and this blew my mind every afternoon. And yes, I did spend most of my afternoons watching cartoons.
Honorable mentions: Jetsons, Spiderman, Danger Mouse, The Real Ghostbusters, Batman: The Animated Series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pole Position, Heathcliff.
Bonus Theme Song: Saturday Morning Watchmen
What are your top 5 cartoon theme songs?
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrQ8NHz6T4Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOdI76wqdNs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB2RspTyyGw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meKKIkmqnEw
I completely forgot about Camp Candy though! As to the others I’d probably take Tiny Toons over Animaniacs.
And Freakizoid was actually a pretty good show. Weird though, which I liked. It was probably a little after my time though, if I wasn’t a teenager yet I most likely had hair growing in funny places.
(although I hear people older then 53 dont like it, but I think they are not really the target audience…)
What about Powerpuff Girls theme?
Powerpuff Girls does offer a classic example of the hero/villain clash. Group of heroes on one side, villains on the other, running toward the middle.