50 Fun Facts About Cartoon Theme Songs

Which future sitcom creator co-wrote the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme on a 48-hour deadline?

Chuck Lorre and composer Dennis C. Brown had $2,000 and two days to record it, long before Lorre created Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory.

Which Nickelodeon cartoon's theme song is led by a pirate in an oil painting with real human lips?

SpongeBob SquarePants opens with Painty the Pirate, voiced by Patrick Pinney, while creator Stephen Hillenburg's own mouth is superimposed on the painting.

Which rock and roll pioneer sang the theme song of the 1990s cartoon The Magic School Bus?

Little Richard belted out Ride on the Magic School Bus, and Lin-Manuel Miranda took over the theme when the series returned on Netflix in 2017.

Which film composer wrote The Simpsons theme in 1989 and sang its three opening notes with two friends?

Danny Elfman has called it the most popular piece of his career; he pitched creator Matt Groening something retro after seeing a rough cut of the opening sequence.

Which children's animated series had its theme song become the UK Christmas number one of 2000?

Bob the Builder beat Westlife to the top with Can We Fix It?, sung by voice actor Neil Morrissey, and the single went on to sell over a million copies in the UK.

Which reggae star's band performed Believe in Yourself, the theme song of the PBS cartoon Arthur?

Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers recorded the reggae theme, and Chance the Rapper reworked it in 2014 as Wonderful Everyday: Arthur.

Which cartoon superhero's theme song did Andy Kaufman lip-sync on the first Saturday Night Live?

Mighty Mouse's theme spun on a record player while Kaufman stood perfectly still, springing to life only to mime the hero's single boastful line.

Which R&B singer recorded Call Me, Beep Me, the theme song of Disney Channel's Kim Possible?

Christina Milian was already working for Disney Channel when the studio asked her to sing it, and she credits the song with helping her own recording career.

Which alternative rock band, fronted by bassist Les Claypool, performs the theme song of South Park?

Primus first recorded a slower, 40-second version; Trey Parker and Matt Stone sped it up and had Les Claypool re-record his vocals to fit the opening.

The 1937 song The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down became the opening theme of which cartoon series?

Looney Tunes adopted the tune with the 1937 short Rover's Rival and kept it until 1969, with Porky Pig stuttering his sign-off over it at the end of each cartoon.

Which jazz pianist wrote Linus and Lucy, the piano theme of the animated Peanuts television specials?

Vince Guaraldi first released it on a 1964 album, but it found its audience a year later on the soundtrack of A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Which Hanna-Barbera cartoon opened with the instrumental Rise and Shine before its sung theme arrived?

The Flintstones switched to its sung theme early in season three, recorded with a 22-piece big band and the Randy Van Horne Singers.

Which Canadian pop-punk band performed the title theme of the cartoon revival What's New, Scooby-Doo?

Simple Plan also turned up as cartoon versions of themselves, solving a mystery in the episode Simple Plan and the Invisible Madman.

Which Texas pop-punk band performs Today Is Gonna Be a Great Day, the Phineas and Ferb opening theme?

Bowling for Soup's theme was nominated for an Emmy in 2008, one of four Emmy nominations the show's music collected.

Which 1987 Disney cartoon has a theme song that earned songwriter Mark Mueller just over $1,250?

DuckTales got its theme from a pop songwriter with Jeff Pescetto on vocals, and Vanity Fair later called it history's catchiest single minute of music.

Which new wave musician, a co-founder of Devo, composed the theme song of Nickelodeon's Rugrats?

Mark Mothersbaugh wrote the theme and scored the series with a small team that included his brother and Devo bandmate Bob.

Which new wave band from Athens, Georgia sang the Rocko's Modern Life theme from season two onward?

The B-52's got the job because the network wanted a band slightly older kids could identify with, and their version ran until the series ended.

Which singer performed The Proud Family theme song backed by her older sister's group, Destiny's Child?

Solange and Beyoncé's group share the credit on the theme, which sits on the soundtrack album beside India.Arie and classic soul from Aretha Franklin.

Which composer wrote the saxophone theme that The Pink Panther cartoons took from a 1963 film comedy?

Henry Mancini's jazz piece features Plas Johnson's tenor saxophone solo and won three Grammy Awards after missing out on the Oscar for best score.

Which instrument accompanies creator Pendleton Ward's vocal on the opening theme of Adventure Time?

Ukulele backs the song, and Ward sang in a higher register to match its range on a recording that was only meant to be a temporary track.

Which New York punk band covered the 1967 Spider-Man cartoon theme for a 1995 tribute album?

Ramones cut it for Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits, a set of alternative acts covering old cartoon themes, and a second take landed on their album Adios Amigos.

Which member of Aerosmith wrote and performed the guitar theme of the 1994 Spider-Man animated series?

Joe Perry landed the job after meeting producer Avi Arad on a flight and telling him he would love to write the theme for a Spider-Man show.

Which Japanese pop act performed the Teen Titans theme song in both English and Japanese versions?

Puffy AmiYumi then got a Cartoon Network series of their own in 2004, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, from Teen Titans producer Sam Register.

Which Hanna-Barbera musical director composed the themes for The Jetsons, Top Cat and Jonny Quest?

Hoyt Curtin was the studio's main musical director from its first series in 1957, and also wrote the themes for Yogi Bear, Space Ghost and The Smurfs.

Which future Charlie's Angels star sang as Melody in Hanna-Barbera's Josie and the Pussycats?

Cheryl Ladd was billed as Cherie Moor and was picked from more than 500 finalists to be one of the three singing voices of the cartoon band.

Which actor, later The Shining's Dick Hallorann, voiced Hong Kong Phooey and sang the theme song?

Scatman Crothers sang the opening himself, and the band Sublime covered his theme on a 1995 album of cartoon songs.

Which composer's In the Hall of the Mountain King inspired the melody of the Inspector Gadget theme?

Edvard Grieg's piece from Peer Gynt was the model for composer Shuki Levy, whose bumbling-detective theme became recognised around the world.

Which cartoon character's theme song was composed by Sammy Lerner for a 1933 Fleischer Studios short?

Popeye's theme is often introduced by The Sailor's Hornpipe, a much older dance tune, and has stayed with the character ever since that first short.

Which punk rock trio covered The Simpsons theme and released it as a single for The Simpsons Movie?

Green Day's cover is an instrumental, only the third the band had ever taped, and the trio play it at a Lake Springfield concert at the start of the film.

Which Disney Channel pop act re-recorded the theme of American Dragon: Jake Long for season two?

Jonas Brothers took over from the band Mavin, who had performed the theme song, The Chosen One, throughout the first season.

Which Las Vegas rock band recorded Enemy, the opening theme of the Netflix animated series Arcane?

Imagine Dragons made it with rapper JID as the lead single of the show's soundtrack, released nine days before the series premiered in November 2021.

Which entertainer voices the title character of Disney's Milo Murphy's Law and also sings its theme song?

"Weird Al" Yankovic sings It's My World (And We're All Living in It), written for a boy dogged by the law that anything that can go wrong does.

Which rock guitarist wrote the theme for the first two seasons of the 2004 animated series The Batman?

The Edge of U2 supplied the opening for seasons one and two, and a new theme by Andy Sturmer replaced it for the rest of the run.

Which member of the Black Eyed Peas composed the theme music for Genndy Tartakovsky's Samurai Jack?

Will.i.am went on to record a song for a 2002 hip-hop album built around another Tartakovsky cartoon, Dexter's Laboratory.

Which alternative rock band wrote and performed the theme song for Disney's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse?

They Might Be Giants also wrote the show's closing song, Hot Dog!, and the theme for another Disney Channel series, Higglytown Heroes.

I'm in Between, the opening theme of Nickelodeon's As Told by Ginger, was sung by which R&B artist?

Macy Gray's vocal was the third version of the theme, brought in halfway through the first season and kept for the rest of the run.

Which British singer, the voice of Garnet in Steven Universe, sang the We Bare Bears theme song?

Estelle sang We'll Be There for the Cartoon Network series while also providing both the speaking and the singing voice of Garnet.

Which percussion instrument plays the main melody of the Futurama theme composed by Christopher Tyng?

Tubular bells carry the tune, which also samples a drum break from Amen, Brother by the soul group The Winstons.

The Powerpuff Girls opening theme is built on a sped-up sample of which James Brown recording?

Funky Drummer features a break played by Clyde Stubblefield, and those few bars, played faster, drive the cartoon's opening.

Which singer originally recorded the first English Pokémon theme, written by John Siegler and John Loeffler?

Jason Paige admitted he knew almost nothing about the franchise when he cut the demo; David Rolfe, who sang later themes, played guitar on the track.

Which Philadelphia rapper performed the Aqua Teen Hunger Force theme for the first seven seasons?

Schoolly D also supplied music and occasional narration for the Adult Swim series, and came back for a 2023 remix of his theme.

Which Scottish indie pop band composed and performed the end-credits theme of The Powerpuff Girls?

Bis wrote the closing song as well as playing it; the band had already appeared on the BBC's Top of the Pops in 1996, two years before the cartoon began.

Which Arizona rock band performed Yahoos and Triangles, the opening theme of King of the Hill?

The Refreshments, from Tempe, are otherwise best known for the single Banditos, and Billy Strings re-recorded their theme for the show's fourteenth season.

Which New Orleans pianist performed the opening theme of the PBS animated series Curious George?

Dr. John performed it for the series that began in 2006, and his recording also turns up on the soundtrack of the special A Very Monkey Christmas.

Which improv comedian from the American Whose Line co-wrote and sang the theme of Disney's The Weekenders?

Wayne Brady co-wrote the song, Livin' for the Weekend, as well as singing it for the series about four friends and their days off school.

Which rock singer of Two Tickets to Paradise wrote the theme for Disney's 1996 cartoon Quack Pack?

Eddie Money also performed the song, which opens a series that turned Donald Duck's three nephews into teenagers.

Which Canadian singer and producer composed the theme music of the Netflix animated series Hilda?

Grimes wrote it in 2018, the year the series based on Luke Pearson's graphic novels about a blue-haired girl arrived on Netflix.

Which Canadian crooner re-recorded the 1967 Spider-Man cartoon theme for the end credits of Spider-Man 2?

Michael Bublé's version closes the 2004 sequel, just as the original 1967 recording had played at the very end of the first film's credits.

Which songwriting team behind Mary Poppins also wrote the title song for Disney's Winnie the Pooh cartoons?

The Sherman Brothers introduced the song in the 1966 featurette Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree and went on to write most of the bear's music.

Which teen pop star sang Through My Own Eyes, the theme of the PBS history cartoon Liberty's Kids?

Aaron Carter shared the duet with Kayla Hinkle and also voiced a young soldier, Joseph Plumb Martin, in the series about the American Revolution.