Since neither my wife or I could find much that fit the theme this week, I decided to share my fave ideas for this year’s ‘XPN 885 Countdown: Songs From TV Or The Movies’. There’s lots of ways you can go. Here are the lists from XPN’s hosts.
I always try to lead with tunes that otherwise wouldn’t make the list. Haven’t submitted mine yet, but these are in the running:
I’ve shown you mine. Now show me yours.
The Wire’s season one opening is a fantastic pick — they changed the arrangement of “Way Down in the Hole” every season, and comparing all five back to back is one of my favorite TV music rabbit holes. I love your strategy of leading with tunes that wouldn’t otherwise crack the list; that’s how deep cuts survive. My contribution would be “Suicide Is Painless” — the M*A*S*H theme — written for a movie, immortalized by a TV show, and one of the eeriest songs to ever open a sitcom. And Curtis Mayfield’s “Superfly” works for both, since the soundtrack outgrew the film entirely.
“Going Home: Theme from ‘Local Hero’, by Mark Knopfler
Gioachini Rossini: “William Tell Overture”: Theme from “The Lone Ranger”. Was there ever better theme music?
I think everything on your list should ranked high except I wouldn’t have thought of Pinky or the Animaniacs.
I was mulling this over yesterday and here’s what I came up with for now in no special order:
“Peter Gunn” and more Henry Mancini: “Days of Wine and Roses,” “Moon River.”) Not Mancini: “Everybody’s Talkin’,” the “Rockford Files” theme, “All Summer Long” (I had forgotten about this till I saw your list), “Windmills of Your Mind” (Michel Legrand from “The Thomas Crown Affair”), “Hawaii 5-0” theme, “Stayin’ Alive,” “The Monkees” theme, “As Time Goes By,” “Till There Was You” (“The Music Man” – or something from any Sondheim song in a movie, if that counts), “Shaft,” “Twin Peaks” theme, “Mary Tyler Moore” theme, “Star Trek: Next Generation” theme.
That “Local Hero” song is great.
Mannix theme song by Lalo Schifrin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcGdN5hS3BU
“Foggy Mountain Breakdown” Flatt and Scruggs from Bonnie and Clyde
“The Avengers TV theme” Laurie Johnson
“Jaan Pehechaan Ho” Mohammed Rafi from Ghost World
“Can’t Help Falling In Love” Lick The Tins from The Snapper
“Miserlou” Dick Dale and the Deltones from Pulp Fiction
Laurie Johnson reference! Underrated since 1965 (except by discerning “library music” fans).
Jaws theme
Halloween theme
Man of constant sorrow – oh brother where art thou