Ah, television. Where would we be without the comforting hum of our favorite programs over the years? Sitting down, tuning in, and being welcomed into the world on the screen—and, if it was a good show, you know it came with a killer theme song.
Have you ever thought about how perfect they are for karaoke? These catchy tunes, packed with personality and nostalgia, can transform any karaoke night into an unforgettable sing-along party. In this blog, we’ll take you through the 10 best theme songs that are guaranteed to have the crowd cheering, laughing, and singing along.
1. “California” by Phantom Planet (The OC)
"California," much like The OC, is pure millennial gold. Nothing prompts early-2000s nostalgia quite like this earworm of a track from a band that never matched the success of this track—before or since. A simple melody, wistful lyrics, and major singalong potential. No wonder it’s #1 with karaoke fans.
2. “I’ll Be There For You” by The Rembrandts (Friends)
It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from…if you’re over the age of 30, you absolutely know every word to the theme song from Friends. Don’t bother trying to Google any other hits from The Rembrandts, because “I’ll Be There For You” is the only one you’ll know, which really says something about the power of television. TV-pop-theme-song perfection right here!
Sing I’ll Be There For You here.
3. “The Big Bang Theory” by The Barenaked Ladies (The Big Bang Theory)
The Big Bang Theory came out of nowhere in 2007 and instantly connected with legions of nerds. In fact, the CBS sitcom almost single-handedly made geek culture cool. It wasn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but who cares? It was massively successful. So why wouldn’t the producers use an equally uncool yet popular band to sing the now-iconic theme song?
Sing The Big Bang Theory here.
4. “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” by Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)
It makes sense that the star of the show about the star of the show’s life would also sing the theme song for the show. Will Smith’s masterfully corny command of early 90s rap helped create a track almost as amazing as the sitcom itself. Knowing the Fresh Prince rap word for word gave every 90s kid street cred on the school bus. Today, it lives among the best of the best in TV history.
Sing The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air here.
5. “Woke Up This Morning” by Alabama 3 (The Sopranos)
All of the songs on this list are associated with light situation comedies, kiddie programs, or teenage soap operas. Except this one. This track serves as an opener for not only one of the heaviest dramas in recent memory but also one of the greatest television shows of all time. At the start of every episode, “Woke Up This Morning” plays while mob boss Tony Soprano drives around suburban New Jersey. A more iconic song-and-program pairing has yet to happen.
Sing Woke Up This Morning here.
6. “The Best of Both Worlds” by Hannah Montana (Hannah Montana)
It’s hard to believe how long Miley Cyrus has been famous for. And yet to many people, this is her most famous track. The opener to Disney’s immensely popular Hannah Montana, it’s a good song for a nostalgic karaoke spin.
Sing The Best of Both Worlds here.
7. The SpongeBob SquarePants Theme Song
As iconic a track as this is, “SpongeBob SquarePants” doesn’t have very many lyrics. In fact, the name “SpongeBob SquarePants” is repeated like 20 times throughout the 59-second-long song. And yet it made its way to the number 7 spot on our list. Sometimes, theme songs aren’t about great writing, just great delivery.
Sing SpongeBob SquarePants here.
8. “Pokémon Theme Song” by Jason Paige (Pokémon)
This song takes itself very seriously—high camp, major melodrama. And why not? Pokémon is serious stuff. For those who might need a reminder from childhood why it’s important to catch ‘em all, try throwing this song into the karaoke queue.
9. The Addams Family Theme Song
Spooky, kitschy, and catchy. What more could you ask for in a classic sitcom theme song? This snap-a-long track is immensely fun and can attract karaoke fans aged 8 to 80.
Sing The Addams Family Theme Song here.
10. “Where You Lead” by Carole King (Gilmore Girls)
This song, by the legendary Carole King, wasn’t written specifically for television. It appeared 30 years earlier on King’s landmark 1971 record, Tapestry. Instead, King went and re-recorded an updated version in 2000 as a duet with her daughter and gave it to the WB network to be used as the intro to the classic mother-daughter dramedy “Gilmore Girls." And the rest is history.
There you have it! The 10 most popular television theme songs to try at karaoke.
Sing your favorite TV theme song karaoke tracks with Singa
If you’re thinking of hosting a karaoke night at home (or just love singing on your own), the Singa app easily connects to your TV, mobile device, or tablet so that you can get the party started in any room.
