Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, Fandom will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Once upon a time, viewers clapped along with the Friends theme and got misty-eyed to Carole King at the start of every Gilmore Girls episode. Nowadays, between the “skip intro” button, the television theme song is an endangered species. Other than the epic swell of Game Of Thrones, it’s hard to think of a recent show with a signature song that could really be considered iconic. But thanks to Disney+, which launches on November 12, we can all revisit the halcyon days of catchy theme music whenever we want. Especially these eight shows, which literally provided the soundtrack to my childhood.
DuckTales
In the words of Lady Gaga: “talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique.” The DuckTales theme is the high water mark for cartoon theme music. Pokemón might get you pumped to work out and The Goofy Movie soundtrack is full of certified bops, but ultimately only the DuckTales (Watch now on Disney+) theme will transport you to another world, a world of adventure and mystery and fun, a world called Duckburg. And who can forget the legendary image of Scrooge McDuck swan-diving (well, duck diving) into a pile of gold coins? Yes, the reboot on Disney XD featured a remix of the classic song, and it’s pretty good. But the original, man, the original. Should we just listen to it real quick?
Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers
Though it never quite reaches the glory and the ecstasy of the DuckTales theme, the Rescue Rangers song is fun in its own right, and appropriately high-energy for a show about chipmunks. Give it a listen!
That’s So Raven
One of the most popular Disney Channel sitcoms of all time, That’s So Raven also has an incredibly smooth theme. In fact, the music video for the song, performed by star Raven Symone, played every day in the months leading up to the show’s premiere. At least, it did in my living room in front of the television, while I was trying to copy the choreography. The lyrics also do an admirable job of explaining, The Nanny-style, the concept of the show: Raven can see the future but it actually doesn’t make her life any easier. The accompanying montage showcased the cast’s talent for physical comedy, all the pratfalls and crazy costumes that would make the show such a success. We can only hope that the upcoming reboot, Raven’s Home, will be as fun. To paraphrase Raven herself: Yep, that’s my childhood.
Lizzie McGuire
The claymation Even Stevens intro was fun, but had no lyrics. The Boy Meets World music was great, but kept changing every season or so. Which leaves the Lizzie McGuire (Watch now on Disney+) song as the best of the era, the turn-of-the-millennium coming-of-age anthem that to this day makes any millennial want to stand up to mean girls and have a heart-to-heart with their parents. She’s just doing the best she can! Now, where are my capri pants?
Disney+ is the only place to stream your favorites from Disney and more. Watch now!
