5 Great Existing Songs Used As TV Themes

Bob Dylan celebrates his birthday today (May 24), and while he’s viewed as someone who provided a soundtrack for a generation, he’s also one of many artists who’ve provided the soundtrack to a TV series, namely its theme song.

In honor of his birthday, here are five great existing songs used as TV themes.

Before This is Us and the Pearsons, there was Parenthood and the Bravermans, an equally emotional rollercoaster of a family.  Dylan’s “Forever Young” at times brought some much-needed levity to the show.

Between the iconic Joe Cocker cover and the home video imagery, this might be one of the best opening title sequences in TV history.

Who could forget about Bosom Buddies?!  Not only was it Tom Hanks’ first big acting gig, it also featured Billy Joel’s “My Life” as the theme, because like Hanks, The Piano Man was just dying for his big break in 1980.  (Kidding, of course!)

A cult classic that was criminally canceled after one season, Joan Jett & the Blackheart’s “Bad Reputation” helped set the tone for this coming-of-age series.

This is probably the best example of TV theme song/TV series juxtaposition, and for that, we say, “Whhhooooaaa Bundy!”