Top 5 TV Theme Songs
Sexy Openers from Sopranos to True Detective
When you sit down to watch a favorite television program, usually you’re not there for the opening credits. In fact, often you hit fast forward and skip straight to the show. There are, however, those rare occasions when the opening to a show is just as captivating as the show itself and can sometimes be a clue as to what you’re about to watch—hello, Sharp Objects. While the clips below are certainly not the only great theme songs to be featured in a show’s opener, these five selections are some of PPROVOKR’s favorite introductions over the years.
True Detective, Far From Any Road by The Handsome Family
American screenwriter Nic Pizzolatto changed the game of detective show programming with the first season of his groundbreaking series True Detective back in 2014. While the show was remarkable in its own right, winning director Cary Fukunaga an Emmy, the opening sequence for the creepy crime drama set in the deep south was equally as notable. Featuring an appropriate appearance by alternative country duo The Handsome Family with their song “Far From Any Road,” True Detective‘s opening set the stage for one of the freshest takes on the crime genre in recent years.
Dark, Goodbye by Apparat feat. Soap & Skin
It’s not always a given that a foreign TV series will translate to an American audience. In the case of German Netflix Original Dark, however, the gripping mystery about the disappearance of two children in a small German town, transcends the language barrier and is one of the most disturbingly great shows of 2017. Given its dual time setting in the past and the present, Dark’s opening credit sequence makes for a kaleidoscope-like visual experience that’s only heightened by the eerily beautiful backdrop of Apparat’s song “Goodbye”.
Big Little Lies, Cold Little Heart by Michael Kiwanuka
Given the lineup of female powerhouse actors Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Reese Witherspoon, and Zoe Kravitz, David E. Kelley’s drama Big Little Lies was always destined for greatness. Add a stellar soundtrack from Michael Kiwanuka, curated by Sharp Objects‘ legendary music supervisor Susan Jacobs, for the show’s opening credit sequence is icing on the cake of the already intriguing Emmy-winning series.
The Sopranos, Woke Up This Morning by Alabama 3
Often cited as the pioneer in revolutionizing the opening title sequences of television programs, we would be remiss if we excluded the HBO classic The Sopranos on our list. Premiering on January 10th, 1999, David Chase’s iconic mob drama was a game changer in the crime drama genre— winning over twenty Emmys in its six seasons— and is still considered one of the best TV series in recent history. Despite being considered a standard in the American television canon, the iconic opening song. “Woke Up This Morning.” was actually created by the British band, Alabama 3.
True Blood, Bad Things by Jace Everett
Much like True Detective’s eerie southern soundtrack that echoes the show’s environment, Alan Ball’s vampire drama True Blood adopts Jace Everett’s spooky track “Bad Things” for its opening. An enticing mix of sexy and dangerous imagery, True Blood’s intro encapsulates the dark yet alluring vibe of this Emmy-winning HBO classic.
