A TV show’s theme song is arguably just as important as the show itself. Whether it’s a sweet ballad for a drama or a whimsical pop tune for a binge-worthy reality show, it’s easy for your favorite show’s theme to get stuck in your head — you hear it every episode, after all!
But although you may know the song, do you know who performs it? You might be surprised by how many popular artists have have created the soundtrack to your favorite show.
Below, check out some popular artists who wrote and/or performed the theme songs for some of your favorite TV shows. We dare you not to sing along!
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1
Coolio, “Aw Here It Goes” From Kenan & Kel
Kenan Thompson is synonymous with Saturday Night Live, but before he was a resident cast member, he was a Nickelodeon star — most famously on Kenan & Kel alongside Kel Mitchell. Late rapper and producer Coolio performed the iconic ’90s theme song, and even appeared in the show’s opening sequence.
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2
Cyndi Lauper, Pee-wee’s Playhouse Theme Song
Cyndi Lauper sang the theme song for the wacky ’80s children’s sketch show starring comedian Paul Reubens, but she didn’t want people to know it was her, so she performed under the alias “Ellen Shaw.” However the “True Colors” singer admitted it was her vocals on the Pee-wee’s Playhouse theme song in her book, Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir. With a young Tim Burton making his directorial debut, the series spawned the film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure in 1985.
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3
Solange, The Proud Family Theme Song
Solange enlisted the help of her sister, Beyonce, and the rest of Destiny’s Child to sing the theme song for Disney Channel’s The Proud Family with her. Solange wrote the song specifically for the cartoon series when she was just a teen. She went on to release her first album, “Solo Star,” in 2003, just two years after The Proud Family first aired.
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4
Christina Milian, “Call Me, Beep Me!” From Kim Possible
Christina Milian perfectly encapsulated the sassy personality of Kim Possible on “Call Me, Beep Me!,” the catchy theme song for the smash Disney Channel series. The animated series featured the voice talents of Disney alum Christy Carlson Romano and Boy Meets World star Will Friedle and ran from 2002 to 2007.
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5
Ozzy Osbourne, Dog the Bounty Hunter Theme Song
Legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne created and performed the theme song for the wildly popular reality series Dog the Bounty Hunter, starring Duane “Dog” Chapman. Chapman even made an appearance on the Prince of Darkness’ MTV reality series, The Osbournes.
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6
Selena Gomez, Shake It Up Theme Song
Wizards of Waverly Place star Selena Gomez kept it in the Disney Channel family by performing the theme song “Shake It Up” for the hit series of the same name. In 2011, the track was released on the show’s soundtrack through Walt Disney Records.
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7
TLC, All That Theme Song
Girl group TLC sang the catchy theme song for Nickelodeon’s sketch comedy series All That, which was known as the Saturday Night Live for kids when it initially ran in the ’90s. The series was revived in 2019 with a new cast, but kept its original theme song.
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8
Regina Spektor, “You’ve Got Time” From Orange Is the New Black
Musician Regina Spektor wrote and performed “You’ve Got Time,” the theme song for Netflix’s original series Orange Is the New Black. Creator Jenji Kohan handpicked Spektor to write the song. The series is based on Piper Kerman‘s book, Orange Is the New Black: My Year In a Women’s Prison.
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9
Mariah Carey , “In the Mix” From mixed-ish
Pop icon Mariah Carey sings the theme song for mixed-ish, a prequel spinoff to the ABC sitcom black-ish. Carey penned the song “In the Mix” specifically for the sitcom, which was created by Tracee Ellis Ross and ran for two seasons. Her two children, Monroe and Moroccan, Cannon can be heard on the tune as well.
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10
Carly Rae Jepsen, “Everywhere You Look” From Fuller House
Putting her own sparkly spin on “Everywhere You Look,” pop star Carly Rae Jepsen covered the original Full House theme song — originally by Jesse Frederick — for the Netflix revival Fuller House. Jepsen worked with writer and producer Butch Walker on her cover of the ’80s hit.
