So, let's imagine that you are a participant in a call-in radio show contest and, in order to receive the prize, you must sing a classic TV show theme song. Confident that you can win, you begin singing the lyrics exactly as you remember them, only to be told once are finished that you are completely wrong.
In this case, both you and the radio show host might actually be right, as it is nothing unusual for a series to change its theme music early on or in the middle of its run, for one reason or another. The following are some of the most notable examples in television history of TV shows with iconic theme songs that might not be their original theme songs.
I Dream Of Jeannie (1965-1970)
The original theme song for I Dream of Jeannie — starring Barbara Eden as the titular wish-granter who becomes a servant and, later, love interest to Larry Hagman's Captain Tony Nelson — is a perfectly catchy jazz tune. However, the more recognizable theme, which debuted in Season 2, is a far greater match to the sitcom's mystical elements.
Monk (2002-2009)
The original theme from USA's Monk was an instrumental by Jeff Beal that played over the opening credits for the first season and at different times throughout the series' eight-season run. From the second season on, the opening theme was Randy Newman's "It's a Jungle Out There," which has lyrics written directly from the perspective of the titular, OCD-ridden detective (played by Tony Shalhoub).
Yes, Dear (2000-2006)
For its first few seasons, Yes, Dear opened with a sort of, "jazzy beach-comber" piece by series composer Rick Marotta, which played over a clip of the cast — including Anthony Clark, Jean Louisa Kelly, Mike O'Malley, and Liza Snyder — struggling to have a fun vacation day. In the later seasons, the sitcom changed its opening titles sequence to a combination of live-action footage and child-like illustrations, accompanied by a modern punk tune by Bill Janovitz called "Family is Family."
Boy Meets World (1993-2000)
Boy Meets World changed its theme song multiple times throughout its seven-season run, with the original being an upbeat mix of synthesizer, traditional orchestrations, and even one moment that sounds recorded from a 1920s speakeasy. The last few seasons finally had an opener with more of a '90s alternative feel and lyrics that bore the hit TGIF favorite's themes of growing up and the importance of friendship.
The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
Modern fans of the ultimate horror anthology TV show, The Twilight Zone, might be surprised to find out that its iconic, eerie theme song by Marius Constant only debuted in the second season. The series' first year boasted a very simple, non-melodic instrumental by Bernard Herrmann, which certainly allowed Rod Serling's narration to have most of the spotlight, at least.
Happy Days (1974-1984)
The famous Happy Days theme song — written by Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox and originally sung by Jimmy Haas — authentically sounds like a recording from the sitcom's in-universe era. However, for the first two seasons, it opened with an actual '50s pop classic: Bill Haley and the Comets' "Rock Around the Clock."
The King Of Queens (1998 - 2007)
"Baby All My Life I Will Be Driving Home to You" is a perfect choice as the theme song for The King of Queens, reflecting how Kevin James' Doug feels nearing the end of his work shift, longing to return home to his wife, Carrie (Leah Remini). However, the jazzy song by Billy Vera and the Beaters did not make its debut as the sitcom's opening tune until Season 2, following the first season's very brief opening sequence.
Magnum P.I. (1980-1988)
The first half of its premiere season, the original Magnum P.I., starring Tom Selleck as the titular, Hawaii-based private investigator, had some funky theme music that would have been perfect for a cop drama in the 1970s. Soon, however, the opening song would be replaced with a guitar-heavy jam more suited for the '80s crime show that it was.
The Partridge Family (1970-1974)
If you did not realize that The Partridge Family had two different theme songs, it might be because they had the exact same melody. However, the lyrics in "When We're Singing," which served as the theme during the musical sitcom's first year, are certainly not the same as the iconic "C'mon Get Happy."
Seinfeld (1989-1998)
The pilot episode of one of the all-time greatest sitcoms, Seinfeld, which was called The Seinfeld Chronicles then, was accompanied by a much more generic sitcom theme than Jonathan Wolff's iconically unique composition, which was added by Episode 2. Actually, the most intuitive fans of the NBC comedy might have noticed that Wolff would change the tune slightly for nearly every episode.
Family Matters (1989-1998)
Jesse Frederick, a composer of several iconic sitcom themes, writes and performs Family Matters' iconic opening number, "As Days Go By." However, for its first five episodes of the Perfect Strangers spin-off, Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" served as the sitcom's theme.
Simon & Simon (1981-1989)
During the first season of Simon & Simon, the theme song, The Thrasher Brothers' "Best of Friends," was more appropriate for a sitcom. The cop drama's second, more recognizable theme from composer Barry De Vorzon, which reflects its titular duo's mismatched nature by fusing saxophone with a Southern flair, is a better fit.
The Flintstones (1960-1966)
Even if you do not know all the lyrics, you surely know the melody of the theme song from one of the greatest animated TV shows of all time, The Flintstones, by Hoyt Curtin. However, the composer's original theme, which is called "Rise and Shine," does not contain any lyrics, nor a particularly memorable melody.
The Drew Carey Show (1995-2004)
Anyone familiar with The Drew Carey Show recognizes "Cleveland Rocks," by The Presidents of the United States of America, as the sitcom's theme. However, the first season's theme song was a rendition of "Moon Over Parma" sung by Carey and the second run switched to The Vogues' "Five O'Clock World." The eighth and ninth seasons would rotate between separate covers of all three songs.
That '70s Show (1998-2006)
The theme song for That '70s Show was always a cover of Big Star's "In the Street," but Season 1's rendition was different from the later seasons. The first was a cover by Todd Griffin, while the more recognizable version, used since Season 2, was performed by Cheap Trick.
Felicity (1998-2002)
For the first two seasons, Felicity — starring Keri Russell in the title role — opened with singer-songwriter Judith Owen's simply titled, “Felicity Theme.” The final two seasons featured a new theme by co-creator J.J. Abrams with Andrew Jarecki called "New Version of You."
Baywatch (1989-2001)
During its sole first season on NBC, Baywatch's theme song was Peter Cetera's "Save Me." When the drama about impossibly attractive lifeguards was revived in syndication in 1991, the theme was replaced with "I'm Always Here" by singer Jimi Jamison. Jamison is also famous as the frontman for Survivor, who performed one of the most iconic movie songs, "Eye of the Tiger" from Rocky III.
Starsky & Hutch (1975-1979)
Much like the buddy cop drama's first season, composer Lalo Schifrin's original theme music for Starsky & Hutch was quite dark and hard-edged. In the second season, it was replaced by Tom Scott's better-known theme, "Gotcha."
Beverly Hills 90210 (1990-2000)
The most recognizable opening credits sequence for Beverly Hills, 90210 featured scenes of the young cast having a fun day at the beach, accompanied by a fun rock piece by John E. Davis. However, during the first season, episodes opened with footage of a postal worker in Minnesota (where the Walshes originally lived) before transitioning into clips from the Golden State, with a warm New Wave mix playing over it.
In Living Color (1990-1994)
For the first two seasons of In Living Color, the beloved sketch comedy series used a self-titled theme by Heavy D and DJ Eddie F. Another theme song called “Cause That's the Way You Livin' When You're in Living Color,” which is also by Heavy D with The Boyz, was adopted as the opening music in the third season, until the original theme was reinstated in Season 5.
Ed (2000-2004)
"Next Year" from Foo Fighters' 1999 album, There Is Nothing Left to Lose, served as the theme song for NBC's Ed during its first season, until it was changed to Clem Snide's "Moment in the Sun." However, it would be changed back to "Next Year" for the final two seasons after some behind-the-scenes rumblings.
Walker, Texas Ranger (1993-2001)
Hit cop drama Walker, Texas Ranger has one of the most memorable theme songs of the time: "Eyes of the Ranger," which is performed by star Chuck Norris. However, the spoken word ballad would only first show up mid-way through the second season, replacing a decidedly cheesy instrumental composed by Tirk Wilder.
Blackadder (1982-1989)
Composed by Howard Goodall, the theme music for the premiere season of The Black Adder perfectly accompanies its Middle Ages setting. The subsequent three seasons would maintain the same melody but change the styles to reflect each season's new period setting, such as how the World War II-set final installment was constructed as a military march.
Remington Steele (1982-1987)
Henry Mancini's end title song from the spy series, Remington Steele — starring a pre-James Bond movies Pierce Brosnan — was actually the original main theme in its initial run. In Season 2, the composer made something more upbeat to be the new opening number.
Garfield And Friends (1988-1995)
Those who grew up with Garfield and Friends remember its upbeat theme song, called "We're Ready to Party." Yet, for its first two seasons, the animated series opened with a more Vaudevillian tune called "Friends Are There."
Cagney & Lacey (1981-1988)
The first season of the groundbreaking, female-led cop drama, Cagney & Lacey, used "Ain't That the Way," which is written by Michael Stull and performed by Marie Cain, as its theme music. It was replaced the following season with an instrumental by Bill Conti that kind of sounds more akin to a sitcom.
Big Love (2006-2011)
Originally, HBO's Big Love, which starred Bill Paxton as a polygamist juggling his relationships with three wives, used The Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" for its theme music. For its fourth and penultimate season, the song was replaced with "Home" by Engineers.
Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005)
The instantly recognizable Everybody Loves Raymond theme song by Rick Marotta would remain the outro music for the entire sitcom's run, but only played over the opening credits for the first two seasons. The sitcom adopted Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" for Seasons 3-5 and would use The Steve Miller Band's "Jungle Love" in its final two years.
The Leftovers (2014-2017)
The theme music for the first season of HBO's The Leftovers was an ominous orchestral piece, played over an animated oil painting illustrating what took place during the "Sudden Departure." Season 2 used Country singer Iris DeMent's "Let the Mystery Be," to reflect the change in setting to Jarden, Texas, while Season 3 used a different song for each episode, including the Perfect Strangers theme.
Bosom Buddies (1980-1982)
If you watched the Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari-led sitcom, Bosom Buddies, in its original two-season run, you recognize Billy Joel's "My Life" as its theme song. If you only caught it later in syndicated airings, you heard Stephanie Mills' "Shake Me Loose" over the credits instead.
Nash Bridges (1996-2001)
A noirish instrumental by Elia Cmíral served as the opener for Nash Bridges in its first season, until it was replaced with the funky, more modern pop song, "I've Got a Friend in You," from writer Eddie Jobson and performer Gigi MacKenzie. In Season 6, the Don Johnson-led cop drama would actually change its theme song again to a techno melody by Velton Ray Bunch.
The Cosby Show (1984-1992)
The Cosby Show changed its theme song to an entirely different style, and with a different title sequence to accompany it, for each season. Of course, Stu Gardner and Bill Cosby's melody would always remain the same.
