Stuck in the '80s on TV Show Themes: Mr. T Impersonations and My Valerie Bertinelli Fixation

This was something Stuck in the '80s guru Steve Spears had been threatening to do for a while.

And with his usual compatriot Sean Daly stuck in continual concert/assignment hell -- from roller coasters in Myrtle Beach to Kanye West and Radiohead -- Thursday was the perfect time to delve into a subject I had only touched on briefly five months ago: The Best '80s TV Theme Songs.

I'm always honored and a little hyper when Steve lets me play with the cool kids on his Stuck in the '80s podcast (I did, after all, wear parachute pants AND a Jheri Curl while playing in a band back then. And I can't believe I just admitted it here!). So I cut loose with a little Mr. T impersonation while talking about the A Team, and even admitted my lifelong jones for Valerie Bertinelli and Sarah Jessica Parker.

As you may recall, I did a story way back in December about the lack of theme songs on TV that seemed to strike a nerve with readers. But since the glory days of TV themes songs were really in the '60s and '70s -- Gilligan's Island, the Brady Bunch, The Jeffersons, All in the Family, etc. -- I didn't talk much about '80s gems such as Square Pegs, The A Team and Hill Street Blues.

  I'm not going to dish on the actual order of the songs -- gotta listen to the podcast for that -- but we tackle the big question right off: Was the '80s the last great decade for TV theme songs?

Feel free to answer that question here, blogfriends.

Here's one of my faves courtesy of YouTube:

 

Comments

[Doug]

Pretty enjoyable. One nitpick, though. You attributed the theme to Taxi to Mike Post, when it was written and performed by Bob James.

[Eric Deggans]

For sure. Thanks for the compliments ladies. if you want to see just how bad i looked in the '80s, check these two clips from my old band on youtube...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFMp0twsHA4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPzeQgMMZa4&feature=related

[jane]

Was the'80s the last great decade for TV theme songs? Absolutely -- with your assessment of the halcyon days of the genre being in the'60s and '70 also being spot on. While the themes for 30 Rock and The Office are catchy at best, they're not going to be considered iconic over time. Just the nature of the beast today.

Great podcast guest gig -- and I'll see your jheri curl and parachute pants and raise you some BIG teased hair, a pair of leg warmers and an off-the-shoulder sweatshirt. Those were the days, weren't they?

[Marissa]

Eric! I loved you on the podcast. Your Mr. T had me cracking up and scaring the cats. Don't get me wrong, I love Daly, but you know your TV.
You're a bit more subtle in your lust for the ladies of the 80s than SD, too.