Only Five TV Theme Songs Have Been #1 Hits – Can You Name Them?

“Miami Vice” premiered on NBC September 16, 1984.  But it was 40 years ago this month that its exciting theme song by Jan Hammer was released as a single.

By that November, it would be a #1 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 – something that’s only happened four other times. And if you can name the other four songs, wow… did you go to school for this or something?!

Three of them hit America’s eardrums in the ’70s – oddly enough, two were also instrumentals, extremely rare for #1 Top 40 songs. The other was a one-hit wonder in the early ’90s by a band that didn’t actually exist. (Hint: Don’t even try to guess that one.)

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Soul Train – “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)“

The first TV theme to top the charts was “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia),” better known as the theme to “Soul Train.” It has a few moments where some background singers are heard, but it’s instrumental for the most part. The creator and host of “Soul Train,” Don Cornelius, refused to allow any references to the name of the show when the single was released. That’s why the artists, MFSB, adopted the alternate title. It went #1 in 1974.

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S.W.A.T. – “Theme from S.W.A.T.”

The second instrumental to win the top spot on the charts was “Theme from S.W.A.T.” by Rhythm Heritage. On February 28, 1976, radio stations were playing the cop drama theme more than any other song. It featured Jeff Porcaro on drums and Ray Parker, Jr. on guitar. (Yeah, the “Ghostbusters” guy.) If you don’t think you recognize it, skip to :24.

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Welcome Back, Kotter – “Welcome Back”

John Sebastian’s “Welcome Back” hit #1 in May 1976, just a few short months after “Theme from S.W.A.T.” topped the charts. (Man, people were really into theme songs in ’76!) Producers had loved the song so much, they changed the title of the whole show. It went from “Kotter” to “Welcome Back Kotter” to match the lyrics. Even though comedian Gabe Kaplan was in the title roll, John Travolta became the breakout star of the series and even he had a hit song that year – “Let Her In“ hit #10 thanks to John’s newfound fame.

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Miami Vice – “Miami Vice Theme”

It had been nearly a decade since a TV theme topped the charts when Jan Hammer’s synthy ode to stylish Miami cops hit the scene in 1985, then hit #1 later that year. It was the last instrumental to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 until “Harlem Shake“ seized the crown in 2013.

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The Heights – “How Do You Talk to an Angel?”

You might know the song, but probably not the show. “The Heights” followed the exploits of a fictional band, but the show never found success. The theme song was a huge hit though, landing at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for two full weeks. The show lasted only one season on Fox before it got the axe. The cancelation came less than two weeks after the show’s theme song topped the charts. Ouch.

It’s been over 30 years since a TV theme song hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and I know what you’re thinking: “What about that Friends song!?” Nope, not even “I’ll Be There for You” by The Rembrandts could do it, only rising as high at #17 in 1995. (It did hit #1 in Canada though, if you care aboot that.)

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Brick Taylor has been covering music, television, and film since the ’80s. He is a modern day historian of ‘what is old is new again.’ “It’s all cyclical,” Brick said in a recent interview. “Look at ‘S.W.A.T.’, for instance. That TV show from the ’70s was made into a movie in 2003, then revamped as a TV series again in 2017. Not to name drop, but I saw Tom Cruise at an Oscars party that year and told him Hollywood’s outta fresh ideas. He nodded, then said he had to leave early to make another ‘Mission: Impossible’ sequel.” Brick then excused himself from the interview because it was an open bar.