Cartoon Theme Song
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The bright, high-energy title song of an animated series, pitched to children and built for maximum catchiness — snappy melodies, playful orchestration and often lyrics that name the characters and set up the fun. The sound spans big-band and orchestral pop in the studio era, bouncy vocal-group and synth arrangements in the 1980s, and rock-tinged anthems in the 1990s, always with an exaggerated, buoyant character. Hooks are relentless and the tempo brisk, engineered so a kid can sing along by the second airing. It is theme-song craft with the volume of whimsy turned all the way up.
History
Purpose-written cartoon themes date to the theatrical shorts, but the television form was defined by Hanna-Barbera, where staff composer Hoyt Curtin turned out jazzy, hummable themes for "The Flintstones" and "The Jetsons" that became mid-century standards. The Saturday-morning boom of the 1970s and 1980s produced a flood of vocal-group anthems and syndicated hits such as "DuckTales," and Danny Elfman's "The Simpsons" theme (1989) brought orchestral wit to prime-time animation. Richard Stone carried the Golden Age spirit into the "Animaniacs" era, and the merchandising-driven 1990s delivered mega-hits like Jason Paige's "Pokémon Theme," after which brevity and licensed songs reshaped the form.
Defining artists
Essential listening
- The Simpsons Theme(1989) — Danny ElfmanSpotifyYouTube
- Meet the Flintstones(1961) — Hoyt CurtinSpotifyYouTube
- The Jetsons (Main Title)(1962) — Hoyt CurtinSpotifyYouTube
- Pokémon Theme(1998) — Jason PaigeSpotifyYouTube
- DuckTales (Main Title)(1987) — Jeff PescettoSpotifyYouTube
- Animaniacs (Main Title Theme)(1993) — Richard StoneSpotifyYouTube
Sources
- Hal Erickson, Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia (McFarland, 2005)
- Daniel Goldmark, Tunes for 'Toons (University of California Press, 2005)
- Jon Burlingame, TV's Biggest Hits (Schirmer, 1996)