The 50 Greatest Superhero TV Theme Songs of All Time: #31-40

Before you do anything else, go read Part 1 (#s 41-50). Done? Alrighty, let’s keep going.

What makes a superhero?

There are as many ways to define a superhero as there are cast members in the last X-Men film. For the purpose of this list, I considered any person/animal/robot/being with super/supernatural powers who does good/fights evil OR a regular person/animal/being/robot who does good/fights evil that is super/supernaturally-powered. I omitted shows that fit snugly in the sci-fi genre, because that could be a whole ‘nother list in itself. And because I have other things to do besides watch TV all day (though I wish I didn’t).

Even with my methodology, these weren’t easy to narrow down. You’ll notice this batch of 10 is actually 12, but who’s counting? Oh yeah, I am…

Welcome to Part 2 of the 50 GREATEST SUPERHERO TV THEME SONGS OF ALL TIME!

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40. IRON MAN: ARMORED ADVENTURES

2009-2012

As with the show at #41, Iron Man: Armored Adventures debuted following the hugely successful film version of its title character. Throughout the 50s, 60s, and 70s, DC Comics pretty much ruled the cartoon superhero realm. However, bolstered by their big screen dominance in the last two decades, Marvel has created some truly spectacular animation… and some truly spectacular theme songs. Iron Man: AA pulls out all the stops in this cool, catchy opener.

Fun fact: The Iron Man: Armored Adventures theme song is performed by Rooney, which (apropos of absolutely nothing) is named after Ed Rooney, the principal in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
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39. JONNY QUEST

1964-1965

It aired only one season, yet Jonny Quest was groundbreaking in how “realistic” the animation and stories were for its time. Try to keep that in mind when watching it now, as the years have not been kind to the stilted dialog and hokey-looking monsters. The theme song, however, remains as hip and slick as ever — all jazzy brass and jungle drumming setting up each adventurous episode.

Fun fact: The swingin’ theme was composed by Hoyt Curtin, who wrote scores of other Hanna-Barbera show tunes, including The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, and two other shows higher up on this list.
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38. OCTONAUTS*

2010-2014

Another entry aimed at the pre-k set is Octonauts. Think Mission: Impossible meets Jacques Cousteau meets Hello Kitty. These anthropomorphic, undersea explorers mix sci-fi tech with real marine science and sea creatures, all set to an action-adventure ditty reminiscent of The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Get Smart, and of course, Mission: Impossible. The song ends with the mission (and plot) of every episode: “EXPLORE! RESCUE! PROTECT!”
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37. BEN 10

2005-2008

Ben 10 is about a kid who can transform into 10 different (good) aliens to battle an endless number of bad ones. The original series ran for 3 years, has spawned 3 reboots with a 4th planned for 2016. However, the original theme song is still the grooviest — a mix of retro cool and alien creepy. A perfect 10.
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36. WORDGIRL

2007-2015

You might not think a show about a super-powered alien and her monkey sidekick, Captain Huggy Face, would be very educational. Or that a show scribed by former writers for The Onion and Family Guy, and narrated by SNL’s Chris Parnell would be in any way kid-friendly. But you’d be wrong on all counts. Top all this off with the snappiest, soulful-est theme song on PBSKids ever, and you’ve got a fun, silly, colorful, smart, empowering, multiple Emmy-winning show. Word Up, It’s WordGirl!
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35. SUPER CHICKEN

1967

Super Chicken cracked up viewers during a single season of George of the Jungle. Its intro is a silly, spitfire jingle about mega-powered poultry, drunk on “super sauce.” I’m pretty sure “super sauce” was also involved in the creation of this whacky, heroic he-hen.
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34. SPIDEY SUPER STORIES

1974-1977

Spidey Super Stories ran for nearly 5 years as part of The Electric Company. Marvel lent its wall-crawling hero to the show for free, where he thwarted the antics of villains with silly (and sometimes questionable) names like The Beastly Banana, The Blowhard, and The Sack. While the soulfully seventies theme is the shortest on this list, it still packed quite a punch.

Fun fact: Keep an eye out for future Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman, a regular Electric Company cast member.
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33. DANGER MOUSE*

1981-1992

Part Bond, part Batman, all rodent. Danger Mouse was the first British cartoon to break big across the pond, with its intrigue-filled opener also making a splash. Between Danger’s eye patch and the song’s sultry and mysterious delivery, viewers were set for decidedly non-cheesy adventures.

Fun fact: Danger Mouse returns! Coming in Spring 2016 as a Netflix Original, and featuring the voices of Stephen Fry, Lena Headley, and John Oliver
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32. JUSTICE LEAGUE* / JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED*

2001-2004 / 2004-2006

Like the Super Friends, only without the teen sidekicks, corny jokes, or goofy villains. Justice League starred seven iconic(ish**) heroes, each dramatically introduced in the sweeping, CGI opening. Three years later, the League became Unlimited, starring pretty much the entire DC Universe in a rotating roster of awesomeness. The theme song also got an upgrade, adding in extra doses of heroic bombast, and enough guitar shredding to give Michael Bay goosebumps.

**Sorry Hawkgirl, but you stole Aquaman’s spot.

31. THE TICK

1994-1996

Manic, irreverent, nonsensical. That was The Tick…as well as it’s big band-inspired theme song. While the 2001 live-action opener was pretty snappy in its own right, nothing beats the original:

Dot dweeeeeee dot dot dot dwee-dow!
Dot DWEEEEEEE dot dot dot dwee-dow!

Fun fact: The “lyrics” came about when composer Doug Katsaros sang them to producers, to emulate the sound of sliding trombones. The show-runners thought the sing-scatting was funnier, so it stuck.
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Holy Almost Halfway, Batman! That’s a wrap on the first 20. Have you seen your favorite yet? If not, let me have it in the comments.

THE REST OF THE LIST:

1-10   ★   11-20   ★   21-30   ★   41-50

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I’ve also set up a YouTube Playlist, where you can feel nostalgic, get super-charged, and curse my name for not including your faves.

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*These titles currently available for streaming on Netflix. Designer Daddy is a member of the Netflix #StreamTeam.

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