| 1 | Sometimes, a tune which previously served as the theme of a [[{{Leitmotif}} specific character]], setting, franchise entry or what have you, will become so popular and [[SignatureSong synonymous]] with the series/franchise itself that it becomes the accepted ThemeTune of the series. At this point, the theme will increasingly become prominent in anything related to the source, and, if there is already a theme for it, that theme may be replaced with the popular one. |
| 2 | |
| 3 | This is a kind of RecurringRiff that becomes a straight up theme. If there is already a theme in place that is not as remembered as the Bootstrapped Theme, it can become a form of TitleConfusion or IAmNotShazam. |
| 4 | |
| 5 | If you're wondering about the name, "bootstrapping" refers to an old [[TheMunchausen Baron Munchausen]] story in which the titular character pulls himself and his horse out of a swamp by literally [[ItRunsOnNonsensoleum pulling himself up by his own bootstraps]] (or his own hair, it depends on the version). You can read more about it at Website/TheOtherWiki [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootstrapping here]]. Thus, these are songs that have taken center stage through their own merits, not because any creator really wanted it to be thus. |
| 6 | |
| 7 | This term is also used in fields such as statistics (as a sampling method, more at Website/TheOtherWiki [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootstrapping_%28statistics%29 here]]) and computer processing (where it's usually abbreviated to "booting up" or the like). |
| 8 | |
| 9 | This trope doesn't include tracks that were originally named by the composer with a specific character in mind, but have always been used as the work's/franchise's main theme. The music must merit popularity as an ''unofficial'' main theme, outside of intent during production. |
| 10 | |
| 11 | A SuperTrope to Level1MusicRepresents (where the series theme comes from a game's first stage). |
| 12 | |
| 13 | Compare BootstrappedLeitmotif (a RecurringRiff becomes a {{Leitmotif}}). |
| 14 | ---- |
| 15 | |
| 16 | !!Examples |
| 17 | |
| 18 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 19 | |
| 20 | [[folder:Anime and Manga]] |
| 21 | * ''Anime/Berserk1997'': [[Music/SusumuHirasawa "HAIIIIIII YAI FOOOOOOR-CES!!!]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n55QVlBoDxI HAIIIIIII YAI FOOOOOOR-CES!!!"]] This particular chorus from the song "Forces" was just an image song used in some battle sequences and in the previews for the next episode, but it's the most iconic song in this anime and when you hear that chorus, you seriously just want to [[FollowTheBouncingBall sing along.]] It was also the theme to the trailer, so it's quite likely the first exposure many people would have had to the series. |
| 22 | * ''Creator/StudioGainax''/''Creator/StudioTrigger'' end up having this occur for a number of their works: |
| 23 | ** ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' has [[https://youtu.be/Za_1mODmoCA "Libera Me from Hell,"]] which was used during the show's climatic FinalBattle. It should be noted that the rap portions ("[[MemeticMutation Do the impossible, see the invisible. Row, row, fight da powa!]]") of this song is actually a [[https://youtu.be/KK80O2P_lQg second, separate song]] in its own right, with that version being used for the show's [[EyeCatch eyecatches]]. |
| 24 | ** ''Anime/KillLaKill'' has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqF5i4qloVE "Before My Body is Dry,"]] or as many fans know it, "DON'T LOSE YOUR WAAAAAAAAY!", which played in the anime whenever Ryuko was about to kick some ass, which is almost every episode. However it also played when [[spoiler:Ryuko defeated Ragyo]] as a near finisher to the entire series. It's easily the most iconic song in the anime. |
| 25 | ** ''Franchise/LittleWitchAcademia'' has [[https://youtu.be/Ko4VW6ucq_8 Chariot's theme]], a grandiose theme that is played during Shiny Chariot's performance and whenever Akko uses the Shiny Rod. While the original short films and the TV series all had their own individual theme songs, Chariot's theme would become synonymous with the franchise as a whole and become its de-facto theme. |
| 26 | ** ''Anime/PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt'' has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-56x7std2pU "Fly Away"]], which plays whenever Panty and Stocking have their TransformationSequence, being the most popular song by far. In contrast, the main theme [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEstmPvabqk "Theme for Panty & Stocking"]] isn't as universally beloved, with "Fly Away" being more associated with the show as a whole. |
| 27 | [[/folder]] |
| 28 | |
| 29 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 30 | * Decades before the first film would officially use it as a credits theme, "Iron Man" by Music/BlackSabbath has often been used as the de-facto theme song for ComicBook/IronMan. |
| 31 | * The ExpositoryThemeTune for [[WesternAnimation/SpiderMan1967 the 1967 cartoon adaptation]] of ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' was catchy enough at the time, but has since become the webhead's semi-official {{Leitmotif}}, going as far as to receive orchestral renditions in the character's Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse entries. |
| 32 | * The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoaU3kRFvLg theme song]] composed by Creator/DannyElfman for ''Film/Batman1989'' has become more or less, the de-facto theme for ComicBook/{{Batman}} as a whole, to where the theme appears in a wide array of Batman material outside of the Burton films, such as ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', the ''[[VideoGame/LegoBatmanTrilogy Lego Batman]]'' games and ''Film/JusticeLeague2017'', amongst other Batman related material. Alternatively, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ9ymE2Rcxo theme]] from the [[Series/Batman1966 1966 show]] is also regarded as being Batman's theme amongst older fans. Particularly for his [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age incarnation]] or even his [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age incarnation]]. |
| 33 | * The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmHhIDUrdVA Superman theme]] by Music/JohnWilliams from ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'', is widely accepted as being ''the'' ComicBook/{{Superman}} theme and has seen plenty of use in Superman material outside of the original films. |
| 34 | [[/folder]] |
| 35 | |
| 36 | [[folder:Film]] |
| 37 | * As noted on its page, the Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox fanfare is frequently used as a theme for ''all of Hollywood''. |
| 38 | ** While the theme wasn't new (it was part of the identity of 20th Century Pictures before the buyout from Fox), the flourish in the famous fanfare was originally part of the special intros to their [=CinemaScope=] films. While the format eventually went out of style, Creator/GeorgeLucas's insistence on using the [=CinemaScope=] theme for ''Film/ANewHope'' and its subsequent composition by John Williams cemented it as ''the'' theme song of Fox. |
| 39 | * Creator/WarnerBros had a theme for their logo, but it never caught on as the 20th Century Fox theme did. Now they have "As Time Goes By" from ''Film/{{Casablanca}}''. |
| 40 | ** The original theme had a short comeback in the early 1980s, when Warners ditched the 1970s abstract logo and brought back the shield. It was also the Creator/WarnerHomeVideo theme for a while. |
| 41 | ** Warner Animation used the last four notes of the ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' theme ("Those are the facts!"), but switched to the last notes of [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes "Merrily We Roll Along"]] in 2009. This was the second time "Merrily We Roll Along" was a boostrapped theme, having previously featured in the ''Merry Melodies'' cartoon "Billboard Frolics" in 1935 before replacing "Get Happy" as the theme the following year. |
| 42 | * ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'' itself is an example, too. The filmmakers wrote a song, specifically to be featured in the movie, which they were absolutely certain would become wildly popular, top all the charts, and become synonymous with the film. And that song was... "Knock on Wood." Seriously. |
| 43 | ** Likewise, the studio had high hopes for "Count Your Blessings Instead Of Sheep" as the BreakawayPopHit from ''Holiday Inn''. It actually ''was'' a bit of a breakout hit at the time, but nowhere near as big as "White Christmas" (though it's well-documented that Irving Berlin himself recognised the latter's hit potential from the start). |
| 44 | * Since at least the 1990s, "Over the Rainbow" and other music from ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' has been used to signify Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer: |
| 45 | ** The 1992 retrospective ''MGM: When the Lion Roars'' used "Over the Rainbow" as a recurring theme. |
| 46 | ** From 1993-1998, [[Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer MGM]][=/=][[Creator/UnitedArtists UA]] Home Video's fanfare was based on the opening logo from ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''. |
| 47 | * The main theme from ''Franchise/StarWars'' was actually Luke's theme. John Williams originally wanted to write a new main theme for the prequel trilogy, but Luke's theme was so well-associated with the franchise that they kept it during the opening crawl (and maybe once or twice in the underscore of ''Film/ThePhantomMenace''). That said, Luke ''does'' get his own theme in the course of the narrative itself: that "longing" tune that is heard as he watches Tatooine's twin suns set outside his farmhouse (which leads to the name "Binary Sunset", albeit "The Force Theme" is also common - see below), which [[DarkReprise later becomes tragic as he finds his aunt's and uncle's burned skeletons outside that same farmhouse]]. However, even ''that'' theme is recycled at the end of the movie as celebratory fanfare for the Rebel Alliance. |
| 48 | ** To a lesser degree, what started out as Obi-Wan's theme in the original movie became the generic [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcZ9kQ1h-ZY Force theme]] in each of the later movies (''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' kind of switched back and forth with the associations). |
| 49 | *** According to Music/JohnWilliams in the ''Making of Star Wars Book'': |
| 50 | ---->'''Sunset:''' "George asked for Ben's theme there once he had heard it. I had originally scored that scene with Luke's theme, but when he heard the other, he said 'Could you put Ben's theme in there?' He liked it for some reason or other better for that scene. It is contemplative and reflective, and it works really very well. I think I have to say in the end he was very right."\ |
| 51 | '''Throne Room:''' "The entrance to the throne room has a big fanfare as they come in, and Ben's theme is used in a kind of parade way. In this sense it represents the triumph of the values of the Old Republic." |
| 52 | ** "Duel of the Fates", which underscores the climactic showdown between Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Darth Maul in ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'', became the unofficial theme of the film itself, showing up in commercials as well as video games that didn't even include that scene (such as ''Episode I: Racer''). |
| 53 | * In ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'', you have to mention that Jack Sparrow's theme and "He's A Pirate," both of which became the extremely recognizable parts of the series - the first within it, the second outside of it. |
| 54 | ** It's starting to supplant the ''Indiana Jones'' theme as the quintessential adventure theme. It was used in a commercial for a History channel special or some such about ''Ancient Greece,'' and ''Series/TopGear'' used it for a car-verses-ice kayak race. |
| 55 | ** "He's a Pirate" was already an example of this. The number of people out there who love this piece of music, but think that it is Jack Sparrow's theme, is astonishingly high. Thing is, it isn't Jack Sparrow's theme... it's ''Will Turner's'' theme. At least, in the first film. From the second onwards "He's a Pirate" becomes Jack's secondary theme and Will's theme is supplanted by a melancholy tune primarily contained in one track called [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suOmiBXmJOA One Day]] (that used to represent Will and Elizabeth's ''relationship'', but now it's their theme). |
| 56 | * What is recognized as the "''Film/HarryPotter'' theme" is actually called "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhL2HRAVKZs Hedwig's Theme]]". |
| 57 | ** Creator/AlexandreDesplat, who scored Parts 1 and 2 of ''Deathly Hallows'', has stated that he decided to associate the theme with the innocence of the early installments, which (to his own regret) meant that it couldn't be used very much. The music is heard and then cuts off abruptly when [[spoiler:Hedwig dies, giving it the double association of the death of Hedwig herself and the end of Harry's innocence]]. In ''Hallows, Part 2'', it is played when Harry returns to Hogwarts and when Hogwarts is saved from Snape's reign. |
| 58 | *** It appears yet again in ''Film/FantasticBeastsAndWhereToFindThem,'' here played when first introducing the audience to the American wizarding communities. |
| 59 | * "Pure Imagination" from ''Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory''. While the Oompa-Loompa melody (which turns up four times!) is even catchier and rivals it for popularity, "Pure Imagination" sums up both Willy Wonka's character and the atmosphere of the story so well -- and has become so beloved over the years -- that it was incorporated into the [[Theatre/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory otherwise all-new stage musical adaptation]] of the [[Literature/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory source novel]] in 2013, serving as TheElevenOClockNumber. So it's effectively become the theme song of the story itself, not just one adaptation thereof. |
| 60 | * Although Franchise/{{Batman}}'s theme in ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'' didn't fully develop until ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', the track "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZst_2xJHAI Molossus]]" from ''Film/BatmanBegins'' seems to have become the main theme of the Nolan movies. It was heavily featured in the trailers for TDK, and the movie itself uses the five-note brass motif in key scenes. |
| 61 | * From ''Film/TwentyEightDaysLater'', "In the House, In a Heartbeat," which is used once in the climax of the movie, is frequently treated as the movie's theme. ''Film/TwentyEightWeeksLater'' carries on with this and runs the song into the ground. |
| 62 | * ''Film/{{Rocky}}'' composer Bill Conti had already written a quieter, sadder sounding piano theme for Rocky's character in the contemplative moments of the movie. Director John Avidson then asked Conti to write something inspiring for the training montage. Conti just started off with the fanfare that opens the movie, took the sad theme he had already written and added a beat and some lyrics and it became "Gonna Fly Now" which became Rocky's theme. |
| 63 | ** In turn, it [[RealSongThemeTune became the news theme]] to the ground-breaking ''[[Creator/{{Citytv}} [=CityPulse=]]]'' newscast in UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}} beginning in 1977; beginning around 1980, they used a different, punchier arrangement by Maynard Ferguson, which they used up until the early 90s. Afterwards, original compositions carrying the ''Gonna Fly Now'' melody were used instead (and by the mid-2000s the melody had been dropped entirely). This was likely intended to signal the underdog status of Citytv at the time, and how ''[=CityPulse=]'' strove to be very much a different beast from other newscasts in the area. |
| 64 | * Many consider "The Rainbow Connection" from ''Film/TheMuppetMovie'' to be the theme for the Muppets as a whole. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6DBN74L41g It was even played on the organ at the beginning of Jim Henson's memorial service.]] |
| 65 | * Although the cast and crew hated the song "Talk to the Animals" when they made the film ''Film/DoctorDolittle'', it is now inseparable from the title character. |
| 66 | * In ''WesternAnimation/Madagascar1'', Creator/SachaBaronCohen's improvising the words for a cover of "I Like to Move It" changed the song from a one-off joke for his character to the de facto theme song of the film series. |
| 67 | * ''WesternAnimation/OliverAndCompany'': "Why Should I Worry?" was originally just the IAmSong for the character Dodger, but is easily the most iconic song from the movie. |
| 68 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'' has "When You Wish Upon A Star" ...technically. While it is the song best associated with the film, it is far more notable for becoming the Bootstrapped Theme '''for the entire [[Creator/{{Disney}} Walt Disney Company]]'''. |
| 69 | * One of the biggest hit records of all time was Percy Faith's lush rendition of the "Theme from ''A Summer Place''", which held the #1 spot on the ''Billboard'' chart for nine straight weeks in 1960. However, while the tune was introduced in the score to the 1959 movie ''A Summer Place'' (for which it was composed by Music/MaxSteiner), it's not actually the main theme, just a secondary LoveTheme for two of the characters. |
| 70 | * Strangely enough, the ''Film/SilentHill'' movies use "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N_PXTGdlGw Promise (Reprise)]]" as an impromptu theme. It originated in one scene from the second video game, but is used repeatedly in both movies and also opens the trailers to both. The video games have their [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2cK8mOG4Q8 own proper theme song]] entitled "Silent Hill" (with the [[WithLyrics vocal reprise]] introduced in ''VideoGame/SilentHill3'' being called "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD-iD2qYVkk Hometown]]"), but only the opening of this song is ever heard in the movies - over the studio logo to the first film, before the movie proper even starts. |
| 71 | * "Arrival to Earth" is the generally accepted theme song for Michael Bay's ''Film/TransformersFilmSeries''. |
| 72 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989'': "Part of Your World", Ariel's IWantSong and {{leitmotif}}, is generally recognized as the film's main theme. |
| 73 | * The theme of ''Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly'' is one of the best-known Western themes, and is the subject of [[EnnioMorriconePastiche a great many]] {{shout out}}s in other media. However, it is frequently used to parody, or evoke, the tension of [[TheClimax the climactic final shootout scene,]] which has its own theme, which doesn't use the [[RecurringRiff "wah wah wah"]] riff. |
| 74 | * Blue Swede's cover of "Hooked on a Feeling" went from being a background theme in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014'' to the series' theme song; it's even played in the teaser for [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 the sequel]]. |
| 75 | * "Immigrant Song" in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' is considered Thor's theme song by fans, due to playing in two scenes and in the teaser for the movie. |
| 76 | * "Red Right Hand" has made an appearance in every ''Film/{{Scream}}'' film except the fourth. The lyrics that refer to a ghost and overwhelming paranoia, only make it more perfect for the series. |
| 77 | * While it hasn't supplanted the original theme song, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS6RvWE8KdY The Touch]]" is on equal par with the Franchise/{{Transformers}}' theme in terms of association with the series. It's even used by the franchise as the music for the clip show of the annual winner of the Hall of Fame fan-voted inductee. |
| 78 | * The "James Bond Theme" was first heard in ''Film/DrNo'', and that was intended to be its only use, with new music composed for later films. It was so popular that not only did it become the theme for the entire franchise, it was incorporated into the arrangement of the instrumental theme for the second film, ''Film/FromRussiaWithLove'', and notes of it can be heard in several of the films' main theme up to and including ''Film/NoTimeToDie'' nearly sixty years later, and the theme's also used with variations in almost all of the BondGunBarrel sequences. ''Film/FromRussiaWithLove'' offers a bizarre attempt at an inversion. Despite the fact the film opens with a dynamic instrumental version of the theme, Matt Monro's vocal ballad version that closes the film was one promoted. Some editions of the movie's soundtrack album do not include the instrumental version at all. In addition, it's usually Monro's version that is used on Bond theme compilation albums. In recent years the fan-preferred instrumental has become more widely available, although there has yet to be an official release of the original on-screen version that features a jazzy organ backing. |
| 79 | * The main title theme of ''Film/RobinHoodPrinceOfThieves'' became one for its production company, Morgan Creek. It was later used by Creator/{{Disney}} for ads for its brand that appeared on their [=DVDs=] and Blu-rays for several years. |
| 80 | * Echoing Disney and "When You Wish Upon a Star", "Fairytale" from ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'' has been serving as the unofficial theme for Creator/DreamWorksAnimation since 2001. It has been used in fourteen [=DreamWorks=] films, only four of which are associated with ''Shrek''.[[note]]Strangely, though, ''WesternAnimation/PussInBoots'' doesn't use the theme in its opening logo, despite being a ''Shrek'' spin-off.[[/note]] |
| 81 | * Aside from "Fairytale", the first ''WesternAnimation/Shrek1'' has "All Star" by Music/SmashMouth, which was only played in the opening credits but fans nowadays feel like it's actually the theme song from the film. Making this even more interesting is that it almost didn't make it into the movie at all--it was originally written for [[Film/MysteryMen a completely different movie]]'s soundtrack, and was used as a placeholder with the expectation that an original song would be commissioned to take its place, but it worked so well with test audiences that they [[ThrowItIn left it in]]. |
| 82 | * Even though in ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'', the theme heard over the credits is the Prince's romantic solo "One Song," most people will probably think of "Heigh-Ho" or, even more so, "Someday My Prince Will Come" as being the film's true theme song. |
| 83 | * Likewise, fans of ''WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}}'' are most likely to consider "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" the movie's theme song, rather than its title song "Cinderella," which is sung by a chorus over the opening credits. |
| 84 | [[/folder]] |
| 85 | |
| 86 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 87 | * ''Franchise/ASongOfIceAndFire'': |
| 88 | ** Episode 2 of the premiere season of ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'' revealed that the theme of ''Series/GameOfThrones'' has been reused for its opening, meaning the ''[=GoT=]'' theme is now franchise-wide for the {{live action adaptation}}s of ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire''. |
| 89 | ** For the Targaryen themes in ''House of the Dragon'', Music/RaminDjawadi rearranged much of Daenerys' themes from ''Series/GameOfThrones'', which now serve as leitmotives for her family as a whole. |
| 90 | * The famous ''Series/MissionImpossible'' theme was originally written by Lalo Schifrin for a chase scene at the end of the pilot. Creator[=/=]producer Bruce Geller zeroed in on it as exactly the sort of thing he wanted for the opening credits. |
| 91 | * The JeopardyThinkingMusic (officially titled "Think!") on the original Art Fleming-hosted version of ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'' (1964-74) became so famous that, when the show was revived in 1984 with Creator/AlexTrebek, a rearrangement of "Think!" became the show's theme song as well. To this day, the show still uses arrangements of that same melody for the theme tune and think music. |
| 92 | * Bob James' instrumental ''Series/{{Taxi}}'' theme, "Angela", was originally written for a single scene involving a character of that name in the first-season episode "Blind Date". But the producers liked the piece so much they decided to make it the title theme for the whole series. |
| 93 | * The first season of ''Series/{{The Twilight Zone|1959}}'' used a different theme tune, which was composed by Music/BernardHerrmann. For the second season on, the now-familiar theme was produced by splicing together two cues by Marius Constant named "Etrange 3" and "Milieu 2," written for the show but not intended to be used as theme music. |
| 94 | * ''Series/{{Lexx}}'''s Brunnen-G battle hymn became the show's most popular piece of music, and was used in the opening credits starting with Season 3. |
| 95 | * In ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'', the motif that was originally Dylan Hunt's theme (by series composer Matthew [=McCauley=]) became the main title theme from the second season on, replacing the first-season theme, "The March of the High Guard" (by Alex Lifeson of Rush). |
| 96 | * The "Requiem for the Line" from ''Series/BabylonFive'' originally appeared in flashbacks to a key moment of the backstory in the first season. It was bootstrapped into the title sequence for the third season. |
| 97 | * ''Series/EightIsEnough'' had an instrumental theme tune in the first two seasons. On the second season episode "Who's On First" eldest son David sings a song with lyrics called "Eight Is Enough" at a school talent show. It became the show's theme song the following season. |
| 98 | * Johnny Pearson's "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIxeOvClzR4 Heavy Action]]" is well-known in America for its use on ''[[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague Monday Night Football]]'' [[note]]Sometimes incorrectly considered the theme song, but actually [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHk0BtQWs68 used as the background music]] for the dramatic spoken intro to the evening's game, before the actual theme song played[[/note]], but it was originally composed for the Creator/{{BBC}} as generic production library music. It eventually became iconic in Britain as the theme to the sports series ''Superstars''. On ''MNF'' itself it was originally just used as BackgroundMusic for halftime highlights, not getting used for the show open until years later. |
| 99 | * ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' has no real theme song. However, "Carry on Wayward Son" by Kansas has frequently been used for recap montages. Between that and the fact that it sums up the two main characters pretty damn well, it's become something of an unofficial theme for the show. |
| 100 | * ''Series/MurphyBrown'' used many, ''many'' classic 60's rock tunes during its runs as the opening theme as a CouchGag, but "Rescue Me" is always played as its theme during awards shows. |
| 101 | * ''Series/RedDwarf'''s original opening theme used melodies from the closing theme, but the resemblance was not obvious because it was done in the style of Also Sprach Zarathustra (featured in ''2001: A Space Odyssey''). From Series 3 onwards, this was replaced with a rock instrumental version of the closing theme. The original opening theme continued to be used as incidental music. |
| 102 | * ''Series/{{Glee}}'' has NoThemeTune, surprisingly for a musical series. However, the song "Don't Stop Believin'" by Music/{{Journey|Band}}, which the original six New Directions members sang at the end of the pilot, has gone on to be ''the'' theme song for the show and its characters; its status as this trope was cemented in season 5, where virtually every member of the New Directions sang it (since the glee club was going to be disbanded). |
| 103 | ** Interestingly, the creator [[WhatCouldHaveBeen originally intended]] for Music/{{Coldplay}}'s "Viva la Vida" to be the song used for the glee club's MisfitMobilizationMoment instead of "Don't Stop", but couldn't clear the rights. Someone else suggested that the Journey song might work better, and the rest is history. |
| 104 | * In the Classic series of ''Series/DoctorWho'', the stock music "Space Adventure pt. 2" is considered to be the theme of the Cybermen during the black-and-white era, but was not always used for Cyberman-related moments. |
| 105 | * The iconic theme music for ''Series/TheSixMillionDollarMan'' was first heard as incidental BackgroundMusic during one of the three TV movies that preceded the weekly series (and which used a song by Dusty Springfield as the theme). |
| 106 | * ''Series/BarneyAndFriends'' is so closely associated with "I Love You" that any ShallowParody of the character or show will be accompanied by that song or something close to it. It's actually used for the {{denouement}} of each episode. The actual opening and intended main theme is a completely different song, sung to "Yankee Doodle," while the credits music is an upbeat instrumental piece. |
| 107 | * The intro theme of the famous 1986 television adaptation of ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'', particularly in recent memory, has become something of an example for this trope, as seen in some non-Chinese productions based on the story, like ''WesternAnimation/MonkieKid''. It also counts as a BootstrappedLeitmotif as the theme appears specifically for the story's SpotlightStealingCharacter, Sun Wukong the Monkey King. |
| 108 | * ''{{Series/Chucky}}'' has a two-for-one. While [[Music/GraemeRevell Graeme Revell]]'s theme from ''Film/ChildsPlay2'' is used as the basis for the title card, thus making it clear it is now supposed to represent the series as a whole, Joseph [=LoDuca=]'s {{leitmotif}} for Chucky from the [[ThemeTune opening credits]] for Film/CurseOfChucky and Film/CultOfChucky is constantly reprised each episode, any time the Chuckster gets up to mischief. |
| 109 | * Although the Budos Band's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHWQ88ODtLQ "Old Engine Oil]] was only used twice in Season 1 of [[Series/TheBear2022 The Bear]] and once in Season 2, it is now the show's theme at award shows. |
| 110 | [[/folder]] |
| 111 | |
| 112 | [[folder:Professional Wrestling]] |
| 113 | * The Union Underground recorded [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUMWkSvwSYE "Across the Nation"]] to be Wrestling/{{Test}}'s theme; however, Wrestling/{{WWE}} decided to use it as the theme for its ''Wrestling/MondayNightRaw'' program instead. This required a bit of editing, as the original version featured a prominent "TEST!" chant in the bridge. |
| 114 | * Mick Foley continued to use Mankind's "Wreck" theme well after he stopped the Mankind gimmick. It has become the Mick Foley theme altogether. |
| 115 | * Teddy Long has used Rodney Mack's "Mack Militant" theme long after he managed Mack and after Mack left the company. Because of this, it is more associated with him than Mack. |
| 116 | ** Similarly, Debra used Jeff Jarrett's theme music whilst being his valet, but continued to use it after he left the company. This theme was related to Jarrett's earlier gimmick of being a country musician. |
| 117 | * While "Sexy Boy" has always been about Wrestling/ShawnMichaels, [[TheArtifact it refers specifically to the "Heart Break Kid" persona that he never used again after the mid-1990s]] (despite continuing to go by the nickname itself). The line "I'm not your boy-toy" is an indirect reference to Michaels's manager, [[Wrestling/SherriMartel Sensational Sherri]] (to whom he really ''was'' a boy-toy)...but Michaels continued to use the theme not only long after Sherri had left Wrestling/{{WWE}}, but after she had ''died''. |
| 118 | ** The original version of "Sexy Boy," used when he was being managed by Sherri, had a woman (presumably Sherri) singing vocals. Once he and Sherri parted ways, it was replaced with a version where Shawn sang the vocals. |
| 119 | * Wrestling/JohnCena's "You Can't See Me" continued to be his theme after he abandoned the rap gimmick. The song was originally used to promote Cena's rap album on which it appears. His well-known entrance theme, "The Time Is Now", was the first track on that album. |
| 120 | * Wrestling/VinceMcMahon's "No Chance in Hell" theme was originally the theme song for the 1999 Wrestling/RoyalRumble Pay-Per-View. |
| 121 | * Booker T loved the Harlem Heat theme music, so insisted on using it not only after the split of the group, but after he came to WWE as well. The theme has a new jack swing style that indicates its early 90s origins. |
| 122 | * In a retroactive example, Chris Jericho had WWE overdub his "Break The Walls Down" theme music on his WCW material on the WWE Network because he didn't like his original theme. |
| 123 | [[/folder]] |
| 124 | |
| 125 | [[folder:Theater]] |
| 126 | * Not quite a ThemeTune, but worth mentioning: the Act One finale of the musical ''Strike Up The Band'', Jim and Joan (the principal couple) quarrel and split (until they reconcile in the second act), and her musical denunciation of him included four strangely lyrical bars. Although it was common in musicals of the 1920s for the Act One finale to include reprises of earlier numbers, with or without new lyrics, these four bars were not a reprise of any number in the version of ''Strike Up The Band'' which played Philadelphia in 1927. This version of the show failed to reach New York, but a few years later, a revised version of the show ran successfully on Broadway. In this version, Jim and Joan's love duet was a new song called "Soon," which George and Ira Gershwin developed out of those four bars mentioned above. |
| 127 | * Creator/CirqueDuSoleil: |
| 128 | ** ''Theatre/{{Amaluna}}'' doesn't have an official theme, but the melody of the opening number, "All Come Together", is a prominent {{recurring riff}}. |
| 129 | ** ''Theatre/{{Volta}}'''s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uxHm_iK6ik "The Change"]], an epic PowerBallad played at the climax of Act 1 and reprised during the final curtain call, fits very well as the bootstrapped theme. |
| 130 | * The famous ''Toreador'' from ''Theatre/{{Carmen}}'' tells of the tragic LoveTriangle between a seductive gypsy, a corporal, and a toreador, and it's been used in nearly everything. Nowadays though, people hear this song for a different meaning altogether: ''[[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys1 "You're fucked."]]'' |
| 131 | [[/folder]] |
| 132 | |
| 133 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 134 | * ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'': |
| 135 | ** The original ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1''' underwater theme was remixed for the title screen of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'', and has had a few bouts as the apparent main theme of the series. All four [[VideoGameRemake remakes]] in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioAllStars'' use the theme as the title theme, as well as all four ''VideoGame/SuperMarioAdvance'' remakes (although ''[[VideoGame/SuperMarioAdvance2 2]]'', ''[[VideoGame/SuperMarioAdvance3 3]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/SuperMarioAdvance4 4]]'' have the games' original title screens too, but in the case of ''4'', that's actually the one from ''All-Stars'', meaning there's two title screens with the underwater theme in the same game). |
| 136 | ** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld2YoshisIsland'' is typically associated with the "Athletic" theme first heard in the fifth stage, "Hop! Hop! Donut Lifts". ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' and ''VideoGame/MarioKart8 Deluxe'' both use remixes of the song to represent the series. |
| 137 | ** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'' tends to be associated with "Beware of Forest Mushrooms" due to that song's use in a number of popular animated music videos about the game, such as "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfXng_kD9ZA Rawest Forest]]", and "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_q9y5vSIrw Waltz of the Forest]]". It helps that the level that song appears in is also the one to introduce fan-favourite character Geno. The actual theme for ''Super Mario RPG'' is an entirely different song titled, "Fun Adventure, Cheerful Adventure". |
| 138 | ** The Gusty Garden Galaxy theme has become more or less the main theme for the ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' series. Portions of it appear in several areas of the first game (Purple Coin levels, the end credits); and in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'', it was used in the trailer-specific composition, and makes a few more appearances in the game itself. After that, the theme has reappeared several times, either in its entirety or as a snippet in another theme, and it's even used in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'' as the theme of [[BreakoutCharacter Rosalina]] in her debut trailer, as well as the "UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}" sound effect in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2''. All this is in spite of the ''Galaxy'' games actually having a distinct theme completely separate from Gusty Garden. This theme is incorporated into the title screen and credits of both games, as well as the level start and star collecting jingles, and is prominently featured in the music for Melty Monster Galaxy in ''Galaxy 2''. |
| 139 | * While the overall Sonic series and especially the classic titles are known for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7GpTdXZATs this theme]], thanks to ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'''s success and its remake's NewbieBoom ([[ScrewedByTheLawyers and some legal issues]]), Live and Learn, the main theme of the game, is the theme of "Modern Sonic", either the series or the character. It was used in his ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' introduction video, several promos for the 20th anniversary, and as his power up theme when fighting Shadow in ''Generations''. |
| 140 | * The main theme of ''VideoGame/SpaceHarrier'' is this for Creator/{{Sega}} as a whole, as it plays on the Sega Master System's Japanese boot up screen when no cart is inserted and is the theme that plays on the Sega themed "Race of Ages" course in ''VideoGame/SonicAndAllStarsRacingTransformed''. |
| 141 | * The Heavy's theme in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2's'' Meet the Team series is simply known as the "[=TF2=] Theme" because it is so iconic and does a good job in representing ''Team Fortress 2'' as a crazy, hilarious, 1960s setting game. |
| 142 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5iUt1EtUqs Hazardous Materials]] from the ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'' soundtrack is used in the logo for Creator/ValveSoftware. [[https://youtu.be/n3_c9djkr08 Military Precision]], on the other hand, has become the theme song of Gordon Freeman himself, largely thanks to ''WebVideo/FreemansMind''. |
| 143 | * It was originally presumed that the "Gourmet Race" theme from ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar'' was the theme song to the Kirby series as a whole due to it being remixed three times within the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' games and used as a theme for at least one Kirby-themed stage. However, it's becoming increasingly apparent after ''[[VideoGame/KirbySuperStar Kirby Super Star Ultra]]'' that it's actually [[Level1MusicRepresents Green Greens]] from ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand'' that turned into both the series' theme song as well as Kirby's due to the fact that it appears in future games in one form or another, sometimes even during cutscenes when Kirby himself is on the screen, and as a TriumphantReprise in every final boss theme starting with ''[[VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand Return to Dream Land]]''. ''[[VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand The Forgotten Land]]'' mixes it up by having it as part of the theme of [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon the final level]] of the bonus world. |
| 144 | * The motif shared between [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOg2NWQgltI the title theme]] and "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUBsXUt5RQE Underworld]]" level music for ''VideoGame/KidIcarus1986'' became this in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' when it was used as Pit's victory theme, and its status as the unofficial theme for the series as a whole was cemented when it was finally revived with ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'', where the melody continues to be remixed into many tracks. |
| 145 | * The Hell March of ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert'' became the series's theme. Speaking of [=CnC=], we also have "Act on Instinct" (the most known music of ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianDawn Tiberian Dawn]]''), and ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRenegade Renegade]]'' had "Got a Present for Ya," which was presented as "Havoc's theme". |
| 146 | * The intro music to the first maze of ''VideoGame/PacMan'' is only played when you hit Start, but since it's the very first thing you hear when you play it, it's currently an icon of the series. ''20th Anniversary Pac-Man World'', in fact, plays a remix of this theme as soon as you enter a maze. |
| 147 | ** Pac-Man's Park from ''Pac-Mania'' may also count, as it became his theme for ''WesternAnimation/PacManAndTheGhostlyAdventures'' and the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series. |
| 148 | * ''VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings'' has "Eight Melodies (Queen Mary's Lullaby)", which also made remixed appearances in each subsequent game as well as, again, being part of one of the ''MOTHER'' remixes in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee'' and also becoming Ness and Lucas' victory theme in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''. |
| 149 | ** There's also [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-Tpmx1bT1A Pollyanna (I Believe in You)]], the initial overworld theme from ''[=EarthBound=] Beginnings''. Despite the melody being far more prominent in the original game - with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYIzd6f6un0 a quieter version]] even playing during some key emotional moments - it's become highly associated with Ness and his adventure from its sequel ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'', where parts of the melody show up in only a few tracks, to the point it was later used in a montage of sorts for the game during ''VideoGame/Mother3''. It was also remixed in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee'' under the name "MOTHER 2", further cementing it as one for the second game, but its featuring in every game in the series has made it quite popular among fans as a theme for the ''{{VideoGame/Mother}}'' series as a whole among fans. |
| 150 | ** While Pollyanna is traditionally the main theme, the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series treats [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMEk5gpXwYA Bein' Friends]] as the series theme. The track is much more likely to play on Onett than any other theme (with all the other series main themes also being the main track and never the alternate) and is put in the main themes playlist for ''Ultimate''. |
| 151 | * ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' has a recurring six-note-long leitmotif that originated as the title theme's opening notes in the first ''VideoGame/Metroid1'' game. It was absent in the sequel ''VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus'', but then returned in ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' and has been included in almost every game since, cementing itself as the series's main theme. It was even retroactively included in the sequel's remake ''VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns'', just to make it clear that it's an iconic series staple now. |
| 152 | * ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' |
| 153 | ** The title theme from ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'' has more or less become the title character's theme tune, being reused by several games in the main series & also as his theme when he appears in crossovers such as ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom''. A (barely) less popular version is the ''VideoGame/MegaMan3'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVsVw7Y7SSA title theme]]. ''Anniversary Collection'' uses both of them for its intro. |
| 154 | *** The Wily Stage 1 theme from ''Mega Man 2'' is also quite iconic, and has accompained the Blue Bomber a few times. To hammer the above point as well, his debut trailer ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'', they use both the ''Mega Man 2'' title and Wily Stage 1 themes. |
| 155 | ** ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' has ''Clover'', the theme song from the second MMZ game, particularly the fast-paced version that serves as the BGM for the intro stage. It's strange, because before he got his series, back in the ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' series he actually got a completely new {{leitmotif}} for every game (except in X5 and X6) he was in, though the one from X1 reappears in Z1's intro stage. |
| 156 | ** ''VideoGame/MegaManLegends'' "Mega Man Trigger" has also gotten this treatment. The ''Flutter vs. the Gesellschaft'' battle theme from the first game has been remixed for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDxPbCDDTLk every]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcdusZWK608 single]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COegVP-pQIw cameo]] of the Legends characters in ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'', ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom'' and ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3''. |
| 157 | * ''VideoGame/WarcraftIITidesOfDarkness'' The "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZAXwQ_Kyco Orc War Room]]" theme plays in the game's main menu, and is thus considered its main theme. |
| 158 | * ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpires'': The main theme started as an [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXcenhhd6bI&feature=related&fmt=18 ordinary soundtrack in the first game.]] |
| 159 | * Most people outside Russia think of Korobeiniki as the ''VideoGame/{{Tetris}}'' theme (originally the Game Boy port's "Type-A" music)... unless you grew up playing it on the NES, in which case you probably think of Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. |
| 160 | ** Type-A has become such an integral part of the brand's recognizability that The Tetris Company acquired the rights to the composition from Nintendo and now has made it a part of the "Tetris Guideline", the bible-like ruleset used to govern games licensed under the ''Tetris'' brand. |
| 161 | * ''VideoGame/FinalFantasy'' |
| 162 | ** Officially, the theme song of the series is "Final Fantasy" (It's also known as "Prologue," because that's what it was called in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV''). Unofficially, while it is recognizable, it shares the title of "theme of the series" with three other pieces: the "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Mwm87FfeXE Prelude]]" or "Crystal Theme," the "Chocobo Theme", and probably most of all, the "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHx5hCVN26E Victory Fanfare]]". |
| 163 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': while many trailers and TV ads for the original game used original music not even featured in the game itself, trailers for [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake Remake]] were really fond of showcasing its various arrangements of the boss battle theme, Fight On![[note]][[IHaveManyNames Also known as]] "Still more fighting" and "Those who fight further"[[/note]] rather than any of the game's main themes. |
| 164 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye7BGnlTZmQ Melodies of Life]] (at least the instrumental version) was largely Garnet's theme, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4IbLYofsrk as she hums it throughout the game]]. But ask anyone what song they associate with the game, it's just that. |
| 165 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': Yuna's theme, based upon Suteki Da Ne, is probably the most associated with the game in general. Although Hymn of the Fayth may also serve as a Bootstrapped Leitmotif for the game. (Tidus's theme seems to have become the bootstrapped leitmotif for the blitzball players and storyline section dealing with the sport.) |
| 166 | ** Though ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' does have its own quite well-known theme, it's just as often associated with its main battle theme: "Blinded By Light". |
| 167 | * ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'' has a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVlE8u6Hhp8 well-known theme song]], but the encounter/recruitment theme known as "Together, We Ride" is equally associated with the franchise in West, due to it being labeled as the "Fire Emblem Theme" in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee'' and that game being [[MarthDebutedInSmashBros the debut for the series outside Japan]]. Oddly enough, [[https://youtu.be/75VzljdUE-s the rendition used]] in the game does contain portions of the actual theme song in its latter half. |
| 168 | * "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aidem5-kheE Techno Syndrome]]" by The Immortals was composed for an album that accompanied the console versions of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1992'', although once it was used in [[Film/MortalKombatTheMovie the 1995 film adaptation]] it has since became associated with the entire franchise as a whole. |
| 169 | * ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' has "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFXuF3dF1m4 Kiss for Geese]]". It doesn't matter what game he's in, guaranteed, Geese Howard ''will'' have a variation of this music track coming with him, with the only exception being the ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcom'' series. |
| 170 | * ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'': |
| 171 | ** "Esaka?" Originally used as the Japan Team's theme in ''KOF '96'', it was brought back two years later in ''KOF '98'' for the first "Dream Match" title. Following this, it received a number of remixes for several future installments, including but not limited to ''KOF '99'', ''KOF 2002'' (and ''Unlimited Match''), and ''KOF 2003'', used as the theme for either the multiple clones of the series' hero, Kyo Kusanagi, or the man himself. |
| 172 | ** "Psycho Soldier" technically predates the KOF series (Being used as the main theme for the arcade game of the same name), but is far more recognized as the recurring theme of the Psycho Soldier Team within KOF, having remixes in '' '94'', '' '96'', '' '97'', and ''2002''. |
| 173 | * The first ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'' had the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d086Bs0m_4c theme for Ryuhaku Todoh]], the very first opponent that's fought. The song has essentially become synonymous with both the series and the characters, especially main character Ryo Sakazaki. Any time Ryo shows up, you can be almost guaranteed that this song will tag along either via remix or via a new theme very heavily inspired by it; "Kamikirimushi" from '96 and "Fight to the Limit" from 2001 being the only real exceptions. |
| 174 | * The title ThemeTune to the first ''VideoGame/TwistedMetal'' is "Twisted Theme", but the more common RecurringRiff in the game is that of "Asphalt Assault". |
| 175 | * The ''VideoGame/WildArms'' series has "Into the Wilderness", the intro theme of [[VideoGame/WildArms1 the first game]]. It has been remixed and sampled several times throughout the series since. |
| 176 | * Lucca's Theme from ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' became the battle victory music in ''VideoGame/ChronoCross''. There are rumors that the tune was intended as ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'''s battle victory theme, but was repurposed as Lucca's Theme when CT's battle victory theme was phased out along with some other musical ideas left on the cutting room floor. |
| 177 | * ''VideoGame/ShinSuperRobotWars'': "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brPfmHUuhuY Everywhere You Go]]", theme of [[AscendedFanboy Ryusei Date]] has become the theme song of Banpresto, the company that makes the games. Whenever you see their logo, expect the first few notes to play. |
| 178 | * In the ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' series in general, if a series isn't represented by a theme song, it'll be represented by an iconic theme. For instance, ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' is either represented by either "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciFo02PO2zA&ab_channel=aichi201501 Fleet Battle]]" or "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3yY8EncET0&t=37s&ab_channel=crocosensor Riders in the Skies]]" |
| 179 | * ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'': |
| 180 | ** "Velvet Room", originally an incidental piece in the first two [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo (and a half)]] games, was elevated to this status by its use as "The Poem For Everyone's Souls" in ''VideoGame/Persona3'', to the point it even became that game's FinalBattle theme. |
| 181 | ** "Reach Out for the Truth", the main battle theme for ''VideoGame/Persona4'' is a weird case of both this and BootstrappedLeitmotif. The song is often seen as the main theme for the game it appears in, but it became the battle theme for Yu in ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena''. |
| 182 | * ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'': |
| 183 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsfhADiaP5E "I Wanna Take You For a Ride"]], the character select screen music from ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom2'', a game infamous for its SoundtrackDissonance. This song is the only piece of music that's fondly remembered among fans. It was sampled for a song called "Take U 4 Ryde" by Talib Kweli and Oh No for the ''Marvel vs. Capcom 2'' mixtape and the latest ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr4TIZ0bD3Q trailer]] has a remix of the song playing at the end of the trailer. |
| 184 | ** While character themes shuffle around quite a bit, a few fighters were able to keep their [[{{Leitmotif}} iconic music]]. Most notably, there's Franchise/SpiderMan, whose [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXgt8DgIjhc theme]] from ''Marvel Super Heroes'' has followed him into [[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite nearly]] ''every'' subsequent ''Vs.'' appearance (''[=MSHvs.SF=]'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rbqHHjjNIY ver.]], ''[=MvC=]'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGkR0UpvsUk ver.]], ''[=MvC3=]'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKKFjNVZkHU ver.]]). Ditto for ComicBook/CaptainAmerica. ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlqXrv7lVJc [=MSH=]]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUv1ELA7XTI [=MSHvSF=]]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bEMWL_8SlU [=MvC=]]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCiifu6dV2s [=MvC3=]]]). |
| 185 | * The title theme for ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot3Warped'' was reused in several later titles in [[VideoGame/CrashBandicoot the series]]. Marc Baril, composer for the later games, favored making a more original soundtrack, but even he couldn't resist [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5ra7Hk9l78 making a rendition of his own.]] |
| 186 | * ''VideoGame/TheLegendaryStarfy'' has ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ7f7xuJt5Q Lobber's Cave]]'', the first world featuring the titular old lobber man teaching Starfy to spin in means of attack. The theme got spun around in different styles for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc0ZACD_EbU&feature=youtu.be first]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk33vK3dFIU four]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRRicWOVtuo titles]]. |
| 187 | * ''VideoGame/SilentHill2'' has "Theme of Laura", which is considered the theme for the game, if not the series, rather than just Laura herself. The eponymous opening theme of ''VideoGame/SilentHill1'' may also be considered the series theme, as the melody in the second half is reused in most of the subsequent games, including in the aforementioned "Theme of Laura", and a version WithLyrics is used for the credits of ''VideoGame/SilentHill3''. |
| 188 | * ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'': |
| 189 | ** ''VideoGame/HaloReach'' does not have a piece explicitly stated to be the main theme, but because the "Unreconciled" portion of "Tip of The Spear" is so awesome and contains a reprise of the original ''Halo'' theme, many consider it to be the main theme. |
| 190 | ** ''VideoGame/Halo3ODST'' also has no explicit main theme, but "Orbital Drop Shock Trooper" is widely considered to be the main theme, both because of its awesomeness and because of its title. |
| 191 | * "The Sun Rises" for ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}''. What was used as a final boss theme eventually became the game's theme, if its appearance in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' as Amaterasu's theme is anything to go by. |
| 192 | * ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' |
| 193 | ** If you're a ''Street Fighter'' character who appeared in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' or anything thereafter, your first theme will be linked to you forever, to the point that you're lucky if you get anything but arranged versions of it for all your future appearances even outside ''SF'' media. Ken's and Guile's themes in particular are strongly associated with the franchise. That's how dedicated the composers are to first impressions for your music. |
| 194 | ** On a more trope-consistent basis, ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV''s secondary theme, used in two versions for the second half of the opening and for the "Volcanic Rim" stage, has been adapted into main menu music for ''[[UpdatedRerelease Super SFIV]]'' and rearranged '''four times over''' for ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken'', whereas the original opening theme "Indestructible" has been all but abandoned. |
| 195 | * ''Franchise/MassEffect'' has "Vigil" which plays over the main menu of [=ME1=], as well as at some of the more emotional moments of the series. Fans have a very compelling argument for saying it's the "real" Mass Effect theme. |
| 196 | * Officially speaking, ''VideoGame/DeadlyPremonition'' has two theme songs: "The Woods and the Goddess," which is the haunting melody from the title screen, and "Miss Stiletto Heels," the theme music from the bar, [[WordOfGod which, according to the composer, was meant to thematically represent the game.]] However, the song most closely associated with the game--and the song used to "represent" the game's UpdatedRerelease by its publisher, Rising Star Games--is "Life is Beautiful," the quirky, whistling-and-kazoo number played during the game's goofy comedic moments. [[QuirkyWork Not just because the music is iconic; it's just that kind of game.]] |
| 197 | * ''VideoGame/TheSims'' has had all kinds of music, but [[http://youtu.be/VoVygntuGKc the theme]] the University Expansion Pack in ''The Sims 2'' ended up becoming the theme to the franchise and some variation of it has appeared in every expansion pack and base game following it. |
| 198 | * ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'': The main theme of ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', originally titled "Nerevar Rising", was originally intended solely for use with that game (much like Arena and Daggerfall had separate themes), but it ended up becoming so damned iconic (thanks in no small part to the intro being timed in such a way that someone who goes straight into a new game from the title will step off the boat just as the big orchestral swell hits), so integral to the identity of the franchise for many, that it was re-used in various permutations in both ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]''. |
| 199 | * If the ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' series ever appears in a crossover, expect the theme that represents them to be the intro to ''Tekken Tag Tournament''. Aside from the ''Tag'' games, it appears as the Tekken Rival theme in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken'', the theme of Jin and Heihachi in ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'' and the theme of Jin, Xiaoyu, Alisa and Heihachi in ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone''. |
| 200 | ** The music and stage for the Fiji level in Tekken 1 (Nina & Anna's level) became associated with Roger when used for his stage in Tekken 2, to the point where it is often used in ending videos for him and Roger Jr. Whilst Nina's stages have become darker and more industrial since, Anna's character is often see in exotic locations as a nod to the original stage. |
| 201 | * [[VideoGame/MetalGear Solid Snake's]] theme is either the ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty Metal Gear Solid 2]]'' theme or "Encounter", the "you've been detected" music from the original ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid''. |
| 202 | * The sequels to ''VideoGame/ASuperMarioThing'' have "The Lullaby" as part of the title theme, as the BackgroundMusic in several levels and for climactic boss battles. Interestingly, the song does not appear at all in the original- it was improvised by {{LetsPlay/Raocow}} as he went through a bgm-less level, and stuck as the series' official theme from then on. |
| 203 | * The VideoGame/{{BEMANI}} franchise brings us "FLOWER" by DJ YOSHITAKA. Originally a song for an event between ''VideoGame/{{jubeat}} knit APPEND'' and ''[[VideoGame/ReflecBeat REFLEC BEAT]]'', the song has since been crossed over to every active BEMANI game; games where "FLOWER" itself wouldn't fit get a special remix instead ("FLOWER -[=TLION69=] Remix-" in ''VideoGame/{{GITADORA}}'', "FLOWER [=REDALiCE=] Remix" in ''[[VideoGame/SoundVoltex SOUND VOLTEX]]''[[note]]Until the introduction of "POLICY BREAK" events, BEMANI songs could not be directly transplanted into ''SOUND VOLTEX'', although remixes were allowed.[[/note]]). Additionally, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcPQeSgA2Rw a BEMANI commercial]] uses "FLOWER" as its BackgroundMusic. The biggest thing Creator/{{Konami}} has done with the song so far is have it be the representative song for ''jubeat saucer fulfill'' (and by extension, the BEMANI lineup) in the ''Tenkaichi otogesai Zenkoku issei nintei taikai'' event, a crossover event that also involves Creator/{{Sega}}'s ''maimai ORANGE'', Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment's ''VideoGame/TaikoNoTatsujin Kimidori Ver.'', and Creator/{{Taito}}'s ''GROOVE COASTER''. |
| 204 | * ''Franchise/DonkeyKong'': |
| 205 | ** "DK Island Swing" (also referred to as [[IHaveManyNames "Jungle Level", "Jungle Groove", "Jungle Japes" and "Kongo Jungle"]]) quickly became this for the ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' series of games, before usurping the [[VideoGame/DonkeyKong original arcade game]]'s theme to become this for the franchise as a whole. |
| 206 | ** Subverted in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze''. The initial [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DueE8vJXpo8 E3 2013 trailers]] and gameplay footage frequently used the Jungle Hijinx theme, DK Island Swing, with the implication that it would be used in the opening Lost Mangrove levels. But later footage revealed that the Lost Mangrove levels would instead feature a new piece of music, which seems to indicate that DK Island Swing was used more to hype up the fans. It's instead [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMudHClToL0 used]] in the secret K levels, unlocked by getting every KONG letter in each world. |
| 207 | * Frank West from ''VideoGame/DeadRising'' was musically represented by a remix of Adam the Clown's theme in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3''. Possibly a nod to how Adam's weapon was universally considered to be the best weapon in ''Dead Rising'', and as such, [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome the majority of players would use nothing else after defeating Adam and unlocking it]]. |
| 208 | * Similarly, Mike Haggar from ''VideoGame/FinalFight'' was given a remix of Cody's theme from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'' when he finally made his non-Final Fight debut in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3''. |
| 209 | * ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' has "Pursuit ~ Cornered" from the first entry of the series. While each new game creates new versions for several themes, that one has become the most associated with the "Pursuit" themes, and with the series in general. It has returned a few times, in at least one instance as [[ThemeMusicPowerUp the theme for the very final confrontation]], and it is used as Phoenix Wright's SuperMode theme in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' |
| 210 | * "You Will Know Our Names", the [[BossInMookClothing Unique Monster]] battle theme in ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' has become this after being used in Shulk's reveal trailer in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'' and the battle theme of [[spoiler:Fiora]] in ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone 2''. The Gaur Plains theme has similarly become Shulk's BootstrappedLeitmotif. |
| 211 | * ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' developed this prompting accusations of Ezio Auditore being a SpotlightStealingSquad. The main theme of ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSVHx23ByhM "Ezio's Family"]], has come to represent the main theme of the entire franchise (although not until after the "Ezio Trilogy" ended, it's heard in ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood Brotherhood]]'' in the closing credits only and nowhere to be heard in ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRevelations Revelations]]'' as far as that trilogy is concerned. ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1mO4v7Fu7Y Unity]]'', ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmlCudR3JPk Rogue]]'' and ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9GYrRaRhIM Syndicate]]'' would incorporate the theme into their main themes, while ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kM1Y5VLEd8 Origins]]'', ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYpuJNHJpAw Odyssey]]'', and ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t97btsQ8FNc Valhalla]]'' would create their own renditions of the theme. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9geXVAOFDg "Rooftops of Venice"]] is also a song associated with Ezio, with his theme in ''VideoGame/{{Soul|Series}}calibur V'' being [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmsIVpXcu5k a remix]] of the song. |
| 212 | * ''VideoGame/SambaDeAmigo'' has "Samba de Janeiro", which is actually a pre-existing song, used whenever the title is being referenced in other Sega games. |
| 213 | * ''VideoGame/ChildOfLight'''s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Byz6960tWxQ menu music]] is officially Princess Aurora's {{leitmotif}}, but is generally seen as the game's bootstrapped theme. The official main theme, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3o5YtTPvJ0 "Pilgrims on a Long Journey"]], is more recognized for its [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDPftQZfh58 boss]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIWp5aQTJ1w remixes]]. |
| 214 | * ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': |
| 215 | ** The theme of Princess Zelda (also known as "Zelda's Lullaby" since ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'') originally appeared in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'', where it first played when encountering her for the first time, and is later shared when rescuing each of the Seven Maidens. After ''Ocarina of Time'', the song became associated with Zelda alone. |
| 216 | ** The Overworld Theme from the original ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI''. After not appearing in ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'', it was re-used in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast''. It has since become Link's personal theme ("Song of the Hero") and the main theme of the entire franchise. |
| 217 | ** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uR7doemZD0 Hyrule Castle theme]] from ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast A Link To The Past]]''. After being absent during the franchise-defining N64 era, it returned in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'' and has come to represent Hyrule Castle in most games since then. It has also come to more generally represent the King of Hyrule, a usage which also originated in ''Wind Waker''; in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath Of The Wild]]'', Hyrule Castle itself does not use the theme, but encounters with [[spoiler: King Rhoam]] do. |
| 218 | * "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSsfjHCFosw At Doom's Gate]]", the music from the first level of the original ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'', would become synonymous with the rest of the franchise [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jly9qp40rfw when it returns]] during the end of the prologue in ''VideoGame/Doom2016'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffz5Pakm0is the opening cutscene]] of ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'' and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVh9MPavWnE upon beating the]] FinalBoss in ''Eternal''. |
| 219 | * Schubert's "Ave Maria" was used in the 4th ''VideoGame/{{Hitman}}'' game --''[[VideoGame/HitmanBloodMoney Blood Money]]'' -- as the theme that plays while the game loads into the main menu, and as the BackgroundMusic of the final level as funeral music. For whatever reason, the song has since became so associated with the frachise it makes a cameo in almost all ''Hitman'' media. |
| 220 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeNKhm09Q88 "Superman"]] serves as the de facto theme song for the ''VideoGame/TonyHawksProSkater'' franchise, so much so that not only does a documentary on the series bear the same name, but when the remakes of ''1'' and ''2'' were announced, [=YouTube=] views on the song jumped ''[[ColbertBump over 800 percent]]''. |
| 221 | * "Theme of Adol" from the ''VideoGame/{{Ys}}'' series, although there is at least one game in which it doesn't appear (''VideoGame/YsVITheArkOfNapishtim''). Also, "Feena" from ''[[VideoGame/YsIAncientYsVanishedOmen I]] and [[VideoGame/YsIIAncientYsVanishedTheFinalChapter II]]''. %%and the RecurringRiff that appears several times in both ''IV'' and ''VI''. |
| 222 | * "The Moon Theme" from ''VideoGame/DuckTales'' has become synonymous with the [=DuckTales=] videogames to the point that it even became a secondary theme song for the entire franchise (with a lyrical version being included in one of the episodes of ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'') |
| 223 | * "Zone J" from the first ''VideoGame/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'' game quickly became the most memorable song to come out of both video games and is seen by many as '''the''' characterizing song of the Chip 'n Dale platform games. It's also a major inversion of Level1MusicRepresents, as it's the song of the final level. |
| 224 | * While ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' has many praise-worthy tracks and songs, thanks in part to one particularly memorable Opening from ''WebAnimation/FantasyKaleidoscope'' the Song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbjbNGgL8p8 "The Gensokyo The Gods Loved"]], which is used as the Stage theme for ''VideoGame/TouhouFuujinrokuMountainOfFaith'''s "Stage 3", has regardless been widely recognized by fans as the "unofficial-official" theme song for the entirety of ''Touhou''. |
| 225 | * ''VideoGame/BionicCommando1987'': "The Forefront", the Stage 2 BGM of the original arcade game, became the main theme of the NES adaptation and its remake, even being retitled "Bionic Commando Theme" on the OST. |
| 226 | [[/folder]] |
| 227 | |
| 228 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 229 | * ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'': |
| 230 | ** The song "Sburban Jungle" was [[http://mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=002037 initially]] only used as the installation theme for the game [[TheGamePlaysYou Sburb]]. It quickly more or less become the main theme of the comic, featuring in both the Act 3 and Act 4 closers. While the full song itself is actually largely unused, parts of its melody appear in many songs as a BootstrappedLeitmotif, including its cameo in "Cascade". Appropriate, considering the comic was almost outright called ''Sburb''. |
| 231 | ** "[[http://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/upward-movement-dave-owns-3 Upward Movement]]", ostensibly one of Dave Strider's {{Leitmotif}}s, has also seen a fair amount of reuse in the same way, most prominently as the base "foundation" and most recurring riff in [[http://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/descend the Act 4 closing animation's theme]]; it helps that it very much ties in with one of the series' ArcWords, "ascend". |
| 232 | ** "[[http://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/homestuck-anthem-2 Homestuck Anthem]]", a song that was specifically supposed to be a theme tune, became used to represent characters beginning to get involved in the greater story (or, through its TheElevatorFromIpanema cover "Elevatorstuck", prolonged frustration). |
| 233 | ** "[[http://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/chorale-for-jaspers-3 Chorale for Jaspers]]" was originally Jaspers' {{Leitmotif}}, but it has since been bootstrapped into becoming one of Rose's themes. This is most prominent in "[[http://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/at-the-price-of-oblivion-2 At The Price Of Oblivion]]". |
| 234 | ** Likewise, "[[http://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/doctor-3 Doctor]]" was originally a theme for LOWAS, which stayed valid when its remix [[http://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/savior-of-the-waking-world-2 Savior of the Waking World]] was used for John's ascension, but after "[[http://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/savior-of-the-dreaming-dead-2 Savior of the Dreaming Dead]]" was used for [[spoiler:Jade's]], it sort of became a theme for ascensions. |
| 235 | ** "[[https://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/harlequin-3 Harlequin]]" was originally the theme for John's Kernelsprite, which means it was also the theme of Nannasprite and the monsters John initially faces. It shows up multiple times throughout Acts 1 and 2, but when the monsters become more varied (and less important) and Nanna's use as a CrutchCharacter decreases, it's heard a lot less. It eventually comes back as the theme for the clown-themed Gamzee. |
| 236 | [[/folder]] |
| 237 | |
| 238 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 239 | * "The Review Must Go On", originally a song from the musical review of ''Film/MoulinRouge'', became WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic's theme song after Doug rebooted the series. |
| 240 | * Matt and Pat of ''WebVideo/TwoBestFriendsPlay'' used VideoGame/{{Kirby}}'s "Green Greens" theme for the title card and outro for ''VideoGame/KirbysEpicYarn'', their pilot episode on Machinima. They used it again for their second episode (''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'') and it's been used as their opening theme from then on, despite them only revisiting Kirby on the channel once since. It even received bootstrapped lyrics for season 2, an [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJLUwLafvDg official remix]] when the channel expanded to become ''Super Best Friends Play'', and has also been remixed for specific [=LPs=] (such as ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fA0vXYaYJI Bloodborne]]'' and ''Deus Ex'') to fit the theme of the game they are playing. |
| 241 | * Until 2022, WebVideo/ScottTheWoz used the track "Breakout" from ''VideoGame/ThreeDDotGameHeroes'' as his ending theme and has since become so synonymous with the channel that it's better known for being the ending theme of Scott the Woz's videos than being a track from ''3D Dot Game Heroes''. |
| 242 | [[/folder]] |
| 243 | |
| 244 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 245 | * Possibly the best example of this in animation is "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgoPl35n_AY Linus and Lucy"]] of ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}/Charlie Brown'', which went from being the theme of the aforementioned characters to series theme tune. Complicated by the fact that there was already a tune, also composed by Music/VinceGuaraldi, called "Charlie Brown Theme", which still saw regular use throughout the series but is damn near impossible to find on its own regardless, as everyone calls "Linus and Lucy" the Charlie Brown Theme anyway. Listen to possibly the only video example of it on [=YouTube=] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80ojk1dwbos here.]] |
| 246 | ** The first "Charlie Brown theme" is played during the credits of "It's Christmastime, Charlie Brown". |
| 247 | * Despite not being introduced until the franchise evolved [[FromSpecialToSeries from four TV specials to a weekly series]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouPYQlhempw Run With Us]] has become the theme song for ''WesternAnimation/TheRaccoons'' as a whole. |
| 248 | * Raymond Scott's "Powerhouse" is associated with Creator/CartoonNetwork's on-air look from 1997 to 2004. |
| 249 | ** It has also been [[StandardSnippet featured in]] several [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Merrie Melodies]] and WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes shorts, and as such serves as a secondary theme tune for those older Warner Bros. cartoons. |
| 250 | * "Meet WesternAnimation/{{the Flintstones}}" was originally a piece of BackgroundMusic heard during the first two seasons, with the cast recording a version with lyrics at one point. Beginning with Season 3, not only did it replace the original instrumental theme, "Rise and Shine", but when the time came to syndicate the show, the opening and closings of the first two seasons were stripped and replaced with "Meet the Flintstones", too, thanks to the similarities between "Rise and Shine" and [[WesternAnimation/TheBugsBunnyRoadRunnerShow "The Bugs Bunny Overture (This Is It!)"]] presenting potential copyright issues. The original openings weren't widely seen again until the 1990s. |
| 251 | * ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'': The theme for ''WesternAnimation/TheNewScoobyDooMovies'' was the second created for the franchise, and immediately went into disuse for the rest of the decade. For some reason, it was resurrected in 1979 for ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyGoesHollywood'' and ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooAndScrappyDoo'' and became Scooby's official theme song for the next decade. |
| 252 | * The theme song of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseFuture'' is a shortened version of the musical number "Happily Ever After" from ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseTheMovie'', with slightly altered lyrics. |
| 253 | * ''WesternAnimation/InfinityTrain'' has a different theme tune for each season, representing both that season's protagonist and the general tone of that story arc. However, you'd be hard-pressed to find a fan that doesn't view Book 1's "Running Away" as being the de-facto theme song for the entire series. |
| 254 | [[/folder]] |
| 255 | |
| 256 | %%[[folder:Advertising]] |
| 257 | %% broken link, no idea when this was "current". any help with this welcome |
| 258 | %%* The current AT&T commercial jingle uses a snippet of ''Theatre/{{Carmen}}'''s "Toreador". [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l61LjTwME7w Skip to the last 3 seconds of the commercial.]] |
| 259 | %%[[/folder]] |
| 260 |
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