History Main / RealSongThemeTune

** Season 5 (''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean Stone Ocean]]''): episodes 1-37: Music/{{Duffy}}'s "Distant Dreamer", while episode 38 uses [[BookEnds Yes's "Roundabout"]].

* ''Radio/{{Ectoplasm}}'': An instrumental excerpt from Nyimbo Yakwatu by Robson Banda and the New Black Eagles (a Zimbabwean group popular since the 1980s).

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' [[MemeticMutation (in)famously]] uses "All-Star" by Music/SmashMouth.

* Music/AlterBridge's "Metalingus", which Wrestling/{{Edge|Wrestler}} had used as his theme from 2005 to 2012, was originally recorded for the band's first album. Prior to that he was using Music/RobZombie's "Never Gonna Stop". Come 2022, Edge becomes {{darker and|edgier}} [[{{Pun}} edgier]] and uses "The Other Side" from the band's fifth album.

* ''Speed Punks'' uses "Travelling Without Moving" by Jamiroquai as its opening theme.

* ''WesternAnimation/Cars1'' features a cover of Tom Cochrane's "Life is a Highway" by Rascal Flatts during the montage of Mack driving with Lightning [=McQueen=] in his trailer along Interstate 40 through the central United States.

* ''Series/BadRobots'' uses Rednex's "Cotton Eye Joe"[[labelnote:*]]a Eurodance version of the American folk standard "Cotton-''Eyed'' Joe[[/labelnote]] when they need a song to annoy the hapless victim.

* ''Series/VeronicaMars'' used "We Used to Be Friends" by Music/TheDandyWarhols. For the third season, ThePowersThatBe switched to a slower, ostensibly {{Darker and|edgier}} [[{{Pun}} Edgier]] version of the song.

* Music/AlterBridge's "Metalingus", which Wrestling/{{Edge|Wrestler}} had used as his theme from 2005 to 2012, was originally recorded for the band's first album. Prior to that he was using Music/RobZombie's "Never Gonna Stop". Come 2022, Edge becomes DarkerAndEdgier and uses "The Other Side" from the band's fifth album.

* ''Series/VeronicaMars'' used "We Used to Be Friends" by Music/TheDandyWarhols. For the third season, ThePowersThatBe switched to a slower, ostensibly DarkerAndEdgier version of the song.

* ''LightNovel/HeavensMemoPad'''s ED is Mr. Big's "Colorado Bulldog", of all things.

* ''Manga/MariaHolic'' uses a cover of Music/YellowMagicOrchestra's "Kimi ni Mune Kyun" for its ending theme.

* ''Anime/ErgoProxy'''s ending theme is "Paranoid Android" by Music/{{Radiohead}}.

** Season 1 (''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventurePhantomBlood Phantom Blood]]'' and ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureBattleTendency Battle Tendency]]''): Music/{{Yes}}'s [[Music/{{Fragile}} "Roundabout"]]; different parts of this eight-minute long jam session were used over the end credits, and in rare occasions an instrumental bridge bled into the scene right before a "To Be Continued" freeze-frame, leading to a [[MemeticMutation video meme]] where dramatic events are cut off right as the screen turns sepia, freeze frames, the iconic "To Be Continued Arrow" appears, and the beginning chords of "Roundabout" begin (years after the fact, and also it was used once or twice during the show, but we'll forgive people)
** Season 2 (''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders Stardust Crusaders]]'')
*** Ep 1-24: Music/TheBangles' "Walk Like an Egyptian"
*** Ep 25-48: Music/PatMethenyGroup's "Last Train Home"

** Season 4 (''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind Golden Wind]]'')
*** Ep 1-19: Music/{{Jodeci}}'s "Freek'n You"[[note]]Try to keep a straight face when the 90s R&B bass line starts and then goes immediately into the lyrics "Every time I close my eyes / I wake up feeling so horny"[[/note]]
*** Ep 22-39: Music/{{Enigma}}'s "Modern Crusaders"
** Season 5 (''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean Stone Ocean]]''):
*** Ep 1-37: Music/{{Duffy}}'s "Distant Dreamer"
*** Ep 38: [[BookEnds Yes's "Roundabout"]]

* ''Anime/AfterWarGundamX'' uses Warren Wiebe's "Human Touch" as it's ending from episode 1 to 26. The first 12 episodes use the English version and the rest uses a Japanese cover done by a female singer.

* ''Series/CousinSkeeter'' uses a rewritten version of 702's "Steelo" as it's theme song. The band also makes a cameo appearance in the opening credits.

* ''Series/{{Suits}}'' uses "Greenback Boogie" by Ima Robot as it's theme.

* ''Series/UltramanTiga'' used ''Take Me Higher'' by Dave Rodgers as it's opening theme, albeit translated into Japanese with Rodgers' supervision.

* Creator/{{Konami}}'s early arcade game ''VideoGame/{{Pooyan}}'' uses ''The Bear'' (known in Japan as ''Mori no Kumasan''') as it's game start tune and an English folk song called ''The Ear Song'' as it's in-game BGM.

** ''VideoGame/Borderlands3'' uses "Put It On The Line" by The Heavy for its intro and "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys for it's credits.

* The world of ''Website/{{Smegolia}}'' has the Monoral's Kiri as it's theme tune.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'' featured a cover of Tom Cochrane's "Life is a Highway" by Rascal Flatts during the montage of Mack driving with Lightning [=McQueen=] in his trailer along Interstate 40 through the central United States.
** ''WesternAnimation/Cars2'' also has Music/{{Weezer}}'s cover of Music/TheCars' "You Might Think" playing as [=McQueen=] and co. travel to Tokyo for the World Grand Prix.

** The traier for ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder'' features Music/GunsNRoses' "Sweet Child o' Mine", which was also used as the first ending song. Then comes Music/{{Dio}}'s "Rainbow In The Dark" as the extended credits roll.

* The opening theme for ''Anime/TrinityBlood'' is a new recording of the 1993 Music/BuckTick song "Dress".

* ''LightNovel/OkamiSan'' uses a cover of '78 pop hit "Akazukin-chan Goyoujin" ("Little Red Riding Hood Beware") as its ending theme. Given the motif of the show, an appropriate choice.

* ''Series/DeadliestCatch'' uses "Wanted Dead or Alive" by Music/BonJovi.

* An inevitable trope for {{Licensed Game}}s. Usually the game will at least use the show's theme song (or in the case of a movie, the AwardBaitSong) for the opening theme. If it's based on a movie, well, expect the other songs and scores from the movie to be used in the game as well.

* ''VideoGame/BurnoutParadise'' uses Music/GunsNRoses' [[Music/AppetiteForDestruction "Paradise City"]] in all its glory.
** ''VideoGame/{{Burnout}} CRASH!'' uses "Crash" by The Primitives.

* The ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeed'' series has had many theme songs. The first time a theme song was used was in ''Hot Pursuit 2'' with two songs by Hot Action Cop: "Goin' Down on It" and "Fever for the Flava".
** ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedUnderground Underground]] 1'' uses "Get Low" by Music/LilJon and The Eastside Boyz and Ying Yang Twins as its theme song.

** ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted Most Wanted]] 2005'' has two theme songs: "Nine Thou (Grant Mohrman Superstars Remix)" by Styles of Beyond, and a specifically made song, "Shapeshifter" by Celldweller and Styles of Beyond.

** ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedProStreet [=ProStreet=]]]'' doesn't have a specific theme song, but many of the most recognizable songs in the game were made by Dutch musician Junkie XL. The most known of these songs is "Castellated Nut", as it has an appearance in ''World'', thanks to the Mitsubishi Eclipse ELITE.
** ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedUndercover Undercover]]'', like ''[=ProStreet=]'', doesn't have a specific theme song, but by far the most recognizable songs of the soundtrack are Combichrist's remix of "Never Wanted To Dance" by Music/MindlessSelfIndulgence and "The Mark Has Been Made" by Music/NineInchNails.
** ''Shift'' has as its theme song "Kalemba Wegue Wegue" by Buraka Som Sistema and Pongolove.
** ''Nitro'' has as its theme song "Code of the Road" by Danko Jones.
** ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedHotPursuit Hot Pursuit]] (2010)'' has "Edge of the Earth" by Music/ThirtySecondsToMars.
** ''Shift 2: Unleashed'' has "Night of the Hunter", also by Music/ThirtySecondsToMars, as its theme song.
** ''[[VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted2012 Most Wanted]] (2012)'' has "Butterflies and Hurricanes" by Music/{{Muse}}.

** Finally, [[VideoGame/NeedForSpeed2015 the 2015 reboot]] has "Night Riders" by Major Lazer, Travi$ Scott, 2 Chainz, Pusha T, and Mad Cobra.
** Averted with ''No Limits'' as it has no theme song at all.

* The arcade game ''VideoGame/BombJack'' uses the ending theme from ''Spoon-obaasan'' (the anime version of ''Literature/MrsPepperpot'') as the first round theme. The second round theme is Music/TheBeatles' "Lady Madonna."

* ''WebAnimation/GenLOCK'' used Battle Tapes' "Belgrade" as its opening theme.

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/CrueBall'' -- while the game features the Music/MotleyCrue songs "Dr. Feelgood", "Live Wire", and "Home Sweet Home", they are only available in the Music Demo on the title screen. The in-game music consists of cycled [=PCMs=] by arcade {{Pinball}} composer Brian Schmidt.

** In an unusual subversion, [[VideoGame/MassEffect the first game's]] use of "M4 (Part II)" from Faunts as cits redits theme is what catapulted the group into fame in the first place.

* Some of the Creator/ParadoxInteractive games use classical (and in the case of ''VideoGame/VictoriAnEmpireUnderTheSun'' and ''VideoGame/EuropaUniversalis'', period) music. The most famous example is probably ''VideoGame/HeartsOfIron'' and its use of "Music/RideOfTheValkyries".

** ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' famously features "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone over the opening credits, with other classic 60's and 70's songs playing at various points throughout.

* Creator/{{Konami}}'s early arcade game VideoGame/{{Pooyan}} uses ''The Bear'' (known in Japan as ''Mori no Kumasan''') as it's game start tune and an English folk song called ''The Ear Song'' as it's in-game BGM.

** ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' uses Music/CageTheElephant's "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked" as the game theme in both the opening video and commercial trailers. It fits the setting quite well. Champion's "No Heaven" is also used in one of the trailers and during the end credits.

* ''Webanimation/GenLOCK'' used Battle Tapes' "Belgrade" as its opening theme.

* The world of ''WebOriginal/{{Smegolia}}'' has the Monoral's Kiri as it's theme tune.