Ah, the sitcom theme song. Though some sitcoms today still feature a theme song, for the most part they’ve gone the way of the dodo. That is to say, kaput. But back in the ‘90s, theme songs were alive and well, introducing your favorite sitcom each week.
Just a quick housekeeping note — if a sitcom only had a theme song that was used at the end of the episode, we did not include it. So, sorry Seinfeld and Frasier, while your themes are memorable, we were really looking at those songs that opened the shows each week.
Below are the top 10 most memorable sitcom theme songs from the 1990s!
Looking for the ’80s? We got you: The 10 Best ’80s Sitcom Theme Songs – Ranked
Roseanne features a deceptively simple theme song — the use of a saxophone, harmonica and a few other instruments over a scene of the Conner family sitting down to a meal, ending with Roseanne’s distinctive laugh, is a theme you will immediately recognize. The song, mixed with the pan-around credits, does a great job of setting the scene for what you’re in for with the show.
When this theme first starts playing, you might not immediately recognize it, but as soon as Tim Allen’s grunt is featured, you immediately know it’s from Home Improvement. The theme song does a good job of implementing some sound effects from power tools along with the electric guitar at its core to really hit home that the show will have power tools and building involved.
The theme song for Step by Step, “Second Time Around,” was essentially a minute and a half song created specifically for the show telling the story of how the two main characters had other lives that ended poorly, and now they’ve been given a second chance with each other. It even features both male and female voices to represent both leads. The opening is also memorable for featuring the whole family at an amusement park, which was filmed specifically for the opening credits.
If you listen closely to both Step by Step and Family Matters’ theme songs, you’ll notice that they both feature the same voice — Jesse Frederick. Read further down this list and you’ll find out some more fun facts about Frederick as well. In any case, this theme song didn’t start being used until the fifth episode of the first season, but became ubiquitous after that, and is certainly what everyone remembers.
Blossom’s theme song can get stuck in your head very easily. In fact, “My Opinionation” is stuck in my head just now after listening to it for two seconds. The opening theme is also memorable for it featuring the cast dancing around to the song. Originally, for the first season, the theme was Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative,” but I think we can all agree it was a good choice to switch it up to a much more earworm-y song.
One of only three theme songs to make this list that doesn’t have any lyrics, the Sex and the City theme is nonetheless very memorable. It’s fun, flirty, and gives a sense of what you’re in for as you watch Carrie Bradshaw walk the streets of New York in her fairly ridiculous dress. But weren’t her crazy outfits half the fun of Sex and the City in the first place?
Producer Peter Engel did not want the show to be called Saved by the Bell, and gave implicit instructions to composers to not use the phrase in any of their theme song trials. However, composer Scott Gayle said screw the rules, and came up with this version of the theme song. Turns out, Engel was happy he did so, as the other versions were no good, and this fit the show perfectly. Can you imagine the show without this theme song?
Now wait just a minute. Are you telling me that the Full House theme song ALSO features the same singer as Family Matters and Step by Step? Indeed, Jesse Frederick was partially responsible for all three of these theme songs! Wow, prolific dude, and honestly we had no idea that he was the singer in all three, but now that you point it out, it’s kinda like, duh. The theme song is mostly about longing for the good old days, which I suppose Full House is sort of…about…kind of…? The chorus is what really sells it, as it’s talking about how everywhere you look, someone is there for you.
Certainly the Friends theme song may be the most memorable out of all sitcom theme songs, so why doesn’t it rank as number one? We had to ultimately give it to a song that was composed specifically for the show, rather than one that was just repurposed for it. The Rembrandts’ “I’ll Be There For You” was really not popular before being featured on the show, but it shot into the charts along with the popularity of Friends itself. What really makes this theme song shine, however, is the cast goofing off together on the couch and in the fountain in the opening credits. Apparently we almost never saw the now-iconic opening in the fountain, however, as the studio just wanted clips to be featured alongside the music.
Will Smith had no acting experience prior to his role on Fresh Prince — his goal was to be a successful rapper — but I think we can all agree that he was perfect for the role that would truly propel him to stardom. The theme song was written by Quincy Jones, but Smith later came in and changed a few of the lyrics to suit his style better. He and DJ Jazzy Jeff performed the song, which is actually titled “Yo Home to Bel-Air.” Despite the show being off the air for over 20 years (gasp!), everyone can still rap along to this day, and that’s what places it at number one.
Do you agree with our top 10? What’s your favorite sitcom theme song from the ’90s? Let us know in the comments!
- Jesse Frederick, who performs the Full House, Family Matters, and Step by Step theme songs included above, also performed the theme song for Perfect Strangers.
- Dr. John performed the Blossom theme song — you may not know his name (he was known for music that combined blues, pop, jazz, boogie-woogie, funk, and rock and roll), but he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.
- Dan Foliart composed the theme songs for both Roseanne and Home Improvement, as well as music on quite a few other series such as 7th Heaven.
- The cast of Friends all appeared in The Rembrandts’ music video for “I’ll Be There For You” after the show became a big hit.
- In 2013, a high school student recorded the Fresh Prince theme song as his voicemail message and the school receptionist mistakenly thought he said “shooting some people outside of the school” instead of “shooting some b-ball outside of the school,” which caused a countywide school lockdown until they found the kid, who was in the guidance counselor’s office the whole time.
- Jesse Frederick, who performs the Full House, Family Matters, and Step by Step theme songs included above, also performed the theme song for Perfect Strangers.
- Dr. John performed the Blossom theme song — you may not know his name (he was known for music that combined blues, pop, jazz, boogie-woogie, funk, and rock and roll), but he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.
- Dan Foliart composed the theme songs for both Roseanne and Home Improvement, as well as music on quite a few other series such as 7th Heaven.
- The cast of Friends all appeared in The Rembrandts’ music video for “I’ll Be There For You” after the show became a big hit.
- In 2013, a high school student recorded the Fresh Prince theme song as his voicemail message and the school receptionist mistakenly thought he said “shooting some people outside of the school” instead of “shooting some b-ball outside of the school,” which caused a countywide school lockdown until they found the kid, who was in the guidance counselor’s office the whole time.
