It’s hard for a TV theme to actually be rocking. Even if the song rocks, the visuals accompanying it might not, rendering the end product cheesy, dated, or simply bad. The following songs avoid this pitfall, hitting that sweet spot of muscular songwriting and audiovisual synchronicity. In other words, each theme has obtained true rockability.
–Dan Caffrey
Senior Staff Writer
10. The Shield
“Just Another Day” by Vivian Romero, Ernesto Bautista, and Rodney Alejandro
Don’t say nu metal never did anything for you. Every time Vic Mackey kicked some punk’s dick in or uttered a truly badass bon mot, giving way to The Shield’s choppy, aggressive opening theme, nu metal didn’t just transcend itself, it conveyed the exact level of swelling aggression the genre always aimed for. The Shield is the televisual equivalent of a line of coke, and “Just Another Day” is that first glorious sniff. So, like, don’t do drugs. Watch The Shield instead. –Randall Colburn
9. King of the Hill
“Yahoos and Triangles” by The Refreshments
As much as it sucks that everyone thinks Primus performed the King of the Hill theme, it’s also a testament to The Refreshments’ kickassery. Distinctly Texan (even though the band is from Arizona), the song’s lazy twang quickly gives way to rapid-fire strumming. The sudden distortion, staccato switches, and that cymbal solo in the middle (or is it a glass bottle?) make standing around and drinking beer while the world passes you by (the preferred activity of Hank Hill and his buddies) look like the most exciting thing ever — a Mike Judge joke if there ever was one. –Dan Caffrey
