A Salute to Black TV Show Theme Songs
By Brittnee’ Jones
The perfect ingredient to a TV Show is the theme song that goes with it. It’s a part of the foundation and it sets the tone. You know a TV Show theme song made a mark if you can still sing it decades after the show went off the air. As soon as the beat dropped, you were ready to sing your heart out!!! Some of the most iconic black TV shows generated the best theme songs. Songs that created a legacy that will last forever!! There is no particular order here because I love them all, but here are some of my favorite Black TV Show theme songs!
“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”
Without a doubt one of the most recognized theme songs in TV sitcom history!! DJU Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince blessed us with something special! As soon as that beat dropped, you knew it was getting ready to be a lit singalong! Everybody knows this theme song….EVERYBODY! Whether you choose to rap the short version or the extended version, we love them both!!
“Living Single”
“Oooooh in a 90s kinda world, I’m glad I got my girls”!!! Rapping & singing the theme song?? The Queen L-A-T-I-F-A-H in command did what she needed to do!! Instant classic!!
“The Proud Family”
“The..Proud..Family…what”! This theme song was fun and full of life that described our families to the T!! The perfect song to an AMAZING animated series!! Not only did we get to hear Destiny’s Child, Solange got her chance to shine on this one! Shout out to Disney for this cultured masterpiece with an AMAZING beat!
“Moesha”
Moesha Mitchell stuck her foot in her mouth more times than I can count on this show, but nothing takes away from that “Mo to the, E to the…MOESHA”!! I still hate that we don’t know what happened to Miles at the end of that show, but that’s a different story for a different day!
“Kenan & Kel”
“Awwwww here it goes”!!! Yeah we were blessed with Gangsta’s Paradise and Fantastic Voyage but, Coolio rapping on this theme song is one of his greatest contributions to our generation! He describes Kenan & Kel to the T! It was topped off with a very catchy beat!!
“Gullah Gullah Island”
“Come & let’s play together in the bright sunny weather…” need I say more??? God bless Natalie & Ronald Daise for giving us such a gem!!
“Family Matters”
Family Matters is hit or miss with a lot of viewers as far as “Favorite TV Show” and I understand why but when you heard those 88s at the beginning of the theme song, you were ready to singalong! “As daaaaays gooooo byyyyy”!!
“Good Times”
The theme song for Good Times was so good, you didn’t even care that the song was practically about the daily struggles of a black family living in Chicago. Even through the bad times, we still have each other and we’re gonna keep pushing until we make it! No better message. We’re also trying to figure out if they were saying “hangin’ in the chow line” or “hangin’ & jiving”.
“The Jeffersons”
A song about an upgraded apartment on the other side of town?? It doesn’t get any better than this!!! This theme song has it all: catchy beat, iconic lyrics & the late Janet Du’Bois blessing us with the vocals! You literally can’t talk about theme songs without mentioning this one!
“In Living Color”
I can’t showcase my favorite TV theme songs without mentioning In Living Color’s theme song! The song was fun, up beat and easy to rap and sing along to. Keenan sprinkled some magic here when he picked the late Heavy D to provide the lyrics to the theme! I enjoy the themes from all 5 seasons, however, the theme from seasons 3-4 is my personal favorite!!
More of my favorite Black TV theme songs!!
“New York Undercover”
“Sister, Sister”
“My Brother & Me”
“Soul Food: The TV Series”
“227”
“Smart Guy”
“That’s So Raven”
“The Cosby Show”
“Wayans Brothers”
“A Different World”
“Jamie Foxx Show”
“Sanford & Son”
“Cousin Skeeter”
“Martin”
“Amen”
“Roc”
“Boondocks”
“One on One”
“Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper”
“Out All Night” (underrated theme)
What are some of your favorite theme songs???? Let us know in the comment box below!! Until next time!