There was a time when TV theme songs mattered. You heard the first few notes, and you knew what was coming on. You’d hum along, maybe even sing the words without thinking. “I’ll Be There for You” from Friends or “Everywhere You Look” from Full House didn’t just start the show. They made you feel like you were stepping into a familiar place.
Now that feeling is mostly gone. Streaming changed the way we watch. Most shows either skip the opening or make it so short you barely notice it. There’s always that “Skip Intro” button in the corner. People click it because everything today is about saving time nowadays. We binge-watch and jump straight to the next episode before we even get to the credits.
Those old songs did something you don’t get anymore. They gave you a moment to settle in. and set the mood. You might not remember every storyline from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but you probably remember the whole song. That’s the thing. It wasn’t just music. It was part of the experience.
Theme songs made a show feel like home. They helped you connect with the characters and with each other. Everyone knew the words and joined in. You could walk into a room, hear the first few chords and people would smile. That little shared moment before the story even started was something special.
Now TV is more private. We often watch alone with headphones on. That small shared joy is gone. Maybe it sounds ridiculous to miss something as small and seemingly insignificant as that, but it isn’t. Those songs made watching TV feel like a bit of a serotonin boost instead of just another thing to get through.
That’s why we miss them. Not just because they were catchy or fun to sing (though I’ll admit they are quite good at sticking inside my head afterwards), but because they made TV feel like being part of something together. They gave this beautiful moment to share as a community, and it made the show feel more real and connected to us in a way that skipping the intro never will.
