Author Topic: Favorite and Least Favorite Game Show Theme Songs  (Read 9478 times)

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Offline Alfonzo

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Favorite and Least Favorite Game Show Theme Songs
« on: February 25, 2007, 06:25:20 PM »
What are your favorite and least favorite game show theme songs? My all-time favorite is from the Bill Cullen version of Blockbusters! Absolutely awesome! It was almost good enough to be hit song on the radio! I also loved the original Card Sharks, the original Joker's Wild, Match Game 7*, the original Wheel of Fortune and, of course, The "New" Price is Right.

No question, my least favorite is Tic Tac Dough '90. I can't believe Henry Mancini composed it! I also didn't care for Card Sharks '80s, Match Game '98 and The updated $ale of the Century theme.

Your picks
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Offline sideshowPA

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Re: Favorite and Least Favorite Game Show Theme Songs
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2007, 06:29:24 PM »
I always loved the old Break the Bank theme, and the early Pyramid theme.

The Scrabble theme got on my nerves.
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Offline Garvin8r

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Re: Favorite and Least Favorite Game Show Theme Songs
« Reply #2 on: February 25, 2007, 06:48:05 PM »
"Price is Right," the Barry/Enright "Break the Bank,"  the original "Card Sharks"/Trebek "Double Dare," the original "Pyramid," Thicke's "Wheel" theme, -- wow, you guys pretty much named 'em all.  That's my good list.

The one that goes on the worst list that hasn't been named is "All-Star Blitz" -- strange theme for a strange show.

Offline tpirfan28

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Re: Favorite and Least Favorite Game Show Theme Songs
« Reply #3 on: February 25, 2007, 06:57:05 PM »
Umm...I'm probably going to get ridicule for this...but I like the TPiR '94 theme.  Nice fit to the overall appearance of the show.  And I play saxophone...slight bias, I guess. :)

I also like the '80s Pyramid theme, Aussie $ale of the Century theme, and the Card Sharks theme...only when paired with that killer intro.

There's really only one theme that I "dislike"...Wheel of Fortune's current music bed.  And "dislike" would be a tame word.
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Offline tomxconn

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Re: Favorite and Least Favorite Game Show Theme Songs
« Reply #4 on: February 25, 2007, 07:01:25 PM »
As for worst.  The Donny Osmond Pyramid...nothing like the original $10000 one!  
And then...there's Monopoly.  That one's on one of my game show theme CD's.  I dunno about you but I find it absolutely nauseating!  The woman doing the 1st and 2nd "O" sounds like she's in some porn flick!

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But if you fail!  You go to jail!"
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Offline BRB_TheFireball

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Re: Favorite and Least Favorite Game Show Theme Songs
« Reply #5 on: February 25, 2007, 07:06:10 PM »
Dang, there are so many great game show themes out there besides our beloved TPIR:  "Double Dare '76"/"Card Sharks '78", Woolery "Wheel", Cullen "Chain Reaction", Dawson/Combs "Feud", "Whew!", original "Pyramid", "Blockbusters" (Cullen's theme was good, but I liked Rafferty's theme better), "Press Your Luck", and "Now You See It".

Among the worst game show themes:  "Joker's Wild '90", "Tic Tac Dough '90", "All-Star Blitz", "Mindreaders", "Monopoly", Osmond "Pyramid", the last Bergeron "Hollywood Squares" theme, and any "Wheel" theme from the last 10 years.
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Offline Mallory16

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Re: Favorite and Least Favorite Game Show Theme Songs
« Reply #6 on: February 25, 2007, 07:09:50 PM »
"Changing Keys '83" has got to be the best.  That's like game show theme perfection.  '89 and '92 are pretty darn good as well, but I think the amazing ending to '83 pushes that one over the top for me.

"Tic Tac Dough '78" is made of pure awesomeness.  I have no idea what that weird instrument is that's playing in the song, but I love it!

"Family Feud '76."  Or "Family Feud '88."  Honestly, it makes little difference to me, and I really don't have any preference there.  Something really cool there is that, for years, what I thought was the "ending" to the theme was actually not the ending--that there was actually a good bit more to that theme that came after what I thought was the ending!

"Press Your Luck" is... well, I'm not sure there's anything specifically outstanding about it, but it's about as "classic sounding" game show theme as you can get!  Same with "The $25,000/$100,000 Pyramid," also right up there.

And to bug sidey--and because it was a great theme--"Scrabble '84," which is... just really good!  Actually, the '93 theme was good as well, but it can't really compare to the '84 one.

And "The Price is Right."  I'm not sure it's really the "best" theme, but after being so comfortable hearing it all my life on the best game show... hard to not appreciate that one.

Least favorite... I dunno'.  "Tic Tac Dough '90" is certainly up there, though.  I'm tempted to go with The latest few "Wheel of Fortune" themes, though, which have just sounded like a bunch of random noises.

Offline Alfonzo

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Re: Favorite and Least Favorite Game Show Theme Songs
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2007, 07:21:34 PM »
Bergeron's Hollywood Squares, All-Star Blitz and Monopoly are proof positive that game show themes should NOT be sung!

Although I've never heard the theme to The Wizard of Odds...
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Offline HairMetalLives

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Re: Favorite and Least Favorite Game Show Theme Songs
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2007, 07:27:08 PM »
I actually like the "Monopoly" theme, although not one of my top favorites.

Some of my favorites are "Wheel of Fortune" 1989, "Super Password," "Classic Concentration," "Jeopardy!" 1984, "Hollywood Squares" 1986 & 1988, "Supermarket Sweep" 1992, "Fun House" 1998, "Double Dare," most Nickelodeon themes up to about 1990.

"All Star Blitz" REALLY got on my nerves. I don't like just about anything on the air today, aside from "Price is Right," and that's been around for almost 36 years.

Offline Ccook

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Re: Favorite and Least Favorite Game Show Theme Songs
« Reply #9 on: February 25, 2007, 07:37:04 PM »
Favorites:
Original Price Is Right ("Window Shopping", theme used from 1961 to 1965--also used during first year of Snap Judgment)
Concentration (1958-73 theme)
$10,000 Pyramid ("Tuning Up")
The Match Game ("A Swingin' Safari" and 1973 themes)
Gambit (sounds like merry-go-round music)
Eye Guess ("Sugar Lips" by Al Hirt)

Least favorites:
1998 Hollywood Squares
1986 Card Sharks
The Big Showdown
The Wizard Of Odds (I did have the misfortune to hear this parody-of-itself-in-a-sitcom theme)
Monopoly
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Offline TPIR75

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Re: Favorite and Least Favorite Game Show Theme Songs
« Reply #10 on: February 25, 2007, 07:53:31 PM »
Favorites:
To Tell The Truth (69-78)
Now You See It
Password Plus+
Password (60s)
The $25/100,000 Pyramid
Super Password
Blockbusters (Cullen)
Card Sharks/Double Dare
Bullseye
Family Feud (Dawson/Combs)
Match Game 70s
Wheel of Fortune 70s
Jeopardy! (78-79, '91 & '98)
1 vs. 100

Least Favorites:
The Better Sex
Sale of the Century
Monopoly
Press Your Luck
Card Sharks '86
Anderson/Karn/'O Hurley Family Feud
TNPIR '94
Rafferty Blockbusters
Greed

Offline goldroadfanatic

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Re: Favorite and Least Favorite Game Show Theme Songs
« Reply #11 on: February 25, 2007, 08:09:55 PM »
TPIR75, you were indifferent towards the Jeopardy! '84 theme?
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Offline Forrest20

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Re: Favorite and Least Favorite Game Show Theme Songs
« Reply #12 on: February 25, 2007, 08:21:18 PM »
Here are some of my favorites:
1.  The All-New Let's Make a Deal (1984):  AWESOME theme!  One of my all-time favorites for sure, it fit the whole look and feel of the show very well.
2.  Sale of the Century:  I really enjoy both versions of the theme from the 80's version, just really great music!
3.  Jeopardy!:  Any variation of the theme since Alex has been on the show.
4.  The New Treasure Hunt:  Probably Barris's best theme, IMO.
5.  Wheel of Fortune (70's):  Very 70's, and very cool.  No wonder the show used to be so good..

Least favorites:
1.  Family Feud (1999-present):  Horrid music.  Its a shame since they actually got the set and the host right that they've stuck with that music.
2.  Wheel of Fortune (1974 pilot):  Easy to see why this theme was only used on the pilot, very strange.
3.  The Joker's Wild (1972):  This one never has grown on me, its actually grated on me..

Offline Superballer

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Re: Favorite and Least Favorite Game Show Theme Songs
« Reply #13 on: February 25, 2007, 08:32:06 PM »
My favorites would probably be a tie between Press Your Luck, Scrabble, and the 1989 Wheel of Fortune theme, in no particular order.  As with others, I agree the 1990 Tic-Tac-Dough theme, with its "let's go for a stroll in the park" mentality that's out of whack with the game itself, is the worst, with the collective theme attached to Wink's Family Channel shows (Boggle, Shuffle, Jumble) coming in second.

Offline GoldenBulldog

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Re: Favorite and Least Favorite Game Show Theme Songs
« Reply #14 on: February 25, 2007, 08:43:03 PM »
My Favorite Game Show Themes:  

The Price is Right (1972)
Scrabble (1984)
Wheel of Fortune ("Changing Keys" 1983 version)
Jeopardy! (1984)
Bumper Stumpers
Now You See It!




Unfortunately, these are my Least Favorite Game Show Themes:

Monopoly (1990)
Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
Wheel of Fortune (current music)
Let's Make a Deal (1989-1990)
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