Another famous television theme, actually charted 5 decades ago. "Eye
Level", theme from the 1970's Thames Television series Van der Valk,
starring Barry Foster. I've never seen it.
It was originally written as catalog music but was chosen as the tv
theme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvesdlGe-EI
On 2026-09-03 9:45 p.m., Adam H. Kerman wrote:
Another famous television theme, actually charted 5 decades ago. "Eye >>Level", theme from the 1970's Thames Television series Van der Valk, >>starring Barry Foster. I've never seen it.
It was originally written as catalog music but was chosen as the tv
theme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvesdlGe-EI
I never saw the show either but that song is very familiar so I must
have heard it back in the day. It wasn't that unusual to hear such
things on the pop charts in the 60s and 70s, even when they were very >different from the rest of what was playing.
I remember hearing performers like Tom Jones, Englebert Humperdinck, and >Dusty Springfield doing music that was a long way from rock 'n' roll.
Then there were TV theme songs like this and Rockford Files and Hill
Street Blues. And novelty songs like Guitarzan (and several others by
Ray Stevens). I feel like radio got more format-driven over time: the >parameters for what qualified as "rock" or "pop" got narrower and
narrower to the point where all the songs sound the same now and people
who listen to a given station don't get exposed to anything that's just
a little different.
Rhino <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:
On 2026-09-03 9:45 p.m., Adam H. Kerman wrote:
Another famous television theme, actually charted 5 decades ago. "Eye
Level", theme from the 1970's Thames Television series Van der Valk,
starring Barry Foster. I've never seen it.
It was originally written as catalog music but was chosen as the tv
theme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvesdlGe-EI
I never saw the show either but that song is very familiar so I must
have heard it back in the day. It wasn't that unusual to hear such
things on the pop charts in the 60s and 70s, even when they were very
different from the rest of what was playing.
I remember hearing performers like Tom Jones, Englebert Humperdinck, and
Dusty Springfield doing music that was a long way from rock 'n' roll.
Then there were TV theme songs like this and Rockford Files and Hill
Street Blues. And novelty songs like Guitarzan (and several others by
Ray Stevens). I feel like radio got more format-driven over time: the
parameters for what qualified as "rock" or "pop" got narrower and
narrower to the point where all the songs sound the same now and people
who listen to a given station don't get exposed to anything that's just
a little different.
Perhaps the biggest success was "Believe It or Not", theme from The
Greatest American Hero, released as a single months before the show premiered.
On Sep 4, 2026 at 8:33:26 AM PDT, ""Adam H. Kerman"" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
Rhino <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:
On 2026-09-03 9:45 p.m., Adam H. Kerman wrote:
Another famous television theme, actually charted 5 decades ago. "Eye
Level", theme from the 1970's Thames Television series Van der Valk,
starring Barry Foster. I've never seen it.
It was originally written as catalog music but was chosen as the tv
theme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvesdlGe-EI
I never saw the show either but that song is very familiar so I must
have heard it back in the day. It wasn't that unusual to hear such
things on the pop charts in the 60s and 70s, even when they were very
different from the rest of what was playing.
I remember hearing performers like Tom Jones, Englebert Humperdinck, and >> Dusty Springfield doing music that was a long way from rock 'n' roll.
Then there were TV theme songs like this and Rockford Files and Hill
Street Blues. And novelty songs like Guitarzan (and several others by
Ray Stevens). I feel like radio got more format-driven over time: the
parameters for what qualified as "rock" or "pop" got narrower and
narrower to the point where all the songs sound the same now and people >> who listen to a given station don't get exposed to anything that's just >> a little different.
Perhaps the biggest success was "Believe It or Not", theme from The Greatest American Hero, released as a single months before the show premiered.
And "Fame" by Irene Cara
BTR1701 wrote in article <117etgg$qn7k$1@dont-email.me>:
On Sep 4, 2026 at 8:33:26 AM PDT, ""Adam H. Kerman"" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote: >>> Rhino <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:
On 2026-09-03 9:45 p.m., Adam H. Kerman wrote:
Another famous television theme, actually charted 5 decades ago. "Eye >>>>> Level", theme from the 1970's Thames Television series Van der Valk, >>>>> starring Barry Foster. I've never seen it.
It was originally written as catalog music but was chosen as the tv
theme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvesdlGe-EI
I never saw the show either but that song is very familiar so I must
have heard it back in the day. It wasn't that unusual to hear such
things on the pop charts in the 60s and 70s, even when they were very
different from the rest of what was playing.
I remember hearing performers like Tom Jones, Englebert Humperdinck, and >>>> Dusty Springfield doing music that was a long way from rock 'n' roll.
Then there were TV theme songs like this and Rockford Files and Hill
Street Blues. And novelty songs like Guitarzan (and several others by
Ray Stevens). I feel like radio got more format-driven over time: the
parameters for what qualified as "rock" or "pop" got narrower and
narrower to the point where all the songs sound the same now and people >>>> who listen to a given station don't get exposed to anything that's just >>>> a little different.
Perhaps the biggest success was "Believe It or Not", theme from The
Greatest American Hero, released as a single months before the show
premiered.
And "Fame" by Irene Cara
Don't forget "Where Everybody Knows Your Name," the theme from Cheers.
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