Why Do We Love Those Theme Songs So Much?
There are very good reasons why we love themes to shows and movies. And this love is rooted in both basic musical elements and memory associations. Firstly, a great theme song is a catchy, melodic piece that captures the tonality of the show. While many have lyrics, they’re not required for it to be great (e.g., the theme to The X-Files or The Twilight Zone).
But these songs are more than just catchy; they get a large boost of meaning and context from the shows they represent. Because the theme song is played during an intro sequence for each episode, the song eventually becomes this long term memory associative trigger. When the theme song from one of your favorite shows is heard, it triggers lots of positive and even more complex emotions. This is especially true for fictional shows that aren’t bound to realistic settings: they can trigger emotions of heroism, bravery, adventure, nostalgia, and wonder.
Sometimes, a theme song is like going to a familiar place where everybody knows your name. It doesn’t matter if the song was written for the show or discovered. If it fits perfectly with the show’s content, it will capture everything the fans love.