Anyone who grew up during the '60s, '70s, '80s, or... yep, the '90s too, will find some nostalgia in our best superhero theme song list.
There have been some absolute classics before the turn of the millennium, and while superhero theme songs aren't quite as essential and iconic anymore, there's no harm in reminiscing.
And, in a somewhat nostalgic, retro twist, Disney Plus's MCU show WandaVision has been reviving the classic theme song concept by opening every episode with a pastiche of a well-known TV theme song. The latest episode even included a second 'theme within the show within the show' of sorts with the social media driven hit 'Agatha All Along.'
So without further ado, let us present the top 10 best superhero theme songs of all time.
10. Agatha All Along
OK, OK, it's less of a 'theme song' than a one-off gag, but WandaVision's 'Agatha All Along' is as catchy as a TV jingle gets.
Laying out the terms of WandaVision episode seven's shocking surprise - that nosey neighbor Agnes is secretly the witch Agatha Harkness and has been influencing the show's events (as the lyrics and title state) "all along," 'Agatha All Along' channels the lilting, only lightly sinister tone of classic 50s and 60s 'horror' sitcom theme songs like The Addams Family and The Munsters.
'Agatha All Along' is fun and funny, and is maybe the best musical interlude yet from WandaVision, a show that has cleverly parodied other non-superhero TV theme songs, including paying homage to Bewitched, Malcolm in the Middle, The Office, and more.
9. The Greatest American Hero
Even if you've never seen the cult classic Greatest American Hero in which an average guy gets a special alien suit that gives him superpowers, you've definitely heard the theme song, 'Walking On Air.'
The show only lasted a few seasons – though it's often brought up as deserving a revival, something that's recently been put into motion. But 'Walking On Air' has a shelf-life of its own, infecting pop culture from Seinfeld, to Family Guy, and even Homestar Runner.
8. Flash Gordon
Only a legendary rock band like Queen could craft a theme song as outlandish as the one they wrote for 1980's Flash Gordon and still manage to make it one of the most enduring and unassailable superhero theme songs of all time.
From it's thumping backbeat, to Freddie Mercury's chants of "FLASH! Ahhhh ahhhhh!" to Brian May's signature harmonic riffs, every aspect of this song is totally unexpected, a little bit silly, and wildly outlandish – just like the movie that it was written for.
7. Wonder Woman
Lynda Carter's classic turn (see what we did there?) as the Amazonian warrior Wonder Woman isn't quite as all-encompassing as her Justice League compatriot Batman's became just a few years prior, but its dancey rhythms, disco instrumentation, and incredible urgency have left it stuck in the minds of fans for decades
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice introduced a new orchestral theme for the heroine as well, consisting of wild, almost shrieking strings and pounding drums that evoke the warrior spirit of the Amazons.
6. Superman: The Movie/Superman: The Animated Series
It's hard to envision Superman in flight without hearing that soaring John Williams score setting the tone. With his Superman: The Movie score, Williams created the prototypical superhero theme and found the perfect balance of hope, adventure, and drama.
The theme was later adapted for Superman: The Animated Series, and when trailers for Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice were released, many fans didn't feel they were complete until a few enterprising video editors added the classic Williams score to the mix - something Danny Elfman did as well for Justice League.
5. X-Men: The Animated Series
It's rare that a fully instrumental theme song becomes as undeniably iconic as the '90s X-Men: The Animated Series theme, but for a whole generation of fans, the shredding guitars and strings of the intro are just as memorable as Jubilee's inscrutable slang, Rogue's southern accent, and Wolverine's snarled "Bub!" when it comes to the show.
And considering how weird the theme song of the show's predecessor, the one-off animated pilot 'Pryde of the X-Men' was, maybe it's for the best that this one stuck to striking a tone rather than spelling out exactly who the X-Men are in a more typical cartoon fashion.
4. Batman '66
It's hard to imagine a more ubiquitous pop-culture theme song than the iconic intro to the '60s Batman TV show.
Everybody knows that simple but unmistakable refrain – who among us can say they don't still think "Na na na na na na na na Batman!" every time they see the Caped Crusader?
3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
In terms of setting a bar for cartoon theme songs, it doesn't get much higher than Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Any '80s/'90s kid can sing every word at the drop of a hat, and more than a few friend foursomes defined themselves by the descriptions of the Turtles posited by the song.
Oddly enough, the song was actually written by Chuck Lorre, the producer who would later go on to create extremely popular sitcoms such as Two And A Half Men and The Big Bang Theory.
2. Spider-Man/Marvel Superheroes
Like Batman, the '60s animated Spider-Man theme song is forever linked to the character. Its familiar lyrics, which describe Spider-Man's powers and attitude, are inextricable from the perception of the wall-crawler.
The theme's tune has even been adapted into the score of nearly every Spider-Man movie, and everyone from the Ramones to Michael Buble have covered the song.
1. Batman/Batman: The Animated Series
There is no superhero theme song more dramatic, more atmospheric, more embodying of its subject than Shirley Walker's theme song to Batman: The Animated Series, adapted from Danny Elfman's score for 1989's Batman.
Swinging quickly from its understated but moody opening notes to staccato bursts of horns and strings, culminating in a haunting minor-key progression, the theme – like the animated series it eventually anchored – captures perfectly everything Batman can be in just a few short measures.
