10 Best Cartoon Theme Songs

There are a lot of things that go into making a cartoon show work, and one of the most significant is creating a memorable theme song. A decent theme can make or break a show's popularity, as in many cases it's the aspect of a cartoon that sticks with you the most.

There has been a tonne of wonderful musical themes for animated shows in the history of TV, and the best ones manage to capture the unique spirit of their project in a short amount of time. Encapsulating the show's major vibe and sensibilities into song form gives fans a brilliant way to perform along to the title and be an active part of it.

In the case of the following entries, they managed to generate something that is just as easy to identify with the property as the characters, visuals and narrative themselves.

Whether it's because they focus on simplicity, a catchy tune, or a densely-packed informative musical piece, these theme songs have gone on to become some of the best in the business, and helped - in most cases - to make these cartoons utterly iconic.

Inspector Gadget debuted in 1983, and was a definite success, going on to reach 86 episodes - all of which featured this iconic theme song. The story of the bumbling detective was an incredibly light-hearted and goofy series. As such, the music needed to match this theme.

The straightforward melody and upbeat tempo instantly present a fun vibe that makes it clear the show isn't going to take itself too seriously. The only lyrics to be found are the words "Inspector Gadget" and "Go, Gadget go" and this simplicity helps to keep the song memorable, as it doesn't attack you with too much at once.

There are also some more threatening sounds like the gradual build-up at the end that deepens the pitch and shows that there will be some threat in the show - adding just enough complexity to inspire intrigue but without going overboard.

It is also no surprise that this song went down so well as Inspector Gadget was rather ground-breaking with its sound design. It was the first-ever animated show to use stereo sound instead of mono, and this made a big difference.

Ultimately the theme song is likely more memorable nowadays than the actual series itself, which goes to show the power that a simple tune can have.