1: Batman. The Animated Series
Series Run: 1992-1995 (85 episodes)
Network: The WB
Theme Song Rating: Thoroughly epic and slightly scary, 5/5. Wait, a WhatCulture! list that says Batman is number one? No way! Listen, I understand that Batman is an outlier on this list, but anyone who has seen it knows that it deserves the number one spot. Anyone who says that this show is too dark for kids is both underestimating children and failing to recognize the intended audience for the show. Batman: The Animated Series is a children's cartoon that happens to transcend its genre; it revels in its darkness and maturity but still makes sure that it is fast-paced and fun so as not to alienate its primary audience. Taking cues from the Gothic stylings of the Burton Batman films as well as some of Frank Miller's Dark Knight art made for a supremely interesting visual palette. Perhaps the only criticism of the series is that it tended to place more emphasis on tone than story, but just because it's easy to get wrapped up in its visual style doesn't mean that it lacked quality narratives. Adapting many storylines directly from comic book arcs, BTAS graciously took some of the most complex stories in Batman's canon to make a true work of art. The show was also the first time Mark Hamill voiced The Joker, and he does a tremendous job at capturing his maliciously chaotic spirit. Along with Arleen Sorkin's take on Harley Quinn, BTAS had some of the best screen iterations of several classic Batman villains including the Paul Williams voiced Penguin, Ron Perlman's Clayface, and Roddy McDowall's The Mad Hatter. If you haven't seen Batman: The Animated Series, you've missed out and you should get on that as soon as possible. If you have, then you know it's the most memorable cartoon of the 1990s.
Are there any classic cartoons that I left out? And quibbles with the order? Let us know in the comments section.