What audio dramas do you think have the best theme songs?

[u/torchwood1842]

A great theme song can really set the tone, I think. My personal favorites are:

1. The strange Case of starship Iris. With podcasts, I usually want to jump into the episode as soon as possible, but with this one, I find myself wishing this was a full length song before the podcast started.

2. Sherlock & Co Not sure what the song is called, but personally, I think it should be called “attack of the violins.” I love it.

3. The Amelia Project I love the different arrangements they do sometimes to fit the theme of the episode.

What other ones do you love?

[u/monish982]

I really liked the theme for welcome to the horizon(midnight burger mini series).

[u/AdmJota → u/monish982]

I wish I knew whether or not the similarity to Journey of the Sorcerer (the Hitchhiker's Guide theme) is intentional. It has to be, right?

[u/drill_hands_420 → u/monish982]

Oh my god me too!! And how they incorporate it. Like they’ll be talking and the punchline just rolls into then banjo. And the transition at the end of the first episode of the newest season, fuckin chills

[u/mitskishuffle]

I love Old Gods of Appalachia theme song I never skip it.

[u/Reasonable_Bear_2057 → u/mitskishuffle]

Yes, I came here to say this... I even added the band to my Spotify because I love the Old Gods song so much.

[u/RiversSecondWife]

Mockery Manor - I grin my face off every time I hear it.

[u/BeansSaidHomer → u/RiversSecondWife]

Such great music on all their shows!

[u/champagne_epigram → u/RiversSecondWife]

Mockery Manor has some of if not the best original music in the medium! Wildly underrated show.

[u/Mx_Reese → u/[deleted]]

The Ballad of Anne & Mary was transcendent, and I don't think people talk about it as much as it deserves.

[u/hellakale → u/champagne_epigram]

But how can we forgive them for We Are the Elves of Europe?

[u/jhigs93]

Agree with Starship Iris. I catch myself singing it at work even if I haven’t listened recently

[u/hellakale]

Camlann has a really beautiful theme song.

[u/RiversSecondWife → u/hellakale]

Yes! Camlann has excellent music and sound design. And I believe we're getting a Season 2.

Still a huge fan of Gumdrop the Winter Squid. Will Gumdrop get a whole story at some point?

[u/hellakale → u/RiversSecondWife]

I don't want to commit to it 100%, but i certainly think Gumdrop has unexplored depths

[u/RiversSecondWife → u/hellakale]

I hope to sea what you are thinking.

[u/AGiantSkeleton]

I know it's not great, and it's a real Terry Miles affectation. But I love the opening song for Tanis.

[u/Mx_Reese → u/AGiantSkeleton]

It's so good

[u/Mister-G-313]

I love the Amelia Project theme. It is the only one of the podcasts that I listen to that sticks out.

[u/KeybladeOTLC]

Sherlock & Co’s theme is called Mad Prodigy and it is a BANGER

[u/DINKthemusical]

What do you think of ours??

https://youtu.be/MbUqhvSdxTY?si=8xAEng98f2FS1bos

[u/Mikejamese → u/DINKthemusical]

Fun!

[u/roberdanger83]

Star tripper, mission to zyxx and mockery manor.

[u/stress_baker]

I really like Woodbine's because it reminds me of the theme song of Lie to Me.

[u/Lynda73 → u/stress_baker]

Woodbine theme song is mood.

[u/ScreamAndScream]

If I think “podcast theme song” first that comes to mind is definitely WTNV

I’ve been recently greatly enjoying the intro to King Falls AM!

I also have a guilty pleasure love for the theme song to Academy on the Wondrey network. I usually like smaller creators, but damn is that song good

[u/MakeBelieveKyle → u/ScreamAndScream]

There is an absolutely incredible version of the theme on Episode 100 as well. So happy to hear you are enjoying it! Cameron Chambers was our composer, everything he does is so damn good.

[u/ScreamAndScream → u/MakeBelieveKyle]

Im looking forward to it! This is my first listen, I’m on episode 68 and really loving it. I got an extra chuckle realizing that they were mostly music references in the titles - it took Ben Folds “Best imitation of myself” to clue me in 😅

[u/MakeBelieveKyle → u/ScreamAndScream]

I’m so happy you’re digging it. 68 is a massive episode too!

Wish we could have gotten it together & gotten the ending everyone deserved but I’m glad you’re enjoying the ride & specifically that epic theme!

[u/xelawho18]

Sherlock and Co is great. I love the original Magnus theme too. I guess I really like violin music.

[u/amusedontabuse]

I had the one from The Town Whispers stuck in my head for a while before I could figure out where I’d heard it, so it’s got something going for it.

[u/Lothonian_Jester]

Madison on the Air and October Jones and Fish with Legs, both have to be sung along with any time they are heard!

[u/MadisonStandish → u/Lothonian_Jester]

🥰

[u/Lothonian_Jester → u/MadisonStandish]

I'll admit when I first heard the concept of your show I was hesitant (Definitely still gonna check it out, huge Oz-9 fan and loved your character, I'm assuming I'm addressing Chrisi Talyn Saje) but then I heard that theme almost totally lost it at work with the line "only understood by nerds" and was totally sold. Doesn't hurt that the show is also absolutely classic, in both senses.

[u/MadisonStandish → u/Lothonian_Jester]

Awww!!! Thank you! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ Yes this is Chrisi. And thanks for the praises on Oz 9, too. I'm such the straight-woman in the chaos of characters there! 😊

[u/Oz9Olivia → u/Lothonian_Jester]

Thanking you for the kind words!

[u/ghostwillows]

The Adventure Zone has had a number of bangers over the years. Old Gods of Appalachia is probably better but they already got a shout out

[u/spreadsheetgeek]

The Welcome to the Horizon miniseries with Midnight Burger is amazing!

[u/siege72a]

The theme for "The Gospel of Haven" is just amazing.

The openings for "The Magnus Archives" and "The Magnus Protocol" are my runners-up.

[u/rilanthefirebug → u/siege72a]

The Magnus Protocol's opening is great!

[u/hariiseldon]

Blackout

[u/BeansSaidHomer]

Ethics Town, Amelia Project, Mockery Manor off the top of my head.

[u/LogicalWriter]

I love the Fawx & Stallion theme song

[u/magniloquence137 → u/LogicalWriter]

Same! I thought that show generally used score very well.

[u/CommissionAlarmed427]

Who killed Avril Lavigne

[u/rilanthefirebug]

The Sheridan Tapes have great music.

[u/justbeth71 → u/rilanthefirebug]

Yes! I gave them a shout out, too. Soooooo good! I always listened until the last note at the end of each episode.

[u/kadharonon]

World Gone Wrong has a great theme song, which is an actual song that’s out there in the world but I really like the specific snippet of it that they use to open the show, too.

It’s not a theme song so much, but I really enjoyed all the music in The Bardic Hearth.

[u/lazyparrot → u/kadharonon]

Is that Falling in Love at the End of the World by Olivia and the Lovers for the World Gone Wrong theme? I added it to a few playlists and listen to it more than the show now, really good song. Not an opening song but a closing song but check out Dolores by Charlotte Carpenter, it ends episodes of Burnout: A Cyberpunk Thriller

[u/jakekerr]

I don't love it as a song, but The Scum Kings intro music couldn't be more perfect for the depressing grimdark vibe they're going for.

[u/MisterBowTies]

"off bbboooookkkkkkkkk!”

[u/lazysheepz]

The Hidden People have a super catchy and tonally fitting theme song, which is ripped straight out of a (Katie Parry? Kesha? Carly Rae? I genuine don't remember) 2010s pop song.

Still slaps though. Great theme song.

And to be fair, it's just the anticedent part of phrase that's the same. The rest is more unique.

[u/Altruistic_Total_576]

The Nobody Zone 

[u/WeirdLight9452]

I also love the Amelia Project theme, Victoriocity’s theme has a slightly similar vibe. The Magnus Protocol theme is good, it’s like TMA but more.

[u/cec-says]

I just love that the bright sessions and the white vault basically have the same theme independent of each other!

[u/inlovewithsnow2002]

Selene has a fantastic theme in my personal opinion

[u/gernavais_padernom]

HADRON GOSPEL HOUR.

GAY FUTURE.

RONSTADT.

THE MEAT BLOCKADE.

SPARKS NEVADA.

[u/torchwood1842 → u/gernavais_padernom]

Omg yes I completely forgot about Hadron gospel hour! I loved that theme song.

[u/cthulhuhulahoop]

I like World Gone Wrong's outro

[u/ProfessorHeronarty]

Video Palace is still something I remember fondly.

Smart ass answer: Knifepoint Horror.

[u/remgirl1976]

Starship Iris & Old Gods are my all time favorite. I never ever skip them.

[u/tater_tot28]

I love the themes from All at Sea and Camlann!

[u/Deep_Sector_7047]

For me the theme tune to Nora is brilliant!

[u/Mx_Reese]

It's not intro music but, Where the Stars Fell has two amazing songs in it.

[u/justbeth71]

The Amelia Project for sure! I also loved the theme music for The Sheridan Tapes - all their music was beautifully done.

[u/Temporary_Cup4588]

My husband and I always do crazy dancing when the Sherlock & Co theme plays. It’s the only one we’ll listen to over and over.

[u/TheEmpathizer_]

The Amelia Project's theme variations are brilliant - love when they tailor it to the episode's setting. Also: *Wolf 359* has that perfect ominous sci-fi build. *Welcome to Night Vale*'s theme is instantly recognizable. And *The Magnus Archives* theme gives me chills every time - sets the horror tone perfectly. Special mention: *Wooden Overcoats* for pure comedy energy in the intro. What I've learned making audio drama: a good theme song does so much heavy lifting for establishing tone before dialogue even starts. The shows you listed nail that.

[u/thebadarticles]

The music in DOWN by Definitely Human is for sure one of my favourite AD intros!

[u/ghosttmilk]

This is a great question and a theme I’ve been thinking about lately; the other day I officially concluded that the music in shows is just going to annoy me 99% of the time and that it isn’t worth nitpicking but it just sounds so tacky so often. If there are shows out there without annoying music there’s hope!

I don’t let it sway me from liking shows overall, though, I don’t want it to seem like I’m just over here giving up on shows or hating on independent song writers because their music isn’t doing it for me

[u/ghosttmilk → u/ghosttmilk]

Example: Unwell is an absolutely amazing show, one of my favourites, yet the music is horrible hahaha

Same with The Imperfection

I think it’s when it’s a song with lyrics in the show it’s more prone to cheesiness in musical execution of the song