Theme songs always do some heavy lifting, but when the show in question is science fiction, the task is often even heftier. The best sci-fi themes have to get the right energy going, set the tone for the world you’re about to dive into, and match that world in its overall sound, all while delivering something memorable and catchy in just a minute or two.
It’s a big ask, but the history of sci-fi themes prove that the genre is up to it. From classic golden-age themes to the modern, sleeker stylings of “Westworld,” “Severance,” and “Tales from the Loop,” there are dozens of great tracks to consider. But today, we’re only looking for the top five.
In building such an exclusive list, we considered the role each theme plays in their show; How central it is in the memory of fans, the overall impact and popularity of the song, its potential influences on the genre, and of course, whether or not it’s a scientifically verifiable banger.
These are the five best sci-fi TV show theme songs of all time, ranked.
5. Andor — Main Title Theme
The “Star Wars universe” is packed with iconic themes — mostly by John Williams, but, in the modern era, increasingly from a wider roster of composers. Nicholas Britell’s score for the acclaimed “Andor” — one of the best TV shows set in space — has gotten plenty of love of its own, but the series’ main theme is something truly special.
It may be brief, and it may not be the showiest piece of music written for series. But “Andor” does something unique in the history of sci-fi television by using a different version of the theme in every single episode. Across two seasons and 24 episodes, there are 24 different renditions, each one carefully composed to reflect the tone of the episode to follow.
It’s such a simple premise. As soon as you hear it in action, you wonder why more shows didn’t think of it. The series’ own arc structure, where every three episodes or so ends in a major climax, amplifies the effect, as the viewer is already anticipating what might happen based on the episode count, making the intro theme variation a strong method of setting the right tone.
While “Andor” is very, very — almost impossibly — good, its theme just isn’t quite on the level of the other songs on this lis in a vacuum.
4. Firefly — The Ballad of Serenity
“The Ballad of Serenity” in “Firefly” was performed by Sonny Rhodes, an incredibly prolific blues musician. And in its brief melody of guitar and fiddle, matched well to the cosmic frontier aesthetic that made the show so distinct back in the early 2000s, he lived up to the title of “ballad.” With only 14 episodes to craft its world, those who haven’t watched the show may wonder why it remains so popular, and why fans take it so seriously. More so than any individual script or storyline, there’s a rare energy to “Firefly,” formed by its ensemble’s chemistry, fantastic production design, good camerawork, and of course, the music — both Rhodes’ theme and the larger score composed by Greg Edmonson.
So, what keeps “The Ballad of Serenity” from going higher on this list? Quite frankly, the competition is just very, very steep. While pairing a blues ballad with a space opera was a genius idea, and the result remains iconic, some songs are better. But hey, with an animated “Firefly” reboot in the works, perhaps we’ll get a chance to hear the old theme ahead of some new episodes one day.
3. Star Trek: The Next Generation — Main Theme
You may have noticed that we haven’t yet hit what many would consider to be a “true classic” sci-fi theme on this list yet. And that may seem egregious, as TV history is full of sci-fi shows that defined the genre, and sported great music all the while. “The Twilight Zone,” “Doctor Who,” “The X-Files” — just reading those names likely conjures their signature chord progressions, tied to the series in an irrevocable way. The problem is, when you get past those few seconds of iconic melody, the tracks themselves, as a whole, just aren’t as substantial. It’s more about the sting than the them.
The exception, however, is “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” The big swell here fits into the same sort of camp as those other themes, but in the case of “TNG,” composer Jerry Goldsmith (working off the original series theme by Alexander Courage) goes above and beyond. The quiet build-up, explosion of triumphant fanfare, and magical descent form a story of their own, beautifully embodying the tone of the show itself. There is, of course, a bit of an asterisk.
The “TNG” theme is really just Goldsmith’s composition for the theme of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” which came out years before. Then there’s the matter of it being an adapted rendition of the “Original Series” theme. So, does the track truly belong to “The Next Generation?” We’re going with yes, for a couple reasons. One, the lasting cultural impact of “The Next Generation” is far larger at this point than “The Motion Picture.” And two, while Courage’s original theme is great, Goldsmith’s rework takes it to new heights.
2. Cowboy Bebop — Tank!
“I think it’s time we blow this scene. Get everybody and the stuff together. Okay, three, two, one, let’s jam.” There is perhaps no sci-fi show as closely tied to its music in the minds of fans as “Cowboy Bebop,” the seminal space Western anime from 1998. A brilliant blend of space opera, cyberpunk, Western, and film noir, this is a show that oozes style in every inch of its aesthetic — from the look of the various space stations and ship interiors to the stunning jazz score from legendary composer Yoko Kanno.
The whole series is an audiovisual experience. Duels, chases, and quiet moments of reflections are rendered in vivid color, underscored by fantastic track after fantastic track. But when we talk about the music in “Cowboy Bebop,” more than anything else, we have to talk about the main theme — “Tank!” The exclamation mark is important. This is a brash, aggressive, layered song, paired with an opening credits sequence evocative of “James Bond” films. It’s hardly a traditional pairing for a sci-fi story or a Western, yet it works so well here, convincing you in an instant that this is the only way the show could possibly open. Few sci-fi themes can conjure the excitement of this one in just a few notes, and hardly any are even close to being this good. Shouts to Yoko Kanno, and Seatbelts.
1. Neon Genesis Evangelion — The Cruel Angel’s Thesis
Our top two songs both being from anime shouldn’t be too surprising. As the medium has become more and more popular internationally, the number of iconic anime anthems has only grown. But to this day, the song likely to turn the most heads, get the most people humming along — as if from their subconscious – may well be “The Cruel Angel’s Thesis” from “Neon Genesis Evangelion.”
This track, composed by Hidetoshi Satō and sung by Neko Oikawa, is an institution all its own. You couldn’t be in the pop culture corners of the Internet for 20 minutes back in the early 2000s without being inundated with covers, parodies, and custom AMVs set to the song. Offline, it’s consistently been a top karaoke track in Japan. At time of writing, the official YouTube music video for “The Cruel Angel’s Thesis” has a staggering 135 million views.
We could add in the cultural impact of “Evangelion” — an essential anime — and how the lyrics reflect the show’s core themes of youth, adulthood, violence, war, and trauma. But more important than that, “The Cruel Angel’s Thesis” is a banger, in the truest sense. It is impossible not to dance to it, to bop along to the chorus, to whistle it hours after you heard it. When you combine impact, popularity, artistic merit, and the fact that it’s the hardest bop on this entire list, you’ve got a compelling case for “The Cruel Angel’s Thesis” being the greatest sci-fi TV show theme song of all time.