Does anybody have an example of a TV theme song that is underrated — one that is not usually named among the all-time great themes, but that you think is better than a lot of more acclaimed TV songs? (What brought this to mind was the argument about the Parks and Recreation theme song, which some commenters didn’t like and others did.)

One song from a hit show that I think is kind of underrated is the Who’s the Boss? theme song. I know it’s easy to make fun of, but then, so are most songs from “family” shows of that era. And whereas all those other themes were overblown anthems about how awesome the characters’ lives are, the WTB song (with lyrics by the show’s creators) is kind of wistful and sweet, and optimistic without piling on the “we got the world spinnin’ right in our hands/face of somebody who needs you/sha la la la” forced jollity.

(Remember when Global and “Prime,” now known as TVTropolis, used to plaster the “On…[]” logo on every show?)

I also think the theme song to My Name Is Earl, “What Goes Around Comes Around,” is underrated, but that’s mostly because the show hides it, burying it under Earl’s narration and then cutting out the title sequence altogether (it is heard over the closing credits, but the network never shows the closing credits sequence). I think it does a good job of capturing the tone that this show was going for; in its east-meets-west arrangement, it really does sound like the theme song of a redneck who embraces the concept of karma.