How a Teen Wrote the MAS*H Theme and Made TV Music History

Before streaming, before binge-watching, and long before the skip-intro button… there was the TV theme song. And in the 1970s, they weren’t just an afterthought—theme songs were an art form. A great theme could sell you on a show before the first line of dialogue. On today’s countdown, we’re rewinding back to the golden age of polyester and primetime to bring you the Top 12 TV themes of the 70s. Along the way, we’ll feature the M*A*S*H Theme Song written by a producer’s teenage son. And it became an enduring classic—even though he was told to make it sound “stupid.” Another song, Come and Knock on Our Door, was supposed to be sung by the show’s cast, but they were so incredibly bad, they were replaced by professional singers. And the song Welcome Back Kotter was so good that the name of the TV show was changed to match it. These stories and more are coming up NEXT on the Professor of Rock.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.