There's a special part of your brain — right next to the bit that stores your Wi-Fi password and where you left the car keys — that's solely dedicated to 90s TV theme tunes. And no matter how many years go by, it refuses to let them go.
Because if you were a kid growing up in the 90s, your soundtrack wasn't curated on Spotify — it was served to you daily by a talking aardvark, a blue hedgehog, a wizard in a miniskirt, or a pair of bananas wearing pyjamas.
These were more than theme songs. They were battle cries, life lessons, and morning motivation before school and lullabies after. Life lessons, soundtrack, and serotonin hits all in one!
And somehow… you still know every word.
This is our official countdown of the TV theme songs every 90s kid can still sing — whether we admit it or not.
Bonus points if you've ever shouted "GO GO POWER RANGERS!" while cleaning the kitchen.
Table of Contents
1. Pokémon (1997–2001)
🎧 Streaming on: Netflix (some seasons), Amazon Prime, Pokémon TV app
If you know, you know: "I wanna be the very best…"
You can try not to sing it. You'll fail. This theme was an anthem. It was our Rocky montage. Our battle cry. You didn't even need to like Pokémon – if you were alive in the late 90s, this was embedded in your DNA.
Personal memory: I belted this out on a karaoke machine when I was 13. Thought I was Ash. My mum thought I'd joined a cult... I also downloaded the Italian OST – Chissà Che Pokemon Sei Tu?
2. Power Rangers (1993–1999)
🎧 Streaming on: Netflix
If you know, you know: "GO GO POWER RANGERS!"
Shredding guitars. Lightning bolts. Dinosaurs. This theme tune had no right going that hard — but it did. And we're grateful. You heard that riff, and suddenly your plastic sword became Excalibur.
Bonus points if you still know all five (later six) colours in order.
3. Bananas in Pyjamas (1992–2001)
🎧 Streaming on: None currently (😭), but clips on YouTube
If you know, you know: "Are coming down the stairs…"
This one's almost too catchy. Like, it might have been created by psychological warfare experts. Just saying the word "bananas" triggers it. That descending melody haunts dreams — in the best way.
Dad Tip: Teach this to your kids and confuse them deeply.
4. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996)
🎧 Streaming on: BBC iPlayer, Sky, Now TV
If you know, you know: "Now this is a story all about how…"
Alright, technically it was on after dinner — but everyone knew this song. You'd hear the first few bars and sprint from the toilet just to rap along. Most of us still can't parallel park, but we can remember every word of this.
Bonus challenge: Can you do the full extended version?
5. Arthur (1996–2000s)
🎧 Streaming on: Prime Video (Season 1)
If you know, you know: "And I say HEY! What a wonderful kind of day…"
The reggae intro. The arm-swinging aardvark. The surprisingly wholesome life advice. This song could've ended wars. And it somehow still goes hard in 2025.
Fun fact: It was sung by Ziggy Marley. Explains everything.
6. Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996–2003)
🎧 Streaming on: Amazon Prime
If you know, you know: That sparkly finger zap sound
Okay, not the most singable, but iconic nonetheless. The intro changed every season but that twinkly, slightly chaotic soundtrack paired with Salem's sass made it memorable.
Confession: Had a massive crush on Melissa Joan Hart. Still kind of do.
7. Saved by the Bell (1989–1993)
🎧 Streaming on: Prime Video
If you know, you know: "It's alright, 'cause I'm saved by the bell!"
Pure 90s cheese, in the best way. Between Zack's oversized mobile and that time-travelling freeze-frame intro, this intro had us convinced American high school was a dream. It wasn't. But that song slapped.
Ultimate test: Can you still hit the "by the BEEEELL!" falsetto?
8. Round the Twist (1990–2001)
🎧 Streaming on: YouTube only (currently no UK streaming 😢)
If you know, you know: "Have you ever, ever felt like this…"
Nothing says "mild childhood trauma" like this Aussie export (Bluey is the only thing that has come out of Australia that's better... fight me). That intro felt like you were entering another realm. A weird, vaguely cursed realm with creepy clowns and ghosts that haunt the dunny.
True story: For years, I genuinely thought Round the Twist was a fever dream. The haunted dunny, the ghost lighthouse, the tree that made people swap underwear — it was like someone fed Goosebumps scripts to a wizard and told them to make it weirder.
Turns out… it was real. And we loved it.
9. Recess (1997–2001)
🎧 Streaming on: Disney+
If you know, you know: That military-style snare drum beat
No lyrics. Didn't need 'em. This was the cool kid's anthem. The music had us feeling like we were planning a covert mission to steal pudding. Bonus points if you still remember the name of every kid in the gang.
Recess lore ran deeper than most films now. Fight me.
10. Grange Hill (1978–2008)
🎧 Streaming on: Not currently (YouTube clips available)
If you know, you know: That solo intro – instantly stressful
It felt serious. You didn't even go to Grange Hill, but somehow still expected a detention.
Nostalgia bomb: Remember the sausage-on-fork flying into the air?
11. Doug (1991–1999)
🎧 Streaming on: Disney+
If you know, you know: "Doo doo doo, doo doo-doo, doo doo…"
No lyrics. Just those perfect little doots. And somehow, everyone could hum it perfectly. This was ADHD music therapy before we knew what that meant.
Bonus points if you ever imagined yourself writing a diary like Doug.
12. Hey Arnold! (1996–2004)
🎧 Streaming on: Netflix (some regions), Prime (episodes to rent)
If you know, you know: That saxophone intro that said, "You're about to feel things."
Moody. Jazzy. A little mysterious. Just like Arnold himself. This theme was lowkey cooler than we were. Hearing that intro now? Boom — you're back in your school uniform eating jam on toast.
Also: Helga Pataki was the original Tsundere.
13. Kenan & Kel (1996–2000)
🎧 Streaming on: Paramount+
If you know, you know: "Aw, here it goes!"
Bless Coolio for this masterpiece. The only theme on this list that could double as a full club track. You didn't watch this, you lived it. "Who loves orange soda?" STILL hits hard.
I do, I do, I do-oooh.
💡 Did You Know?
Kenan & Kel didn't just give us laughs — it gave orange soda a full-on rebrand. While there's no official sales data proving a spike, corner shops across the UK reported kids hunting down orange soda like it was liquid gold.
Kel's obsession became our obsession. Even today, people still offer actor Kel Mitchell orange soda in public — and he's said in interviews that the catchphrase "follows him everywhere."
I once asked my mum to buy me some and she said, "Is this because of that TV boy again?" Yes, Mum. Yes it was.
14. Thomas the Tank Engine (1984–present)
🎧 Streaming on: Netflix, Prime
If you know, you know: That original instrumental…
Before they remixed it to death, the OG Thomas theme was majestic. You'd hear it, sprint to the telly, and sit too close with Percy in one hand and jam toast in the other. And let's not pretend we didn't have a favourite engine.
It was Percy. Don't lie.
15. Animaniacs (1993–1998)
🎧 Streaming on: ITVX (some episodes), YouTube
If you know, you know: "We're Animaniacs! And we're zany to the max!"
A lyrical minefield. But if you nailed the whole thing, you had main character energy. This theme was bursting with chaotic brilliance and weird adult jokes we didn't understand at the time.
And now you're singing it again. Sorry.
16. The Raccoons (1985–1992)
🎧 Streaming on: YouTube
If you know, you know: "Run with us… we've got everything you need…"
That synthy sax theme was oddly emotional. Like, why did a cartoon about raccoons battling corporate greed make us feel so much? Maybe because it lowkey had better story arcs than most soaps.
This was our introduction to climate anxiety, wasn't it?
17. Captain Planet and the Planeteers (1990–1996)
🎧 Streaming on: YouTube
If you know, you know: "Captain Planet, he's our hero…"
Eco-warrior pop punk. Every kid sang this like we were about to fistfight a recycling bin. It made us care about litter — and fear the smugness of anyone who got the "Heart" ring.
Also: why did he have abs made of granite and a mullet?
🌍 Fun Fact:
Captain Planet might be the first cartoon to give 90s kids climate anxiety.
We were singing "take pollution down to zero" while side-eyeing anyone who didn't recycle.
Also: the "Heart" ring was definitely the least cool. Sorry, Ma-Ti.
18. Rugrats (1991–2004)
🎧 Streaming on: Paramount+
If you know, you know: That synthy, xylophone chaos
It was cute. It was weird. It sounded like baby brain jazz. Somehow, those twinkly notes made you feel both excited and slightly nervous — like you were about to see something very messy involving nappies.
Still a better soundtrack than most modern sitcoms.
19. Art Attack (1990–2007)
🎧 Streaming on: YouTube (sadly not streaming anywhere else)
If you know, you know: "This… is an Art Attack!"
The theme was dramatic, the voiceover was intense, and Neil Buchanan's mullet deserved a BAFTA. If you didn't try a giant floor collage after this show, were you even trying?
The talking Head? Nightmare fuel. Still not over it. Cheers, ITV.
🎭 Behind the Scenes:
The "Big Art Attacks" weren't tricked — Neil Buchanan actually made those giant floor masterpieces by hand.
He was in a metal band called "Marseille" before his career in children's TV popped off!
20. Fun House (1989–1999)
🎧 Streaming on: YouTube
If you know, you know: "Fun House! A whole lot of fun, prizes to be won!"
That jingle? Banger. The chaos? Iconic. The twins? A bit too perfect. But we lived for the kart races, the gunge, and the moment someone grabbed just one prize when there was an entire room of goodies.
The original British version of "the floor is lava!"
Over to You, 90s Legends
Now it's your turn — which of these is your ultimate theme tune?
Did we miss a banger? Drop it in the comments (and yes, Animals of Farthing Wood fans, we see you).
🎤 Still got it? Prove it. Share this post and let the nostalgia battle begin.
