Radio Times

For a time in the late 70s and early 80s, whoever was in charge of the music used for the BBC's sports coverage hit an immense run of form.

In fact, given that his competition consisted largely of a loft-insulation-headed Jimmy Savile and a pre-fame Pete Waterman, he may well have been the best DJ in the country.

For whoever he was, and for the sake of argument let's call him God, he's responsible for not only most of televisual history's great theme tunes, but also history's greatest - that of the BBC's snooker coverage.

This is a song so exciting, so endorphin-inviting, it regularly convinces a nation of fat men that sitting down for a two-day, 32-frame epic actually constitutes exercise. Once, I saw a lone bearded man in a pub play it on his battered old guitar, and it could only have been more impressive if he'd had no fingers. Or no guitar.

Before he turned his wizardry to snooker, God was responsible for a consecutive run of classics unrivalled in modern television. Today we have to make do with ITV cobbling U2's Beautiful Day onto their weedy, short-lived attempt at Premiership football coverage, thus ruining:

a) The song
b) The football coverage, and
c) Saturdays

Back then, God was picking apart classic albums and marrying them with new compositions. The Formula One theme, called Motor Sport, lifted the bass and guitar from Fleetwood Mac's The Chain, while the build-up to the cricket was Booker T and the MG's Soul Limbo.

Back then, God was picking apart classic albums and marrying them with new compositions. The Formula One theme, called Motor Sport, lifted the bass and guitar from Fleetwood Mac's The Chain, while the build-up to the cricket was Booker T and the MG's Soul Limbo.

These days it's Jamiroquai and Lou Bega's ode to polygamy Mambo Number 5: the musical equivalent of having your perfectly working kidneys replaced with an envelope full of sausages. Rubbish.

The snooker theme, as testament to its brilliance, remains with us today. Performed by the little-known Doug Wood band in 1982, the song is called Drag Racer. A measure of its effectiveness is that it regularly survives repeated listens even though it is commonly played with slow-motion images of the overwhelmingly uncharismatic stars of the modern game.

Any tune that can emerge unscathed after soundtracking Dennis Taylor's gormless trophy dance, or Steve Davis's lop-sided victory smile, must have something pretty special about it. And I'm not sure that even Mozart's best efforts wouldn't be tainted somewhat by a video montage of Stephen Hendry's sub-Adrian Mole visage.

It's so good, that even Chas and Dave's attempt to sabotage its popularity and overshadow its glory by releasing the frankly woeful Snooker Loopy couldn't derail its path to becoming the finest piece of music that's ever been made for television.

Savour it, please, before some clueless toerag in a suit decides that in order to ingratiate the sport of snooker with the younger generations, the theme tune must be a Hi-NRG club banger anthem from the Vengaboys. And if that happens, lose all faith.

Very late answer Richard, but Mornings at seven is right. It's on Spotify.

Hi, Richard. The theme used in the 1980s (in the days when Peter Marshall, Angela Rippon etc were presenters) is called Dancing Feet, which was played by resident house band at the time, Andy Ross and his orchestra. James Last did feature as a theme tune in the 1980s, Mornings at Seven, was used by the BBC for its Figure Skating coverage.

David Hodges

Can anyone tell me the title to the James Last theme that was used to introduce Come Dancing in the 80's? I thought it was called Morning at Seven but it appears I'm wrong.

Anyone rememeber the 1970s World of Soccer theme? It was in the same vein as MOTD. Anyone know what it was called?

One word "Blockbusters".

golf the masters is better

=o it has to be the BBC Cricket theme without a shadow of a doubt, then Grandstand

Grandstand. It screams SPORT!

Well, I have to say that my faves are: Crossroads (the original pre-1985 version), Prisoner: Cell Block H, Lovejoy, Miss Marple (The BBC one with Joan Hickson) and Jamie and the Magic Torch! Mind you, I'll agree that Cricket and Snooker are both excellent (as are the Wimbledon (closing) and Ski Sunday themes - not to mention The Archers on the radio!)

Where have all the theme tunes gone? I hated sport on telly when I was a kid, but I can still remember the theme tunes - all classics. I used to try and play them on the piano once the opening credits had finished and the actual sport came on. The Grandstand tune taught me a lot about the cycle-of-fifths! Sportsnight is a gem too. I agree with the original post; nowadays any old sampled loop can contitute a theme tune, and it's not just sport. Friday Night with Johnathan Ross? Where's the tune? QI? Great show but, sorry Mr. Goodall, try harder. Strictly Come Dancing - boring. There are still some stand-outs; Newsnight springs to mind, and Panorama, or The Antiques Roadshow, but these are established programmes with established tunes - and fairly old ones at that. I would love to cite an example of a genuinely engaging original contemporary theme tune (perhaps Little Britain?) but I think on the whole that we just don't write them anymore. It's much easier to pull in a piece of generic pap from RentaLibrary ltd. And before you start - I KNOW that most of the "classic" tunes of yesteryear are from libraries, but the point is they are still memorable, and well arranged. What hope for future Alan Hawkshaws, Ronnie Hazlehursts and Syd Dales? Sorry for the rant. Oh, and my twopenneth goes, "The Two Ronnies, Space 1999, Inspector Gadget, Bananaman and Dangermouse".

No contest - Working Lunch.

It's not the best theme tune because unless you watch snooker you don't have a clue what the theme is, it's not well known unlike Big Brother or my personal favourite the FRIENDS theme tune which everyone knows and is a classic

No, I would say Ski Sunday whacks it.

How about the Ski Sunday theme tune?!?!

The Chain, the old Grand Prix theme tune was excellent

Friends? FRIENDS?? No, no, no that will not do at all! Mine the internet and you should stumble into a jewelled cave of musical delights. Many of these will come from BBC Sport's collection of classics from the early 1970s. For those of us over 30, many have an overwhelming, spine-tingling shivery quality about them, and some of us will react with a seething fury if one of them gets as much as a mild remix. Grandstand is right up there at the top with its jaunty melody and that perfectly placed comedy "boing!" If I listen to that now I am immediately transported to a cold, dark winter evening in the early 1970s, with my grandmother, a tray of tea and crumpets, while we waited for Dr Who to start. Match of the Day was, er, matchless in the football stakes. I hate football but as a kid I would stay just for the opening theme! I think it is still used today (after a fashion), and the last time I caught it, it had been "rearranged" with such savagery, stripped of its whimsical nature and replaced with so many unnecessary bells and whistles that its nostalgic power had been erased. There are so many others: Ski Sunday (so thrilling), International Athletics (lovely opening fanfare, with a very confused middle eight), London Marathon (only gets played once a year, but when set against shots of London's landmarks - Wow!) My personal favourite: Wimbledon, which has two different pieces for opening and closing. The opening has been tweaked only slightly, but the closing music, seldom heard these days save for a few seconds if you're lucky is perfect. It seems to date from the dawn of time and is totally different from any of the classic 70s stuff. It is a marvellous piece of over the top orchestral grandeur, with more brass than you can shake a racquet at. It is so traditional, so British and thus perfect for what has to be the most traditional sporting event in the world. I imagine it was originally played by military men in full regalia with lots of medals, and conducted by a gruff looking chap with a moustache. If it had lyrics I imagine they would be something like, "we're the best, we always win at these things you know, let's have some tea, old boy, Jolly good" I have rambled and reminisced enough, but you can keep your modern theme tunes as very few, if any, can match BBC Sports golden age! And I haven't even started on non-sporting themes - yet!

I have to say that one of my favourite theme tunes has got to be the kids' show Round the Twist. It's by far one of the funniest and also annoyingly catchy!

The only time I have ever written to Points of View was when they "updated" and "modernised" the snooker theme tune. Bring back the original!

Look you lot, the Doctor Who theme is the best television theme ever devised. Now break it up and go home.

Errr the Antiques Roadshow blatantly has the best theme tune EVER. It's awesome. Don't deny it.

Yeah, the Antiques Roadshow is blates the best theme tune EVER. I suggest you go listen to it right now and appreciate its awesomeness.

The best snooker theme was Capn Sensible's "Snookering You", but the all-time best TV theme, even beating the current version of the Dr Who theme, has to be "Round the Twist". WHY do continuity announcers always feel it's essential to talk over it?

The snooker tune is a good one, but I only have type two words to beat it, Mission Impossible, the best theme tune ever (and yes if you are under 25, it was a TV programme before Tom Cruise got his paws on it)

I say the SG-1 tune, something like 12 years it's been around now?

No contest?

DOCTOR WHO

It scared me 40 years ago and still scares my kids now. Technically brilliant, musically unique and the inspiration for generations of electronic musicians.

Drag Racer's excellent but the 'late' Grandstand's theme is still the best BBC theme tune for me.

Isn't the best theme tune Oasis's Half the World Away from The Royle Family?

Ooh, that's a tough call, best theme tune. The Beeb should ask for 3 nominations from us idle ones. I really can't decide between the TV Mission Impossible tune and the Rob Dougan tune for Law and Order: Criminal Intent. I'm trying to find the piece that it's taken from. My 3rd choice is the Wimbledon closing theme. It's summertime music! Now, must get on...

Being a rugby league fan, I hate rugby union with a passion but Rugby Special had a great theme - it was certainly better than the dross that followed!!

If you are talking great theme tunes there are two that stand head and shoulders above the rest. The first is The A-Team, and the second is Airwolf. These two are catchy 80s TV theme tunes at their synthesised best. Not to mention McGuyver and Magnum, PI.

For me, it has to be Ski Sunday - I'm not even into skiing? And even though it wasn't original, Nessun Dorma for the World Cup was a masterstroke? Then how about World in Union? All better than the snooker theme For a film, James Bond - why did they only play it at the end of Casino Royale?

And for TV?how about The Sweeney?

I could go on?I already have.

Oh, come on!! Grandstand, anyone? Classic.

Listen to the Antiques Roadshow remix by glimmerboy! It's ace?

Grange Hill anyone? Both themes were awesome!

The Masters Golf theme tune, hands down!

I don't agree. I think the Doctor Who theme tune is the best theme tune, because the original was excellent, and each different version that followed it has been as good if not better.

It's obviously BBC Match of the Day that has the best theme tune.

Re the Film 95/07 tune. The track is indeed as jazz piece; it's called "I Wish I knew How it Would Feel to be Free" - a negrro spiritual I think. Anyway, the version you want is played by the Billy Taylor Trio if memory serves. Top tune.

The Royale Family:

Oasis - Half the World Away.

Sod the compositions, anyone who doesn't sing along to that song when TRF is on, is clearly a no brainer.

The best sport has to be "Ski Sunday". The best theme tune without a doubt, which always sends a chill up my spine, has to be 70s historical series narrated by Lawrence Olivier, "The World at War".

You'd perhaps need to be snooker loopy to think this is the best theme tune ever. I'm not saying it isn't good, just there are a lot of other great ones out there - if only the BBC would quit trying to "bring them up to date" with electronically synthesised tweaks. The theme for BBC golf coverage, for instance, suffered this ignominious fate, though it's still pretty good in spite of that. Back to the snooker though: whatever happened to the Vangelis (?) theme the BBC used to use for its late night coverage? I was sad to see that go. Even more sadly, we lost the magnificent "Chain" by Fleetwood Mac when the F1 coverage ceased. Now we not only have to suffer ITV covering F1, we lose all continuity because of adverts (and to be honest, I've given up watching it as a result). They'd never dare do that to football matches, would they? I have to agree though, whoever was responsible for setting the sports programme theme tunes back in the 70s (or whenever) was a genius and should receive a medal. Golf, snooker, skiing, tennis: they and I'm sure many others have all benefitted greatly, so thank you to that unnamed hero.

All of these tunes are great, but what are they called? I know The Chain as I have it on CD. What are the others? I've always loved the Barry Norman Film 95 etc music. That's great music. I've heard others say it's from the middle of a Jazz piece but I've never found out what it's called.

Can I just say that there are two theme tunes that fill my guts with nostalgia and hope for the state of mankind. Without That's Livin' Alright and the theme tune to Kick Start/Junior Kick Start my lfie would shatter into a zillon shards of woe. Thanks to Joe Fagin and?urm Peter Purvis, I guess.

I think you're right with the BBC snooker theme, me and my bassist play it together and it's great fun. But Stargate SG-1 is really good too.

Whilst I like the snooker theme tune it's not my favourite.

That award goes to the old cricket theme - Soul Limbo by Booker T and the MG's.

Why they had to change it to Mambo No 5 I have no idea.

Bring back Soul Limbo…

I will always have a place in my heart for the theme tune from "The Last of the Summer Wine". It simply reminds me of home...

I love the old style snooker theme but in my opinion the best theme on TV ever is the the Quantum Leap theme.

Personally, I would not have picked any sports theme as "the best" TV theme tune ever, even though I do admit that they are enduring - take "Match of the Day", for example. As an avid viewer of cult TV, two themes that did it for me in the 70s, and still send a shiver down my spine to this day, are the themes to "The Persuaders!" by John Barry (of "James Bond" music fame), and the theme that accompanied the first series of "Space 1999" by Barry Gary (who also provided the music for most of the Gerry Anderson series, including "Thunderbirds").

It used to be great, but has been "modernised" now with all the best parts taken out. Also, the person who wrote this piece seems to be ten years out of date judging by most of the ill -dvised comments.

Definitely the best telly theme tune, but it irritates me everytime it is changed a wee bit such as more bass or faster pace etc