Being able to live through television’s golden age, the 1980s were especially memorable for me. The opening credits were not just an introduction, they were a hype builder for the television show that we were about to watch. Let me take you on a journey through some of the most memorable opening credits from this incredible decade.
Table of Contents
- 1 1. Miami Vice (1984-1990)
- 2 2. Cheers (1982-1993)
- 3 3. Knight Rider (1982-1986)
- 4 4. The A-Team (1983-1987)
- 5 5. MacGyver (1985-1992)
- 6 6. Family Ties (1982-1989)
- 7 7. The Golden Girls (1985-1992)
- 8 8. Magnum, P.I. (1980-1988)
- 9 9. Growing Pains (1985-1992)
- 10 10. Hill Street Blues (1981-1987)
- 11 11. The Facts of Life (1979-1988)
- 12 12. The Greatest American Hero (1981-1983)
- 13 13. St. Elsewhere (1982-1988)
- 14 14. Who’s the Boss? (1984-1992)
- 15 15. Cagney & Lacey (1981-1988)
1. Miami Vice (1984-1990)
Jan Hammer’s synthetic pop music was how the television show Miami Vice became a television show that drove the culture of that decade. The music video for Miami Vice’s theme was a cultural phenomenon in itself that created the look and sound of the 1980s. It created the look and sound of a new cultural phenomenon for the decade and created the aesthetic of what it meant to be alive while living in the decade of the 1980s.
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2. Cheers (1982-1993)
Boston’s bar became a warm invitation to the bar and the song became more than just a theme. The opening credits for Cheers used real pictures from Boston bars which created a nostalgic feeling that perfectly matched the show’s cozy feeling.
3. Knight Rider (1982-1986)
The magic of television was pure when Williamson’s voice and the pulsing synthesizer song by Phillips came together. The incredible opening sequence built the perfect atmosphere for the audience to enjoy the high tech adventure that was about to start as the black Trans Am drove through the desert. The show Knight Rider continues to have one of the most recognized television themes.
4. The A-Team (1983-1987)
The military march-meets-rock anthem introduced us to our favorite mercenaries and was created by Mike Post and Pete Carpenter. The narration gave a background to the characters, which along with the action-packed visuals and iconic theme music was guaranteed to get the audience’s blood pumping. One of the van busting through the wall is one of television’s iconic moments.
5. MacGyver (1985-1992)
Randy Edelman’s energetic theme song perfectly fitted the show’s action and cleverness. The opening scene showed MacGyver and his trademark mullet doing his famous problem-solving skills in a number of predicaments. Explosions, improvised solutions and the focused frame of Richard Dean Anderson explained what the audience should expect.
6. Family Ties (1982-1989)
The best family sitcom of its time was built around “Without Us” by Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams. The opening credits of the show, which featured the generations-spanning photos of the Keaton family, portrayed the show’s them of bridging the generation gap between former hippie parents and their conservative children.
7. The Golden Girls (1985-1992)
The Golden Girls theme song, “Thank You for Being a Friend”, remains an anthem of friendship and is echoed in the opening sequence with Art Deco graphics and Miami visuals. The opening of the show introduced us to four beloved characters and was as effective as the formula of the show.
8. Magnum, P.I. (1980-1988)
The opening credits of the show featured Tom Selleck with a full mustache driving a Ferrari through a stunning Hawaiian backdrop, and Mike Post composed another unforgettable theme song. The show blended action and gorgeous scenery with the signature attitude that made Magnum P.I. so popular.
9. Growing Pains (1985-1992)
The perfect theme for this family sitcom was “As Long as We Got Each Other” performed by B.J. Thomas and Jennifer Warnes. The opening credits used home movies and photos of the Seaver family, creating a warm tone that felt genuine. In under a minute it introduced the characters and dynamics of the family show perfectly.
10. Hill Street Blues (1981-1987)
Mike Post’s melancholic piano themes for the show further emphasized the show’s realistic harshness. The opening sequence showed the day to day life of a busy police station packed with chaos but also a sense of unity. The theme became a Grammy winning song that placed among the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and proved TV themes could be popular songs.
11. The Facts of Life (1979-1988)
Alan Thicke, Gloria Loring, and Al Burton wrote the catchy theme song that became popular in the 1980s. Each season’s Eastland School girls growing up made the opening credits charming and the song became memorable. The show was centered on the themes of friendship, growing pains, and important lessons. Every kid growing up in the 80s would recognize it.
12. The Greatest American Hero (1981-1983)
The show with the title of “Believe It or Not” was a hit with Joey Scarbury as the singer and is still one of the top TV Theme Songs of all time, as well as its opening scene where Ralph Hinkley, our hero, is shown in a red suit under the title helicopter crashing, flying through the air, and ultimately crashing into various buildings. This perfectly portrays the action/comedy of the superhero genre.
13. St. Elsewhere (1982-1988)
The opening credits of the show and the title theme music of Dave Grusin along with the images of Boston’s skyline as well as the St. Eligius hospital, helped establish the new shoe’s atmosphere of urban drama and realism. The combination of gritty foreground imagery along with the background of urban imagery and medical drama helped to convey the new style of storytelling that was utilized in the medical drama of the show.
14. Who’s the Boss? (1984-1992)
The song, Brand New Life, performed by Larry Weiss and Steve Wariner, plays as images of Tony and Samantha’s trip from Brooklyn to Connecticut. The clever use of juxtaposition shows their previous lifestyle and current suburban lives and helped convey the warmth and humor of the show.
15. Cagney & Lacey (1981-1988)
As the title credits rolled, we see two of the female detectives working on the streets of New York City. The revolutionary opening credits for its time feature women in professional strong roles and maintain the feel of traditional police drama and begin to break real barriers. This opening scene is set by the powerful theme music of Bill Conti.
