Hi, everyone! To me, these are the eight best television theme songs of the 60s for action-oriented shows. To be considered as the best, the music must set the viewer's anticipation of both the pace and overall feel of the production, and I think these songs accomplished both better than all the others. Some of these songs spanned decades, going from the 60s to the 70s. However, what matters is that each song was in use between 1960 and 1969.

And yes, math lovers, I am aware that decades begin with the number 1 of a series. That means 1961, for example, was actually the first year of the 1960s, but I'm going with the understanding most have regarding the counting of decades, centuries, and millennia starting with the year ending in 0.

WARNING! There are no slow, sedate tunes on the list!

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Theme
In terms of public awareness, this TV spy theme is greatly overshadowed by cinema's "James Bond Theme," and that's quite unfortunate. In terms of a song's employment of musical notes to relay the struggle of good against the lurking, nigh-overwhelming forces of evil, I state my unwavering conviction that this was not only one of the best spy themes on television, but it was also actually better than James Bond's favorite opening music. Just listen to it from start to finish. The tremendous exposure the 007 movies granted the "James Bond Theme" has ground the tune deeply into the public consciousness, but this highly overlooked gem may give you pause when considering which of the two spy themes was the more effective and enjoyable one.

Fun fact: Series star Robert Vaughn earned a PhD in communications from the University of Southern California in 1970.

Fun fact: Series co-star David McCallum later played Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard in the CBS television series NCIS.

The Invaders Theme
Due to the short duration of the show (just two years), this tune slipped into obscurity. That should be a criminal offense because its every note is almost literally the sound of suspense or outright dread. Alien invaders everywhere, and just one ordinary, overwhelmed man to stand against them. His quest to stop them was a hopeless task, one performed without fanfare but with the constant threat of death raining down from above. The music expressed that battle, that sense of desperation and hopelessness, and it quickly brought fear to the hearts of viewers before each week's introduction finished. Listen to the entire theme and be taken on a frightening ride that will leave you wanting more.

Fun fact: The series was cancelled before a final episode could be produced. 27 years later, in 1998, a true finale was produced in the form of a miniseries. Roy Thinnes, the star of the original series, briefly reprised his role for the new production, albeit as an aged version of that character. Scott Bakula starred in the miniseries as an entirely new character who met and received guidance from Thinnes' character.

Star Trek Theme
The theme to the original incarnation of Star Trek is a tune that is the perfect companion to the show's tales of exploration, suspense, and action. Alternating between a version with a masterful soprano vocal by Loulie Jean Norman and a purely instrumental version, the Star Trek theme, despite its relegation to television, is just as ingrained in the popular consciousness as the "James Bond Theme" due to the show's frequent reruns on TV. Alexander Courage wrote an exceptional theme for the intrepid crews of the USS Enterprise, and his music continues to boldly go with us to the future despite being re-recorded, rearranged, and given a new singer when Star Trek was updated in 2006.

Ear-splitting fact: Series creator Gene Roddenberry added lyrics to the theme, but the result of his efforts was nothing less than the sound of an epic trainwreck accompanied by a thousand farts, all in hi-fi. To call it "awful" would be like calling the sinking of the Titanic a minor boating accident. So, here for your listening pleasure, is the never-used Star Trek theme with lyrics by writer and futurist, Gene Roddenberry. Let's see how long you last before your ears demand an end to the torture.

The Avengers (Second Theme)
When I was a kid, there was an animated program on local television called The Marvel Super Heroes. The show's extremely limited animation was made of panels lifted directly from contemporary Marvel comics, with minor movements added to largely static backgrounds. It was the effective storytelling of Stan Lee and the Marvel Bullpen given life of the herky-jerky sort. Regardless of the cartoon's shortcomings, I was hooked. I wanted to see all my favorite Marvel Comics characters on my TV screen, and that included the seldom seen Avengers team of superheroes. With the preceding in mind, then just imagine my elation when I heard there was a live-action television show called The Avengers set to air in the evening. I was overjoyed!

I commandeered a black-and-white family unit as images of The Marvel Super Heroes show ran through my head, and I could only wonder what amazing things I would see in a live-action version of the Avengers. Sitting before the television in wide-eyed anticipation, I switched it on, tuned to the correct channel, and saw—

Emma Peel?

John Steed?

It was clear the "Avengers" program before me was something other than I expected. At the time, I failed to realize that I was seeing a groundbreaking series that combined multiple genres to create a uniquely odd espionage program that would run for years. John Steed and Emma Peel were two of the "other" Avengers, the stylish British ones, famously composed of Steed and a single, normally female, partner in adventuring. The internationally famous espionage show was at once quirky, exciting, and surreal. Its second theme, adopted by producers following the complete retooling of the series after a disappointing first season, was created by Laurence Reginald Ward "Laurie" Johnson. His creation proved to be the perfectly eclectic companion to the unusual show it represented.

For reasons unknown to me, "Laurie" Johnson would tweak the theme as time progressed, with notable changes made in 1968 and 1976. To accommodate the fans of one or all of the variations, I present a recording of "Laurie" Johnson and his orchestra performing the Avengers theme recorded after the conclusion of The Avengers (1961 - 1969), The New Avengers (1976 - 1977), and The Avengers film (1997).

The Green Hornet Theme
Hollywood producer William Dozier was the first to attempt a TV universe consisting of DC Comics characters. Through his company, Greenway Productions, he created The Green Hornet television show as a serious crime drama that starred Van Williams as the title character. The program also brought the sensational Bruce Lee to the attention of American viewers in the role of Kato, the Green Hornet's partner. Other comics-based series produced by William Dozier included the campy Batman series that starred Adam West and Burt Ward, and a failed pilot for a Wonder Woman series.

A fast-paced score was employed for the show's theme, and it pitted a warbling trumpet representing a flittering hornet against the forces of evil, as represented by the swells of other instruments. The song was brilliantly composed and performed, but the show's unexpectedly swift demise and the national obsession with all things related to the Batman show in the brief cultural shift that was called "Batmania" raised the profile of Batman's repetitive theme while swiftly pushing The Green Hornet's theme and the show itself largely out of the public consciousness.

Fun facts about Van Williams, who played the Green Hornet:

1. 1. Williams invested well and became quite wealthy, largely abandoning Hollywood scene as he did so.

   2. He later became a reserve deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

   3. He appeared in a Bruce Lee biopic, playing a director on the set of The Green Hornet.

   4. When Van Williams appeared in the Bruce Lee biopic, actor Forry Smith played Williams in costume as the Green Hornet in a truly meta moment. In a scene almost comparable to one that would later appear in the film Tropic Thunder, Williams played a dude watching a dude playing a dude who played the dude.

Fun fact: The voice of the narrator in The Green Hornet, Batman, and Wonder Woman belonged to producer William Dozier.

The Mod Squad Theme
The story of three 1960s troublemakers with troubling backstories recruited to become unarmed plainclothes detectives, the powerful, thumping theme reflects the era (late 1960s - early 1970s) as it quickly goes from "that's cool" to "hold onto your hats." The show was the first police procedural to feature three relatively young characters as both the central figures and reflections of the prevalent youth culture of the time. Accordingly, it set the stage for its spiritual successor, 21 Jump Street.

Mission: Impossible Theme
This song just screamed, "SPY DRAMA!" for all. It is a theme that endures, bongo drums and all. Of course, this is about the classic series that initially starred Steven Hill and later featured the baritone-voiced Peter Graves as the star and leader of the secretive Impossible Missions team. Mission: Impossible was briefly revived in 1989, complete with a slightly rearranged version of the classic theme, but the slight alterations to it just didn't quite work for me, so it's to the original I go.

Fun fact #1: Steven Hill would later gain greater fame in his famous, long-running role of District Attorney Adam Schiff on Law and Order.

Fun fact #2: Real-life married couple Barbara Bain and Martin Landau were co-stars on the show. They would later appear together (and for the last time) on what was the most expensive British television production to that point in time. The show was called Space: 1999, and it lives on in the hearts of its loyal fans.

Tragic fact: Peter Graves' character, Mister Phelps, would be used by the makers of the ongoing (as of this writing) Mission: Impossible film series as the initial antagonist. Therefore, in the mind of this fan of the TV series, the Tom Cruise version takes place in an alternate reality.

Bonanza Theme
The show was one of the all-time great TV Westerns, surpassed in longevity only by the legendary Gunsmoke. The theme was a fast-paced Western song filled with energy. It was fun. It was exciting. It was every bit the show it represented.

Fun fact: Baritone-voiced actor Lorne Greene starred in both the original Battlestar Galactica and Bonanza.

Ear-splitting fact: The theme, like the original Star Trek's famous theme by Alexander Courage, has seldom-heard lyrics. In both cases, you would be doing your ears a favor by not listening to them. You are warned.

What's that? You're a glutton for punishment? Okay, then. Here's the theme with lyrics, as sung by Mr. Greene:

-TR