When people think of their favorite songs of all time, most forget the obvious choices from an overlooked category: television theme songs. These short sonic blasts grow on you episode after episode as you begin to associate particular tunes with the TV show characters you enjoy watching. With or without lyrics, small-screen themes trigger all kinds of responses: They instantly get you in the mood to laugh your ass off for the next half hour, signal that it’s time to make a quick dash to the fridge for a snack before showtime, or make you feel nostalgic in ways you didn’t think possible.

What's truly interesting about TV theme songs is that they don’t have to be particularly good for you to love them. That intro music to Full House might be one of your most fondest childhood memories, but let’s be honest, you're not rocking that on the iPod when you go running in the morning—but more power to you if you do.

For the purposes of this countdown, though, we've focused on the television tracks that you'd actually pump when not sitting in front of the idiot box. So don’t change that channel, because Complex is about to bring you The 50 Best TV Show Theme Songs. And for a few of the worthy themes that just missed the cut here, head on over to Egotripland.

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