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5 More 1990s Cartoon Theme Songs That All ’80s Kids Still Remember (Even if the Shows Stink)
The 1990s were a time of television that was packed with animated series, and with them came their theme songs. Multiple decades later, kids of the 80s (and 80s kids at heart) still remember them, even if the shows themselves stunk. Thankfully, there were more great series than ones that weren’t. Rugrats, Pinky and the Brain, and Beast Wars are all examples of fantastic series with great theme songs. There were some bad shows with bad themes, such as The Wacky World of Tex Avery or Yo Yogi!, but it is actually difficult to find bad series that had good theme songs. But there was one…
5.) Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978)
The only bad series on this list is Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. It premiered on Fox Kids for two seasons totaling 21 episodes from 1990 to 1991. It was based on the 1978 film Attack of the Killer Tomatoes and its 1988 sequel Return of the Killer Tomatoes. It was about mad scientist Dr. Putrid T. Gangreen (a name that conjures such disturbing imagery) and his assistant Igor. They turned the tomatoes of San Zucchini into monsters. Town resident Chad Finletter and his friends opposed the actions of Dr. Gangreen and fought back against him. The second season of the series is known to be the first Saturday Morning Cartoon to be animated on a computer. Taking cues from the ’78 film, which was a spoof movie like Airplane but made two years earlier, the series made jokes using other shows of the time and would often poke fun at itself and its namesake film.
The theme song for the series originated with the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes film. It was used in the opening credits and was used to describe to the viewer how dangerous the killer tomatoes would be. The song was shortened by about half of its runtime for use in the series. It was written and composed by John De Bello, the director of the film and one of its writers. The song was designed to sound similar to the themes of classic monster movies. While the series itself is fun, it doesn’t come close to the quality of most other animated series airing in the 90s. The theme song, though, is very catchy and enjoyable to listen to.
4.) Animaniacs (1993-1998)
Originally airing on Fox Kids before moving to The WB, the hit series Animaniacs hit the small screen in 1993. It ran for 99 episodes across five seasons before coming to an end in 1998. It would later get a revival in 2020, which aired for three seasons before ending again in 2023 after just 36 episodes. The series was styled as a variety show. It featured a lot of characters that were original to WB (such as Bugs Bunny), created for the series (like Pinky and the Brain), or were real people (such as Steven Spielberg, an executive producer). But the main characters were the Warner brothers Yakko and Wakko, and their sister Dot. Locked away in the iconic Warner Bros. water tower for being too zany for multiple decades, they finally escaped and started causing havoc all across the WB studios.
The theme song for Animaniacs was composed by Richard Stone, who composed music for a wide variety of projects across Warner Bros. animation, and the lyrics were written by series creator Tom Ruegger. A very zany song that fit well with the tone of the show (the second line even says “and we’re zany to the max”), it was performed by the stars of the series. It was sung by Rob Paulsen (Yakko), Jess Harnell (Wakko), and Tress MacNeille (Dot) in the voices of their characters. The song describes the setup of the series with the Warner siblings escaping from the water tower and going on zany adventures. Adding to the chaos, the lyrics of the song change throughout the series in small ways.
3.) Dexter’s Laboratory (1996-2003)
Dexter’s Laboratory premiered on Cartoon Network in April 1996. It aired until June 1998, then a film was released in 1999 that was to serve as the series finale. However, the ratings for the series were so high that the network renewed the series for two more seasons that ran from November 2001 to November 2003. In total, the show is comprised of four seasons and 78 episodes. Dexter’s Laboratory followed the adventures of Dexter, a young genius who had a secret laboratory in his family’s home. Many of the conflicts in the series revolved around his annoying older sister Dee Dee going into his lab and causing some sort of trouble, which often meant touching something she shouldn’t as siblings do.
The theme song for Dexter’s Laboratory is completely instrumental. It was composed by Thomas Chase, Steve Rucker, and Gary Lionelli. It is only 30 seconds long, but is quite catchy. It begins with a choral-sounding “aw” sound, similar to the one sound in the third season of The Transformers, only in a different pitch. Some choral tones continue throughout the song, making it a more unique theme amongst the others in this list and in comparison to 90s cartoon themes as a whole.
2.) Tiny Toon Adventures (1990-1992)
Tiny Toon Adventures, another series executive produced by Steven Spielberg, began in September 1990 and ran until December 1992. Like Animaniacs, the series was created by Tom Ruegger (and the success of this show is why he got to create Animaniacs). It first aired as a special on CBS before moving to Fox Kids soon after. The series, which ran for three seasons consisting of 98 episodes, won multiple awards, including seven Daytime Emmys. It followed a group of teenage characters modeled after classic Looney Tunes icons, many of which appeared in the series. They lived in Acme Acres and attended Acme Looniversity. The lead was Buster Bunny, modeled after Bugs Bunny, who was 14 years old and aware he was hosting a cartoon show. It was a unique concept that proved to be very popular with the television audience.
The theme song for Tiny Toon Adventures was written by composer Bruce Broughton, who famously composed the score for the classic film Miracle on 34th Street. It bears some similarities to the Animaniacs theme tonally. It also breaks the fourth wall, just as the Animaniacs often did, with its line “We’re invading your TV.” The song also had variations in certain episodes, and even more when the song was used again for Tiny Toons Looniversity and other spin-offs. It was sung by Charlie Adler (Buster Bunny), Tress MacNeille (Babs Bunny), and Joe Alaskey (Plucky Duck).
1.) Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995)
Widely regarded as one of the best animated series of all time, Batman: The Animated Series premiered in September of 1992, just a few months after the release of the hit film Batman Returns. Airing on Fox Kids, it ran until September 1995 for two seasons and 85 total episodes. A follow-up series titled The New Batman Adventures premiered on Kids WB in 1997 for 24 episodes and is normally considered to be part of Batman: The Animated Series, which would bring the total to 109. The show was a huge hit and continues to be popular today, with new fans discovering the series regularly. Batman: The Animated Series followed the adventures of Batman, Robin, Batgirl, and later Nightwing as they protected Gotham City from criminals and supervillains. The series was the first project of the DC Animated Universe (DCAU) and introduced the world to the late Kevin Conroy, who is considered the greatest voice of Batman.
The theme and intro for Batman: The Animated Series (which were reused for The New Batman Adventures) are among the most well-known in animation and are instantly recognizable by fans of the series. Initially, the show used the iconic theme composed by Danny Elfman for Batman (1989). When the series was retitled midway through to The Adventures of Batman and Robin, the intro was changed, and a new but similar theme was created by the late Shirley Welker, the composer for the music of the multiple DCAU productions. Both themes are instantly recognizable to fans of Batman, and composed to utmost perfection by two amazing artists. Shirley Welker does not get the recognition she deserves for her work. The music of the series and the DCAU as a whole would not be what it is without her.
Which of these themes do you know best? Let us know in the comments below.
