TV Theme Songs & Opinions on Kendrick Lamar
Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot share favorite tracks that they loved as TV show theme songs. Plus, the hosts review the new album from Kendrick Lamar.
Review: Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar is one of the most critically acclaimed rappers of all time. In November he surprise-dropped a new album called “GNX.” Jim and Greg see moments of brilliance on it, but say it doesn’t measure up to his greatest work.
TV Theme Songs
In this golden age of television, the theme songs have also gotten really good. Jim and Greg are joined by Sound Opinions staff to share their favorite TV show theme songs. Some of the shows mentioned include “Peaky Blinders,” “Winning Time,” “What We Do In The Shadows,” and “Godfather of Harlem.”
Jim:
- Show: Slow Horses, Theme: Mick Jagger, "Strange Game"
- Show: Peaky Blinders, Theme: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, "Red Right Hand"
- Show: Shameless, Theme: The High Strung, "The Luck You Got"
- Show: Orange Is the New Black, Theme: Regina Spektor, "You’ve Got Time"
- Show: How to Make It in America, Theme: Aloe Blacc, "I Need a Dollar"
Greg:
- Show: Secret Agent, Theme: Johnny Rivers, "Secret Agent"
- Show: House, Theme: Massive Attack, "Teardrop"
- Show: Godfather of Harlem, Theme: Swizz Beatz, Rick Ross and DMX, "Just In Case"
- Show: The Wire, Theme: Blind Boys of Alabama, "Down in the Hole"
- Show: Sanford & Son, Theme: Quincy Jones, "The Streetbeater"
Production Staff:
- Sol: Show: One Tree Hill, Theme: Gavin DeGraw, "I Don’t Want to Be"
- Andrew: Show: Gilmore Girls, Theme: Carole King and Louise Goffin, "Where You Lead"
- Alex: Show: Winning Time, Theme : The Coup, My Favorite Mutiny (feat. Black Thought and Talib Kweli)
- Max: Show: What We Do in the Shadows, Theme: Norma Tenega, "You’re Dead"
Featured Songs:
- The Handsome Family, "Far from Any Road," Singing Bones, Carrot Top, 2003
- The Beatles, "With A Little Help From My Friends," Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Parlophone, 1967
- Kendrick Lamar, "squabble up," GNX, PGLang and Interscope, 2024
- Kendrick Lamar, "reincarnated," GNX, PGLang and Interscope, 2024
- Kendrick Lamar, "tv off (feat. Lefty Gunplay)," GNX, PGLang and Interscope, 2024
- Kendrick Lamar, "gloria," GNX, PGLang and Interscope, 2024
- Kendrick Lamar, "wacced out murals," GNX, PGLang and Interscope, 2024
- Mick Jagger, "Strange Game," Strange Game (Single), Polydor, 2022
- Johnny Rivers, "Secret Agent Man," ...And I Know You Wanna Dance, Imperial, 1966
- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, "Red Right Hand," Let Love In, Mute, 1994
- Massive Attack, "Teardrop," Mezzanine, Virgin, 1998
- Gavin DeGraw, "I Don't Want To Be," Chariot, J, 2004
- Carole King and Louise Goffin, "Where You Lead I Will Follow," Our Little Corner of the World: Music from Gilmore Girls, Rhino, 2002
- RJD2, "A Beautiful Mine," Magnificent City Instrumentals, Decon, 2006
- The Coup, "My Favorite Mutiny (feat. Black Thought and Talib Kweli)," Pick a Bigger Weapon, Epitaph, 2006
- Norma Tenaga, "You're Dead," Walkin' My Cat Named Dog, Rhino, 1966
- Godfather of Harlem, "Just in Case (feat. Swizz Beatz, Rick Ross & DMX)," Just in Case (feat. Swizz Beatz, Rick Ross & DMX) (Single), Epic, 2019
- The High Strung, "The Luck You Got," Moxie Bravo, Paper Thin, 2005
- Blind Boys of Alabama, "Way Down In the Hole," The Spirit Of The Century, Real World, 2001
- Regina Spektor, "You've Got Time," You've Got Time (Single), Sire, 2013
- Quincy Jones, "Sanford & Son (The Streebeater)," You've Got It Bad Girl, A&M, 1973
- Aloe Blacc, "I Need a Dollar," Good Things, Stones Throw, 2010
- Bob Dylan, "Buckets of Rain ," Blood on the Tracks, Columbia, 1975
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