Although apps like Netflix, Hulu and HBO Max allow users to skip a show’s theme song, there are a few that are worth the listen. This week, The Hawk has four theme songs that can be classified as “unskippable.”
“I Don’t Want to Be” – Gavin Degraw
With iconic songs like “I Don’t Want to Wait” by Paula Cole, the theme to “Dawson’s Creek” and “California” by Phantom Planet, the theme for “The O.C.,” it’s no secret that 2000s teen dramas know how to keep their audience hooked right off the bat. One of the most notable teen drama intros contains a young Lucas Scott dribbling a basketball up the Tree Hill bridge as the three iconic piano notes come on in the background. This theme song will have everyone knowing who they are supposed to be, at least for the next 42 minutes of “One Tree Hill.”
“Everywhere You Look” – Jesse Frederick
If nostalgia was a theme song, Jesse Frederick’s “Everywhere You Look” from “Full House” may be the perfect fit for a good portion of millennials and early generation Z babies. This optimistic, feel-good song correlates to the message of the show itself; everywhere you look, you are surrounded by love. Even if this song is not up your alley, maybe one of Frederick’s other ’90s family sitcoms theme songs, like “As Days Go By” from “Family Matters,” is a better match for you.
“Where Everybody Knows Your Name” – Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart-Angelo
With the inevitable stress of the upcoming finals season, sometimes we need a break and want to go somewhere “where everybody knows your name.” The popular 1980s sitcom “Cheers” and its infamous theme song highlight friends coming together to take a breather from the outside world to just enjoy the simplicity of life.
“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” – DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
It is only appropriate to conclude this week’s playlist with a song centered around St. Joe’s own West Philadelphia. Whether you are from the area or not, you most likely still know the story of how the Fresh Prince’s “life got flipped, turned upside down” from this 1992 hip-hop song. While Will Smith may “sit on [his] throne as the prince of Bel-Air,” he will always be a West Phildelphian at heart.
