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    A Most Excellent Ranking Of TV Drama Theme Songs

    You know... the themes to shows that get you hyped!

    A good television intro can help take a show from being your favorite to being your absolute BAE! This is a ranking of the best drama theme songs of the 21st century. The ones that perfectly encapsulated what we loved best about our shows and got us excited to tune in!

    28. Friday Night Lights

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    Composer: W. G. Snuffy Walden / Via NBC

    Enough warmth and spirit to make the cut. The theme hugs you into small town setting with family and high school Texas football. Full eyes clear hearts can't lose!

    27. Gilmore Girls

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    "Where You Lead" by: Carole King & Louise Goffin / Via WB/CW

    What might initially feel like a cheesy WB intro will quickly turn into an anthem of heart and family. It's hopeful and calls to the loving bond of mother and daughter.

    26. The Affair

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    "Container" by: Fiona Apple / Via Showtime

    The song for this intro initially feels somberly quirky, but soon reveals itself to be a tragic and beautiful poem that so fittingly illustrates the dramatic themes of The Affair.

    25. The Wire

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    "Way Down in the Hole" / Via HBO

    The opening artfully walks you through the series premise - the narcotics scene in Baltimore through the eyes of law enforcers and drug dealers. Each season intro featured a different artist's take on the same song with a varied backdrop.

    24. Dawson's Creek

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    "I Don't Want to Wait" by: Paula Cole / Via WB

    This is the quintessential WB teen drama with the theme that everyone fondly, perhaps cringingly, remembers. It still holds a soft spot.

    23. The O.C.

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    "California" by: Phantom Planet / Via Fox

    Yes, it's on the list. C'mon, the song makes it! An ode to carefree adolescence, the beach, the waves of drama. "California, here we comeeeeeeee...."

    22. House of Cards

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    Composer: Jeff Beal / Via Netflix

    This theme almost serves like a love ballad to D.C. The score shares a sense of polish and intrigue, and nicely adorns this politically charged show.

    21. Breaking Bad

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    Composer: Dave Porter / Via AMC

    A short but effectively engrossing theme for the greatest show of all time. (Yeah, I said it.)

    20. American Horror Story

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    Composers: Cesar Davila-Irizarry Charlie Clouser / Via FX

    The themes to the intros change each season, but the creepy music and consistently disturbing imagery remains the same - eerily good.

    19. The Americans

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    Composer: Nathan Barr / Via FX

    The harshness in this opening theme is striking. You feel gripped into this story of Soviet spies.

    18. Roswell

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    "Here With Me" by: Dido / Via WB/UPN

    Dido, you did a superb job with this song! Who doesn't remember being intrigued by this intro? The blue symbols, the desert, the handprint... We all wanted to keep Max's secret.

    17. Luther

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    "Paradise Circus" by: Massive Attack / Via BBC

    There is a sense of suspiciousness and calmness in this theme. It feels seductive yet timid, and illustrates a blurring of the lines. It really gauges the soul of Luther.

    16. Smallville

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    "Save Me" by: Remy Zero / Via WB/CW

    Hearing "somebody save me!" just works so well here. The story of a young Clark Kent growing up on a farm in Kansas so nicely laid out in this theme that gets you ready to root for Superman!

    15. Orange Is The New Black

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    "You've Got Time" by" Regina Spektor / Via Netflix

    There is sense of defiance and harsh truth to this opening that really captures the spirit of the show. The faces of real prison inmates bluntly staring at you is arresting (pun intended). Plus, that's just a great song.

    14. Six Feet Under

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    Composer: Thomas Newman / Via HBO

    This intro is clever and cinematic. You follow the course of death down the to the burial and it's juxtaposition against the seemingly upbeat melody works rather well.

    13. True Detective

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    "Far from Any Road" by: The Handsome Family / Via HBO

    That's just a darn good song. The opening of True Detective quickly grabs your hand down the path of investigation and question.

    12. The Walking Dead

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    Composer: Bear McCreary / Via AMC

    A haunting opening that lays the foundation of a world where people are scarce, hope is bleak and death lingers in the air. The ominous strings of this score paired with the desolate visuals lead you into life with The Walking Dead.

    11. Pretty Little Liars

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    "Secret" by: The Pierces / Via ABC Family

    The song is sinister and playful. The visuals are superficial and suspicious. It perfectly explains the story behind the liars and you can't help but want to take a peek!

    10. Downton Abbey

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    Composer: John Lunn / Via PBS

    An elegant intro that opens you into the bountiful lives of the Grantham family and the servants of their estate. The ascending notes, the bell chimes... all whisk you away to Downton Abbey!

    9. Sons of Anarchy

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    "This Life" by: Curtis Stigers & The Forest Rangers / Via FX

    Those unapologetic riffs, the tattoo illustrations all outline the story you're about to step into - the loyalty and unease of an outlaw motorcycle club. "The crow flies straight!"

    8. Narcos

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    "Tuyo" by: Rodrigo Amarante / Via Netflix

    Such a smooth and hypnotic intro. It's provocative. You can't help but get pulled into the entangled world of Pablo Escobar.

    7. True Blood

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    "Bad Things" by: Jace Everett / Via HBO

    Gritty, disturbing visuals. A twangy song with a seductive mood. This opening deliberately captures the danger and depth of True Blood.

    6. Buffy The Vampire Slayer

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    Composer: Nerf Herder / Via WB/UPN

    The Buffy theme song is fast, campy and borderline corny, but boy does it get you pumped for some vampire slaying! *Note: Also including the Angel theme with this, since it's basically the same song with dark violin remix. Still awesome.

    5. The X-Files

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    Composer: Mark Snow / Via Fox

    The X-Files theme music is synonymous with the unknown and unexplained. You can't hear those notes without thinking of alien abductions or conspiracy theories.

    4. The Sopranos

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    "Woke Up This Morning" by: Alabama 3 / Via HBO

    An intro that charges you up for a day in the life of a mob boss dealing with personal and professional power struggles. The visuals capture the story of the American immigrant, leading up to the position of advantage Tony Soprano has arrived to and his battle to hold on to it.

    3. Game of Thrones

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    Composer: Ramin Djawadi / Via HBO

    This grandiose introduction meticulously leads you through the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, the backdrop of the epic tale that is Game of Thrones. It's regal and exceptionally establishes the tenor of the show.

    2. Dexter

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    Composer: Rolfe Kent / Via Showtime

    Smart and sharp. This opening paints to precision the narrative of Dexter, forensic expert by day, vigilante serial killer by night. Unnerving imagery of slicing, flesh and blood seeps through the guise of a typical morning routine. It's clear Dexter is not as clean cut as he appears.

    1. Mad Men

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    "A Beautiful Mine" by: RJD2 / Via AMC

    This theme is a modern classic. Hands down the most alluring and brilliant opening during our contemporary television era goes to the AMC drama set in 1960s New York about the lives of Madison Avenue advertisers mastering the art of the sell. The music, the visuals, the pacing - all perfectly captures the mood and story of Mad Men. Who doesn't want to delve into Don Draper's world after watching this intro?