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The most rockin’ cartoon themes of the 1980s
Josh
Tuesday
11:31 pm
The mid-80s were the golden age of kid cartoon music. The previous generation’s music was either corny, or vague action themes with blaring trumpets. And, as the 90s approached, the era of Saturday morning cartoons started to decay.
But for a handful of years, cartoons had their pulses firmly attached to a pop-culture beat, and the theme songs that came out of that stretch of time were fantastic ditties that mirrored the then-exciting Top 40 soundtracks.
We consulted our horrible, Pop-Rock-addled 80s brains to come up with the 6 most rockin’ theme songs from 80s cartoons. It was hard to not just list our favorite cartoons — keep in mind, we’re evaluating title songs only. See anything we left off? Chime in below.
6. Teen Wolf
The show: The cartoon riffed off of several of the important societal and cultural morays hinted at in the 1985 live-action “Teen Wolf….” You know what? Who’re we kidding. The cartoon was pretty much about a kid trying to not let other people see he was going through changes and covered in hair. Once you get over the puberty allusion, that’s pretty much it.
Why the theme song rocked: The first half of the song is pure 80s flanged guitar and sounds straight out of Huey Lewis’ playbook. The slight curveball halfway through adds just a touch (but not much) of a Halloween-style overtone before getting back into the routine.
5. MASK
The show: Ever since we were kids, we opened the doors on our Hot Wheels so that they could fly. MASK went ahead and upped the cool factor by also making exhaust pipes shoot missiles and motorcycle mufflers morph into helicopter rotors.
Why the theme song rocked: Where Teen Wolf went for 80s Americana rock, MASK kicked it a little new age. The synth and vibes are reminiscent of Laura Branigan’s “Gloria,” while the simple structure kicked it 8-bit-style. http://vodpod.com/watch/1372594-laura-branigan-gloria
4. Mighty Orbots
The show: Josh is the only one that really remembers Mighty Orbots, but just enough information exists on the web to corroborate his tale that we’re going to let it slide. The show was about 5 robots and a human handler, and then they went on and saved the world, or universe, or whatever.
Why the theme song rocked: Remember us talking about the previous decade’s trumpets and film scores? Orbots managed to blend both the 70s action-style music and 80s rock all into one. Plus, the end of the theme song throws in a key change, just in case you weren’t already on a Saturday morning excitement high from freebasing your Cookie Crisp.
3. Jem
The show: A little something for the ladies in a lineup otherwise packed with favorites for boys and tomboys, Jem followed the antics of Jem and her band The Holograms as they put up with the hijinks of the Misfits.
Why the theme song rocked: Christy doesn’t think we knows she secretly jams out to this song in leotard and legwarmers in the Geek6 offices, but our walls were thin and we can’t stop Joe from poking holes in them …and, because you knew we were going to go there: It’s truly outrageous.
2. Pole Position
The show: The show was often overlooked because of its tie-in with a comparatively simple racing game, but true to 80s form, the show took the concept of the game and promptly kicked it all to the curb, featuring two futuristic talking race cars and stunt-drivers-turned-federal agents. (For a longer rant on Pole Position, see Josh’s post from earlier in the year.)
Why the theme song rocked: It channeled the Top Gun soundtrack, if in a slightly sissier way. And the lyrics attempted to tell a story, until they lose all coherence about 2/3 of the way through. As best we can tell, the singer just went stream of consciousness and started blathering through his grocery list.
1. Kidd Video
The show: Kidd Video followed the exploits of a 4-member band, when an evil overlord record producer sucks them into a mirror universe powered by music. In this universe, the band members travel from town to town trying to help the residents of the flipside while jamming out to some of the best tunes the decade had to offer.
Why the theme song rocked: It completely encompassed the first half 80s. To us, this song is part Debbie Gibson, part Cyndi Lauper with a dash of Journey thrown in. And, even though we’re only supposed to be analyzing the theme music, we can’t help but be totally in love with everything about this introductory segment, from the Subaru Brat to the new-wave fashions.
Well, what did we miss? Again — keep your picks to sweet theme songs!
Thanks Amy! 
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Reader Comments
Why don’t I remember any of these shows?
“Daddy, what is a rock band?” or “Daddy, how could those four people be a video game?”
I remember all of these, which goes to show you where my hairline went. It’s important to note, however, a portion of these came out of the DIC company whose animation style could be summed up as thus: don’t move the characters around too much but make the colors bright and flash a lot. If the kids don’t go into convulsions all at once, you’ll have a hit.
I used to watch Kidd Video all the time. My parents even recorded episodes on VHS.
Yes! Vindication! Someone else remembers Mighty Orbots. It didn’t just exist in my head!
I don’t remember the Pole Position cartoon, but I probably watched it at some point in time, unless it was in the same time slot as Robotech or Star Blazers. The house could have burned around me and I wouldn’t have budged during those shows.
I’m trying to think of some missing treasure to add to this list, but I can’t separate “favorite show” from “rockinest theme song” in my brain.
Do I remember these? Sure, you betcha.
Did I watch them? Not a one.
Maybe Heathcliff?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxCInOkn6OU
GALAXY HIGH!!!
MASK is the only one of those I even remember. And speaking of MASK, I always thought the Gator (the jeep that ejects the boat from under the body) was kind of a dumb transformation. Think about it, you get done with the battle, and everyone else can go home and you have to drive your boat back to where you left your jeep body. And how the heck do you get the boat back in the jeep? Was their a winch somewhere I dont know about?
I loved MASK. The premise is still strong to this day. I want like a Justice League styled MASK shows with superheroes. No one has given it to me yet.
The only ones I’ve heard of are Mask and Jem. I of course would not have been caught dead watching Jem back in the day, but I do remember it and that annoying song. Mask didn’t interest me. I had no idea they ever did a Teen Wolf show. That seems really weird, and about as good an idea as Teen Wolf Too.