theme song

noun

plural theme songs

1

: a song or melody strongly associated with someone or something

a famous performer's theme song

the theme song of a political campaign

often : an identifying melody or song typically played at the beginning of a movie, television show, etc., and sometimes recurring during its course

Some of these shows were truly unforgettable, with catchy theme songs that are instantly recognizable decades later.

—Grant Butler

2

: a statement, expression, or opinion repeatedly heard from someone

But literary history is also entangled with criticism. Inevitably so; let me revert unblushingly to my theme song: in order to appreciate a masterpiece, we must be acquainted with its language …

—Albert Guerard

Examples of theme song in a Sentence

He was playing the theme song from “The Godfather.”

Recent Examples on the Web

While the theme song became one of the most recognizable parts of the group’s legacy, Maslow explained that turning it from a television introduction into a full concert performance was never a simple transition. — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 12 July 2026

His stardom has only grown with each visit, winning him enamored fans around the world, and even a theme song. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 11 July 2026

His wake-up alarm plays the theme song for the Champions League. — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 30 June 2026

This year’s Saturday night special began with smooth jazzman Bob James and Wilco’s Mikael Jorgensen doing a soulful keyboard duet on the theme song from the Seventies sitcom Taxi, which James composed. — Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for theme song

• evensong
• livelong
• overlong
• vietcong
• agung
• along
• belong
• birdsong
• furlong
• headlong
• headstrong
• lifelong