Cinema Scholars spotlights legendary TV composer Mike Post and his most iconic theme songs. Post is slated to release his new bluegrass and blues-inspired orchestral studio album “Message From The Mountains & Echoes From The Delta” on April 5, 2024.
Introduction
The name Mike Post may not be a household name, but his music has filled homes around the world for decades. If you’ve ever caught yourself humming the catchy themes to classic TV shows like Magnum, P.I., The Greatest American Hero, or The A-Team, you can thank Mike Post for this unique brand of earworm.
Aside from summoning even the most sulky Gen X teenagers from their bedrooms at the opening of these shows, many of Post’s themes also topped music charts of the day. Additionally, countless compositions from his vast TV career have garnered Post a trove of awards including multiple Primetime and Daytime Emmys, several Grammys, as well as other numerous awards.
Early Influences
Before the prolific musician and composer made his indelible mark on television history, he cut his teeth in the L.A. area as an average kid. Hailing from the San Fernando Valley, Post enjoyed a normal childhood with all the usual trappings of 50s and 60s Southern California pop culture.
With an introduction to music via piano lessons at an early age, Post’s affinity for performing carried through to his teenage years. At age 15, he began sitting in with various popular bands from the area. He also played with the famed “wrecking crew,” a group of respected session musicians well-known for churning out hits for numerous pop stars of the mid-century.
A Prolific Career
By the tender age of 23, Post won his first Grammy for Best Instrumental Arrangement for the 1968 hit “Classical Gas.” The following year, Post caught the attention of The Andy Williams Show producers who selected him to serve as the musical director for the variety show. The youngest person to ever hold such a position at the time. From there, Post went on to produce and/or arrange music for various artists including Kenny Rogers, Ronny Milsap, Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, and Van Halen.
With his career in high gear, a fateful gig with producer Stephen J. Cannell would ultimately lead to his prolific career as a television composer. Though their first project together (a detective series called Toma) didn’t last long, their successful collaboration continued for years to come. Not only did Post’s popular intros capture the attention of TV viewers, but several of his compositions also topped the music charts of the day and garnered Post an array of accolades. Here are some of Mike Post’s most iconic theme songs.
The Rockford Files
Following the short-lived series Toma, producer Stephen J. Cannell called on Post and co-composer Pete Carpenter to write the theme for a new show called The Rockford Files. Starring Hollywood icon James Garner, the series was about a likable ex-con turned private detective. As though riffing on the easy-going demeanor of both Rockford and Garner, Post and Carpenter composed a lively and infectious theme song for the show.
In addition to capturing both the spirit of the show as well as audiences, the synthy refrain was also a chart-topper. During the summer of 1974, “Theme From The Rockford Files” spent four months on the pop music charts, eventually hitting the Top 10 in both the U.S. and Canada. Later that year Post would accept his second Grammy for the famous theme.
Hill Street Blues
Continuing his successful streak throughout the 80s, Post forged another important partnership with producers Steven Bochco and Michael Kozoll. For their new series Hill Street Blues (a prototype for the current-day “ensemble drama”) the showrunners looked to industry sensation Mike Post to compose the original theme for the fresh format. The show premiered in 1981 and ran for seven seasons, winning a multitude of awards for its gritty and endearing look at the various characters working in a fictional police precinct.
As with the unexpected success of The Rockford Files ditty, the “Theme From Hill Street Blues” went on to become another big hit for Post. Released as a single by Elektra, the instrumental spent five months on the U.S. and Canadian charts, eventually reaching the Top 10 on The Billboard Hot 100. In addition to its popularity, the Hill Street Blues‘ signature song also garnered Post not one, but two Grammys for Best Instrumental Composition as well as Best Instrumental Performance.
Magnum, P.I.
When most people think of the original Magnum, P.I., mellow jazz isn’t exactly what comes to mind. Nevertheless, the pilot and first nine episodes of the Tom Selleck crime-solver originally featured Ian Freebairn-Smith’s soon-forgotten opening credits tune. By episode twelve, however, producers replaced the cue with a more upbeat signature song co-written by Rockford hit-makers Mike Post and Pete Carpenter.
Featuring a heart-pounding theme with scorching guitar licks from Larry Carlton, the new song became as synonymous with the series as Magnum’s famous paradise-cruising Ferrari. Much like the narrative scope of the series, which ran from 1980 to 1988, the “Theme From Magnum, P.I.” took on a life of its own. Released as a single in 1986, the quintessential 80s action leitmotif topped Billboard’s Hot 100 chart at #25 further cementing the song’s legacy.
The Greatest American Hero
In 1981, producer Stephen J. Cannell once again commissioned Post to write the opening credits tune for a new project. This time for a slapstick superhero series called The Greatest American Hero. Given the wacky premise of an unwitting superhero with powers he can’t control, Post enlisted lyricist Stephen Geyer to help me flesh out the project. Together with singer and frequent Post collaborator Joey Scarbury, the trio recorded “Theme From The Greatest American Hero (Believe It Or Not).”
Little did they know the song would not only become an earworm for the ages, it would also gain worldwide fame. In addition to hitting the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Adult Contemporary rankings, the irresistible refrain also topped the charts in various countries including Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, where the hit song reached the #1 spot. Like many of Post’s themes, this favorite’s popularity lasted far longer than the 2 seasons of the silly series.
Law and Order
In the late 80s and early 90s, Post’s career continued to power along with a slew of memorable TV cues. But as popular as some of those were (and still are), none would become as ubiquitous as Post’s iconic work on the juggernaut series Law and Order. Hill Street Blues writer-turned-mega-producer Dick Wolf enlisted Post to create yet another perfect theme to encapsulate his gritty new crime drama. Law and Order launched in 1990 and remains one of the longest-running shows on television today with multiple spin-offs over the years.
On top of writing one of the most recognizable calling cards as well as different versions to suit various offshoots of the franchise, Post also composed the infamous “dun dun” that marks chapters throughout each episode. Yep, that “dun dun.” Officially referred to as “The Clang” (or, more appropriately by Post, the “ching ching” for the money-making copyrighted tone), both the song and sound have become hallmarks of the franchise as well as true crime pop culture.
Conclusion
These examples are merely a handful of the musical gifts Mike Post has bestowed upon the television world. Other notable themes include The A-Team, L.A. Law, NYPD Blue, Blossom, the original Quantum Leap, Doogie Howser, M.D., The Commish and the list goes on. With so many memorable classics and even a reference in The Who’s 1986 song “Mike Post Theme,” the legendary composer’s mark on television and pop culture is sure to endure for generations to come.
