List of 10 : Ten Great Former Soap Opera Themes or Intros

Soaps    List of 10 

   We have looked at a lot of Soaps here on Joshuaonline , this time we thought we do a rarity for this site a List.  Since the list  has the word great  in it, that means it's  mostly subjective  so your results may very in agreement. Though if you have a favorite you can tell us .  For this list  we have decided to do soaps that are no longer running , and American Soaps.  We may do later lists of UK soap intros and of ones that are still running. We may have included one primetime , American soap in here too because they are rarer and you'll see.   Let's get started.

10. Dark Shadows   

We've written about this soap before , it's the most interesting thing . The soap is about vampires and other supernatural things  so it's theme really fits , it has the  dark haunting feel to it. I can compare the  sound it makes to ghosts. It does have a feel to it that makes it stand out. 

9. Passions 

   For a Soap that did it's own thing  and could get dark  even supernatural ...the theme song really could throw you off.    The theme song is called  "Breathe" By  Jane French , it is really a great theme and deserved that daytime Emmy.

   here is the full theme 

8.  All  My Children  (Early 90's theme) 

This one was a hard one because this show has a lot of Themes that I love , but in the frame of this top ten list this is the one that goes into the list.  The Drum and piano bring into the theme then the sax takes care of the rest. I love the mixture it fit All My Children Well.

7. Guiding Light  (1975 theme/intro ) 

    This one is light and simple , it feels like  a summer afternoon which is something  of an interesting affect for a  a Theme song. The Intro around this time is short and sweet. It's the sun coming  through some tree leaves and branches.
 
    I chose the closing for the featured video because it's longer  , you can see the intro here .

6.As The World Turns (1990's Theme) 

    As The World Turns  themes seemed to be the classiest themes I've heard in a soap  , this was a harder choice but I feel the 1990's theme has a simpleness to it ,yet a grandeur which is a lot to say for a soap theme. It's not long  in the intro but it does it's job and feels so well done. 

      
     That it's I am calling that number.  I chose the ending credits, glad I found one without the annoying voice over ,gosh networks shut up sometimes.   Here is an intro from the same period 

    

5.Ryan's Hope

   This is  a soap we have covered in a Lookback .   "Ryan's Hope" Theme is a happy  and optimistic sounding theme it may  even through you off  from the what comes after it ,which could be happy or not. The theme really captures you into the show.
  As the note the theme didn't change really through the show's history , but the opens did the open I picked was from 1980 and even the images of New York seem happy and optimistic it fits the music well.

                           

4. The Edge of  Night 

        We have covered this soap before  in a lookback , but theme , well the more famous theme is interesting one. It has a spooky haunting sound with an ominous feel too it.  For a crime and mystery soap the theme fits very well.   

   

                           For a bonus here is the theme with words to it .     If I were to  put this seperate it would be on this list as it's own the Jazzy disco version is amazing. Here 

3.  Sunset Beach (First theme) 

      We've written about Sunset Beach here before . It's theme is amazing , it has a great melodrama sound . It really gets you ready for the soap , the intro itself doesn't do much  just showing you the faces of who is on the show , so the music really brings the flare.
 
                      

2.   One Life To Live  (Mid 80's theme) 

     This one is also my favorite  themes of One Life to  Live , the music is upbeat and lively (maybe the pun was intended) It's a catchy one , It gets stuck in my head where it can at any point randomly just  pop in my head and I hum it.

                             
               Also the closing credits  of course have more you listen to that here 

Now there is more after the Jump including my  number 1 pick.

Honorable Mentions 

     Before , we get to Number 1 , there are some honorable mentions of one that's that didn't make it , I found I liked while looking for the others  or, would have fit if I had a different criteria for the list  and or if the list was longer. 

  Guiding Light 2007 

   I would have put this at 11 or somewhere in that area in this list , it's not really theme music , but it's an interesting intro.  I really like this one.  

           

Guiding Light 1982 

 This one  would have been like 13 , it's Amazing , it Has the zap and really it makes it look like this is the exciting soap ever!  It only lasted a year  ,but I am glad it existed at all. This is one more about the intro than the music but the music fits in there it makes it seem like an action soap the images and music work really well together.

As the World Turns 80's theme 

     It really was hard picking between this As the World  Theme and the one in the list. The music sounds adventurous ,heck it makes the Dawn in the sponsorship part sound like it's  the  best Dish soap ever.

                     
   Here's a nice treat  ... along version of the theme 

 now to number 1

1. Dynasty  

    This is that prime time one I mentioned. It's my favorite . The theme first of all, fits, it's luxury sounding and rich sounding which works for a  Show about rich people. It was composed by Bill Conti ,who also known for the Rocky theme . 

 A Special treat the long version 

   That's our list . What'd you think?  Have your own favorites , or would you place ones on the list in a different spot?  I would love to know.