When we spotted Sick Animation’s indie rock cover of the Family Matters theme song over on Vulture yesterday, the first thing we did was think of that hilarious Steve Urkel reference in the season premiere of 30 Rock. Then we decided to search for more awesome theme song covers from the TV shows that we grew up watching. Beat your hump day blues with a ’90s TV show theme song singalong after the jump — in some cases, you’ll probably be surprised by how well you remember the lyrics.
“Family Matters Theme” by Sick Animation
Sick Animation decided to put a nice, mellow cover of the Family Matters theme on their new album, Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ LOL. There’s just enough there for you to recognize it, but different enough for you to hear the lyrics in a new way.
“Saved by the Bell Theme” by Randy Haddock
Haddock’s rendition of the theme to Saved by the Bell gives it a folky twist, making the line “I think I’ll never make it” seem to mean a lot more than being tardy.
“Friends Theme” by Zach Stewart
Mixing the original song with a touch of what seems to be auto-tune, Stewart takes the Rembrandts’ version down a notch, making it sound less generic.
“DuckTales Theme” by LuieLand
Jane Lui’s stripped down cover of the DuckTales theme song, which was written by Mark Mueller, makes us feel happier every time we play it. Seriously.
“The Simpsons Theme” by Zack Kim
Danny Elfman’s theme to The Simpsons is a complex tangle of fast melodies. That’s why it’s impressive to see young Zach Kim and his innovative two guitar setup ripping through it almost flawlessly.
“The Adventures of Pete & Pete Theme” by Tera Melos
Just covering the Pete & Pete theme song wasn’t enough for pop punk band Tera Melos. They even recreated the intro to the show, including the iconic red and black flannel hat and Petunia, the tattoo on Little Pete’s left arm.
“Full House Theme” by eufiecorrea
A young guitar-and-drum duo with angelic voices makes the cloying Full House theme much more enjoyable.
“Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Theme” by Five Times August
Brad Skistimas, the singer of Five Times August, performs a catchy pop rendition of the classic Fresh Prince theme. Bonus points for his witty introduction.
“Doug Theme” by 8BeatMeasure
8BeatMeasure perform an a cappella version of the theme to the Nickelodeon cartoon classic — complete with bark.
“Boy Meets World Theme” by TheVocaholics
Another a cappella cover, this time by an all-male group from NYU known as The Vocaholics. So short and sweet that we think even Mr. Feeny would be proud.