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Prepare to hum along as we dive into some of the most memorable and catchy openings Cartoon Network has ever delivered! From the quirky chaos of Ed, Edd n Eddy to the heroic energy of Teen Titans and the whimsical charm of Adventure Time, these themes set the perfect tone for childhood favorites. Get ready to revisit the beats that defined a generation’s Saturday mornings and unleashes the nostalgia in full force!
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most banging intro songs from Cartoon Network
00:05shows.
00:06To replenish your heart with warmness and cheer, I offer a traditional Tamarainian folk song.
00:15Number 20. The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy.
00:21Number 20. Some cartoon themes announce the show. This one practically kicks down the door.
00:32The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy opens with a manic blend of rock, brass, and cartoon chaos that perfectly
00:38captures the bizarre friendship at its center.
00:40Number 20. There's something gleefully sinister about the whole thing, with the music sounding like it could introduce either a
00:50Saturday morning adventure or the world's strangest haunted house.
00:54Most importantly, it establishes the show's attitude. Creepy, ridiculous, and completely unbothered by the distinction between the two.
01:02Before Billy, Mandy, or Grim even start causing trouble, the theme has already told us we're in for something wonderfully
01:08weird.
01:17Number 19. Chowder.
01:21You take the moon and you take the sun.
01:24You take everything that seems like fun.
01:27This one sounds like somebody dumped a kitchen of cartoon sound effects in a blender, and yet it is somehow
01:32worth five Michelin stars.
01:34Chowder's jaunty, whimsical melody bounces with the exact same energy as its titular protagonist.
01:45Rather than aiming for epic or dramatic, the theme song is pure silliness, which also makes it stand out.
01:52There's a loose, almost classic quality to the instrumentation that keeps it fresh and ready to go at the top
01:57of every episode.
01:58But above all, it just feels like chowder.
02:01This is one recipe we would be happy to serve to the whole family.
02:04Straight out wild, cause shopping's all the cooking, yeah!
02:08Life is a lemon!
02:10Oh yeah, I love it!
02:11Number 18.
02:12Batman, The Brave and the Bold.
02:20Holy theme song, Batman!
02:22The Brave and the Bold wastes no time resurrecting the larger-than-life spirit of classic superhero cartoons.
02:27The punchy arrangement feels tailor-made for a hero who isn't interested in brooding quietly in an alley.
02:33Every musical flourish sells the show's colorful comic book aesthetic,
02:37while the melody has enough swagger to make Batman feel like the star of his own Saturday morning cereal.
02:51It's bombastic without becoming overwhelming,
02:54and catchy without sacrificing the character's heroic mystique.
02:57Most importantly, it tells viewers exactly what kind of Batman they're getting.
03:01Adventurous, confident, and ready for anything.
03:09Number 17.
03:11Johnny Test.
03:12You can call this experiment a resounding success based on the pacing alone.
03:17Got a head of fiery hair and a turbocharged backpack.
03:21Johnny has a genius, just use him like a lab rat.
03:25The song moves at roughly the same speed as Johnny himself.
03:29Loud, reckless, and seemingly powered by whatever dangerous invention his sisters have cooked up this week.
03:34There's barely any time to settle in before the guitars and pounding rhythm launch the show into motion.
03:39Three extreme genes in an air-breathing shark.
03:42Mega action game control is skating in the park.
03:44A pharaoh booster bling bling.
03:45What do we make of this?
03:48That frantic quality is the appeal.
03:50It doesn't simply introduce Johnny.
03:52It establishes his entire worldview in musical form.
03:55For a kid constantly chasing explosions, experiments, and adventure,
04:00a quiet ballad simply would not have cut it.
04:03Johnny Test.
04:04Johnny Joe.
04:05Johnny Test.
04:07This is the laugh of a boy named Johnny Test.
04:25When you bring a music legend like Andre 3000 on board to create an animated series,
04:31the theme song is guaranteed to be a masterpiece.
04:33The opening for Class of 3000 is an incredibly smooth, funky, and effortlessly cool track
04:39that puts most mainstream radio hits to shame.
04:42Blending soulful R&B, vibrant hip-hop beats, and jazzy horn sections,
04:47the music easily showcases the talent of the fictional Wesley School of Performing Arts.
04:51Hypnotize them so you can take them where you want to take them.
04:53Hey, Sonny, can we take them to the bridge?
04:56Huh, huh, huh?
04:58Hey, Sonny, can we take them to the bridge?
05:00Uh, okay.
05:02That matters because Class of 3000 was fundamentally a show about music,
05:07so its theme had to sound like it belonged on stage.
05:10If this is what the kids are cooking up in class, you can consider us enrolled.
05:15So much reality TV, that real life becomes a sitcom.
05:20If you ain't got no rhythm, we gonna show you how to get some.
05:24Yeah!
05:25Number 15, My Gym Partner's a Monkey.
05:28I used to go to a human school where everyone was the same.
05:30Now I go to an animal school cause Lion's my last name.
05:34This show isn't exactly sophisticated art.
05:36What you see is what you get.
05:38Luckily, the theme song fully embraces the absurdity of its premise with equal parts joy and irreverence.
05:44You sure hurt you, but I don't know what, going to this school's a pain in the-
05:46Adam!
05:47What?
05:47I was gonna say next.
05:48Oh, that's okay then.
05:49The lyrics catch you up to speed on Adam Lion, a human boy who is mistakenly enrolled in a school
05:55for animals.
05:55Don't worry if you miss the words though, because the whole theme sounds like it's being recorded in a zoo.
06:00Against all odds, it is both catchy and memorable.
06:03There's an undeniable zest to the rhythm that guarantees you will be swinging from vines before the episode even starts.
06:09My dear partner is a monkey!
06:13My dear partner is a monkey!
06:15Number 14.
06:16I Am Weasel
06:17It takes serious skill to turn a beloved nursery rhyme into a triumphant opening sequence, but I Am Weasel makes
06:24it look easy.
06:25Cause Baboon's better than Weasel.
06:27I are Baboon, big star cartoon.
06:31I am Weasel!
06:32The fun lies in its duality.
06:34The lyrics reflect I.R. Baboon's healthy ego, only for it to be instantly and repeatedly crushed by the interjections
06:41of Weasel.
06:47It's a brilliant piece of compositional storytelling that tells you all you need to know about the show in under
06:53a minute.
06:53As a result, it doesn't need a complicated hook to stick in your head.
06:57Instead, its distinctive melody and offbeat personality make it feel like something completely different.
07:02Is it weird?
07:03Absolutely.
07:04But is it memorable too?
07:06100%.
07:07I am Weasel!
07:08I am Weasel!
07:09I am Weasel!
07:11Number 13.
07:12Codename Kids Next Door
07:20This show presented the thrill of childhood through the lens of a high-stakes espionage thriller.
07:25And unsurprisingly, the theme song is a perfect marriage of those ideas.
07:29The track has an urgent, adventurous quality that echoes some of the greatest spy movies in history.
07:40It's so on-brand, you could play it over a James Bond film and no one would bat an eye.
07:45The Kids Next Door opening is full of great stings, rapid-fire adrenaline, and impeccable style.
07:50Tonally, there's nothing else quite like it in Cartoon Network history.
07:54Because of that, childhood has never seemed so classified or so fun.
08:08Number 12.
08:10Dexter's Laboratory
08:17Grandiose, mysterious, and delightfully over-the-top, the theme for Dexter's Laboratory perfectly embodies the massive ego of its pint
08:25-sized protagonist.
08:26Sweeping viewers straight into the hidden depths of a boy genius's secret sanctum,
08:30this instrumental track channels the energy of classic mad scientist cinema.
08:34Driven further by a frantic, string-heavy orchestral score,
08:38the music practically screams experiments gone wrong.
08:48Sure, it doesn't rely on catchy sing-along lyrics like some of our later entries,
08:52but it genuinely doesn't need to.
08:54The sheer atmosphere makes this epic, wordless overture an absolute must-watch every time an episode starts.
09:00Let the experiments begin!
09:09Number 11.
09:10Total Drama
09:14As a brilliant parody of reality television,
09:17Total Drama needed a theme song that matched the chaotic energy of its teenage cast.
09:22And I Wanna Be Famous delivers in spades.
09:24Serving as a rebellious pop-punk anthem directed right at mom and dad,
09:29the lyrics convey that universal teenage desperation to make it big.
09:33I wanna be famous
09:37Thanks to a relentlessly catchy guitar riff, energetic drums, and an undeniably iconic whistling hook,
09:43this high-energy rock track is an absolute earworm you will not be able to shake for days.
09:48Regardless of the competition, this theme song takes the crown in every way that counts.
09:53I wanna be, I wanna be famous
10:01Number 10.
10:02Steven Universe
10:08Short, sweet, and bursting with heart,
10:11the theme to Steven Universe feels like an extension of its lore.
10:14Led by charming synth keyboards and a toe-tapping drumbeat,
10:18the song acts as a delightfully enchanting introduction to our heroes.
10:21That's why the people of this world
10:25believe in
10:26Garnet
10:27MFS
10:28MFS
10:29And Pearl
10:30And Steven
10:31As they cheerfully pledge to save the day,
10:34the track seamlessly establishes the show's whimsical cosmic aesthetic.
10:38What makes this anthem truly special, however, is how it evolves.
10:42Later seasons feature updated versions with richer, tighter vocal harmonies from the cast,
10:47brilliantly reflecting the group's growth into a genuine family.
10:50It's a beautifully crafted musical mission statement that we will always believe in.
10:54We'll always find a way
10:57Number 9.
10:58Samurai Jack
10:59Long ago in a distant land,
11:04Cartoon Network unleashed an animated masterpiece.
11:07One that also had a rockin' opening.
11:09The Samurai Jack intro instantly hooks viewers with the chilling, iconic narration of its shape-shifting villain, Aku.
11:14Now the fool seeks to return to the past and undo the future that is Aku.
11:23But just as the exposition wraps, the track abruptly pivots into a pulse-pounding futuristic hip-hop beat.
11:30Accented by the rhythmic, visceral slicing of katana blades,
11:33this genre-bending fusion perfectly mirrors Jack's time-traveling struggles.
11:41That's without even mentioning the insanely catchy gotta-get-back vocal hooks that practically demand you stand up and sing
11:47along.
11:54Number 8.
11:55Johnny Bravo
11:59As relentlessly fast-paced as its womanizing protagonist,
12:03the Johnny Bravo jingle is a blistering dose of pure rockabilly.
12:06While it lacks traditional lyrics,
12:08the instrumental more than makes up for it in sheer swagger.
12:13Heavily channeling the suave, hip-shaking energy of Elvis Presley and the classic rock-and-roll era,
12:18the track drips with retro-cool.
12:20How can something be nostalgic and cutting-edge at the same time?
12:24We don't know, but we won't complain.
12:26If this infectious beat doesn't instantly get you out of your seat and doing the monkey,
12:30we only have one thing to say to you.
12:33Yeah, whatever.
12:34Number 7.
12:35Hi Hi Puffy Emi Yumi
12:45Bright colors,
12:46pop-rock energy,
12:47and two Japanese rock stars bouncing between animated adventures?
12:51Yep,
12:51this is Hi Hi Puffy Emi Yumi alright.
12:54Performed by the namesake duo themselves,
12:56the opening captures the bubbly, infectious spirit of the series
12:59while giving it a genuine musical identity.
13:01I don't throw around the world,
13:03so come and join the band.
13:05Hi, 23!
13:06Hi Hi Puffy Emi Yumi show!
13:08There's a polished pop sensibility underneath all the cartoon mayhem,
13:12which makes perfect sense for a show built around an actual touring band.
13:16The result is a one-of-a-kind banger.
13:19It sounds like a real pop song that just happens to have been dropped into a hyperactive cartoon universe.
13:24That combination is pretty hard to resist.
13:26Anything is possible!
13:29We've got the power of all!
13:32Make your ground possible now!
13:41Number 6.
13:43Ben 10
13:43Ben 10 me!
13:44It started when an alien device did what it did.
13:47Need we say more?
13:49It started when an alien device did what it did,
13:52and stuck itself upon his wrist with secrets that it did.
13:55Those opening lines get us ready for action to this day.
13:58So while the Ben 10 franchise has rotated its opening number around a few times,
14:03nothing beats the OG.
14:05The incredibly catchy lyrics break down exactly how an average kid discovered an extraterrestrial watch
14:11and gained the power to become ten different alien heroes.
14:18Musically, it boasts a delightfully spooky surf rock meets classic sci-fi vibe.
14:23So not only does it break down all the backstory you need,
14:26but it's a headbanging track too.
14:34It's no wonder that whenever we hear this tune,
14:37we know it's hero time.
14:41Number 5.
14:42Code Lyoko
14:43Setting aside the flashy, high-octane thrills of most animated programs,
14:48Code Lyoko aimed for something much moodier.
14:50And boy, did it succeed.
14:52Here we are, going far to save all that we love.
14:55Co-produced in France,
14:57the show had a much darker tone,
14:59following a group of kids who go into a virtual world to stop a rogue AI.
15:03The music is basically its own character,
15:05with the title theme, A World Without Danger,
15:08immediately conveying the grungy vibe.
15:10Here we are, like a star,
15:12shining bright on your world today.
15:16Make evil go away.
15:19It's techno, but a bit punk,
15:20combined with a dash of wistfulness and some rock.
15:23It shouldn't work, but it does.
15:25There's real emotion and stakes behind this.
15:28Plus, that opening synth is just downright iconic.
15:31Come, you're cold, we will stand real tall.
15:35Come, you're cold, stronger after all.
15:39Number 4.
15:41The Powerpuff Girls
15:42Sugar, spice, and everything nice.
15:47These were the ingredients chosen to create the perfect little girl.
15:51Just like its pint-sized heroes,
15:53the Powerpuff Girls opener contains sugar, spice, everything nice,
15:56and something a little extra.
15:58Pure concentrated rock.
16:00After a now-legendary narration chronicling the girl's origins,
16:04this song kicks into high gear and doesn't stop.
16:07The music goes incredibly hard for a kids' show,
16:10featuring explosive percussion and driving guitar riffs.
16:13Nothing else could possibly match the thrill
16:15of three super-powered kindergartners beating down monsters.
16:18As if we could want anything more,
16:20the song also weaves in some subtle melodies
16:23to differentiate Blossom Bubbles and Buttercup.
16:25Talk about going the extra mile.
16:36Number 3.
16:37Teen Titans
16:38When it comes to power,
16:45these young superheroes are simply unmatched.
16:47So it only makes sense that their theme song is just as impactful.
16:51Performed by the iconic Japanese pop-rock duo Puffy Ami Yumi,
16:55remember them?
16:56This track is an absolute powerhouse of punk rock composition.
17:05Part of the genius lies in its versatility.
17:08Teen Titans would alternate the lyrics of its theme song
17:11based on the episode it aired with.
17:13Darker, narrative-focused installments got English words,
17:15while the anime-inspired comedic ones were sung in Japanese.
17:19No matter which version you got, though,
17:21this song never fails to get you raring to go.
17:23When the world is losing all control
17:27Teen Titans
17:28Go!
17:31One, two, three, four, go!
17:34Teen Titans!
17:34Number 2.
17:36Adventure Time
17:45Sweet, quirky, and effortlessly heartwarming,
17:48this song is a wonderful encapsulation
17:50of why Finn and Jake's antics are a true classic.
17:53Adventure Time!
17:54Come on, grab your friends.
17:55We'll go to very distant land.
17:58Just one listen,
17:59and you basically have everything you need to know about Adventure Time.
18:02Not just because of the lyrics, though.
18:04A few seconds into the song,
18:06the grandiose orchestra gets ditched for a folksy ukulele.
18:09If that's not Adventure Time through and through,
18:12we don't know what is.
18:13Instead of getting swept up in a rocking anthem,
18:15this song is more reminiscent of hanging around a campfire with friends.
18:19What's not to love?
18:21Never ends in Adventure Time
18:31Before we continue,
18:33check out this single from Sound Mojo's album Balance,
18:36classical music reimagined as rock, hard rock, and metal.
18:40Check out the full track and album below.
18:42Fortune calls, rise and ruin, night and noon,
18:48all are prisoners of the moon.
18:56Number 1. Ed, Ed, and Eddie.
18:58Ed, Ed, and Eddie!
18:59Who needs lyrics anyway?
19:01It was probably a good call to focus just on sound
19:03because this theme has enough going on already.
19:06We shouldn't even be surprised.
19:12Perfectly in line with the chaotic spirit of Ed, Ed, and Eddie,
19:15this song is pure wall-to-wall mayhem in the best way.
19:18There are horns, drums, piano, and so much else,
19:22it's almost overwhelming.
19:23But that's also why it's so ridiculously fun.
19:31By the time the sound builds to its blaring climax,
19:34you feel like you've just watched a whole mini-episode of Ed, Ed, and Eddie.
19:38It is musical storytelling at its finest,
19:40and plain fun to listen to to boot.
19:47What theme song lives rent-free in your head?
19:50Let us know in the comments.
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