VA - Television’s Greatest Hits Volume 1: From the 50’s and 60’s (1985)

This is the disc (originally a double-LP) that started it all, 65 themes from television shows ranging from the mid-1950s until the late 1960s, from, say, Rin-Tin-Tin through Mannix and Mission Impossible. The sound quality is variable -- some of this stuff was taken off of film elements -- and some of it is clever re-records, but it's all very familiar and, in some cases, rather enlightening. Not that there are revelations to be found in much of this, but fans of the late Joe Meek might be interested to know just how much of his production technique and signature sound found its way into the theme music from, say, Fireball XL-5. The producers have included opening and closing themes linked together where that latter add significantly to the material. Popular choices here include The Munsters, The Addams Family, Top Cat, The Flinstones, The Jetsons, Dobie Gillis, My Three Sons, Superman, Bonanza, Branded, Daniel Boone, The Rifleman, Perry Mason, Ironside, Dragnet, 77 Sunset Strip, The Mod Squad, etc.