Throwback Thursday: '80s Action/Adventure Theme Songs

📆 Originally aired: December 13, 2016
🎙️ Hosted by Paul Stroessner | Co-host: Robert Mishou | Special Guest: Jim Vilk

We're revving up the nostalgia machine and heading full throttle into the golden age of TV intros—the action-packed, high-octane theme songs of 1980s television!

In this retro gem from the vault, I'm joined by our original co-host Robert Mishou and long-time Return to the '80s contributor and friend Jim Vilk, who's been part of our crew since the early blog days. (Jim even wrote the popular piece One-Hit Wonders? Not Level 42! – check it out here)

🎵 Main Topic:
We each picked three unforgettable '80s action/adventure TV theme songs that left tire tracks on our hearts—and made sure to include at least one "must-have" anthem per round. You'll hear about:

• The Fall Guy

• The Dukes of Hazzard

• Hardcastle & McCormick

• Simon & Simon

• CHiPs

• Voyagers!

• Matt Houston

• Call to Glory

• The Greatest American Hero

And of course, we all agreed on these iconic themes:

• Magnum P.I.

• The A-Team

• Miami Vice

🎶 Plus, we introduced a fun new segment: Play This, Not That – thanks to Jim!

🕊️ And we paused to pay tribute to several legends we lost around the time of this recording:

• Margaret Whitton (Major League)

• John Glenn, American astronaut

• Joseph Mascolo, best known as Stefano DiMera on Days of Our Lives

---

📩 Let's hear from you!
.css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}