Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Top 10 Sci-Fi Theme Tunes

Doctor Who wins best sci-fi TV theme tune of all time!

Doctor Who has been declared the winner of Total Sci-Fi’s poll to find out the best sci-fi TV theme tune of all time.

Readers voted from a shortlist of 10 iconic theme tunes. Howard Goodall’s theme to the much-loved sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf came in second place, while Mark Snow’s eerie title music for The X-Files rounded out the top three.

The original Doctor Who theme was composed by Australian-born composer, Ron Grainer in 1963 and then arranged by Delia Derbyshire. Derbyshire produced the iconic theme tune by combining a tape loop of a struck piano string with the sound of test oscillators and filters. The theme tune has been reworked a number of times over the years, with the current version arranged by Murray Gold.

Total Sci-Fi editor Matt McAllister comments: “The poll result proves that in addition to being one of the most popular science fiction shows ever created, Doctor Who also boasts the most iconic sci-fi theme tune. Grainer and Derbyshire’s theme manages to convey the outlandish quality of the show and is instantly recognisable to fans throughout the world just by its opening bars.”

Here is the full list of results in order of votes:

1) Doctor Who

2) Red Dwarf

3) The X-Files

4) Buffy the Vampire Slayer

5) Star Trek

6) Thunderbirds

7) The Twilight Zone

8) Battlestar Galactica

9) Quantum Leap

10) The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

Thanks to everyone who voted. Total Sci-Fi will be running a new poll to find out the best SF movie theme tune at the beginning of next month, so watch this space...