It all started with a *Big Bang*.
Big Bang Theory is one of the most successful sitcoms of all time. Running for 12 seasons and spawning numerous spinoff series, the Chuck Lorre and Bill Brady show is beloved by millions.
But what about the theme song?
Written and recorded by Canadian alternative rock band Barenaked Ladies, the “Big Bang Theory Theme” is one of the most “financially successful theme songs ever,” according to Adam Reader of Professor of Rock.
With continuous syndication and streaming, the song has brought in more money for the Barenaked Ladies than the rest of the band’s catalog combined.
After Lorre and Brady attended one of the band’s show, while Big Bang was still in development, the creators reached out to the band in the hopes they would be willing to pen the theme.
“I got in the shower and the whole idea came to me in the course of a five-minute shower,” frontman Ed Robertson told Metro in 2019. “I actually called my wife in and said ‘Can you write this down?!?’ and dictated the first verse to her.”
He added, “I got out of the shower, recorded it in my bathing suit, recorded it into my laptop using no outdoor gear, just a built-in mic in my laptop, and emailed it.”
The show creators were instantly sold. After one simple change to the end of the song, the rest is history.
In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked the song among the 100 Greatest TV Theme Songs of All Time.
