Cop show music!

You know, I get a lot of mail here at WmWms.  One topic starting trickling in last spring, steadily increasing in intensity, and culminating in what can only be described as a relentless pummeling:  “Bo, when are you going to tell us your favorite old cop show musical themes, and slap a bunch of YouTubes together to demonstrate?”

Well, I’m pleased to tell you, the day has arrived.

My third-favorite cop show theme may be the first one that popped in your head.  Watch a modern cop show and tell me how much Dragnet influence there is (hint:  a lot).

My second-favorite cop show theme is one that you know and don’t know.  Everyone knows the CHiPs theme, but the one everyone knows is the discofied one they used from the second season on.  The first season’s theme was a different arrangement of the same music, and I’ve always preferred it.  Here’s the one you probably remember:

Here’s the first season one that I prefer (the trumpet solo is so much more soulful, for one thing):

The winner is a Mike Post gem—and given where my formative years fell, how could it not be?  Lots of folks’ll tell you it’s Bret Maverick, but to me, Jim Rockford is the definitive James Garner character.  This was the TV cop I always wanted to be.  The Rockford Files is still a cool show, 30 years later:

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