Since the turn of the millennia kids peacefully sat in front of some of the most schizophrenic cartoons that ever aired. From Courage the Cowardly Dog to Ren & Stimpy. Even Spongebob had it’s fair share of psycho freak-outs. Something about those 2000s cartoons… they just got us.
Nevertheless there had been a handful of amazing theme songs to permanently etch these nefarious adventures into our mind forever. Like Stimpy pulling out his own teeth wasn’t enough?
Drenched and a little drunk on rose-tinted nostalgia, we take a walk down memory lane with the best theme songs of 2000s cartoons.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender is not a cartoon, it’s ‘the’ cartoon. Ladened with surprisingly sophisticated philosophical teachings, Aang, Appa, Sokka, Katara and Toph have always felt like close friends. Even Zuko with his eternal struggles between right and wrong earned a place in our heart.
To top it off the entire series has just been added to Netflix and absolutely holds up under a re-watch. It’s a cartoon for adults as well as kids and also comes equipped with a killer theme song at the hip. ‘Appa yip yip!’
Fairly Odd Parents
Fairly Odd Parents is up there with some of Nickelodeons’ greatest of all time. Like many other cartoons that aired after 2000, Fairly Odd Parents made the transition to high definition and blew many a mind. With the upgrade came a new beloved character, Poof, and we still can’t get the theme song out of our head.
Trivia note: Fairly Odd Parents crossed over with Jimmy Neutron on three separate specials.
Yu Gi Oh
Not only was Yu Gi Oh a kick ass show, it sparked an entire generation of kids to fervently collect and play the card game. They even came out with duelling arm bands and held professional competitions. How’s that for a capitalist home run?
Perhaps one of most memorable cartoon theme songs of all time, Yu Gi Oh was and always will be a classic.
Jimmy Neutron
Jimmy Neutron was Nickelodeon’s first CGI series and therefore was a pretty big wig-out. The thumping surf guitar intro and sci-fi synths were enough to convince us of it’s awesome powers forever.
Of course Jimmy would have been a smash hit in 2D anyway but the third dimension certainly ramped it up to the next level.
Cyberchase
“Cartoons aren’t all bad! We’ll teach kids maths while they watch.” Oh no you won’t. We were well aware of the tomfoolery. Cartoon time was sacred, but somehow Cyberchase made it work.
The beloved characters, talking bird and foolish villain made everything so right, even when the show switched to flash-based animation in it’s last few seasons.
Kim Possible
Kim Possible had easily one of the most kick ass theme songs of all time. Call Me, Beep Me sung by pop singer Christina Milian is a killer intro and served to effectively immortalise the cartoon.
The classic average girl leading a secret double life was oh so infectious. The children’s version of Mission Impossible is endearing as hell and we still adore the theme song.
The Grim Adventures of Bill & Mandy
Making friends with a Jamaican Grim Reaper, oh how life would be grand! The premise is simple: journey to the other side and confront the ne’er-do-wells as Grim is permanently enraptured with an unwanted friendship with children and, of course, hilarity ensues.
One of Cartoon Network’s finest, The Grim Adventures of Bill & Mandy also boasts a killer theme song.
What’s new, Scooby Doo?
Scooby Doo evolved in the 21st Century with What’s new, Scooby Doo? and carried with it an instantly recognisable yet refreshingly new theme song. The crew had new outfits and even used modern gadgets like laptops and cell phones. However, apart from that it was the same old gimmick: Catch a phoney ghost haunting this spot.
Trivia note: The theme for this show was done by Simple Plan, who also guest-starred in an episode.
Tom and Jerry Tales
The Warner Bros. classic Tom and Jerry got a revamp and the theme song pays homage to that. Following the classic trials and tribulations of Wyllie Coyote and Roadrunner, Tom and Jerry are always getting up to mischief.
The classic 1920s inspired symphonic score is certainly memorable and it gets your little child brain amped up for 20 minutes of non-stop fun.
Samurai Jack
One of the low-down funkiest theme songs going around, Samurai Jack was instant classic. With it’s effortless blend of Japanese culture and Western cliche’s Samurai Jack inspired many kids to go out and be the ninja of their dreams.
Referred to by millennials as the greatest samurai-ninja story every told you can’t go past Samurai Jack as one of the best 2000s cartoons.
Ben 10
Having the ability to turn into various aliens with rapid-fire precision was an appealing concept as a child. The synth driven, sci-fi theme song is also a sure fire hit.
If we every successfully storm Area 51 I hope it looks exactly like Ben 10 inside. Long live 2000s cartoons!
