5 Greatest Themes from the Golden Era of Disney Cartoons!

When I refer to the Golden Era of Disney animation I refer to the free-wheeling days of Reagan and government subsidized cocaine... the 1980s. Sure, Fantasia can be fun under the right "circumstances" (I mean completely baked) but it's really hard to top the string of hits that helped make Michael Eisner.

The shows were great but the opening themes were amazing. Here they are... The Best Themes from 1980s Era Disney Cartoons!


Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers

Chip ‘n’ Dale were long time support players in the Disney universe before getting their shot at the big time with an original show, Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers. The premise of the show centered on the trouble-making chipmunks and their adventures running a detective agency. Teamed with the badass Monterey Jack and the strangely sexy Gadget Hackwrench, the Rescue Rangers was a fun and the theme song is really catchy.

TaleSpin

The world of TaleSpin was a strange mix of 1930s art deco and sweet aviation. The city of Cape Suzette was built around the airplane as the primary means of transportation. (Characters even fly to their favorite bar.) As a kid, I wanted to be Kit Cloudkicker but I quickly realized I would never have the balls to essentially water ski on clouds… The theme seems to be similar to the source material of the characters, the excellent animated feature, The Jungle Book. 

Darkwing Duck

One of the best shows and, in my opinion, the best theme song on this list, Darkwing Duck followed the adventures of a fowl superhero in his quest to protect St. Canard. The title character, Darkwing Duck, was part Batman, part Green Hornet and part Inspector Gadget. The show was (and still is) a blast to watch and I’ve been waiting for club remix of the opening theme for years!

DuckTales

The show that started the craze, DuckTales is the daddy of these shows. Following its ridiculous success on the burgeoning Disney Channel, DuckTales spawned a number of quick follow-ups and spin-offs, like Darkwing Duck. The show followed super-rich misanthrope Scroope McDuck and his nephews on adventures around the world, often focusing on the elder duck’s attempts to increase his already vast wealth. The lyrics to the theme song are still burned in my memory and I wouldn’t have it any other way…

Goof Troop

I never like Goofy as a stand-alone character but Goof Troop was a clever use of an old Disney staple. The show's creators choose to introduce Goofy’s kid, Max, and decided to focus on his struggle to adapt to a parent that’s, well, goofy. The show led to the weirdly watchable, A Goofy Movie, that also had its own excellent music but the theme to the show is still tops.