Jeopardy! theme music

Since Jeopardy! debuted in 1964, the series has had many different theme music versions, most of them composed by show creator Merv Griffin. The best-known tune associated with the show, "Think!", has become a staple song of popular culture and is frequently used in contexts such as sporting events and television shows to underscore that a decision or answer must be arrived at quickly.

"Think!"

"Think!", originally composed by Merv Griffin as "A Time for Tony" as a lullaby for his son Tony, has served as the Final Jeopardy! round countdown music since the show's debut in 1964.

In America, "Think!" has insinuated itself into everyday communication; the theme has been used to score situations in which someone is waiting for another to answer a question or make a decision. "Think!" is often used at baseball stadiums when the manager goes out to the pitcher's mound to discuss a replacement, or during instant replay reviews in any sport, or at short-track races when officials are trying to ascertain the cause of an accident which may result in a penalty. On numerous shows, including The Jerry Springer Show and Boston Legal, the theme (or some variation thereof) is heard when a choice has to be made or a result is being awaited. Merv Griffin estimated that the Jeopardy! theme earned him royalties of over $70 million. During the 2009 GSN Game Show Awards, "Think!" was named "Best Game Show Theme".

Musical structure

The 30-second version of "Think!" has a tempo of 132 beats per minute, so that exactly thirty seconds elapse between the start of the first note and the start of the last two timpani hits at the end.^{[citation needed]}

The 1984 "main theme" recording of "Think!" is set at the same tempo. The introduction begins in B major and then transposes a semitone upward to C major. The main melody is first performed in F major, then upward to A-flat major and B major, downward to D major, with the F major and A-flat major portions repeated after that.

In the 1997 arrangement, the tempo is at about 120 beats per minute. The introduction begins in D major, then up a perfect fourth to G major, followed by the brass playing the notes D, a major second down to C, a perfect fourth up to F, a major second up to G, and a perfect fourth up to C, and the main melodies begin in F-major, and so forth. The F-major, A-flat major, and B-major sections are repeated.

The 2001 arrangement had a structure similar to the 1997 one, except the tempo was at 136 beats per minute. And there were two versions with different introductions. In one version, the introduction is similar to the 1997 arrangement except it starts in C-major, then transposes up a minor third to E-flat major, then up a whole step to F-major, another whole step up to G-major, then the five notes leading into the main melodies. In the other version, the introduction began in A-flat major, transposed up a minor third to B major, followed the same five notes. Also, in both versions, there's a middle section in F major, then briefly moves a minor third down to D-minor, then to A-flat major, and back to F-major, and the main melodies repeat.

The 2008 arrangement, at 132 beats per minute, starts in C-major, then moves up a minor third to E-flat major, and stays there while saxophones and electric guitars improvise, then repeats the C-major and E-flat main melodies, stays in E-flat while saxophones and guitars improvise again. The main melodies return, and the piece ends in E-flat.

Art Fleming era

1964–1975

A jazz number titled "Take Ten", composed by Julann Griffin, served as the main theme to the original NBC/syndicated versions.

On the 2,000th episode in 1972, the theme music was the overture to The Who's Tommy. At the end of the final episode of the original NBC version in 1975, Fleming walked off the set to the tune of Charlie Chaplin's "Smile". As the song played, a shot of the darkened set was seen with the credits rolling, and instead of applause, the audience just heard the song.

1978–1979

The main theme to the NBC revival, called "Frisco Disco", was composed by Merv Griffin and arranged by Mort Lindsey, the bandleader on The Merv Griffin Show. The opening theme, called "January, February, March", was also composed by Griffin and arranged by Lindsey, and reappeared as the main theme on the first pilot of the Alex Trebek-hosted Jeopardy! in 1983.

Both "Frisco Disco" and "January, February, March" were recorded in 1976 and released on Merv Griffin's double album As Time Goes By, two years prior to the revival of Jeopardy! in 1978. They eventually carried over to the syndicated version of Wheel of Fortune in 1983.

Alex Trebek era

Beginning with the Alex Trebek-hosted syndicated version on September 10, 1984, a rendition of "Think!" was used as the main theme. The original recordings of the main theme were composed by Merv Griffin. The main theme was remixed in 1992 to include a bongo track, first introduced in Season 8 for tournament play and then put into permanent use at the start of Season 9.

At the start of Season 14, a new version of both the main theme and "Think!" music was rolled out, arranged by Steve Kaplan. The main theme was updated again in 2001, with arrangements similar to the previous versions but looser and more upbeat. This arrangement premiered in February 2001 when Jeopardy! aired celebrity episodes and the International Tournament taped in Las Vegas, Nevada, and then was put permanently into use on the April 23, 2001 episode.

An all-new arrangement of both the main theme and "Think!" music was created for the show by Chris Bell Music at the beginning of Season 25. The theme music has undergone slight re-orchestrations since.

Other versions

Rock & Roll Jeopardy! used an electric guitar-based version of "Think!" The music has since been used on the parent show leading to and coming out of commercial breaks during College Championships, Teen Tournaments, recent Kids Weeks, and the 2006 celebrity episodes taped at Radio City Music Hall, starting in Season 20. During a few of these tournaments, it was also played during the Final Jeopardy! round. Starting in Season 23, it was played during the introductions beginning with the 2007 Teen Tournament.

Jep! used a different version of "Think!" for its main theme, similar to that of the Rock & Roll version. So far, it has never been used on the regular show.

Alternate music

Alternate versions of "Think!" were a college-style version played by the UCLA Marching Band during the 2001 College Championship, another college-style version performed by the Yale Whiffenpoofs during the 2003 College Championship, and a baseball-style version played by organist Trent Johnson during the final Celebrity Jeopardy! show at Radio City Music Hall in 2006. Five different piano arrangements were used during the show's first trip to New York City in 1999. On an episode aired in May 2007, a pipe organ player aboard the Orient Express played a piano version of the "Think!" music.

On at least one occasion, the "Think!" theme was not played at all during Final Jeopardy! In Episode #3984, the main theme was not played during the closing credits, there was no applause and the Chorale and Clue Crew member Cheryl Farrell sang "Carol of the Bells". Before, during, and after Alex Trebek's reading of the Final Jeopardy! clue for Episode #3985, the L.A. Spirit Chorale sang a live, a cappella "Silent Night", with Farrell on lead vocals.

Notes

• ^ a: The original "A Time for Tony", which differs slightly from "Think!", was used as a jewelry prize cue on Wheel of Fortune in the 1980s.
  
• ^ b: "Think!" was not used at all during the 1978–1979 The All-New Jeopardy!, as there was no Final Jeopardy! Round.
  
• ^ c: "Frisco Disco" would later resurface in 1983 as a prize cue on Wheel of Fortune, where it was used until 1989.
  

External links

• Official Jeopardy! website