Alan Thicke's 5 best TV theme songs
Growing Pains star Alan Thicke, who died Tuesday at 69 years old, wasn't just one of television's favorite dads. In addition to acting and hosting talk shows and game shows, he also composed a handful of scores.
Thicke wrote about a dozen theme songs in his 40-plus years in show business, in two realms he often worked: sitcoms and game shows. For the latter, he penned music for The Joker's Wild, The Diamond Head Game, Blank Check, Stumpers!, Whew!, and more. That excludes his most-known works, like Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life, which he wrote with ex-wife Gloria Loring.
See his best compositions below.
Diff'rent Strokes
The eight-season show starring Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges featured two young black kids who are raised by a rich businessman (Conrad Bain). Thicke wrote it with Loring, and Al Burton and provided vocals.
The Facts of Life
The Diff'rent Strokes spin-off retained a familiar feature: a Thicke, Loring, and Burton theme song.
The Wizard of Odds
Before Alex Trebek moved to Jeopardy!, he hosted this '70s game show. Thicke sang the song and produced the short-lived show.
Celebrity Sweepstakes
The first image when thinking about his theme? Visions of the racetrack. Celebrities answered questions on behalf of contestants, who had to guess which stars knew the answer to a question.
Wheel of Fortune
Pat Sajak and Vanna White fans know today's theme, starting with a chant of the contest's name and modern horns. The original one was more of a track of its time in the 1970s.
