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{{trope}}
The usage of a show's theme music
The musical version of an [[Opening Shout
Not the same thing as [[Title Theme Drop]], which is when a title theme is also used in the context of the work itself such as if a remix of the title theme plays when fighting the final boss of a video game, though there may be some overlap at times, if both are used within the same work. Basically, if a character hums the theme tune, a band plays it or it's on a ringtone or something
▲Not the same thing as [[Title Theme Drop]], which is when a title theme is also used in the context of the work itself such as if a remix of the title theme plays when fighting the final boss of a video game, though there may be some overlap at times, if both are used within the same work. Basically, if a character hums the theme tune, a band plays it or it's on a ringtone or something -- if it's diegetic-- then it's this trope. If the theme song plays as the soundtrack over the episode, then it's a [[Title Theme Drop]]. If the ''lyrics'' of the theme tune (or any other song) are used in dialogue, it's [[Waxing Lyrical]].
{{examples}}
== Advertising ==
* Many products back in the day had songs about their products, such as the songs for KitKat, Almond Joy/Mounds. Nowadays, since singing a song about your product seems old-fashioned, some of these products that had songs will now just play a short instrumental version of these old songs somewhere in the commercial. One problem: if you're not old enough to remember these songs when they had words, you'll have no idea that these songs are meaningful as a
==
* In episode 7 of the anime ''[[
▲* Many products back in the day had songs about their products, such as the songs for KitKat, Almond Joy/Mounds. Nowadays, since singing a song about your product seems old-fashioned, some of these products that had songs will now just play a short instrumental version of these old songs somewhere in the commercial. One problem: if you're not old enough to remember these songs when they had words, you'll have no idea that these songs are meaningful as a [[Theme Tune Cameo]] and aren't just random songs.
* In the original Japanese version of the first season of ''[[Sailor Moon]]'', its theme song, "Moonlight Densetsu", is apparently a current hit. It is sung several times by different characters, including once as a duet in a talent show. (It should probably be noted that the "fighting evil by moonlight" lyrics were created for the North American dub; the original is actually about finding one's "miracle romance".) Interestingly, a slow version of the same tune is played by the star-shaped locket in the first
* Although it's not the show's theme tune, the anime ''[[Full Metal Panic!]]!'' regularly uses a variation of the theme song from ''[[
* In the 2005 series of the [[Anime]] ''[[Ah!
▲* In episode 7 of the anime ''[[Hana Saku Iroha]]'', Ohana hums the opening theme in the bath.
▲* In the original Japanese version of the first season of ''[[Sailor Moon]]'', its theme song, "Moonlight Densetsu", is apparently a current hit. It is sung several times by different characters, including once as a duet in a talent show. (It should probably be noted that the "fighting evil by moonlight" lyrics were created for the North American dub; the original is actually about finding one's "miracle romance".) Interestingly, a slow version of the same tune is played by the star-shaped locket in the first season -- this locket is also present in a flashback to the Moon Kingdom, which existed in the distant past. Perhaps the song is older than it seems...
▲* Although it's not the show's theme tune, the anime ''[[Full Metal Panic]]!'' regularly uses a variation of the theme song from ''[[The A-Team (TV)|The A-Team]]'' as background music. In the follow-up series ''Fumoffu'', the song is also used as the main character's cellphone ringtone, and one other character remarks how it sounds "just like the theme song of one of those old American TV series".
▲* In the 2005 series of the [[Anime]] ''[[Ah! My Goddess (Manga)|Ah My Goddess]]'', Belldandy and Holy Bell sing a haunting rendition of the theme song, ''Open Your Mind'', as part of a magic spell. In the second season she sings it again during a talent contest with Sayoko, who sings the first season ending theme.
* Similarly, during the [[Festival Episode]] of ''[[Love Hina]]'', Seta asks Haruka (voiced by [[Megumi Hayashibara]], who recorded the theme) to sing for him "just like she used to." She then begins singing a slow, almost melancholy, version of the very hyper theme song. Most of the other Hinata girls scattered throughout the festival each join in, until there is a chorus of voices singing on the final line.
* Characters in ''[[Martian Successor Nadesico]]'' frequently sing snatches of the [[Anime Theme Song|opening theme]], most often just the title line "You Get to Burning"
** And in the "Idol Singer" episode, Yurika sings an expanded version of the ending theme.
** In the Christmas episode, Seiya makes up Christmas-related lyrics to sing to the tune of the opening theme.
* ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha]]'' uses the [[Anime Theme Song|theme song]] as a cellphone ringtone.
* ''[[
** Tomo has her [[Image Song]] as a cellphone ringtone.
** Osaka and Sakaki sang their [[Image Song|image songs]] at the karaoke. Yomi does the same and [[Rule of Funny|epically fails]]. As if [[Rie Tanaka]] couldn't sing...
*** More on Sakaki, her [[Image Song]] appears again in the radio show that both Tomo and Yomi were listening to, only it's listed as being sung by [[Yuu Asakawa]], who is actually Sakaki's [[Pigeonholed Voice Actor|seiyuu]].
* ''[[Tokyo Mew Mew]]'' also has one of its theme songs as a cell phone ring, and one episode involves two characters bonding over the song and making plans to go to the artist's concert.
* Hazumi and Hatsumi listen to the [[Anime Theme Song]] to ''[[Yami to Boushi
* ''[[
* In ''[[Keroro Gunsou]]'', while doing chores around the house, Sgt. Keroro sometimes sings his own version of the show's closing theme.
** Another episode had Sumomo singing a few bars of the show's theme.
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* In ''[[Nana]]'', the Black Stones' first hit song is the OP for the series, and a hit single from their chief rival band is the series ED. Both songs show up several times in the show itself.
* In ''[[Ouran High School Host Club]]'', Kaoru and Hikaru have the series ED as one of the ring tones on their cell phones.
* In an episode of ''Rockman EXE'' (''[[
** The sequel series, ''[[Mega Man Star Force|Ryuusei no Rockman]]'', reuses the opening as the first song a popstar composes on her own after angsting about only singing what's given to her. In the first episode she sings it in, she uses it to ''distract [[The Dragon]] Gemini Spark from a battle''. Yes, he/they (don't ask) stand there and stare at her for the entire ninety seconds the song goes on. So does Rockman, actually, not attacking as per the diversion she intended the song for until the last couple seconds of it.
*** Also done in ''[[Mega Man Star Force|Ryuusei no RockMan Tribe]]''. The song Misora sings at the concert in the last episode is the theme song, "Kizuna Wave." The animators even used footage from the opening (although that may have because the ending was rushed to completion).
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* The opening of the anime series ''[[Gankutsuou]]'' (''We Were Lovers'' by Jean-Jacques Burnel) appears in-show as the song one of the characters composes and plays on the piano in several occasions.
* ''Re:[[Cutie Honey]]'' plays with this by having a villain sing the theme song... but replacing the lyrics about how beautiful Cutie Honey is with how much she ''hates'' Cutie Honey. She even gets the ''[[Mooks]]'' into the action.
* The ''[[
** In one of the later episodes of ''[[
** And they even dubbed the song in the English Dub of Pretty Cure instead of replacing it, although the ending theme was an instrumental of "Together We Are Pretty Cure", the dub's opening theme.
** The same theme (Get You! Love Love?) would occasionally be hummed by a recurring character, even once after the show became ''Futari Wa Pretty Cure Max Heart'' and the ending theme was replaced with a new one, named MuriMuri? Ariai! INJanai!?
** In ''[[Yes! Pretty Cure 5
** ''[[
** The orchestral version of You Make Me Happy! played during the episode of [[Fresh Pretty Cure|the next season]] when {{spoiler|Eas dies}}.
** ''[[
** In the [[
* In [[Smile Pretty Cure]], a instrumental, slow version of Yay! Yay! Yay! is background music.
* ''[[Elfen Lied]]'''s theme, "Lilium," was frequently used within the
* Lucia's music box in ''[[Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch]]'' plays the show's first ending theme, and sometimes the episode titles and important lines are actually song titles (usually "Yume no sono saki e"). Being a series that incorporates music all through, there are too many instances of characters singing [[Image Song|their own songs]] to list.
* ''[[
** Also "Alumina" can be heard on Misa's laptop in episode 13. Still it goes largely unnoticed by most fans.
* Episode ten of ''[[Paranoia Agent]]'', in which a frantic victim accidentally turns on his car radio and the show's opening theme song plays.
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** There's also Fujiko humming it while driving a truck in the series proper.
** In the TV special "Stolin Lupin", Lupin's ringtone played the theme song.
* One dub episode of ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! GX]]'' has Jaden singing part of the theme song.
** Another dub episode has Fubuki/Atticus singing (badly) a [[Parody]] version of the theme song. "Rock on! Get your rock on! Everybody rock now!"
** In the original version of [[Yu-Gi-Oh!|the original series]], it happens too, with Anzu's ringtone being the second season opening song.
** The ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!
* The ending theme of ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]'', sung by the voice actor of Sanosuke, was discontinued; in the next episode, Sanosuke is walking down a street and singing it.
* In the ''[[
* In episode 9/14 ("Someday in the Rain"; see [[Anachronic Order]]) of ''[[Suzumiya Haruhi|The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya]]'', Haruhi sings a snippet of the show's ending theme while undressing Mikuru. Don't ask.
** And in another example, Kyon's little sister hums a bit of the ending theme while stealing Kyon's scissors.
** In ''[[Haruhi-chan]]'' episode 4, Mikuru hums some of the aforementioned ending theme while getting her maid clothes.
* ''[[Lucky Star]]'''s Konata uses the ending theme from another Kyoto Animation show, ''[[Suzumiya Haruhi|The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya]]'', as her ringtone. The song also shows up in a few other places, including an arcade rhythm game.
** She also hums the opening theme for ''[[Suzumiya Haruhi|The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya]]'' while playing her [[Brand X]] [[Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game|MMORPG]], replacing certain lines with MMORPG-specific phrases.
** One episode has a scene where Konata and her friends attend a concert featuring an [[Image Song]] from ''[[Suzumiya Haruhi|The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya]]''.
*** This is a real world concert ''Suzumiya Haruhi no Gekisō'' that the characters 'attended'. The 'person' singing on stage is Aya Hirano, credited as such (she is also the VA of Konata and Haruhi) and is a fairly good likeness of the actress.
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** And yes, ''[[Lucky Star]]'''s own theme makes an appearance, hummed by one of the girls in episode 6.
*** And in episode 24, when the [[Dancing Theme]] is animated in full. (Well, full shortened version, anyway.) In the same episode, Minoru is interrupted by his ringtone, which is his own version of "Koi no Mikuru Densetsu"(one of the endings).
* Mitsuki's idol songs from ''[[Full Moon
* ''[[
* The Arcus Prima in ''[[Simoun]]'' has a phonograph-like machine which is often heard playing background music from elsewhere in the series. It ''almost'' escapes this trope, but it finally plays one of the themes (the end theme) in episode 25.
* In one episode of ''[[
* The vocal version of the aptly named instrumental track "Nagisa" from the ''[[Clannad (
** In [[The Movie]], Nagisa sings the song and it is also used as background music.
* Used often in [[Neon Genesis Evangelion]] with "Fly Me to the Moon".
** The anime also contains several musics based on the opening theme, "Cruel Angel's Thesis." Also note that in an interesting reversal, the ending theme of the movie ''Death and Rebirth'' ("Thanatos -- If I Can't Be Yours") was based on a music from the original anime.
* The [[Hot Springs Episode]] in ''Maburaho'' has Kuriko listening to the theme song on her portable music device on the train.
* Alicia from ''[[
* Inverted in the second ''[[Digimon Tamers]]'' [[The Movie|movie]]. Parasimon forces Ruki's memories of her father to the surface, and of a song she used to sing for
** While we're at ''Tamers'', an interesting one: Ritsuko's ringtone is Ravel's ''Boléro''. While technically not originally a ''Digimon'' song, the track was part of ''[[Digimon Adventure]]'''s soundtrack, usually played within the context of the real world.
** In ''[[Digimon Adventure]]'', the song Mimi sang to wake TonosamaGekomon was the first ending, ''I Wish''. Mimi was also voiced by [[Ai Maeda]], so they just had to use the prerecorded audio until he woke up.
** In ''[[
** Also in ''Adventure 02'', Hikari hums "Break Up", the Armor Evolution theme.
** In ''[[
* ''[[Super Robot Wars]] Alpha 3'' has [[Macross 7|Macross 7's]] Basara write a song that he wanted to record with Lynn Minmei; it doesn't actually get played until the final battle, where it inspires the heroes to say "[[Screw Destiny]]" and fight the insanely powerful [[Final Boss]]. The song is, of course, the theme song for ''Alpha 3'' itself. Bonus points since Yoshiki Fukuyama of [[JAM Project]] (the band who originally did the song) provides Basara's singing voice.
* Hideaki Asaba from ''[[Kare Kano]]'' is seen (and heard) listening to the series' opening theme, ''Tenshi no yubikiri'', in one of the later episodes of the anime.
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* ''[[Konjiki no Gash Bell]]'' starts playing the first theme almost any time the main characters reveal a new [[Finishing Move]]. And dozens of other times as well.
** The first episode with Apollo shows him playing the opening theme for children on a flute-like instrument.
* If you listen closely in episode 27 of ''[[
* Miya does this in ''[[Koi Koi 7]]'', but her particular rendition of the show's OP is...[[Hollywood Tone Deaf|terrible.]]
* One office worker in ''[[Dai-Guard]]'' can be heard humming the show's opening tune while playing with an action figure of the eponymous robot.
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* The Junior Detective League in [[Detective Conan]] keeps singing openings and endings themes in the series.
* The second season of [[Hidamari Sketch]] ends with the cast singing the first season opening.
* In ''[[Macross Frontier]]'', nearly all [[Opening Theme|OpeningThemes]] and [[Ending Theme|EndingThemes]] (save the first OP) are sung by the in-universe [[Idol Singer|IdolSingers]]. This crosses over into [[Opening Shout
** Although not quite as blatant, ''[[Macross Plus]]'' evokes this trope with "Voices," the first and last song heard in the OVA, sung by Myung at various points, and used in instrumental form as her [[Leitmotif]].
* In an episode of ''[[Ranma
** One of the opening songs also appears in a TV show that Ranma is watching.
** It goes further than that: in the [[Christmas Episode]] [[OAV]], the characters that would compose the DoCo supergroup (Akane, female Ranma, Kasumi, Nabiki, and Shampoo) perform the "Equal Romance" ending theme for the benefit of their party guests. Additionally, an entire two-part [[OAV]], ''Nettou Uta Gassen'', consists of the entire cast performing a multitude of songs in-character.
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* In ''[[Gravion]] Zwei'', during a [[Hot Springs Episode]] the [[Bridge Bunnies|maids]] are without their cool control room during an attack, so Klein Sandman gives them karaoke microphones so they can they sing the [[Super Robot]] [[Combining Mecha]] [[Transformation Sequence]] theme song.
* The bar in Tokyo where Lucy meets Akagi {{spoiler|some time after Saeko's death}} in ''FLAG'' has a lounge singer singing the show's ED song, ''Lights''. The singer herself looks suspiciously like Eri Nobuchika, the real-life singer of the ending theme, and the bar itself is named Lights.
* ''Top wo Nerae!2 [[Diebuster]]'' episode 4 has a moment where Nono hums the beginning of "Active Heart," the opening of ''[[
* ''Monster'' uses its theme song as background music at restaurants, dance clubs, and such. The sneaky part is that it's played cabaret-
* ''[[
* In the first series of ''[[
* ''[[Tayutama]]'''s ninth episode has a brief [[Karaoke Box]] session that has characters singing the anime's opening and ending, as well as the opening of the fandisc of the [[Visual Novel]] it was based on.
* ''[[Cromartie High School]]'' plays with this in Episode 3: Hmm hmm hm-hm-hmm hmm-hmm hm-hm-hm-hmmm-hm-hm' {{spoiler|It's "Ningen Nante", another song by the maker of the show's theme.}} You'd think it was related to the show, but it's actually [[Subliminal Advertising]].
** A later episode had the ending credits tune played on a cellphone. That was ''Mechazawa's little brother''. Maybe it ''is'' a leitmotif.
* Played with in an early episode of ''[[Pokémon (
** The Japanese version of the previously-banned-then-not-anymore-and-then-again-yes episode, the [[Beach Episode]], has Koujiro (James) exclaiming that he and Musashi (Jessie) will "go through the fire and through the water". The sentence is part of the original opening's lyrics.
** Any time Brock has to sing, he will always sing "Takeshi's Paradise" (Takeshi being Brock's name in Japan), one of the end themes in the Johto arc; apparently it's the only song he knows.
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* In an episode of ''[[Suzuka]]'' Hatari sings The shows opening theme at a karaoke parlor.
* In episode 14 of ''[[Sasami Magical Girls Club]]'', Itoki sings both the opening theme and the first closing theme at a karaoke parlor. The scene begins with her singing the opening theme, then later in the same scene she starts singing the original ending theme and the screen behind her even shows a glimpse of the original ending credits.
* Taken to ridiculous levels in ''[[Hime
* If you carefully listen in Episode 31 of the ''[[Kirby]]'' [[Kirby:
** In another episode of the anime, Escargon sings a song about how much he loves (in a platonic way, not like that) King Dedede, set to the tune of the first opening, Kirby March.
** During battles with some "demon beasts", one of the songs that plays contains a remix of part of the Japanese theme song (which made it into the game Kirby Air Ride as the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2uNe2Uub30#t=0m19s Kirby Melee] music).
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* In ''[[You're Under Arrest]]'', the episode in which Sena is introduced has the first opening theme, ''100 MPH no Yuuki'', play on the radio.
** Natsumi also sings part of the second opening theme in one episode.
* An episode of ''[[
* In a episode of ''[[Buso Renkin]]'', Hideyuki Okakura hums the theme song.
* ''[[Axis Powers Hetalia]]'' is guilty, too. In one episode when all the [[Moe Anthropomorphism|countries are in line at the supermarket]] doing something rude, obnoxious, or disruptive....and South Italy cuts in line while whistling the main theme.
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** At the end of ''World Series'' episode 34, Italy hums ''Hatefutte Parade'' while spying until Germany tells him to stop.
* In ''[[Peach Girl]]'', Momo and Sae's ring tone is an instrumental version of the opening theme.
* In (one) [[
* The protagonist of [[Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne]] hums her opening on one occasion.
* In the first ''[[Sorcerer Hunters]]'' [[OAV]], Carrot asks "What's up, guys?"...a reference to the opening theme song of the ''[[Sorcerer Hunters]]'' TV series.
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* In episode 8 of ''[[Slayers]] Evolution-R'', a scene opens up with Gourry humming along to the soundtrack, only to be scolded by Xelgadis.
* At one point, [[City Hunter|Ryo Saeba]] whistles the beginning bars of ''Ai yo Kienaide'', only to be cut off when confronted with a beautiful lady.
* ''[[Excel Saga (
* The English dub of ''[[Burst Angel]]'' has the ending theme recited as a poem in one episode.
* In one episode of ''[[Windy Tales]]'', Nao sings the ending theme song as part of an audition.
* When the cast of ''[[Yumekui Merry]]'' goes to a karaoke bar, we hear someone down the hall performing the show's theme song, and doing a remarkable job of sounding like the original singer.
* ''[[Madoka Magica]]'': Madoka listens to the OP in a record store during episode one. And, in episode 6, a techno version is played on Kyouko's game of [[Dance Dance Revolution|Dog Drug Reinforcement.]]
* ''[[
* The 2007 ''Tamagotchi'' movie uses the ending theme as Tanpopo's ringtone. This is done twice: at the beginning of the movie, and {{spoiler|at the end of the movie, when the Tamagotchi cast uses the key to send Tanpopo back to the same time she came to the Tamagotchi World}}.
* A fairly subtle one in [[
* ''[[Guilty Crown]]'' has Inori singing the first ending theme in-series {{spoiler|to combat the effects of the [[The Virus|Apocalypse Virus]] that had been activated by a crystal resonance.}} She also sings "Euterpe," the song that the series began with (but isn't the official opening theme), to herself when she's lonely... and also sings it at the Cultural Festival the high school puts together.
* Rin in ''Kodomo No Jikan'' hums the opening theme, "Rettsu! Ohime-sama Dakko" - basically, "[[Gratuitous English|Let's]]! Carry me like a princess" - to herself in the bath. An earlier scene plays on the theme's title, where Rin asks her teacher to carry her like a princess.
* The final episode of ''[[Overman King Gainer]]'' takes this [[Up to Eleven]]. When one character comments that they should commemorate the events of the day, another suggests a special dance. A third character starts singing and dancing her part in the series' [[Dancing Theme]], on-screen, front and center, while everyone else watches.
* In [[Studio Ghibli]]'s ''[[Whisper of the Heart]]'', the [[Real Song Theme Tune]] "Country Roads" is played on the violin, with accompanying vocals by [[The Hero]] Shizuku.
== Comic Books ==
== Comics ==▼
* In a comic featuring Venom as the main character, he's seen swinging building to building singing a song, with lyrics featuring himself, obviously meant to line up with the classic Spider-Man theme song.
* In one of the Amalgamverse comics following the Marvel vs. DC crossover, Spider-Boy also sings his own version of the song.
* One of the first times [[Deadpool]] breaks the [[Fourth Wall]] is when on his way to fight [[The Hulk]] he starts singing the theme song from the [[Series]] ''[[The Incredible Hulk]]''.
* In at least one issue of Archie's [[Sonic the Hedgehog]], he sings the themesong for the [[Sonic Sat AM]] cartoon that gave birth to the comic. He does the actual lyrics but hums over the part where his own name would be mentioned. "Catchy tune," he notes, "wonder where I've heard it before."
** Eggman sings his [[Leitmotif]] from ''[[
* In an early installment of the ''[[Mickey Mouse]]'' comic strip, "Minnie's Yoo-Hoo" (the character's theme song from the cartoons) is shown playing on a phonograph.
* An issue of ''[[
== Fan Works ==
* ''[[
{{quote|
== Films -- Animation ==
* In the movie ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]: Advent Children,'' Loz's cell phone ring tone is the victory music from the game.
* While ''[[The Incredibles]]'' doesn't have a proper theme song, the most-repeated motif from the score is called "Mr. Incredible's Theme". Bob Parr can be heard humming this melody when he returns home after a night of clandestine superheroing. In addition, one of the DVD [[Easter Egg
* [[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney film)|The Hunchback of Notre Dame]] the melody of "The Bells of Notre-Dame" is played many times throughout the sound track, including in other songs. The tune to "Hellfire" is heard throughout too.
* Near the beginning of ''[[Cloudy
== Films -- Live Action ==
* In ''[[Raising Arizona]]'', when H.I. runs into the supermarket from the cops, a muzak version of the movie's theme song is playing.
* Happens [[Once an Episode|once a movie]] in the ''[[Spider-Man (
** Incidentally, ''Spider-Man 3'' is the only one of the three not to have it appearing at the end of the closing credits (the first film has the actual theme from the TV cartoon, the second has a rendition by [[Michael
* The 2003 remake of ''SWAT'' has Hondo's team in a bar, singing along with the (instrumental) theme song from the original 70's version. The re-vamped theme finally appears over the end credits.
* And in the [[James Bond (
** In the previous film ''[[For Your Eyes Only (
** In ''[[
** In ''[[
** In ''[[Live and Let Die (
** In ''[[The Man
*** Also in ''The Man with the Golden Gun'', when Bond passes Sheriff J.W. Pepper in a speedboat, a snippet of the theme from ''[[Live and Let Die (
** The ''[[
* The instrumental theme that appears at the beginning of ''[[Ichi the Killer]]'' reappears (at least twice) as the ringtone on the main villain's cell.
* Towards the end of
** In ''[[Harry Potter and the
* Taken to its logical extreme in the movie ''[[The Long Goodbye]]'' where with the exception of the opening and closing of the movie, the only song heard in the movie is various arrangements of the theme song, "The Long Goodbye" used diegetically. So when a character turns on the radio, that's the song that plays, when a character is at a bar there's a piano player singing that song, in the supermarket, a muzak version is playing on the overhead, and when the nudist, hippie, neighbors, are chanting, they're chanting the theme also.
* In Guillarmo Del Toro's ''[[
* In the live-action ''Inspector Gadget'' movie, the theme tune practically haunts the title
* In ''[[Brazil (
* In the 1952 version of ''[[Moulin Rouge]]'', [http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=0Acq8yG2Fy8 the main theme] appears as [http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=oLyKbOtASHA Jane Avril's song] in the cabaret.
* In one of the film's more affecting sequences, Michael Corleone reminisces about his time in Sicily as his son sings an Italian version of "Speak Softly Love (Love Theme from ''[[
* In ''Ghostbusters 2'', Ray and Winston play a tape of the "Ghostbusters" theme song at a kid's birthday party (the ungrateful little yuppie larvae scream for [[He
* In the film ''[[Firefly
* In ''Tourist Trap'', one of the secondary cues is played in "music-box" form when a switch is hit, lighting up a display of a wax mannequins.
* The main orchestral theme of ''[[The Ring]]'' appears in the actual film as a tune that Samara used to sing as a child. Unsurprisingly, it's [[Creepy Child]].
* At one point in [[Dario Argento]]'s ''Tenebre'', a character puts on a record that turns out to be the film's theme music. Another character shouts at her to turn it down, but she ignores the request, and it fades up into the foreground to accompany the following scene.
* The music that Davy Jones plays on his organ in ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean]]'' is the same tune as the one played by the music box in his and {{spoiler|Tia Dalma/Calypso's}} lockets. It's also one of the main musical themes of the third movie.
* The 2008 ''[[Get Smart (
* In ''[[Back to The Future]], when Marty and his band are auditioning to play at the school dance, everybody but Marty plays the opening riff of "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News -- the theme song for the movie.
** And his band is promptly shot down by the judge, [[The Cameo|who is played by Huey Lewis.]]
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** The same tune can be heard in ''Part III'', on Needles' car radio, when he and Marty are about to race.
** In ''Part III'', ZZ Top play "Double Back Again" on period instruments at the town dance.
** When Marty wakes up in ''Part I'' after making it back to his own time, the radio plays the end credits theme, "Back in Time," also by Huey Lewis and the News.
* In the 2008 [[Live Action Adaptation]] of ''[[Iron Man]]'', Rhodey uses the 90s ''[[Iron Man]]'' cartoon theme as the ring tone for Tony Stark on his cellphone.
** And a brass version of the 60s cartoon plays when Obidiah goes to accept Tony's award at the beginning.
* In ''[[Police Academy]] 5'', Proctor is making a paper airplane while humming the movie's main theme.
* In the remake of ''[[Land of the Lost (
* In ''[[The Star Wars Holiday Special]]'', Princess Leia sings a song vaguely related to Life Day, and vaguely related to the ''Star Wars'' main theme tune.
** Also in ''Star Wars'', it's implied in the Expanded Universe that the Imperial March is the Empire's martial theme. One officer is seen to whistle, "dum, dum, dum, dum-te-tum, dum-te-tum" in a Boba Fett comic.
* In ''Rocky III,'' during the ceremony celebrating Rocky's statue the band is playing "Gonna Fly Now". It happens again at the beginning of ''Rocky V''.
* At the end of the first ''[[Tales
* In ''[[
* ''[[
* The Saint theme, which goes back to the 1939 film ''The Saint Strikes Back'' and featured in the 1960's TV show, appears as a car alarm in the 1997 film during an early scene.
* The Jeremy Brett ''Sherlock Holmes'' episode ''The Creeping Man'' has Holmes listening to the TV show's theme tune on a music box. Since most readers despise the original short story, this rare bit of levity seems appropriate.
* Gamera plays his own theme tune on Zigra's back after defeating him in 1971's Gamera Vs. Zigra.
* In ''[[Help!]]'', Clang and his thugs attempt to ambush the Beatles in an Indian restaurant, first nabbing the house musicians and replacing them, playing an instrumental medley of tunes from ''[[A Hard
* In the live action ''Thunderbirds'' movie, Lady Penelope and Jeff Tracy's ringtones are the Thunderbirds March.
* In the Inspector Clouseau film ''[[A Shot in The Dark]]'', the band at Camp Sunshine are playing the film's theme tune.
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* All the instrumental music in ''[[Inception]]'' is based on the melody to the Edith Piaf song ("Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien") used to kick the team members out of various levels of dreaming.
* In the ''[[Pink Floyd]]'' movie ''[[The Wall]]'', the poem that Pink is writing at school is the lyrics of ''Money''.
* ''[[Buckaroo Banzai]]''. New Jersey (Dr. Sidney Zweibel
* ''[[The Witches of Eastwick]]'' (1988) has a very catchy and distinct main theme, composed by [[John Williams]]. At one point [[Jack Nicholson]]'s character is whistling the melody, as if he's able to hear the film's score (this is near the end, when he goes shopping).
* In the pseudo-Christmas movie ''[[Gremlins]]'', as the eponymous creatures carol at the door of the Scrooge-ish Mrs. Deagle, they are singing (read as: screeching off-key) the movie's theme song by composer Jerry Goldsmith.
* A kind of meta example in the case of ''[[
== Live
* In the end of the ''[[
* Often ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]'' would use the music that would eventually become the theme to its [[After Show]] ''[[After Show|Mayberry R.F.D]]'' as generic music played for [[Show Within a Show]]
* Classic example: In ''[[I Love Lucy]]'', one episode has Lucy certain that Ricky has forgotten her birthday. She makes her way to the nightclub where he works, where he assures her he has not forgotten and sings the show's theme song to her, [[Forgotten Theme Tune Lyrics]] and all.
* A second classic example occurred in ''[[Green Acres]]''. At the start of the episode, we see Eb going off to do his chores while whistling the theme song. He then turns and [[Breaking the Fourth Wall|looks straight at the camera]] to say the line "Dahling, I love you, but give me Park Avenue" in ''Lisa's voice''.
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** Also the episode where Jerry hums the theme song through the opening.
** There is also an episode where Betty White's character's phone goes off, and the ringtone happens to be a snippet of the theme tune to ''[[The Practice]]''.
* In an episode of ''[[Mad About You]]'', Paul walks past an ''a cappella'' group singing the theme song, which he'd
** Speaking of Paul Reiser, he was also in ''[[My Two Dads]]'', which had one episode where the theme song was performed by Evigan (the other Dad of the title) and... special guest Davey Jones of ''The Monkees''.
{{quote|
* An episode of ''[[Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon]]'' has the characters doing karaoke with, and later synchronizing their attacks to, a song by Minako Aino, who later turns out to be Sailor Venus (the song, incidentally, repeats the phrase "C'est la vie", which sounds pretty much like "Sailor V" in Japanese) and which song is available on the soundtrack albums. (All the soundtrack albums. Sometimes more than once.)
* ''Tweenies'': In one ep, some character has a blow-up guitar balloon and is singing, "Hey, hey, are you ready to play?"... the first line of the show's theme tune.
* "This Old Man", which in the later years of ''[[
* With a twist. ''[[Battlestar Galactica]]'' (2005) uses the theme music not from that series, but from the original ''[[Battlestar Galactica]]'', as what appears to be the Colonial anthem. In the pilot, an honor guard play it at ''Galactica'''s decommissioning ceremony. In the episode ''Final Cut'', it underscores the patriotic ending sequence of a [[Show Within a Show]] documentary. And one more time in the final episode when {{spoiler|the fleet is auto-piloted into the heart of the sun.}}
* Several main characters on ''[[
** Non-diegetic example: the theme used for [[Special Effects Failure|submarines]], most prominently heard in Season 5, is the cue "The U-boat" from the ''[[Medal of Honor]]'' soundtrack, also by Michael Giacchino.
* ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'': "Chimera". Carter hums the SG-1 theme music in the elevator, prompting O'Neill to deduce that she has a new boyfriend. [[Word of God]] has it that the actress actually wanted to hum [[MacGyver]]'s theme music as a nod, but she completely forgot the notes so she hummed the Stargate theme instead.
** The episode "200", which is rife with self-reference, features the hypothetical wedding of Carter and O'Neill. The music in the background begins with ''Here Comes The Bride'', but segues into the SG-1 theme.
** In a related matter, the SG-1 theme also appears in the [[BGM]] of the ''[[
** SG-1 returns the favor by using the Atlantis theme in "The Pegasus Project," when SG-1 visit Atlantis.
* The ''[[Arrested Development (TV series)|Arrested Development]]'' theme is also Lindsay's ringtone within the show.
* The opening in the ''[['Allo 'Allo
** In another episode an accordionist is heard wandering the town square outside the cafe, playing a slower version of the theme on his accordion.
* ''[[Veronica Mars]]'': At the close of [[The Teaser]] to one episode, Veronica wryly notes of an estranged acquaintance, "We used to be friends, a long time ago," the opening words (inverted) of the show's [[Theme Tune]].
** Similarly: On ''[[WKRP in Cincinnati]]'', during one episode recounting events prior to the start of the series ("The Creation of Venus"), Andy explains that he'd come to Cincinnati because he'd "gotten kind of tired of packing and unpacking, town to town, up and down the dial"
* In ''[[Fresh Prince of Bel Air]]'', while giving his testimony at the bench during a court case, Will falls into the his lyrics when introducing himself.
** [[Memetic Mutation|He Bel-Air'd HIMSELF!?]] [[Your Head Asplode|Wha--?]]
* One episode of ''[[Twin Peaks]]'' had the "bumper" music playing on a car radio. Since it was done "cold" right after a break, it had the effect of blurring the line between the credits and the show.
* Apparently an episode of ''[[
* The ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]'' communicator signal was the original [[Theme Tune]]. A [[Monster of the Week]] also sings "Go, go, power particles!" to the tune of the theme to taunt the heroes.
* The [[Korean Series]] ''[[You Are Beautiful]]'' has the title theme not only as background music, but performed by a male singer, a female singer, and a [[Boy Band]] during its run.
* The [[Title Drop|Sound of Drums]] that echoes in {{spoiler|the Master}}'s head during the final three episodes of ''[[
** The serial "Paradise Towers" had a Muzak version of the theme music playing in an elevator.
** "Vale Decem" in The End of Time is actually being sung by the Ood as the song they promised him. Just as 10 is beginning to regenerate, they shift into a triumphant/heartwrenching version of "The Doctor's Theme."
** A cello trio is playing Martha's theme in ''The Lazarus Experiment''.
* Sonozaki Ryubee is seen idly humming his own theme music in ''[[Kamen Rider Double]]''.
* In the finale for season one of ''[[Smallville]]'', the band that plays the show's theme song (Remy Zero) is playing at the Smallville High prom. And what do they play? Yup. You got it.
** When Dr. Swann (former Superman actor Christopher Reeve, of course) tells Clark he's from a place called
* One episode of the Granada series ''The Adventures of [[Sherlock Holmes]]'' ends with Holmes beginning to play the series' theme tune on his violin.
* In ''[[Highlander:
* ''[[Midsomer Murders]]'' does this ''all the time''
* ''[[Star Trek]]'':
** In ''[[Star Trek:
** An episode of ''[[Star Trek:
** "Sanctuary" in ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'', where the instrumentalist Varani plays the theme music for a rapt audience.
* One ''[[Joan of Arcadia]]'' teaser has God singing (a humorously bad, given the character) version of Joan Osbourne's "One of Us," which was appropriated as the show's theme song. This segued directly into the credits.
* The aliens in the ''[[War of the Worlds (TV series)|War of the Worlds]]'' series plot to hide [[Subliminal Seduction|hypnotic messages]] in a pop tune in one episode. The tune is based on the theme music.
* In the ''[[Growing Pains]]'' episode "All The World's a Stage", Mike Seaver and his choir sing the opening theme
* The original title theme of ''[[Monk]]'' by Jeff Beal, which was since replaced with the good-but-not-as-good ''It's a Jungle Out There'' (Randy Newman), has since often come up in the show as background music, usually in dramatic scenes or those having to do with memories. In one memorable instance, however, Randy Disher ''plays'' the song on a piano. When Stottlemeyer asks him what he's doing, Disher says [[Lampshade Hanging|"background music"]].
* In one episode of ''[[Hogan's Heroes]]'', the Heroes pretend to escape so an Italian spy can "capture" them. When he marches them back into camp, they're all whistling the show's theme song.
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** Another episode where a Fran notice similarities between her and a fellow nanny that was going to be fired since the kids had grown up, the other nanny begins to describe that the way she got the job with the opening theme as well.
** Yet another example was when Fran was describing her fashion sense with "I've got style, I've got flare, that's how I became ([[Beat]]) [[Title Drop|the nanny]]"
* The lost culture in the ''[[
** In the episode "Losing Time", John can also be heard humming along to the background music while walking through Moya's corridors.
* In the ''[[
** In ''Back to Earth'', a haunting rendition of the theme tune is played by {{spoiler|the Creator's}} doorbell.
** It's also used as the piece for Rimmer's Skutter organ recital at the end of ''Dimension Jump''.
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** JD and Turk also beatbox the themesong when they're gloating about diagnosing one of Dr. Cox's problem patients.
** And when Elliot puts one of those electronic "piano carpets" at her door, JD walks in and starts dancing around on it. Guess what he plays.
{{quote|
** The drumbeat at the start of the theme tune, always played onscreen before it actually goes into the titles, is played by a character on a couple of occasions. In ''My Office'' JD plays it out by bursting bubblewrap and in ''My Best Friend's Baby's Baby and My Baby's Baby'' it's done by a drummer in a marching band.
* On ''[[Dallas]]'' several members of the Ewing family (Bobby, Pam and Lucy) as well as Ray Krebbs went to a disco, where the DJ started playing the ''Dallas'' theme tune.
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* In ''[[The L Word]]'', ''every single tune you hear'' is some kind of adaptation of the theme music. It's exactly as annoying as you'd think.
* WindWave Radio in ''[[Kamen Rider Double]]'' when left on tends to play various bits of music including the eponymous hero's battle themes, all of which were written by fictitious bands from the show.
** Episodes 21 and 22 has a whistling tune of "Cyclone Effect"
* Another toku example: In one episode of ''[[Warrior of Love Rainbowman]]'', hero Takeshi Yamato sings the ED theme, which is his theme song.
* In the very early episodes of ''[[The Beverly Hillbillies]]'', the balladeer not only sings the theme song, but sings new lyrics to reflect the on-screen action, in part a feud between the Clampetts and the Drysdales.
** In "Jed Throws A Wingding", two old friends of the Clampett family write a song about Jed, which turns out to be the theme song.
*** The two friends are musicians Lester Flatts and Earl Scruggs who provided the music for the theme song.
* Kate's ringtone is a version of the themesong in a season 2 episode of [[NCIS]]
* Played with on ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'': Howard's cellphone ringtone is the song that was used as the theme tune... in the unaired pilot.
* In an instance which was bound to happen eventually based off the show's format, ''[[
* In ''[[The Middleman]]'', the Muzak playing in the lobby of the Jolly Fats Wehawkin Employment Agency (the front for the Middle organization) was based on the show's theme.
* In ''[[Castle]]'', the title character occasionally hums the show's standard "exciting things are happening now" background music to himself.
** In "Last Call", as he enters an old drinking establishment he used to frequent, the piano man starts playing that same riff. Castle tips him for remembering.
* The [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmQWtGn889E first episode] of ''[[
* In the fourth season finale of ''[[House (TV series)|House]]'', a cover version of "Teardrop" plays as they try to find a way to {{spoiler|diagnose Amber and save her life}}.
* In ''[[
* In one episode of ''[[Made in Canada]]'', one of the characters sings the theme song during a party.
* The ''[[New Girl]]'' pilot has Jess singing the theme song at one point.
* In ''[[The Wild Wild West (TV series)|The Wild Wild West]]'' TV movie, ''More Wild Wild West'', Artemus Gordon hums the main theme from the show while getting ready in front of a mirror.
* In the ''[[Psych]]'' episode "The Amazing Psych Man & Tap-Man, Issue #2", Shawn tells Juliet "I know you know I'm not telling the truth. I know...you know...".
* ''[[The Office]]'' (UK) episode "Training" ends with David Brent singing and playing the theme song, "Handrags and Gladrags", on guitar. (Kind of justified in-universe, in that it's a [[Real Song Theme Tune|song that predates the series]], and presumably was part of the repertoire of Brent's old band Foregone Conclusion, which is discussed in the episode.)
== Music Videos ==
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** The song that's playing on the car radio in the beginning of the video for "Breakout" is "Generator", from the same album.
* The party-crashing bikers from Quiet Riot's "Party All Night" video are first seen hanging around outside a pizza place, with "Bang Your Head (Mental Health)" playing on a boombox.
* The video to [[
* In their Rube-Goldberg-esque music video for "This Too Shall Pass", OK Go includes a shot of a television showing part of the music video for "Here It Goes Again", another of their songs.
* At the beginning of N'Sync's "It's Gonna Be Me"
* The [[Backstreet Boys]]' video for "Larger Than Life" features an audio medley of the group's earlier singles, presented to sound like someone flipping through several radio stations.
* At the beginning of George Michael's "Faith" video, "I Want Your Sex" is playing on a jukebox (the very first image of the video). Interestingly enough, upon release "Sex" was used less to advertise the "Faith" album (released in October, as opposed to this song's June) than the recently new film [[Beverly Hills Cop|''Beverly Hills Cop II'']].
* [[Limp Bizkit]]'s "Rollin'" video began with Ben Stiller and Stephen Dorff pulling up to Fred
* [[Jason Derulo|"Whatcha Say"]] can be heard at the start of the "In My Head" video, either coming from a car radio or the speakers of the convenience store whose parking lot is the video's location.
* The opening shot of Alicia Keys' video for "Fallin'" is her bedside radio playing "Girlfriend", another of her songs.
== Puppet Shows ==
* In ''[[Thunderbirds]] [[The Movie|Are Go]]'', Alan is heard humming the theme as he travels on the couch-elevator. Although it's not quite the same principle, in one episode of ''Thunderbirds'' the tune "March of the Oysters" from ''[[Stingray (1964 TV series)|Stingray]]'' can be heard emanating from a man's house, and in one of ''[[Captain Scarlet]]'' the tune "Dangerous Game" from ''Thunderbirds'' is on the radio. Not all the radio music was recycled, though.
** Virgil plays a version of the theme tune on the piano in some episodes.
** And in the live-action movie Jeff Tracy and Lady Penelope have the theme as ringtones.
** Many Gerry Anderson series recycle Barry Gray themes from earlier shows. By the time they got to ''Space1999'' almost all of the incidental music was taken from ''[[Thunderbirds]]'', ''[[Stingray (1985 TV series)|Stingray]]'', ''[[Captain Scarlet]]'' or ''The Secret Service''.
== Radio ==
* In the first episode of the early-1980s Public Radio serialization of ''[[Star Wars]]'', the famous Main Title fades down and is filtered to
* In [[Stan Freberg
** In ''every Dragnet'' spoof that Freberg made, virtually anything that can make music plays the ''Dragnet''
* One episode of ''[[The Navy Lark]]'' has Sub-Lieutenant Phillips whistling the show's theme music as a "Ditty" he'd picked up somewhere. He's promptly told to stop it by the rest of the cast as it [[Biting the Hand Humor|sounds silly and annoying]].
* The ''[[Firesign Theater]]'' radio show "Nick Danger, Third Eye" has the title character whistling his theme tune as he walks the streets by night.
* In the ''[[Sailor Moon]]'' stage musicals, better known as the ''[[Sera Myu]]'', the characters sometimes perform stageshows within the musical itself. One musical has the Senshi, in civilian form, preform ''La Soldier'' as part of Rehersal, considered the ''[[Sera Myu]]'''s theme by the fans (it appears in nearly every musical either as part of it or an encore number), only to have a character complain they'll be recognized by the baddies for singing it. Moments later the baddies show up in [[Paper-Thin Disguise|Paper Thin Disguises]] and preform their version of La Soldier (sung by the children in the group). Said scene can be found [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4dw3avLc_A here].
* Two examples in the Bernstein/Sondheim musical ''West Side Story.'' When Anita arrives at Doc's store, met by the confrontational Jets, one of them turns on the jukebox, which plays a simple reprise of the "Mambo" from the dance at the gym. Then, when Doc goes downstairs to meet Tony, the boy is whistling [[Capulet Counterpart|"Maria"]] to himself.
* In ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'', the characters of Senex and Hysterium sing or hum the songs "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" and "I'm Calm" at a various points. The first one's a plot point, as Senex mistakes Philia for a new maid (read: concubine), prompting the song. He sings it later while taking a bath, unintentionally leading Erronius to [[Incredibly Lame Pun|erroneously]] believe that his house is haunted.
* In ''[[Assassins (
== Video Games ==
* In ''[[
** If you look at the map in dark rooms (or just listen very closely), you can hear the ''ghosts'' singing along with the background music as well.
** The Game Boy Horror's "ringtone" is a 16-bit version of the same music.
** In the Music Room, all the instruments can be individually activated to play an orchestral arrangement of the ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' theme song.
* The subspace (behind-the-door) world in Super Mario Bros. 2 plays the first game's theme. The Super Mario All-Stars version of SMB2 reuses SMB's corresponding version.
* The music box in ''[[
* At the begining of ''[[
** ''[[Paper Mario:
*** The game also uses the ice world theme from ''[[
** Anything in the Paper Mario/Mario & Luigi series that would logically play music WILL play something from Mario's old days. Case in point: the record player in Boo's Mansion from the first [[Paper Mario (
*** And Mario will whistle his original theme music in ''[[
** In the [[Hilarious Outtakes]] for ''Mario Power Tennis'' (soon to be given an [[Updated Rerelease]] on Wii), the ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' theme plays as a
** It is also a ringtone for a cell phone item in Mario Party 3.
** In [[Super Mario 3D Land]], Mario hums the classic theme music after receiving the picture between Worlds 5 and 6.
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* In ''[[Grand Theft Auto]] III'', the ringtone in Claude's pager is the opening of the song "Grand Theft Auto" from the first, top-down GTA.
** This reappears in ''[[Grand Theft Auto]] IV'' as one of the selectable ringtones on Niko's cell phone.
* In the game ''[[Psi
* In the videogame ''Trapt'', the first "Dark Illusion" (a kind of particularly gory and lethal traps inset in the enviroment) that the player is likely to find, is "The Man-Eating Music-Box"
* In ''[[Suikoden V]]'', a group of Dragonhorse Knights plays the game's main theme on flute, as part of an '[[Ancient Tradition|Ancient Ritual]]'.
* In ''[[Castlevania]] 64'', Malus plays a haunting song on his violin. The song is actually Bloodlines from ''Rondo of Blood'' with a slower tempo.
* The ringtone of Godot's cell phone in ''[[Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney]]: Trials and Tribulations'' happens to be the same music as his own [[Theme Tune]].
** {{spoiler|Wesley Stickler's}} cell phone ringtone in ''[[Apollo Justice]]: Ace Attorney'' is one of Klavier Gavin's band's songs, ''Guilty Love'', sped up to almost double the tempo.
*** Klavier ''himself'' plays a recording of ''Guilty Love'' by way of an introduction ''in court''. It's somewhat safe to assume that every single repeat of the theme tune afterwards is just Klavier toeing "play" on the CD player beneath his bench.
** Even Phoenix's cell phone is like this: his plays the Steel Samurai theme song.
*** In case 1-5, Ema Skye's cell phone plays the Steel Samurai theme song as well. This allows Phoenix to pass it going off in the parking garage as his when the detective at the scene asks what just happened.
* One of the characters in ''[[Wild
* Characters using the ''/bored'' emote in ''[[World of Warcraft]]'' will sometimes whistle a few bars of the in-game music.
* ''[[Portal (
* At the very beginning of ''[[No More Heroes]]'' Travis whistles the game's theme.
* At the weapons shop in ''Xenon 2'', the alien shopkeeper is listening to the theme tune. He turns it off to serve you.
* At the beginning of ''[[Persona 3]]'', the [[Hello, Insert Name Here|Main Character]] listens to a remix of "Burn My Dread," the opening theme, on his headphones. A different remix is also used [[Theme Music Power-Up|as background music in the very last battle of the game]]. "Burn My Dread" is also heard in the first episode of the spinoff anime ''[[Persona Trinity Soul|Persona
** As well, the actual melody of the main theme appears in no less than six songs on the game's soundtrack.
* ''Max Payne 2'' has a janitor singing the game's theme "Late Goodbye", along with one of the enemies playing it on piano.
** In both Max Payne games, using the piano will have Max play a rather unskilled rendition of the main theme song. He does a better job the second time you try. Guess it's secretly an RPG.
* In the ''[[King's Quest]]'' [[Fan Sequel]] ''[[The Silver Lining (
* ''[[
* Inverted in ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]''; the first time in the game that Celes's theme is heard (indeed, hers is the only one that ''doesn't'' play during the rename screen) is when Celes sings it in an opera.
** Also, in ''[[Dissidia Final Fantasy]]'' Kefka sometimes hums the Victory Fanfare when he wins.
** In ''[[Final Fantasy X]]'', the chocobo caretaker in the SS Liki ship sings the chocobo's theme a bit when trying to talk to her after the cutscene.
** In ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'', Cloud must play a tune on the piano in Tifa's house in order to obtain her ultimate limit break. It turns out to be the game's main theme, and is vaguely familiar to Cloud...
{{quote|
** In ''[[Final Fantasy VIII]]'', the game's end theme, "Eyes On Me," is a hit pop song in-game and is first heard as an instrumental piano piece played at a nightclub by Julia Heartilly, who is soon inspired to write lyrics for it thanks to Laguna's influence.]
** The game's end theme in ''[[Final Fantasy IX]]'', "Melodies of Life," is also important in-game. Zidane first hears Garnet/Dagger singing it on "la" in Dali and later in Lindblum. He asks her what it is and she admits that she doesn't know, and can't even remember where she learned it, but singing it comforts her when she feels sad or lonely. Zidane says that it must be a mystical song. He later hears her singing it in Dali and when she stops, he tells her that it's okay for her to kee singing "'Cause it's our song, right?" As they float out to sea on a boat, they hear the song coming from the [[Summon Magic|Eidolon]] Wall and hearing it causes Garnet/Dagger to have a flashback and remember some of the details of her early childhood. Finally, at the end of the game, {{spoiler|everyone believes Zidane to be dead, but he comes back. Garnet/Dagger asks him how he survives and he explains "I didn't have a choice. I had to live. I wanted to come home to you. So... I sang your song. Our song." The game ends and the full vocal version of the song plays during the credits.}}
* In one scene early on in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
** ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
** In ''[[The Legend of Zelda:
** ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
* At one point in ''[[Metal Gear Solid]] 4'' you have to follow a man disguised as PMC soldier. How do you recognize him? He is whistling the game's theme tune. (Or you can be uncreative and use the Solid Eye).
* The Episode VI Jabba's Palace level in ''Lego [[Star Wars]]'' II features radios that play a rock version of the Imperial March. Bonus: Headbanging Gamorreans.
** This song was originally featured in Star Wars: Force Commander, an old PC game. Entitled the "Rage Mix", it was once available for download, too. [
** You can also hear the disco version of the ''[[Star Wars]]'' opening theme in the first game by completing a quick side puzzle on Kamino.
* In ''[[Star Wars: Republic Commando]]'' one of the elevators on a Republic ship has kind of a muzak version of the Imperial March playing in the background. Fortunately, it's accessible in the game's files.
* In ''[[Star Wars Battlefront]]'' II, Stormtroopers will occasionaly whistle the Imperial March.
* The protagonist's ringtone in ''[[Time Hollow]]'' is a MIDI version of the main theme.
* A trailer for ''[[Sonic Unleashed]]'' (also included as part of an intro video in the game itself) begins with Sonic whistling the tune from ''Sonic 3'''s Angel Island.
* In ''[[
** In [[Deus Ex: Human Revolution
* If you activate the piano in the second level of ''[[James Bond]] Nightfire'', he will play the James Bond theme.
* In ''[[Time Splitters]] Future Perfect'', there is an organ in the second level. One of the songs are the theme song from Anaconda, a minigame in [[Time Splitters]] 2.
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** In-universe example of a sort: if you talk to Teddie outside Mitsuo's video game themed dungeon, he complains that the music from it is stuck in his head.
* In ''[[Space Quest]] VI'', Roger will whistle his own theme song if he stands still long enough.
* ''[[
* ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons Game]]'' contains a puzzle in which the player must guide Homer or Bart over FAO Schwartz-esque floor tiles to play the first few bars of the show's theme song. Bart reacts to the puzzle's solution by shuddering, [[Leaning
** This also serves as a [[Call Back]], since one episode (season 5's "Lisa vs Malibu Stacy") ends with Homer doing pretty much the exact same thing.
* At the end of her concert in ''[[
* In one of the Hot Springs events of ''[[
* All of the intro movies in ''[[Street Fighter]] IV'' include that character's theme playing in the background.
* In the third ''[[Monkey Island]]'' game, you can talk to Edward van Helgen about a horrific sea voyage where he and his crew were haunted by a diabolical, cacophonous melody coming from the wreck of a ship they had visited. Most of his crew went mad and threw themselves into the sea. When Guybrush asks him how the tune went, van Helgen will hum the classic theme to the ''Monkey Island'' series.
* ''[[Mega Man (
* In ''[[Fallout]] 2'', a mentally-retarded janitor can be found singing (with a considerable stutter) the song ''Maybe'', the theme from the first game. It's a place to boost your [[Karma Meter]] by either praising him for it, or telling him to shut up.
* While a bit of an [[Easter Egg]], each of the buttons on the main screen in the ''[[
* ''[[Pokémon Gold and Silver]]'' have Team Rocket hijack the radio tower as part of their plan to find their missing boss, Giovanni. The music that plays on all radio broadcasts while they do this is the same theme that plays when a Rocket Grunt challenges you to a battle.
* The alien shopkeeper who sells you weapons in ''Xenon 2'' is listening to a tinny version of the game's theme tune when he appears, then turns it off to do business.
* In the elevators in [[Mass Effect]], one of the tunes piped in is a muzak version of the game's main theme.
* In ''[[Halo]] 2'', the Prophet of Regret holograms chant the series' theme tune.
* The elevators in ''[[
* Several characters in the ''[[
* At one point in ''[[Heavy Rain]]'', Norman Jayden plays his own theme song as a [[Lonely Piano Piece]].
* In an old DOS game called ''Normality'', the opening [[Cutscene]] shows the protagonist being arrested for whistling. The tune he was whistling was the game's theme tune.
* Partial example: The ''[[
* At least one song in every [[Silent Hill]] game after the first includes a part of the track playing notes from the original game's theme. Namely ''Theme of Laura'', ''Hometown'', ''One More Soul to the Call'', and ''Hell Frozen Rain''.
* The [[Pikmin]] will hum the first few bars of their theme tune when traveling.
** An Easter Egg sees the Pikmin hum the song used in Japanese advertising for the game, "Ai no Uta," in-game.
* Although a [[Dolled-Up Installment]], ''Super [[Spy Hunter]]'' has a remix of the ''[[Peter Gunn]]'' theme (aka the original ''[[Spy Hunter]]'' theme) in its second stage.
* The lyrics to "Dragonborn", the theme music of ''[[The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim]]'', can be found in an in-game book, ''[http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Songs_of_Skyrim Songs of Skyrim]'', along with a translation.
* In the Japanese arcade game, ''[[Super Sentai]] Battle: Dice-Oh'', [[Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger|Dragon Ranger]] plays a bit of the game's theme song on his Zyusouken while using his special attack.
* ''Conker'' of ''Conker'sBadFurDay'' is apt to whistling the theme to ''Windy & Co.'' when left idle in the main area of the game.
** ''Conker'' also whistles his theme tune during the ''It's War'' chapter to pass the time after waiting for an electric chair to finish frying its patron. As seen at 6:47 in the following clip''[http://youtu.be/lC3hYKjYgq4?t=6m47s\]''
** Windy theme's also heard in the radio during ''
* [[Quintessence the Blighted Venom]]: The opening song (To Realize) is not only played in-character, but exists in universe before hand, and has some plot significance. (Not much, though some.) And played by the main characters; one using an ocarina (Reivier) and one using a piano. (Lunair) Sadly not at the same time.
== Web Original ==
* In Act II of ''[[
* [[Mr. Deity]]'s cellphone plays the ''[[Mr. Deity]]'' theme song.
* Used as a [[Mythology Gag]] in episode eight of the ''[[The Joker Blogs]]'': Joker hums his theme tune from the animated series while {{spoiler|escaping from Arkham Asylum.}}
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* ''[[I Am Weasel]]'', "I are Music Man". Red guy repeatedly sings the lyrics of the show's theme song to "Pop Goes The Weasel" (which is in fact the melody of the theme).
* [[Popeye]] used to sing his theme song in every cartoon in the ''really'' old days, and, as time went on, he still contented himself with humming or scatting the theme of the tune while walking down the street.
* In the ''[[Powerpuff Girls]]'' episode "The Powerpuff Girls' Best Rainy Day Adventure Ever," the girls stay inside and pretend to be themselves, humming their own theme song. One of only a swarm of hilarious [[Mythology Gag
* In ''[[The Simpsons (
** The producers of Simpsons were thinking about adding a groan / scream to the beginning of the theme, simply because the odds that someone would be groaning at hearing it again.
** In "Angry Dad - The Movie", the theme song is played when Bart wins an award.
** The same thing happened with Homer in "Brother Can You Spare Two Dimes".
* One ''[[Casper]]'' Christmas special features the title ghost meeting up with a girl named Holly Jolly (yes, really). Holly, embarrassed by her, ah, seasonal name, tells Casper to imagine how embarrassing it would be to have "Holly Jolly" for a
{{quote| '''Casper:''' Oh, great. Now I've got that song stuck in my head.
''(flies off with the "Holly Jolly the Friendly Ghost" song playing in his head
* ''[[
** Either Kim or Wade must be a fan of [[
** Also in 'Sitch in Time' she gives Ron his own "Ronmunicator" so he can "Call me or beep me, you know, if you want to reach me." Plus, in ''So the Drama'', Kevin's dad says he'll give Kevin her number, so he can "call you, bee-" (and that's as much as we get, but we all knew where it was going).
** And in another episode, Ron attempts to win a rap music contest, and his entry is [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3WdTXS1xd0 Rufus's theme from the soundtrack].
** Ron also hums the "Naked Mole Rap" in at least two other episodes.
* Pinky is knocked silly in an episode of ''[[
** Another episode has Wakko playing with this while singing to himself: "''[[Tiny Toon Adventures|We're tiny, we're toony, we're all a little looney...]]'' Nah, I'm tired of that one. ''It's time for Animaniacs!''"
** And ''another'' episode featured Beethoven attempting to compose his ninth symphony. Songs he tries and rejects include the themes of ''[[Looney Tunes]]'', ''[[Tiny Toon Adventures]]'', and ''[[
* ''[[Teen Titans (
** In one episode, a happy, upbeat Cyborg sings a version of the theme song centered around himself.
** In ''[[Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo]]'', Beast Boy does a karaoke version with surreal [[Gratuitous English]] lyrics, and the entire cast sings this version over the end credits. Weirder still, the oddball lyrics Beast Boy sings are [[Bilingual Bonus|a mostly-accurate English translation]] of the [http://www.animelyrics.com/jpop/puffyamiyumi/teentitansjp.htm Japanese version of the theme song]!
** The Titans' communicators play a tinny, ringtone-style version of their title theme's primary lick.
* ''The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show'': There's a skit surrounding jack-in-the-boxes, each of which plays the show's theme song. In another skit, Snoopy plays an organ grinder playing the theme tune as well.
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** Hardhead sings the ending theme at a karaoke party in the ''[[Transformers Headmasters]]'' episode "The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok".
** Kakuryu sings a bit of the end theme to ''[[Transformers Victory]]'' in an early episode. Considering the theme tune sings about driving villains away, and {{spoiler|The Dinoforce eventually turns against Deathsaurus}}, this qualifies as [[Foreshadowing]].
** ''[[
*** In the pilot episode, when Cheetor encounters Waspinator, he first thinks it's a real wasp. When he realizes it's not, he says it must be "Robots in Disguise!", the famous line from the original Transformers theme.
** ''[[Transformers Animated|Animated]]'' once showed Sari humming the theme song while listening to some music on headphones, even though the music playing sounded different. In another episode of ''Animated'', Bumblebee left an auto parts store with a car horn that played the first few notes of the theme song. An in [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K9AvIrA-rk this short], Ratchet whistles it.
* On ''[[A Pup Named Scooby
** One of the ''[[Scooby Doo]]'' movies has Velma singing the classic theme song for a concert.
** On ''What's New Scooby Doo'' Shaggy has the theme as his ringtone.
** Almost every time recurring characters The Hex Girls (a Wiccan rock band) show up on ''What's New Scooby'' or in the movies, they end up singing the theme song.
** In one episode of ''[[Scooby
** ''[[Scooby
* Often done on ''[[
* In an episode of ''[[Justice League Unlimited]],'' Green Arrow hums along to his own [[Theme Music Power-Up]] (though it's his personal [[Leitmotif]], not the show's theme). And then the instrumental version plays, similar to the ''[[Castle]]'' example above. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GMbeQe0klA Link].
** Earlier in the [[DCAU]], an episode of ''[[Batman:
** In the episode "The Once and Future Thing Part 1", when the time-displaced Justice League members saddle up with some of DC's other Old West characters and take off to the villain's hideout, a Western version of the original [[Justice League]] theme plays.
*** Coincidentally, the "Western Justice League" consists of seven members, the same as the show's original League.
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** Lanolin even parodies the theme in one episode: {{spoiler|"Friends are there to help you get started, but once you get started, who needs 'em?"}}
** Orson would eventually sing the second theme song in an episode from the fifth season.
* At the end of an early episode of ''[[X-Men: Evolution]]'', a relaxed, jazzy tune plays over the kids' enjoying themselves in the pool. It's a version of the early '90s ''[[X-Men (
* Occurs in ''[[The Fairly
** In the former, it also occurs when Timmy wishes to be able to read minds, and hears elevator music when reading Cosmo's.
* ''[[The Jetsons]]''' door bell plays the first 4 notes of their theme song ("Meet George Jetson...").
* A more comedic episode of ''[[
* The ''[[Drawn Together]]'' theme appears in altered versions serving as a sub-theme in various episodes.
** In "Ghostesses in the Slot Machine", a jazzy version serves as the theme to a ''Trading Spaces'' parody.
** In "A Very Special Drawn Together Afterschool Special", a mellow version serves as the theme to a parody of [[Very Special Episode
** In "Mexican't Buy Me Love", a tejano version serves as the theme to a Mexican-flavored episode.
* In an episode of ''[[Freakazoid!]]'', Dexter hums a few notes of the opening sequence as he takes out the garbage.
* Jake and Halley's cellphones in ''[[American Dragon Jake Long]]'' feature the opening theme as a ringtone. Spud also sings a few bars of the themes in one of the later season 2 episodes.
* ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' has a slightly more dramatic version in "The Firebending Masters" when the closing theme is played by characters during the climax of the episode.
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* In ''[[The Spectacular Spider-Man]]'', {{spoiler|Shocker, Ox, and Ricochete are riding an elevator, and Ox starts to hum the show's theme song, prompting the other two to stare at him. "What? It's catchy."}}
* On his way to Hobo 13 in the episode of the same name, [[Invader Zim]] shows off to GIR while flying the Voot Crusier. While doing so, he starts sing the theme song.
* At the beginning of the ''[[Dungeons and Dragons (
* One episode of ''[[Chowder]]'' had Shnitzel literally facing the music, which happens to be the show's theme song. Chowder cheerfully hummed along while Shnitzel begged them to stop.
** Done in another episode when the tune plays on the radio and Mung Daal sings along.
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* In ''[[Caillou]]'s Holiday Movie'', Caillou performed an original Christmas song to the tune of the show's theme song.
* One episode of ''[[Megas XLR]]'' has Coop teaching an S-Force friend how to sing Karaoke. We don't get to hear the music, but we do see that the lyrics are the show's theme tune.
* Not a theme tune, but in the ''[[
* Done as a deliberate [[Breaking the Fourth Wall|fourth-wall breaker]] on ''[[Samurai Jack]]'', where a boy whose family Jack stays with overnight expresses his admiration for the famous roving hero by singing a line from the show's theme song.
* Several characters have whistled the theme tune for ''[[
** And in the third season, it's revealed Chris's ring tone is the theme.
* In ''[[
* The ''Penguins of Madagascar'' has its theme as elevator music and one Kowalski whistles it.
* The end of the ''[[Family Guy]]'' episode "Believe It or Not, Joe's Walking on Air" had Peter humming the theme song (with the line "Joke's on you" in place of "Laugh and cry" included) when Joe is back to being paraplegic.
* The 2009 version of ''[[Strawberry Shortcake]]'' has the theme song as a ringtone for her cell phone.
* Some of the lyrics of ''[[The Boondocks]]'' theme tune make a cameo in "The Story of Catcher Freeman", specifically "... [be] a soldier, until the war is won".
* In a few episodes of ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
** Specifically, Spike in "Griffon the Brush-Off" and Fluttershy in both "The Ticket Master" and "A Bird in the Hoof".
*** Actually in "The Ticket Master" Fluttershy hums the theme of G1's My Little Pony.
** During the episode "May The Best Pet Win!", the bat competing to be Rainbow Dash's pet plays the theme tune on a set of water glasses.
** The traditional ''[[My Little Pony]]'' theme occurs often on ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
* In [[Fish Hooks]], many of the characters have the theme song set as their ringtone, most notably Bea.
* One episode of ''Trapdoor'' had Berk finding a boombox and playing it. What played from it? The full version of the theme tune! The entire episode being nothing more than a glorified music video.
* ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'' has an odd example. While the song doesn't come up, the stuff mentioned/shown in the theme does. They've checked "finding a Dodo" off of a list with several things mentioned in the theme, Buford one time complains that they should have given a monkey a shower (which they actually did early on), and "Painting the Continent" appeared in one of their first episodes ever.
** They eventually make up for this in the [[Big Damn Movie]] - namely, the song "Summer (Where Do We Begin?)" briefly segues into the opening theme.
* In the ''[[G.I. Joe]]'' episode "Cold Slither" COBRA tries to brainwash audiences with subliminal messages in a rock band's music; the Joes foil the plot at a concert, and pacify the crowd by becoming The Average Joe Band. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vpy0aykJXYs Guess what song they play?]
* In the ''[[Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers
* [[Maryoku Yummy]], in the episode "The Best, Best Friend".
* The opening scene of [[Cosgrove Hall]]'s ''[[The Wind in
* The familiar themes to [[Looney Tunes|Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes]] have been featured in several early cartoons with lyrics. "Merrily We Roll Along" was used in ''Billboard Frolics'' (1935) and ''Toy Town Hall'' (1936, both performed by an animated Eddie Cantor, who co-wrote the theme) before even becoming the Merrie Melodies theme. "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" (Looney Tunes) was a standard from 1934 and was performed by Daffy Duck with different lyrics in 1938's ''Daffy Duck And Egghead.''
* In at least one episode of ''[[Alvin and The Chipmunks]]'', the theme song popped up on the radio.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:
[[Category:Score and Music Tropes]]
[[Category:Metafiction Demanded This Index]]
[[Category:Theme Tune]]
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