Delia Derbyshire (Picture: BBC)
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Doctor Who theme music is the UK's most-played sci-fi TV theme tune

The long-running BBC series is celebrating its 60th anniversary this month.

Sam Moore
  • By Sam Harteam Moore
  • 23 Nov 2023
  • min read

The Doctor Who theme music has topped a new chart from PRS for Music which celebrates the UK's 20 most-played sci-fi TV theme tunes.

Based on data provided by PRS for Music, the organisation which represents the rights of over 165,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers, the chart uncovers the most popular sci-fi TV theme tunes that have been streamed, broadcast and publicly performed in the UK.

Already celebrating its 60th anniversary this month, Doctor Who's distinctive composition for its opening credits has now been named as the UK's most-played sci-fi theme tune.

Originally composed in 1963 by Ron Grainer and arranged by Delia Derbyshire (both PRS members) at the world-famous BBC Radiophonic Workshop, the groundbreaking work was created using cutting-edge electronic music techniques.

The Doctor Who theme has been rearranged and reinterpreted numerous times over the years, with the likes of Dominic Glynn, Peter Howell and Segun Akinola all putting their spin on the composition.

Murray Gold memorably provided a new arrangement of the theme to mark Doctor Who’s return to screens in 2005, and went on to serve as the show’s resident composer for the next 12 years. Murray has returned to the role this year for three special Doctor Who 60th anniversary episodes, set to be broadcast from Saturday (25 November), providing the score alongside the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

PRS for Music’s Most-Played Sci-Fi TV Theme Tunes chart includes 20 of the most recognisable and spine-tingling TV scores, from modern classics like The Last of Us to animated favourites Rick and Morty. You can see the full top 20 below.

  1. Doctor Who
  2. Red Dwarf
  3. Star Trek
  4. Stargate Atlantis
  5. Rick And Morty
  6. The 100
  7. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 
  8. Heroes 
  9. The Last Of Us 
  10. Fringe 
  11. Battlestar Galactica 
  12. The Expanse 
  13. Smallville 
  14. Torchwood 
  15. Better Off Ted
  16. Star Wars Rebels
  17. Manifest 
  18. Person Of Interest
  19. Killjoys
  20. The Twilight Zone

NB: Chart rank based on UK streams, broadcasts and public performance data provided by PRS for Music for the period 1 January 2023 – 14 November 2023.

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