“The Wire: Season 2” (Debuted 2003): The Blind Boys of Alabama version of “Way Down in the Hole” — the song featured in season one — is the best and most accessible of the five songs the show used as its theme. But Tom Waits’s version, used in season two, is the show’s finest, as the opening bars in the first episode make it clear how much things have changed. As season two of the show drastically shifted its focus to Baltimore’s ports, Tom Waits’s song is equally far removed from the soulful, urban theme used in season one. Like the season itself, the theme is something of an acquired taste and takes some time to ease into. But after twelve episodes, it’s clear how perfect it is.

“The Wire: Season 2” (Debuted 2003): The Blind Boys of Alabama version of “Way Down in the Hole” — the song featured in season one — is the best and most accessible of the five songs the show used as its theme. But Tom Waits’s version, used in season two, is the show’s finest, as the opening bars in the first episode make it clear how much things have changed. As season two of the show drastically shifted its focus to Baltimore’s ports, Tom Waits’s song is equally far removed from the soulful, urban theme used in season one. Like the season itself, the theme is something of an acquired taste and takes some time to ease into. But after twelve episodes, it’s clear how perfect it is.

“Mad Men” (Debuted 2007): The entirety of “Mad Men” can be boiled down to its opening credits. It would be a little difficult to figure this out without watching the show, but the falling ad man in the intro is basically everything. It’s the ultra-cool theme, however, which opens with a dark string arrangement and picks up a strong drum track that makes it work. I’m just surprised it took someone this long to give the four-martini lunch a proper theme.