Coronation Street (1960)

Eric Spear's theme is a lone cornet over a brass band, slow and a little wistful, and it sounds like a street of row houses at dusk. The soap first aired on December 9, 1960, which makes it the oldest show on this list. Its trick is restraint. There is no big hook, just a melody that settles into a sigh, and for generations of viewers it has simply been the sound of the evening starting. It is also a gift for any brass band, because the tune was written for exactly that sound.