Z-Cars (1962)

The theme outlived the police drama by a mile. Fritz Spiegl and the composer Bridget Fry arranged it from Johnny Todd, a traditional Liverpool folk song, and its rolling fife-and-drum feel suited a series set in a fictional town based on Kirkby. Today far more people hear it at soccer games than on television: Everton and Watford use the arrangement as an anthem, and it plays as the teams walk out. That is the clearest proof on this list of a tune escaping its show, and it is a natural pick for any band asked for something with a bit of marching swagger.