First off, i know this topic has likely been beaten to death. I searched the site and found several similar topics, but they were all at least a year old, so it didn't make sense to post this there. I'm just throwing this out there as an accompaniment to my Top Ten Lists and if other people want to join in on the nostalgia, that's cool!

For this list, I'm looking solely at animated shows - no live-action TV, no animated films, etc. Also, I'm not judging the overall quality of the show itself or even how much I enjoyed that particular show, just the intro and theme song. That means shows without a real intro are out of the running (that means you Young Justice and Green Lantern :-( ). Factors in my decisions will include but are not limited to: how well it serves as an introduction to the show, how catchy it is, how well you remember it after 10 years or so and overall how entertaining it is to watch or listen to. Since one of the factors is how memorable it is, I'm not including any videos so I can do it entirely from memory, so cut me some slack if I get a few details wrong. Finally, it was really hard to narrow this to ten shows, so under each entry I've included an "honorable mention" of another sometimes related, sometimes random show which didn't make the list, but still has a cool opening. Without further ado, let's get this countdown started!

12. Sonic the Hedgehog (1993)

Starting with a couple that would have made the list, had I not run out of slots. Sonic has some pretty upbeat music and entertaining visuals, check it out!

Honorable Mention: Mega Man (1994) - "Super fighting robot... MEGAMAN!"

11. Dexter's Laboratory (1996)

Dee Dee, get out of my lab-or-a-tory!

Honorable Mention: CatDog (1998) - "No blue bunny, no three-eyed frog..."

10. Alvin and the Chipmunks (1983)

Okay, now that we got the preliminaries out of the way, let's get down to business. For a show based on the premise of world famous singing chipmunks with annoyingly high voices, these guys can really sing :-) This intro gets points for introducing the basic concept of the show and hooking you with a catchy (and pretty memorable) tune.

Honorable Mention: Inspector Gadget (1983) - Get outta here Matthew Broderick!

9. DuckTales (1987)

Another golden oldie. I don't remember ever actually watching this show, but for some reason I still remember the opening. The song is catchy as hell and leads you to believe this is possibly the most exciting show on the planet, where they "might solve a mystery... or rewrite history!"

Honorable Mention: Darkwing Duck (1991) - "Let's get dangerous"

8. The Boondocks (2005)

Now let's fast-forward and give a newer show some credit. This hip hop theme instantly sets the mood for the show and the animation gives viewers some idea who the characters are and how they are all bad-ass in very different ways.

Honorable Mention: Samurai Jack (2001) - nuff said

7. Futurama (1999)

From the captions at the beginning (e.g. "Condemned by the Space Pope") to the weird black and white cartoons at the end, this intro sets the tone for the show and lets you know what kind of weird world you're entering. It doesn't really explain the concept of the show like some of the other entries on the list, but from the name of the show, the people transport tubes and the spaceships, you can probably figure out its set in the future. Ultimately the catchy tune puts this on the list.

Honorable Mention: Simpsons (1989) - Possibly one of the most instantly recognizable TV themes

6. Teen Titans (2003)

Introduces all the characters, the concept and still manages to have a catchy song and cool style choices in the visuals. SO much better than the stupid CGI shadow people in the Justice League intro... no disrespect :-)

Honorable Mention: X-Men (1992) - Possibly the most epic intro that didn't make the list. Introduces all the characters and their powers while ramping you up with the music.

5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)

This theme song is guaranteed to make kids of a certain age go hyper. It ramps up your excitement until you're bouncing off the walls. It also manages to introduce the entire concept of the show and at least 6 characters without getting bogged down.

Honorable Mention: Captain Planet and the Planeteers (1990) - "The Power is Yours!"

4. Tiny Toon Adventures (1990) & Animaniacs (1993)

I couldn't choose between these two, so I decided to include them as one item since their themes are pretty similar. Catchy songs, an introduction to the concept of the show and then a quick run through of the major characters. Also, compare these lines...

Tiny Toons: "The scripts were rejected, expect the unexpected!"

Animaniacs: "The writers flipped, we have no script, why bother to rehearse?"

Honorable Mention: Pinky and the Brain (1995) - "The same thing we do every night, Pinky... Try to take over the world!"

3. Pokemon (1998)

On to the final three. The bronze medal goes to the English version of the original Pokemon theme. I still well up inside every time I see this, it's so emotional! Kudos to the dubbing company which pretty much came up with their own lyrics since the Japanese version doesn't make any sense.

Honorable Mention: Dragonball Z (1996) - The lyrics didn't make any sense, but look at those epic fights, which is really what we care about!

2. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969)

While other Hanna-Barbera shows like the Flintstones and the Jetsons certainly have classic themes, I think the original Scooby-Doo theme holds up the best over time. The song is catchy and you pretty much have to sing along if you've seen the show at least once. Plus the concept and mood of the show are introduced well.

Honorable Mention: A Pup Named Scooby Doo (1988) - Praised as the show that finally got rid of Scrappy Doo! But also had a pretty cool intro/theme.

1. Batman: The Animated Series (1992)

Obviously, being a comic book fan I have to pick a superhero cartoon for the top spot! The opening is dark, its serious and it lets you know shit is about to get real. The music is a modified version of the theme from the Batman movies of the time, giving it an instantly recognizable Batman feel. Also, any show that doesn't have to actually tell you its title must be pretty bad-ass!

Honorable Mention: Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008) - One word... JUSTICE!