By [Editor’s Note: This feature has been re-posted in honor of Power Rangers Month on Flixist]
Pop culture is full of different kinds of media, but the ones with the most lasting power all do a very important thing: build mythos. “Mythos” is essentially a group of ideas uniquely tied to a premise. Power Rangers has managed to last 24 seasons because of its mythos. When you hear “Power Rangers” you expect a show full of brightly colored spandex, giant robot fights, and most importantly, a rockin’ theme song to kick it all off.
But did you know each season brought a new theme song? Some were hype, and others were decidedly not. A children’s show is only as good as its theme song, so I’m here to tell you which Power Rangers opening themes were the best.
20. Power Rangers Operation Overdrive (2007)
Back when Disney owned the rights to Power Rangers, they made quite a bit of changes in order to reinvent it for their network. Punches and kicks were replaced by more lasers, explosions allegedly couldn’t occur in front of the Rangers themselves, and they wanted to do a rap theme for some time. Unfortunately for all of us, their idea of rap was total garbage.
Highlighting the worst season of Power Rangers is faux-techno rap babble with the lyrics “There’s treasures to be found, there’s some lives to be saved, our planet to look after, there’s a whole lot of space!” There’s a whole lot of something, all right.
19. Mighty Morphin’ Alien Rangers (1996)
I wasn’t originally going to count this, as the Alien Rangers arc is the capper of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers‘ final season and it’s merely a copy of the OG theme with “alien rangers” in the lyrics, but you’ll see in the next couple of entries this theme has a bit more effort in it than others.
I’m giving it credit for merely existing when it didn’t need to. We didn’t need a new theme, but it was nice to hear something different in preparation for the major reboot the series would go through a season later.
18. Power Rangers Samurai (2011) / Power Rangers Super Samurai (2012)
When Saban re-acquired the rights to Power Rangers (which fans have dubbed the “Neo-Saban”-era), they chose to reintroduce the series to kids on Nickelodeon with a remix of the show’s original theme with the additional lyrics, “Rangers Together, Samurai Forever.” But unlike the Alien Rangers theme, this remix is weak. I get the need to reintroduce the series’ mythos to a new generation, but Saban missed the chance to highlight the show’s obviously Japanese influences.
It’s reflective of Saban’s growing pains over the next few seasons that’ll only get worse. Even worse is having the characters shout their names during the title sequence, treating kids like little idiots.
17. Power Rangers Megaforce (2013) / Power Rangers Super Megaforce (2014)
Megaforce was a worse season than Samurai in a lot of ways. Chiefly it’s biggest disappointment was in how lazy of a show it was. It’s exactly the same theme, complete with characters shouting their names during the credits, but it’s just slightly better thanks to the first couple of seconds. With a season as lazy as this was, take what you can get.
16. Power Rangers Mystic Force (2006)
Just as Operation Overdrive somehow needed a rap in its theme song, Mystic Force was the first attempt at it. It’s not a full-on trash rap, nor is it just a retread, but it’s not an accomplishment by any means. This season was weak for a number of reasons, but the theme should’ve been the first indicator of its overall terribleness.
15. Power Rangers Jungle Fury (2008)
Remember the band Metro Station? What about 3OH!3? Well, if either or those bands wrote a Power Rangers theme song it’d be whatever the hell this song is. Taking advantage of the faux-emo wave at the time is this piece of work which in no way suited a cool season of kung-fu Rangers.
Jungle Fury had a lot of great things going for it, but I could imagine this theme song turning kids away. It’s just way too in your face with its awfulness.
14. Power Rangers RPM (2009)
Originally intended to be the final season of the series, as Disney got tired of spending money on it, RPM was a surprisingly mature story of the last bits of humanity fighting against machine apocalypse. Borrowing imagery from films like Mad Max and Terminator, this series was as awesome as Power Rangers has ever gotten…but the theme didn’t tell you any of that. Other than some techno mess in the middle of it, this theme was a little too generic. All it’s got to offer are a few “Power Rangers RPM, get in gear!” thrown in every now and again, and it’s a letdown for what’s arguably the best season of the series.
But it’s not a rap song, so there’s that.
13. Power Rangers Wild Force (2002)
Wild Force was basically a Power Rangers version of Captain Planet, as the Rangers fought against pollution and what not, so a boring season unfortunately got an equally boring theme song. There’s nothing technically wrong with the song, it’s just a little too loud and busy to really hit home. Accompanying animal roars, a tone that’s constantly aggressive, with nothing sticking out to make it unique. The best seasons (as you’ll read in a bit) have themes with distinguishing, memorable characteristics. Don’t expect anyone to remember this.
12. Power Rangers Ninja Storm (2003)
Ninja Storm‘s opening theme is about as forgettable as Wild Force‘s, but what makes it win over in the end is how unique it is. Matching its series’ tone of extreme sports loving ninja masters is a chill rock song that helps play up the “Storm” in the series title. There still has yet to be a theme like it.
11. Power Rangers Lost Galaxy (1999)
Since Lost Galaxy was the first self-contained season of the series, not continuing the story started in MMPR, it needed a theme that sounded wholly different than what had come before. And it got that…for the first thirty seconds or so. As the first opening theme of the series not composed by Ron Wasserman (who’s credits include MMPR through In Space and the Mummies Alive! opening theme), it’s different enough to stand out yet feels similar enough to themes before. But after the great “ahhhhhhhh,” it starts feeling repetitive. Granted all of these themes are repetitive, but this one really lets down its grandiose beginning.
10. Power Rangers Ninja Steel (2017)
Since this season just premiered it might be a bit too soon to have the opening theme crack the top ten, but it’s pretty dang good. It’s the opening few seconds that really drive the point home. While I’m not sure if the series will live up to the Asian influences the theme presents, it already seems much different than seasons before. Coupled with a remix of the original theme (in order to keep building the mythos, as mentioned) thrown in for good measure, and I’m pretty stricken with it.
9. Power Rangers Turbo (1997)
As the only season of the series to premiere with a movie, Turbo didn’t have to do much. The season itself had a ton of problems, but its theme has the best final seconds of any season. While the full version of this theme breaches hilariously bad territory (complete with a car starting up for the first 20 seconds), the show’s 30 second cut was amazing. It’s surprising the series never returned to 30 second themes, but it at least helped Turbo.
8. Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue (2000)
I don’t know why, but Lightspeed Rescue has the one theme I found myself singing the most as a kid. Like Lost Galaxy, the second half doesn’t have as much to offer as the first but I prefer the lyrics here than in most of the other themes. It’s goofy, but in a series about an emergency rescue team of Rangers, the lyrics “the signal is calling, our planet is falling, the danger will test you, better make it Lightspeed Rescue!” are just hype.
7. Power Rangers Zeo (1996)
Zeo marked a lot of first for the series. It was the first reboot, it was the first time the Rangers had wholly new suits and powers, and it was the first real season to change the theme. Thankfully, it delivered on everything it was supposed to. With lyrics like “stronger than before” and “powered up for more,” mixed it with the standard “Go Go Power Rangers!” you really got the idea that these new powers were different, better maybe.
6. Power Rangers Dino Charge (2015) / Power Rangers Dino Super Charge (2016)
Speaking of remixes, Saban wouldn’t get it right until much much later with Dino Charge. The first good season of the Neo-Saban era, Dino Charge burst out of the gate with a theme sounding like an original until it reminded you that it’s a remix of the original song. If Power Rangers could’ve been reintroduced with this series, this opening theme, than it be a much bigger hit for Nickelodeon than it is now. There’s something about dinosaur themes that really makes Power Rangers pop.
5. Power Rangers In Space (1998)
Just as how RPM was intended to be the final season of the series years later, In Space was initially planned to be the final season before doing well enough in the ratings thanks to its space opera narrative. This theme may have an atonal quality to its lyrics, but the opening countdown has always set it apart in my mind. As the final theme (at the time) composed by Ron Wasserman, it has a ton going for it. The final half, while admittedly as repetitive as other themes on this list, is too hype to pass up. I think the “go go go fly!” always does me in, haha.
4. Power Rangers Time Force (2001)
Time Force was a much better season than it got credit for. It was right around the time less kids paid attention to it as we were all starting to grow out of waking up early on Saturdays, but it had so much good in it. The actors were all great (most of them having had experience in film and TV beforehand, which is sadly notable for this series), the premise was great (time patrollers fighting mutants), and it had a memorable theme song. The guitar solo here was the best in a long time and it’s better than a lot that came after it. Just like how In Space has a line that does me in, here it’s “timeless wonders, fire and thunder, all to save the world.” It’s goofy when written out, but trust me on this.
3. Power Rangers Dino Thunder (2004)
As I’m sure you’ve guessed, Power Rangers has gone through tons of reinventions and new beginnings in order to keep kids entertained. Disney bought the rights to the series mid-Wild Force, but it wasn’t until after Ninja Storm that Disney had their own take on the series. To go along with another dinosaur themed team of Rangers, the series also tried to bring back old fans with Jason David Frank, an evil Ranger storyline, and most importantly, a kick-ass rock theme song. This theme is probably the closest to an actual “song” in the entire series, and it’s the one theme that’s most fit for a sing along. With the strongest lyrics of the entire series, this theme song is only beaten by musical greats.
2. Power Rangers S.P.D. (2005)
Although Ron Wasserman composed a few demos during the Disney era, only one of them really made it to the actual show. Thankfully, it was the best one. The only theme on this list to highlight percussion rather than guitar riffs made it stand out for a number of reasons. It’s entirely strong throughout with a kick-ass opening and a final ten seconds which elevate it over the other seasons’ themes. It’d be the best overall if not for the final entry on this list.
1. Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers (1993-1995)
C’mon, like I was going to put something else here. I’d be lying to myself, and you, if I didn’t pay tribute to the original. It’s the theme everyone remembers for a reason. With a harder rock composition than kids deserved, it treated this new series with an awesome reverence that would sadly never get matched again.
They just don’t make theme songs like this for kids anymore.