'Sherlock' voted top of the TV theme tunes

We hum them on buses, trains, in the street. We smile when we hear them on the radio. They are the TV theme tunes that stay with us long after their shows leave the telly. But which telly theme tune is actually the nation’s favourite?

Well the BFI, Classic FM and the Radio Times asked the nation to vote and the answer is… Sherlock!

Read more: Ranking every ‘Sherlock’ episode so far

The news was announced at a special event at the BFI Film and TV Festival this afternoon. Film critic and radio presenter Andrew Collins was hosting with composer Howard Goodall.

Composers David Arnold and Michael Price wrote the music for the TV favourite. Price said: “Being a part of a TV show like Sherlock, which has reached so many people, is a genuinely humbling experience. Thanks hugely to all the Radio Times readers who voted for it – I can only apologise to everyone else who wanted their favourite to win. I voted for Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em.”

Back in 2015, the composers talked about how they divided the work on the project.

Sherlock just beat out Doctor Who to the top spot. The Time Lord’s signature tune has evolved over the years but was originally written by Ron Grainer and Delia Derbyshire. Derbyshire never received any royalties from the project, because she was a BBC employee at the time.

Also in the running were Anne Dudley’s sweeping Poldark theme and Barrington Pheloung’s atmospheric stringed number for Inspector Morse.

Read more: ‘Doctor Who’: Unused title sequence concept for Jodie Whittaker’s first season emerges

Goodall told the Guardian: “A great TV theme has you humming it after the first episode. Whether it’s a bespoke tune by an eminent contemporary composer or an existing piece that becomes instantly embedded with the atmosphere of the show itself.”

The final top 10 were:

1. Sherlock by David Arnold & Michael Price
2. Doctor Who by Ron Grainer & Delia Derbyshire
3. Robin of Sherwood by Clannad
4. The Persuaders! by John Barry
5. Inspector Morse by Barrington Pheloung
6. Poldark by Anne Dudley
7. The Avengers by Laurie Johnson
8. Thunderbirds by Barry Gray
9. The Adventures of Black Beauty by Denis King
10. Match of the Day by Barry Stoller