signature tune

American  

noun

1. theme song.

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signature tune British  

noun

1. Also called (esp US and Canadian): theme song.  a melody used to introduce or identify a television or radio programme, a dance band, a performer, etc

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Etymology

Origin of signature tune

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

In 1974, he scored an international number-one hit with “Nothing from Nothing,” which became his signature tune.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026

Langston Hughes’s poems were featured on posters in my local library, and everybody knew Duke Ellington because of his signature tune, “Take the A Train,” written by Billy Strayhorn.

From New York Times • Apr. 5, 2024

Including this album, which contains the signature tune “Rebel, Rebel,” would have resulted in a well-deserved streak from 1971 to 1976.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 28, 2022

Ms. Lynn’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter” spent only one week at No. 1 after its release in 1970, but it soon became the singer’s signature tune:

From Washington Post • Oct. 4, 2022

In the Ring, every character has his or her own leitmotif, or signature tune.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall