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

Every brood contains a minimum of three or a maximum of four of cicada species — each species with its own signature tune.

From Salon • May 16, 2024

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

The actor made his nightly entrance at the Roxy from the lobby to the stage, belting out the signature tune “Sweet Transvestite.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 18, 2023

In 1943, she played Selina Rogers in the all-black film musical Stormy Weather, and the title song became both a major hit and her signature tune.

From BBC • Nov. 3, 2022

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

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall