Can You Identify These '80s TV Shows From Their Opening Credits?

Music and movies from the 1980s get a lot of the credit, but television was what built a collective language for an entire generation. Even just a few chords from a TV theme song can transport you instantly back to the couch you grew up on.

Now, with word that faith-and-feel-good classic Highway to Heaven is being rebooted, and The Rockford Files — one of the greatest private detective shows ever made — set to return with Angel's David Boreanaz in the lead role, '70s and '80s TV is clearly having a moment.

A Single Freeze-Frame Says It All

'Thank you for being a friend...' — the plane gives it away. ('Golden Girls'/ABC/Getty)

And it doesn't take much to trigger the nostalgia. Just a single freeze-frame can send you spiraling back. A sunny sky with a plane gliding across it, and you're already humming "Thank You for Being a Friend" — because once The Golden Girls gets into your head, it never really leaves.

You probably don't need reminding that there was a time when watching TV was something that wasn't done on demand. When it was on, it was on. No pausing. No fast forwarding through the intro. You just sat there, and if you were growing up in the '80s, your brain soaked in every frame, every note, and every lyric from those TV show openings.

TRY IT: How Many of These Classic '80s TV Openings Can You Identify?

But how well do you know your '80s TV openings? We'll show you a single freeze-frame, and you guess the show. You might be surprised how many of these you get right.

Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz

NOW TRY MUSIC VIDEOS: How Many of These 1980s Music Videos Can You Identify?

How well do you really remember the music videos that defined the ’80s? We’ve grabbed a single freeze-frame from 11 of the decade’s most iconic videos. Scroll slowly and see how many you can name before peeking at the answers.

Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz