Meet the Flintstones

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Meet the Flintstones: a short, simple guide

Meet the Flintstones is the theme song for the 1960s animated TV show The Flintstones. It was written in 1961 by Hoyt Curtin, Joseph Barbera, and William Hanna. The famous line “Flintstones, meet the Flintstones, they’re the modern Stone Age family” helped make it one of the best-known TV themes ever.

Background
- The show’s opening song changed over time. In the first two seasons, the opening and closing music was a piece called “Rise and Shine.” Beginning with Season 3, the opening/closing theme became Meet the Flintstones.
- Before it was the TV theme, a version with extra verses about characters like Barney, Betty, and Dino appeared on a Golden Records children's record release (Songs of the Flintstones, 1961).

Popularity
- In 2010, a UK survey found the Meet the Flintstones theme was the most recognizable kids’ TV theme in the country.

Jazz and other versions
- The tune is in E-flat major and is a contrafact of the jazz standard I Got Rhythm, using the rhythm changes common in jazz.
- It can be played as a stand-alone jazz piece or briefly quoted inside other jazz tunes.
- The Brian Setzer Orchestra released a Christmas version in 2015 called Yabba-Dabba-Yuletide.
- The song has appeared in TV shows like Full House.

The BC-52’s cover
- In 1994, The B-52’s released a version titled “(Meet) The Flintstones” as The BC-52’s for The Flintstones movie soundtrack. It was released by MCA Records and became a hit in several countries.
- Notable chart accomplishments: UK Singles peak at #3, US Billboard Hot 100 peak at #33, Belgium #2, Ireland #5, Australia #54, among others.
- The music video was directed by Brian Levant and received heavy rotation on MTV Europe and was played on German TV’s VIVA.

Reception
- Critics generally praised the remake for being catchy and fun, with praise for its arrangement and energy. Some called it campy or silly in a good way.

Music video and release details
- The music video for the BC-52’s version was directed by Brian Levant and saw strong MTV and European TV exposure.
- The single was released in various formats (7-inch and 12-inch) with different edits and remixes.

Jacob Collier cover
- In 2016, Jacob Collier released a multitrack vocal jazz version of the song and won the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals for his cover.

Legacy
- Today, Meet the Flintstones remains a recognizable and beloved theme that helped make The Flintstones a lasting part of pop culture.