star trek soundtracks ranked

A Definitive Ranking of the Star Trek Feature Film Scores

We’re back! It’s time for another of our patented film score rankings. If you missed them, please check out our previous rankings of the Marvel Cinematic Universe , films of 1984 , and DreamWorks Animation .

And before we dive into another monster undertaking (which is coming up next), we wanted to tackle a relatively accessible list: Star Trek feature films.

To date, there have been 13 feature films in the Trek franchise starring the original crew, The Next Generation crew, and the rebooted Kelvin-timeline crew. The films themselves vary in quality, but we’re here today to examine the scores that support those films. They also vary in quality but in sometimes divergent ways from the films.

Unless you’re a Trekkie/Trekker, you might be surprised to learn that the film scores aren’t just rehashes of the same theme with variations. They’re not carbon copies of one another. Far from it, actually. Each score (with a couple exceptions) is wholly unique, and the various composers intentionally produced music that avoided sounding like what had come before.

Even the classic Star Trek fanfare , from the original series and composed by Alexander Courage, only makes a few hinted-at appearances.

This resulted in the series feeling disjointed at times. Whatever your feelings are re: JJ Abrams’s trilogy, they’re all scored by a single composer – Michael Giacchino – which ties them together and helps package the films as a cohesive story. (A single director also helped.)

The Original Series films (1-6) and The Next Generation films (7-10) each have very distinct feels (with one exception), and that’s partly because the music is so wildly different.

Logistics: Some of these scores are available on Amazon Music or Spotify, but most of the best ones aren’t. I own all of these on good ol’ fashioned physical media, so I used my own collection in the research. Also, almost all of these scores also had an extended collector’s or limited edition release with more music. But they’re even harder to track down. We therefore used the original releases here, which theoretically have the best pieces included and give the best overview of what the music is like.

If you’re interested in more coverage of Trek music, check out my “oral history” of televised Trek music with the franchise’s four primary composers. That piece grew out of my interviews with Dennis McCarthy , Jay Chattaway , Ron Jones , and Jeff Russo . You might also want to check out my conversations with Nicholas Meyer and Jonathan Frakes .

OK, self-promotion over. On to the music!

#13: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

• composed by Leonard Rosenman (1986)
• listen to: “Hospital Chase,” “Home Again – End Credits”

Remember, this isn’t a ranking of the films themselves. I know a lot of people love The Voyage Home , and I admit I do have a soft spot for it even though it’s not my favorite Trek. However, the music is totally unlike any other Trek score. When James Horner didn’t return for the fourth film, director Leonard Nimoy tapped his friend Leonard Rosenman for the music. Oof. Like the movie, it’s VERY embedded in the 80s, especially “Market Street,” which feels like it’d be at home on a Miami Vice soundtrack. And come on, “Ballad of the Whale” is straight-up JC Penney elevator muzak from 1986. It just doesn’t hold up, is what I’m saying.

#12: Star Trek: Nemesis

• composed by Jerry Goldsmith (2002)
• listen to: “Final Flight”

Nemesis was legendary film composer Jerry Goldsmith’s penultimate score before his death in 2004. (His final film was, sadly, Looney Tunes: Back in Action .) It was also his fifth Star Trek feature film score. Unfortunately, by this time, it feels like he was just phoning it in (as was the franchise). This is not the Goldsmith of yore, and his score for Nemesis is fairly generic and forgettable.

#11: Star Trek: Insurrection

• composed by Jerry Goldsmith (1998)
• listen to: “Ba’Ku Village,” “End Credits”

Like Nemesis , Goldsmith’s score for Insurrection is bland and forgettable. Aside from a few familiar cues, you’d be hard pressed to even identify this as Star Trek. It sounds like a fairly standard action movie score.

#10: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

• composed by Jerry Goldsmith (1989)
• listen to: “The Mountain”

I swear, we have nothing against Jerry Goldsmith. In fact, his score is probably the best part of this movie, and director William Shatner was wise to bring him back to the franchise after a decade away (even if it couldn’t save this trainwreck of a film). His bombastic theme from The Motion Picture returns, which in 1989 was incredibly familiar to Trek fans as the theme to The Next Generation . But aside from that theme and a few cues, the overall score isn’t very memorable. (Though I swear he quotes John Williams’s “Imperial March” in “An Angry God.” )

#9: Star Trek Beyond

• composed by Michael Giacchino (2016)
• listen to: “Night on the Yorktown,” “Franklin, My Dear”

The best parts of this score are recycled themes from Giacchino’s scores for the previous two films, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Giacchino’s revamped theme and score for the rebooted Kelvin-timeline Trek is still better than about half of these scores.

#8: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

• composed by Cliff Eidelman (1991)
• listen to: “Overture,” “Sign Off”

If you look at the first six films that feature the original crew, each film (except for The Wrath of Khan and The Search for Spock , which form a unit) takes the music in a striking new direction. Eidelman’s theme and score for The Undiscovered Country continues that trend, takes Trek in a darker direction, and feels like a mashup of Stravinsky’s The Firebird and Holst’s The Planets .

#7: Star Trek Into Darkness

• composed by Michael Giacchino (2013)
• listen to: “London Calling,” “Warp Core Values,” “Kirk Enterprises”

Like James Horner before him, Giacchino attempts – and succeeds – at making his back-to-back scores feel like two pieces of a whole. The music is a direct continuation from Star Trek (2009), and in true Giacchino fashion, the track titles are rife with groan-worthy puns.

#6: Star Trek: First Contact

• composed by Jerry Goldsmith (1996)
• listen to: “Locutus,” “First Contact,” “End Credits”

When William Shatner assumed directorial duties on The Final Frontier , he turned to Jerry Goldsmith for the music. Likewise, when Jonathan Frakes was tapped for First Contact , he made the same decision. Except Frakes’s film is vastly better, as is Goldsmith’s music. The soundtrack even features Steppenwolf and Roy Orbison! (But of course, we didn’t consider them when ranking the score.)

#5: Star Trek

• composed by Michael Giacchino (2009)
• listen to: “Labor of Love,” “Enterprising Young Men,” “That New Cat Smell”

In 2009, Michael Giacchino was hip deep in scoring every episode across six seasons of LOST , which finally wrapped in 2010. His score for the rebooted Star Trek has strong echoes of his music for that show, and I tend to think of it as “ LOST in space.” (See what I did there?) It carries the signature Giacchino sound, and it also brings the franchise back in line with some of its best music: James Horner’s lush orchestrations and intimate themes.

#4: Star Trek Generations

• composed by Dennis McCarthy (1994)
• listen to: “Star Trek Generations Overture,” “The Nexus – A Christmas Hug,” “To Live Forever”

Dennis McCarthy might just be the only person to be involved in all 25 seasons of Trek television from The Next Generation through  Enterprise. He scored 88 episodes of  TNG , 77 episodes of Deep Space Nine , 65 episodes of Voyager , and 30 episodes of  Enterprise . He also wrote the theme for  Deep Space Nine (for which he won an Emmy). No one else wrote as much music for Star Trek as McCarthy. He’s also the only Trek composer to have made the jump from TV to the big screen. He just goes for it in Generations, and he knocks it out of the park. “I was given permission, in essence, to go apeshit, which I did.”

#3: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

• composed by James Horner (1984)
• listen to: “Prologue and Main Title,” “Returning to Vulcan”

If you’ve seen our ranking of the film scores of 1984 , you know that The Search for Spock came in at #6. So it’s no surprise it also ranks high on this list. Horner’s music here, like the film itself, is a direct continuation of The Wrath of Khan . The two films and the two scores feel like a pair. Sure, it might not bring a ton of new ideas or a bold new direction to the franchise, but it doesn’t need to. When you’ve got music this good, why mess with it?

#2: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

• composed by James Horner (1982)
• listen to: “Enterprise Clears Moorings,” “Battle in the Mutara Nebula,” “Genesis Countdown,” “Epilogue – End Titles”

This was tough. The top 2 scores each have so much in their favor that it was hard to rank one higher than the other. When Jerry Goldsmith proved to be too expensive for the modest budget this sequel had, Nicholas Meyer cast a wide net for a composer who could deliver a score that was nautical in tone and would evoke seafaring and swashbuckling. Horner was only 28 years old when he got the gig, and it was his first major film score. His music departs from the familiar and doesn’t really use any themes that would’ve been familiar to Trek fans in 1982. The score begins and ends with notes of Alexander Courage’s fanfare from the original series, but it doesn’t appear at all in the movie itself. In addition, he was explicitly told not to use any of Goldsmith’s score for The Motion Picture . Indeed, this set a precedent that lasted for a majority of the next four decades.

#1: Star Trek: The Motion Picture

• composed by Jerry Goldsmith (1979)
• listen to: “Main Title – Klingon Battle,” “Leaving Drydock,” “The Enterprise,” “Ilia’s Theme”

Aside from Alexander Courage’s fanfare from the original series, the music from The Motion Picture is perhaps most synonymous with Star Trek. Goldsmith’s main theme would go on to be the main theme of seven seasons of The Next Generation , to which most people associate it even today. Although Goldsmith scored five Star Trek films, and his cues (notably the main theme and his Klingon theme) appear in multiple sequels, they’d never shine like they do here. In so many ways, this score IS Star Trek. It laid the groundwork and set the bar for everything to come. It’s therefore hard not to rank it at the top. If only the movie were as compelling as its music.

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Every Star Trek TV Theme Song Ranked: From TOS and TNG to Discovery and Beyond

Star Trek has some of the best music in television history. And here's how the greatest themes stack up with one another.

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“Space… the Final Frontier.” Those words have a certain sound to them, and not just because you hear the voice of William Shatner or Patrick Stewart saying them. They have a sound to them because they’re associated with music, specifically some of the most iconic themes in television history.

Even more so than the cold opens that accompany most episodes of Star Trek , the themes need to capture the franchise’s sense of wonder, optimism, and discovery. They need to evoke in the mind of the watcher an endless horizon just waiting for a Starfleet crew to find.

Every Star Trek TV theme achieves this goal, albeit some better than others. So here’s our ranking of every theme song from the most pedestrian to the most inspiring.

11. Star Trek: The Animated Series

It’s so much easier to admire Star Trek: The Animated Series than it is to enjoy it. As much as the show manages to evoke the spirit and feel part of the Original Series on a cheap TV animation budget, one has to look past a lot of clunkiness to get to the good stuff.

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The same is true of the new theme music by Filmation composer Ray Ellis, under the pseudonym Yvette Blais and Jeff Michael. At times, the TAS theme captures the sense of wonder found in the Original Series theme. But too often it’s thin and tinny, hampered by flat orchestration and poorly-recorded horns. The composition itself isn’t too bad, but it feels quintessentially 1970s, dated in a way the best themes do not. Instead of boldly going, The Animated Series theme keeps things stuck in the world of Filmation.

10. Star Trek: Picard

Star Trek: Picard wanted to move the main character away from the respected captain we knew from The Next Generation . This was an older, more contemplative man, living in disgrace from even the organization through which he built his legend. The Picard theme by Jeff Russo reflects those intentions, a soft, almost discordant piece of music that eschews the stirring confidence of the other themes.

Russo works in elements of previous Star Trek music, namely the march of the TNG theme and the tune from “The Inner Light.” But no part connects with the other, feeling like a series of fragments more than a complete whole. Although one appreciates the daring in Russo’s composition for Picard , it’s much less enjoyable than most of the other themes. A good idea in theory, but not in execution, like much of Picard itself.

9. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

So much of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is about making something new with the familiar. Spun off from the very different Discovery , Strange New Worlds puts viewers back on the Enterprise , filled with familiar characters, including Uhura, Spock, and James T. Kirk himself. The theme by Jeff Russo tries to do the same, right down to the traditional spoken word intro, this time delivered by Anson Mount as Captain Pike.

Except, unlike the rest of SNW , the theme feels like a retread of glory days instead of a new interpretation of classic ideas. The song isn’t bad, combining the marching cadence of the TOS theme with the wistful hope of the modern themes. It’s a pleasing composition, but also unsurprising. It sounds more like an update of the classic Trek theme, which isn’t bad, but is a bit underwhelming.

8. Star Trek: Lower Decks

Almost every complaint lodged against the theme for Strange New Worlds also applies to Star Trek: Lower Decks . Although far more irreverent, Lower Decks goes back to a fan-favorite point in time, during the 1990s series, and its theme reflects that setting. Chris Westlake, who worked with showrunner Mike McMahan on Solar Opposites , emulates the tone of ’90s Trek shows, especially TNG .

The propulsive tune has the sense of adventure that one wants for a good Trek theme, threaded with notes of wonder and whimsey. Some might complain that the tune doesn’t indicate the show’s comedic elements, but that’s part of the Lower Decks charm. The show pokes loving fun at Star Trek , coming from a place of deep knowledge and respect for the franchise, which the theme song reflects.

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7. Star Trek: Discovery

The farther we get from the show’s first few seasons, the easier it is to see Star Trek: Discovery as the experimental, off-beat franchise entry that it is. That experimental aspect is reflected in the way the theme song from composer Jeff Russo integrates elements of the classic TOS theme, but then moves in its own direction.

Instead of just launching forward, the theme holds back. A bed of soft bass holds the theme together, giving space for playful strings. But the theme plays out in loosely connected pieces, never really coming together, even when it returns to notes of the TOS theme at the end. All of these elements signal an evolving series, one that has no one single identity—fitting for Discovery .

6. Star Trek: The Original Series

Alright, let’s just get this out of the way. The theme to Star Trek: The Original Series is iconic. There’s a reason that so many modern Trek themes quote the original. That said, there’s a reason that these themes only quote the start, the tinkling chimes that accompany the “Final Frontier” speech or the confident strings that follow.

No one quotes the rest of the theme, and there’s a reason for that. While the melody itself is pleasing and fits the exploration ideas of the show, nothing else in the song from Alexander Courage works. The vocals are cheesy and irritating, the bongos are too busy, drawing attention from the best parts of the song. Courage’s composition deserves credit for setting the standard, but no one is upset that the themes moved on from there.

5. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Many ( including folks at Den of Geek ) put Star Trek: Deep Space Nine at the top of franchise rankings. The show’s moral complexity, its vision of different people and groups trying to come together, and its embrace of concepts such as large-scale war and religion make it hard to beat as the greatest entry in Star Trek history.

However, the theme by Dennis McCarthy doesn’t really hint at these titanic stakes—even after it was revamped in later seasons. Instead, the slow, contemplative theme evokes loneliness and even stagnation. A solo trumpet drives the theme, playing over the warm strings that rise and fall away. It makes for a beautiful work, but not one that stays in the mind like others.

4. Star Trek: Prodigy

Star Trek: Prodigy is easily the most unique of the Star Trek shows. Directed at kids with an animation style that recalls the Star Wars series on Disney+, yet still a sequel to Star Trek: Voyager , Prodigy doesn’t necessarily sound like an idea that would succeed. And yet, with its team of plucky kids and fantastic stories about established characters like Janeway, Chakotay, and Wesley Crusher , Prodigy embodies the Trek ethos better than any other current show.

That unique approach is highlighted in the show’s theme, which comes from none other than Michael Giacchino. The tune owes a debt to Voyager , unsurprisingly, but there’s also a lot of his work from the Kelvin universe movies in there, too. A warm, confident melody pushes the song forward, giving way for occasional moments of reflective calm and explosive propulsion. The song reflects the excitement of the show, in which a bunch of rowdy kids follow in the footsteps of respected travelers.

3. Star Trek: Enterprise

Yes. Really. Of course, we all recoiled in disgust the first time that we heard the lyrics “faith of the heart” greeting us to Enterprise’s premiere “Broken Bow.” Why abandon the orchestral themes that have always been part of the series? And why abandon them for a terrible adult contemporary number, one written by Diane Warren for the awful Robin Williams vehicle Patch Adams ?

But something strange happens by the time you get to episode 8. You start singing along. The radio-friendly licks and obvious hooks sink in and feel, somehow, right. And when the more up-tempo version kicks in with season three, we’re all channeling our inner Russell Watson to belt out our feelings. I guess you could say it’s a long road to loving “Where My Heart Will Take Me,” but we all get there eventually.

2. Star Trek: The Next Generation

Yes, this is a cheat. The music used in Star Trek: The Next Generation first came from Jerry Goldsmith’s score for Star Trek: The Motion Picture . But, honestly, do you associate that stirring march with Kirk in his pajamas, staring at the viewscreen? Or do you picture Jean-Luc Picard and Data and Q? Of course, it’s the latter, even if we’re watching a way-too-long sequence of the saucer section of the Enterprise-D separating.

The theme is a better fit for TNG than TMP anyway because it’s all about moving forward. Goldsmith’s composition strides forward, not even pausing for a second to second guess itself. Even when it softens for a reflective middle section, the theme keeps marching ahead, boldly going, all the way to its final triumphant flourish, keeping Trek alive for the next generation and beyond.

1. Star Trek: Voyager

Star Trek: Voyager may be the least loved among the first five series, but it has the most perfect theme of the entire franchise. Jerry Goldsmith nails it, combining the forward march of TNG with the sense of wonder from TOS and the loneliness of DS9 . This is a show about a ship lost in a distant quadrant, holding to their exploration ideals while remaining confident that they’ll get home.

Those aspects combine in the central tension of the theme, with the brass punching out its main melody and soft strings rising up, adding hints of sadness. Throughout the song come occasional chimes, highlighting the hopeful moments in Voyager ‘s journey, while never forgetting the danger and sadness in their plight. It’s everything wonderful about Star Trek , all presented in one minute and 40 seconds.

Joe George | @jageorgeii

Joe George’s writing has appeared at Slate, Polygon, Tor.com, and elsewhere!

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Published Jun 21, 2023

10 Favorite Star Trek Musical Pieces

For World Music Day, let's look at how music played an intrinsic part of Star Trek's enduring legacy.

StarTrek.com / Rob DeHart

From the first notes of Alexander Courage’s theme for The Original Series up through Michael Giacchino’s soaring scores for the most recent films, and everything in between, music has been an intrinsic part of Star Trek’ s enduring legacy.

Music plays a big part in helping me with my writing. Classical, film scores, and pretty much anything else without actual lyrics, is a candidate for helping me “get in the zone” as I push words. When it comes to writing Star Trek , you might guess that I listen to a lot of music from the different episodes or films, and you’d be right. To be honest, though, it isn’t only a tool for working. I also just simply enjoy it as a fan. I own the scores for all of the feature films, as well as the complete soundtrack collection from The Original Series and a smattering of selections from each of the other television series. I even have a suite of music from The Animated Series . Hey, it’s for work, people.

"The Way to Eden"

StarTrek.com

Naturally, I have my favorite pieces and cues. Doesn’t everybody? I could write for days about the music of Star Trek and how it inspires my writing, or how it’s just something I enjoy listening to during long drives. Given my “Ten for Ward” format, I’d only be scratching the surface so far as compiling a list of music from any of the series or films, so I’m hoping folks will chime in with their own favorites.

Still, I’m going to be cheating a bit here and there, rather than just trying to limit my selections to ten individual pieces of music. This isn’t intended to be a definitive or “best of” list, and I’m not citing each television series’ standard opening or closing music, as those are easy picks, but otherwise? Here’s a list to get the discussion started.

“The Doomsday Machine,"  Star Trek

"The Doomsday Machine"

To tell you the truth, I could fill up several lists just with music from The Original Series before I even thought about moving on to anything else. I forced myself to pick one example, and I think it’s a doozy. How many films of the era wish they could’ve had a musical arrangement as compelling as the one created by composer Sol Kaplan for this fan-favorite episode?

It’s space opera at its finest as Kaplan punctuates the tragedy of Commodore Matt Decker and the torment inflicted upon him by the mammoth automaton that has destroyed his ship, the U.S.S. Constellation . Likewise, the cues servicing the battle between the machine and the Enterprise are first-rate, and the entire score is a high water mark for a series where music was already one of its defining strengths.

“Stealing the Enterprise, ”  Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

James Horner had already hit it out of the park with his score for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , and he comports himself well with this follow-up. However, the original release of the third film ’s soundtrack was something of a disservice to him, as it omitted many of the pieces that set this movie’s music apart from the previous film.

The 2010 “Complete Score” release corrects that oversight, even though my favorite cue appeared on the original vinyl album. While borrowing and reworking some elements from his Star Trek II music, Horner still offers an exhilarating piece that highlights the hijacking of the Enterprise from space dock by Admiral Kirk and his command crew.

“Life Is A Dream (End Credits),”  Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

It’s impossible to overstate the importance and lasting appeal of Jerry Goldsmith’s musical contributions to Star Trek . His score for Star Trek: The Motion Picture holds a permanent spot on my personal “Top 10 Film Scores Ever” list.

However, his end theme for the fifth movie is my favorite variation of the end credits theme he created for the first film. There’s a little more pomp and flourish in the now-familiar notes, and Goldsmith does a masterful job weaving other themes from the film, including a new take on his familiar “Klingon” music, as well as Alexander Courage’s iconic “ Star Trek fanfare.”

“Borg Engaged” and “Captain Borg,”  Star Trek: The Next Generation

"The Best of Both Worlds, Part I"

Star Trek: The Next Generation 's third season ending cliffhanger, "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I," deserved its own score worthy of the silver screen, and Ron Jones delivers in fine fashion for this episode as well as the next season’s “Part II.”

The ominous image of the massive Borg cube on the Enterprise ’s viewscreen and — later — the shock of seeing Jean-Luc Picard assimilated by the Borg Collective is rammed home by Jones’ haunting themes, which are just two highlights from a superb score written for one of The Next Generation ’s most memorable episodes.

“Sign Off,”  Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Kirk bids farewell to Captain Sulu and the Excelsior , before the entire Original Series cast says goodbye to us after 25 years of bold adventures in the final frontier. This moving piece by composer Cliff Eidelman, accompanying Captain Kirk’s final log entry along with William Shatner and the rest of the cast affixing their signatures to the end of the film, perfectly underscores the melancholy felt by so many longtime fans as we realized that “our” Star Trek had finally come to a close.

“Overture,”  Star Trek Generations

Star Trek Generations

Despite its name, this is actually the end credits theme for the first film to feature the cast of The Next Generation . The stirring theme incorporates music from other cues that Dennis McCarthy crafted to give weight to scenes set in the Nexus as well as defining the courage of our heroes, including Captain Kirk’s valiant acts at both ends of the film. Capping off the whole thing is an emotive rendition of the classic “Star Trek fanfare” that acts as a true passing of the baton from one generation to the next.

“Flight of the Phoenix ,” Star Trek: First Contact

Star Trek: First Contact

The score for Captain Picard and the Enterprise -E’s second film outing is an underrated effort by Jerry Goldsmith, who once again succeeds at combining familiar themes with new pieces that give each Star Trek film its own musical identity.

For this piece, the legendary composer’s son, Joel Goldsmith, brings vitality, hope, and triumph to what in one respect is the “birth” of the Star Trek universe to come as Zefram Cochrane (with the help of Riker and La Forge) pilots the fragile Phoenix spacecraft on humanity’s first warp speed flight.

“Bride of Chaotica,”  Star Trek: Voyager

"Bride of Chaotica!"

David Bell’s unrestrained musical homage to Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers is an utter treat on all counts. Though the episode also includes cues more consistent with Voyager ’s usual lower-key offerings, the “Captain Proton” pieces are delightfully loud and bombastic, in keeping with the 1930s science fiction movie serials to which they’re paying loving tribute.

“In A Mirror, Darkly,”  Star Trek: Enterprise

"In A Mirror, Darkly, Part I"

What begins as a beautiful callback to Jerry Goldsmith’s themes from Star Trek VIII: First Contact takes on a sinister twist as Dennis McCarthy plunges us headlong into the cruelty of the “Mirror Universe.” The score for this landmark two-part episode includes a new theme to accompany an alternate take on the series’ opening credits sequence, preserving the effect of the entire storyline taking place in the parallel universe with no connection to our own. McCarthy goes all-out as he accentuates all of the backstabbing and scheming weaving around the story’s action sequences, including a foreboding final cue as Hoshi Sato declares herself “Empress.”

“Enterprising Young Men,”  Star Trek  (2009)

Star Trek (2009)

While fans debate the merits of the most recent Star Trek movies, few take issue with the effort composer Michael Giacchino channeled into his musical scores . Nowhere is that more evident than this signature piece from the first film, which encapsulates in rousing fashion the energy of these “new” Star Trek voyages as well as the journey of this modern, bold incarnation of our beloved heroes.

Okay, that’s my 10, and that was playing fast and loose with my own rules. Now it’s your turn. What’s your favorite piece of Star Trek music? Let us know on Social!

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This article was originally published on May 29, 2015.

Dayton Ward (he/him) is a New York Times bestselling author or co-author of numerous novels and short stories including a whole bunch of stuff set in the Star Trek universe, and often collaborating with friend and co-writer Kevin Dilmore. As he’s still a big ol' geek at heart, Dayton is known to wax nostalgic about all manner of Star Trek topics over on his own blog, The Fog of Ward .

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Star Trek's Forgotten 'Theme Song' is Now Part of Official Canon

Star trek introduces its most powerful alien species of all time (shattering the fourth wall), star trek explains why it uses 'quadrants' despite the universe being infinite.

Star Trek has featured some of the most iconic theme songs of all time, generally scoring the final frontier with thrilling orchestral marches. From the very beginning, with Star Trek: The Original Series , the music was an important part of the show. And while the types of music used to score the actual episodes has evolved over the years, the theme song remains consistent - in all but one case, an orchestral composition laid atop a title sequence listing the main cast members.

While the importance of an opening tune may not always be obvious, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry certainly understood the value of the theme song. Roddenberry wrote lyrics to the TOS theme song so he could collect half the royalties, damaging his relationship with composer Alexander Courage. Many of Star Trek 's theme songs have become so iconic they're part of the cultural lexicon, while a select few are widely reviled.

Related: Star Trek's 6 Most Controversial Captains (& Why)

12 Star Trek: Enterprise

A prequel set a century before the adventures of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Star Trek: Enterprise features the most infamous theme song in the entire franchise. Rather than a traditional orchestral theme song, Enterprise was headlined by "Where My Heart Will Take Me," a saccharine pop ballad by Russell Watson. Using a pop song for a Star Trek theme is not an inherently bad idea, but "Where My Heart Will Take Me" is a substandard power ballad that doesn't fit with the spirit of Star Trek . Enterprise 's theme was almost U2's Beautiful Day , which would have been a huge improvement.

11 Star Trek: The Animated Series

Star Trek: The Animated Series was something of a half measure. While Star Trek: The Original Series began to explode in popularity in syndication in the 1970s, it still wasn't yet financially feasible to fully revive the series. A cheaper, safer option was Star Trek: The Animated Series . The entire TOS cast, except for Walter Koenig, returned to voice their characters, largely thanks to Leonard Nimoy. The opening theme is a weak retread of the TOS theme song, created by Funimation's in-house composers. Like everything else about The Animated Series , the song is largely forgettable, a Star Trek footnote at best.

10 Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery , the adventures of mutineer-turned-Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), borrows a bit of Alexander Courage's iconic fanfare before twisting the melody slightly and storming off into new territory. Jeff Russo's theme is propulsive and pretty, but apart from the Courage flourishes, it feels like it could be the theme song to any CBS legal drama. It's a song that could soundtrack multiple relatively mundane scenarios, but maybe not a space epic. It's an understated piece that never quite takes flight in a satisfying, stirring way, ironically mirroring Star Trek: Discovery 's occasional narrative issues in executing its lofty ambitions.

9 Star Trek: The Original Series

Alexander Courage's fanfare that introduces Captain Kirk's "Space, the final frontier..." narration is one of the single most iconic musical cues in modern pop culture. The theme song that actually follows that fanfare is just sort of passable. The theme for Captain Kirk and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) is very dated sounding, clearly a product of the 1960s, and the theme itself is not strong enough to overcome the old-fashioned production. There are a few different mixes of the song, but the most infamous is the one that cranks the female soprano singer's voice to the forefront, which is somewhat cringe-inducing.

8 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

For the pre-Kirk adventures of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) aboard the USS Enterprise, composer Jeff Russo reimagined the theme song from Star Trek: The Original Series . The fanfare is still great, and the theme song itself is much improved in this new form, featuring a more sophisticated arrangement and big, foreboding strings. The use of the theremin at the end of the theme is a nice nod to TOS. Like many aspects of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , the TOS theme song has been freshened up and made appealing for modern audiences.

7 Star Trek: Picard (Seasons 1 & 2)

The surprise return of Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in Star Trek: Picard was again given its theme song by composer Jeff Russo. It's a lovely, twinkling, slightly sad theme, as violins swirl around the signature flute piece, an homage to Picard's experience in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Inner Light." It's not exactly thrilling, but it's emotionally resonant, and it sets the stage perfectly for Picard's late life adventure to save Commander Data's (Brent Spiner) synthetic offspring Soji (Isa Briones).

6 Star Trek: Lower Decks

The adult animated comedy Star Trek: Lower Decks is often thought of as a lovingly irreverent spoof, but in many ways it understands Star Trek as well as any series in the franchise. Ensign Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) may be an anxious neurotic, but he also understands what Starfleet stands for about as well as anyone. Composer Chris Westlake's theme song is clearly channeling the Star Trek series of the 1990s, structured and composed in ways that would make old school Star Trek producer Rick Berman proud.

5 Star Trek: Prodigy

One of the most impressive aspects of the alternate reality Kelvin timeline films was the score, composed by current Hollywood powerhouse Michael Giacchino. He returned to the franchise to lend his talents to the theme song for Star Trek: Prodigy , Paramount+'s first series aimed squarely at children and families. Giacchino doesn't disappoint, providing a confident, galloping theme song that feels like a thrilling companion piece to his Kelvin timeline Star Trek work . It immediately became one of Star Trek 's finest themes.

4 Star Trek: Picard (Season 3)

Star Trek: Picard season 3 made some sweeping changes to the series, most notably putting Admiral Picard back on a Federation starship and reuniting him with his command crew from the USS Enterprise-D. The show's music also made a change; the opening credits were moved to the end of each episode, and Jeff Russo's theme was replaced by a new arrangement of the late Jerry Goldsmith's main theme from Star Trek: First Contact . Goldsmith's First Contact piece is one of the most beautiful in all of Star Trek , and hearing it while viewing the dazzling LCARS screens all over the bridge of the USS TItan-A is a nerdy delight.

3 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine has a reputation for being one of the darkest entries in Star Trek , and the theme song somewhat backs that up. The somber, reflective theme song begins with a single echoing horn, a fitting metaphor for the space station's position in a relatively remote part of space. The simple, mournful theme song got a musical overhaul at the beginning of season 4, beefing up the melodrama and intensity at the dawn of the brutal Dominion War.

2 Star Trek: Voyager

An argument can be made that the best thing about Star Trek: Voyager is its theme song. Written by legendary Star Trek composer Jerry Goldsmith, Voyager's theme song is all bombastic strings and horns, a dramatic melody that underscores how dire the situation is for Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and her surviving crew. It also manages to shoot that tension through with the sort of hopefulness that defines the best of Star Trek . it's one of Goldsmith's most affecting pieces of Star Trek music, which is saying something.

1 Star Trek: The Next Generation

The original plan was for Star Trek: The Next Generation to have a fully original theme song, but late in pre-production it was decided to use a combination of Alexander Courage's fanfare from Star Trek: The Original Series and Jerry Goldsmith's main theme from Star Trek: The Motion Picture . The result is the single most iconic theme song in all of Star Trek , a confident march that hits every note with intense purpose. For many Star Trek fans, it's the defining sound of adventure and space exploration.

• Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Star Trek: Voyager

Ranking The ‘Star Trek’ Themes

An exploration of the best of the ‘Star Trek’ music that has gone before…

Published January 21, 2019 Movies , TV By Charlie Brigden Disclaimer When you purchase through affiliate links on our site, we may earn a commission.

Music has always been a huge part of Star Trek , from 1966 and that fanfare to the modern stylings of Star Trek: Discovery , which begins its second season this week. Over the course of 13 movies and seven television series, not to mention a boatload of video games, various composers have tried their best to musically represent Gene Roddenberry ‘s vision of gunboat diplomacy and utopian societies. But which theme reaches maximum warp first? Which of the many pieces of music can deal with the most phaser hits and deciphering technobabble? Let’s find out.

15. Enterprise

Legend has it that when Enterprise launched there was a petition to ask the producers to ditch the opening theme. This is no surprise, I only wish I cared about the show back then to sign it. There’s no point beating around the bush here: it’s a dreadful theme. Probably the worst thing is that it’s not even original. It was written by super-songmeister Diane Warren for Rod Stewart to sing in the horrible Robin Williams picture Patch Adams , a movie so bad even the man it was based on came out to say how much it sucks. Even Russell Watson , who sings it for the show, does a poor Stewart impression, and it’s really the one and only reason for Netflix’s “skip intro” button to exist.

14. The Animated Series

While Star Trek only got one more live-action series after its initial cancellation, it did get a third lease of life in cartoon form in the shape of Star Trek: The Animated Series , which received 22 episodes from Filmation between 1973 and 1974. Most of the principal cast returned to voice the characters, but the task for the music for the entire series fell to two people, Yvette Blais and Jeff Michael , otherwise known as Ray Ellis (Blais was his wife) and Norm Prescott (who had two sons, Jeff and Michael). Ellis was a producer and arranger who had previously worked with the likes of Billie Holiday and Emmylou Harris as well as composing for the 1960s Spider-Man animated show, while Prescott was one of the Filmation producers along with Lou Scheimer. Being fair, their theme is heavily based on the Alexander Courage TV theme, but it’s still a decent tune. I guess they couldn’t afford to use any music from the live-action show, but for what it was it worked.

13. The Voyage Home

On the surface, Leonard Rosenman wasn’t really a bad choice. He was a famous composer with a back catalog anyone would wish for, such as East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, Fantastic Voyage , and Barry Lyndon among others. So while he might have been an odd choice for “the one with the whales,” especially after James Horner , he was nevertheless a good one. His score, however, well let’s just say it has divided fans a fair bit. His main theme isn’t that bad, a strong brassy effort with the pomp and circumstance you’d expect, but it just doesn’t feel like the right tone. It doesn’t help that the theme’s bridge is taken straight from the bridge of his theme from Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 animated Lord of the Rings . FFS, Lenny.

12. Deep Space Nine

Dennis McCarthy didn’t have much luck in 1987 when his theme for The Next Generation was rejected in favor of Jerry Goldsmith ‘s movie theme, but the stars were with him in 1993 when Deep Space Nine came around. The producers initially requested Goldsmith but he had another project at the time, so McCarthy finally got his chance. And it’s a strange theme. It was always going to have a different feel, with the show about a space station rather than the naturally propulsive starship, and it has a rather gentle feel to it, like a stately fanfare. A more dynamic arrangement was created for season four onwards, but it didn’t change much. It’s wonderful in its full concert arrangement, and in a solo piano arrangement McCarthy later did, but it was the one weak link in DS9 ‘s chain.

11. Generations

We meet again, Mr. McCarthy. Despite heavily featuring the TNG theme in marketing, the producers of Star Trek Generations decided to plunk for Dennis and he actually did a fine job, composing a stirring and muscular theme that works very well with horse riding scenes and Shatner making breakfast for Picard. It also blends in well with the original fanfare, which was pretty much a requisite for everyone but Jerry Goldsmith. The film and score get reasonably short shrift when it comes to fan debates, but both are better than their reputation. Unfortunately, McCarthy is now composing music for the films of convicted felon Dinesh D’Souza, which is about as far from the principles of Star Trek as you can get.

10. Discovery

The new kid on the block is yet another example of the division of fans today on social media. Discovery is an interesting case, it’s definitely different than previous Trek s, especially with heavy violence, interspecies intercourse, and a couple of F-bombs in its first season, but it’s gotten better and better to the point where it feels to me like it’s Star Trek . And it has a pretty great theme by omnipresent TV composer Jeff Russo that takes the modernistic approach while still remaining true to what has come before. Russo’s own theme is a wonderfully stirring and adventurous melody that fans out like the intriguing shape of the vessel before segueing to the classic fanfare at the climax. More, please.

For the last installment of the original film series, Jerry Goldsmith tried something different. Instead of something more heroic, the score is dominated by the theme for Shinzon, Tom Hardy’s genocidal Picard clone hellbent on conquering everything, including his twin. Goldsmith’s theme is economic, only using five notes, but it’s versatility allows it to be used in different modes throughout the film, often in a tragic tone. But perhaps the best is the end credit suite version, where it’s beautifully drawn out into a stunning full orchestral concert rendition that perhaps does the best job of musically describing Picard and his villainous equal.

8. Star Trek ’09

Everyone remembers the first time Michael Giacchino ‘s thrilling theme for the alternate universe adventures of the Enterprise appears properly in the film; when Kirk et al are transported to the flashy new hot rod of a ship for the first time. Known as “Enterprising Young Men,” the cue begins with an initial ostinato representing Starfleet cadets as they travel via shuttle, with the orchestra building and building with a fanfare of its own until the Enterprise is finally revealed and that huge brass melody soars. A classic moment that shows the power of the theme and why it really is the main theme of these movies, despite the end credit use of the ’60s tune.

7. The Undiscovered Country

For the 1991 sendoff of the original crew, director Nicholas Meyer picked a young composer named Cliff Eidelman to handle scoring duties, and he subsequently turned out one of the best scores in the series. While he used the original fanfare fairly liberally, his own theme was a wonderful tribute to the exploration and adventure of the franchise, a richly textured and emotionally resonant melody that hit exactly the right notes of nostalgia and optimism, allowing for a perfect goodbye to those we had spent decades traveling with.

6. Insurrection

Insurrection is usually remembered as a lesser-known entry and proof of the odd-numbered curse. But whatever you think about the film, Jerry Goldsmith’s sweet-natured main theme for the Ba’ku people is a gorgeous reminder of the composer’s ability to write memorable themes that stick with you beyond the film — often a good thing considering some of the pictures Goldsmith scored. The youthful nature of the Ba’ku is reflected in the delicate opening phrasing and the way the melody develops, a beautifully innocent theme that is eventually corrupted when the Federation step in.

When Paramount decided on launching a third Star Trek series set in the time of The Next Generation , Jerry Goldsmith was the only sane choice. The composer’s subsequent theme is a triumph, a melody that at first sounds somewhat subdued but is really keyed into the emotional plight of Voyager ‘s crew, being lost 70,000 light years away from home. Goldsmith gives a real mythic quality to the piece, and it’s a fitting theme for a ship that traveled for seven long years before finally getting home. Emmy-winning, too.

4. The Wrath of Khan

Star Trek II is often regarded as the film that truly kickstarted the movie series, and from that, there is a very definite decision to open the film and score with the original fanfare. However, what really makes it a success is James Horner’s sweeping nautical theme, itself a callback to Roddenberry’s original concept of Star Trek as “Horatio Hornblower in space.” It’s a stunning theme and is beautifully used throughout both II and III as an emotional crux for Kirk and Spock, with the B-section used as the A-theme in the latter film. It has hallmarks of Horner’s previous work, especially his score for Roger Corman’s Battle Beyond The Stars , but remains its own thing and an integral part of the franchise’s musical history.

3. First Contact

After Generations passed the torch to the TNG crew, along came their first solo film where they fought the evil Borg to the strains of a terrific Jerry Goldsmith score (with additional cues by his son Joel Goldsmith ). It’s a fine action work, but what really stands out is his spectacular main theme, for once not a march but a more emotional and evocative piece reflecting the human elements of the story, pulled along by one of the most gorgeous melodies you’ll ever hear. It connects Picard and Lily in the film, but its best use is as a triumphant closer for the climax of the film, where Farmer Hoggett meets the Vulcans. Stunning.

2. The Original Series

It’s impossible to overstate just how important this theme is to Star Trek ; it is Star Trek . Those four opening notes, that fanfare, that sweeping theme. It was an incredible time for television scoring and some of the best of that era came from the tales of the Enterprise . Of course, Jerry Goldsmith’s name comes up, as he was originally asked to write it but couldn’t (yet would still write themes for shows like The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and The Waltons ) so it fell to Alexander “Sandy” Courage, who couldn’t have done better. Over the show’s lifetime, it had three different flavors for the main melody; electric violin, cello, and soprano (I prefer the cello), and it’s still an instant musical memory for millions of people, and pop culture itself.

1. The Motion Picture

It may have been thought impossible to have a musical theme for Star Trek other than Courage’s piece, yet none other than Jerry Goldsmith showed everybody with his theme for the 1979 big-screen debut, Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Initially struggling to come up with something, Goldsmith eventually pulled out of his hat a powerful and stately march to underscore the adventures of the new Enterprise . The theme was so successful that it became the main theme of The Next Generation in 1987, and so to certain generations, it is Star Trek . And really, you couldn’t ask for a better piece of music to represent the sheer adventure, romance, and humanity of the franchise. A bold new musical step, but one that so far, hasn’t come near to be bettered.

Tagged with: alexander courage cliff eidelman dennis mccarthy james horner jeff russo Jerry Goldsmith leonard rosenman michael giacchino norm prescott ray ellis rod stewart Star Trek

Charlie Brigden

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Every STAR TREK Opening Theme Song Ranked from Worst to Best

Find out which is the greatest opening in Star Trek television history. Star Trek is the most iconic television show ever. It’s also spawned one of the most successful movie franchises ever made.

Part of its success is the Star Trek theme song. The original song is so iconic people know it even if they’ve never seen an episode of the show. Over the years there have been many spin-offs of the show which each used a new theme song. Some have been brilliant and some have been horrible.

Most recently Star Trek: Discovery is airing   on CBS All-Access . Soon the upcoming Picard series will introduce a new theme song. We don’t know if the opening for Picard will match up with some of the others. But it’s time to look back at the history of the Star Trek opening songs and rank them from worst to best.

Make it so.

11. Star Trek: Enterprise Season 3-4 (2003–2005)

Composed by Dennis McCarthy

Enterprise’s theme song is the first (and last) time Star Trek uses a contemporary song for the opening. Dennis McCarthy scored the pilot episode. Executive producer Rick Berman promised something new for Star Trek’s sixth spin-off series. He said the opening would “be using a little bit more contemporary kind of music. […] It’s not all of a sudden that the show is going to be scored with electric guitars. It’s going to be a little hipper.”

The song “Faith of the Heart” is written by Diane Warren and sung by Rod Stewart for Robin Williams’ comedic-drama Patch Adams (1998). The song was a hit and charted at number three on the US Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks and number 60 on the UK Singles Chart. It’s used for Star Trek and sung by Russell Watson . It’s a good song and some of the lyrics match up with the idea of space travel.

You have to inspire the courage of the producers for trying something new but it doesn’t work. There’s a tradition of Star Trek shows opening with a grand orchestral theme. This song sounds like a Rod Stewart concert. After fans complained the song is different in the third and final season of Enterprise .

The new version has a higher pitch and is sped up. They added tambourine and a more pronounced electric guitar. Star Trek managed to make a bad decision even worse.

10.  Star Trek: Enterprise  Season 1-2 (2001–2002)

Dennis McCarthy first made music for the Next Generation pilot episode and scored dozens of other episodes. McCarthy later composed the theme for the shows  Deep Space Nine and  Voyager. Plus he scored the soundtrack for movies like  Star Trek: Generations . 

The opening of  Enterprise uses the song “Faith of the Heart” sung by British crossover opera singer Russell Watson. Fans hated it so much that fans created many petitions to get rid of it. “[We] urgently request that you remove [‘Faith of the Heart’] and in its place utilize a score that is without vocals, as traditionally used by [the] ‘Star Trek’ television series,” one petition said.

“We wish to express our unmitigated disgust with the theme song that has been selected for the new ‘Enterprise’ series,” another online petition said. “It is not fit to be scraped off the bottom of a Klingon’s boot.”

“I’m in the horrible minority of people who like the song,” Rick Berman defended the song telling Sci-Fi Wire . “I think it fits beautifully. I think it’s a song that’s got a lot of hopefulness and uplifting qualities to it. And I like it. I’ve met a lot of other people who like it, but I’ve also heard a tremendous amount of banter about people who don’t. And what’s a Star Trek series without something for people to hate?”

Whatever you think of the song it was used as a wakeup call for NASA missions .

9. Star Trek: Enterprise Season 4 “Mirror Darkly” (2005)

Composed by Dennis McCarthy & Kevin Kiner

In 2005 the series Enterprise traveled to an alternate “evil mirror universe” for several episodes. To complete the feel that the show had traveled to another world they changed the opening. The theme song has a more militaristic tone and a darker feel.

It works well, especially when shown along with images showing how Earth entered into a long-standing war. Considering it replaced a pop song it’s even more impressive. Unfortunately, it only lasted a few episodes before going back to “Faith of the Heart”.

8. Star Trek: Discovery  (2017-2019)

Composed by Jeff Russo

When CBS started work on the Star Trek prequel Star Trek: Discovery they hired Jeff Russo to compose a new opening theme. Russo has started in a ’90s alternative rock band named “Tonic”. After that, he started composing songs for video games and television shows. He won an Emmy for his work on the FX series Fargo .

He describes himself as a life-long fan of Star Trek and Jerry Goldsmith’s work on The Next Generation in particular. The theme for Discovery sets itself apart because they decided to focus on emotion rather than exploration. It starts with the familiar fanfare for Star Trek and then uses stringed instruments to give a sense of mystery and hope. It ends with the theme again which implies the future of the franchise.

It’s a solid piece that relies on fan recognition. So it doesn’t stand out on its own.

7. Star Trek: The Original Series (1966–1969)

Composed by Alexander Courage

The theme for Star Trek played over every episode in the show’s three seasons. It’s called “Where No Man Has Gone Before”. It’s an instrumental piece and opens with a monologue by William Shatner starting with “Space. The final frontier”. The song itself relied on wind instruments and percussion by bongo drums, which was a popular instrument at the time.

Alexander Mair “Sandy” Courage Jr. was an Academy Award-nominated, Emmy Award-winning composer, arranger, conductor, and orchestrator of television shows and movies like Jurassic Park (1993), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), and Hello, Dolly! (1964).

Courage was inspired by the Richard Whiting song “Beyond the Blue Horizon,” giving him the idea for a song which was a “long thing that…keeps going out into space…over a fast-moving accompaniment.”

The original song is a masterpiece of its time evoking a feel of adventure and excitement and has been used in several pieces for Star Trek since then. Unfortunately, it feels dated. Bongo drums fell out of fashion decades ago. The operatic singing by  Loulie Jean Norman feels out-of-place. Iconic, but not quite as good as others.

6. Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973–1974)

Composed by Ray Ellis (Yvette Blais), Norm Prescott (Jeff Michaels)

Raymond Spencer Ellis arranged many hit records in the 1950s and 1960s. He later started working with Filmation on their animated series. He used his wife’s name “Yvette Blais” as a pseudonym. Norman Prescott was co-founder and executive producer at Filmation Associates and worked with Ellis on the theme song. He used the pseudonym “Jeff Michael” after his sons Jeff and Michael.

Paramount decided to revive the original series for a Saturday morning cartoon. They decided to make the theme more modern.

Like the original song, it starts with Shatner’s monologue “where no man had gone before”. Then it moves onto a song with a much faster pace and tone than the original. The tone is slightly different as well but manages to capture the same feel of the original song. Plus, there’s no singing.

5. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season 1-3 (1993–1995)

Jerry Goldsmith was contacted to do the theme song but declined because of scheduling problems. Dennis McCarthy has done a ton of work on Star Trek and he admired the Star Trek: The Next Generation song. He said that he loved the trumpets and French horns in the theme so McCarthy used wind instruments to write the song for DS9 .

It’s different from other songs because it’s the first show to focus on a starbase instead of a spaceship. So the feel of the song is very different for the fourth television spin-off. Berman said he wanted to emphasize the loneliness of the station. McCarthy told SyFy he wanted the theme to say, “We are alone” and he accomplished it. It’s different but beautiful. In 1993 he won an Emmy for “Outstanding Individual Achievement in Main Title Theme Music” on DS9.

4. Star Trek: Picard (2019-)

Composed by Jeff Russo

CBS All Access went in a different direction with the theme song for Picard. Instead of relying on strings and a large orchestra to play the song it goes smaller. The song is thoughtful, serene and melodic. It’s not bombastic like the N ext Generation  theme or slow like  Deep Space Nine.

But it does owe a debt to the 90s Star Trek series. In the TNG episode “The Inner Light” Picard is knocked unconscious by an alien probe. He lives 40 years of life as an alien scientist named Kamin in the span of a few minutes. During the episode, he hears a flute song played by his “son” Batai (Daniel Stewart). After Picard returns to his normal life, he still remembers how to play and plays a melody on a flute. That flute and song have a special place in Picard’s life since it’s the family he never had but “lost”. It’s not a coincidence. The composer said he wanted to use a flute to evoke some of the feelings from the episode.

Russo told  The Ready Room  he wanted to “change to a feeling of emotional contentment for him because as we come to see, he lives on a chateau. And it’s sort of what we always thought would happen at the end of The Next Generation, and those movies where he would always sort of end up … That was his happy place. And then I wanted to … evoke how he has been awoken again.”

It ends with a small section of the theme from  Star Trek: The Next Generation . It’s lovely, thoughtful and moving.

3. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season 4-9 (1996–1999)

For the fourth season to the final season, the song changed. It’s actually better in many ways. The show had changed by the fourth season. New characters joined the show like Leeta (Chase Masterson) the Dabo girl. Other characters, like Worf (Michael Dorn) from Next Generation, returned. The starship USS Defiant was added to allow the show to travel to different parts of space.

All these changes led the producers and McCarthy to rework the theme song to make it lighter. The reworked song makes the show brighter and gives more hope. Star Trek is all about hope and it fits wonderfully.

2. Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001)

Composed by Jerry Goldsmith

Jerry Goldsmith is a legend in the industry with a long list of awards including 18 Academy Award nominations. He won an Oscar for The Omen (1976) and was nominated for Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979.

Unlike The Next Generation which used music from his movie Star Trek: The Motion Picture, he decided to write a new song. The song is a beautiful sweeping theme that has stunning pictures of the ship soaring through space. The Voyager theme is somber and lonely but not sad. It’s uplifting.

The Voyager opening theme song is wonderful.

1. Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1-7 (1987–1994)

Composed by Dennis McCarthy, Jay Chattaway, Ron Jones, Alexander Courage, Jerry Goldsmith

When the producers were planning out the first Star Trek show in decades they wanted to make sure the music would meet fan expectations. So they turned to the work of Jerry Goldsmith and used a piece from Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Specifically, they took a piece that played several times in the soundtrack. The first time is before the Enterprise’s first warp test.

The song is perfect for the opening as it has a feel of hope and majesty. The original song was performed by a 100-piece orchestra. Too much for a TV show so they scaled it back and McCarthy led the original orchestration of a slightly different version of the song.

It opens with the opening of the original Star Trek theme. Then Patrick Stewart says a version of the “Where no man has gone before” monologue. After that, the song begins and blows the doors off. It’s the best theme Star Trek has ever had and set the standard for all other openings.

Which is your favorite Star Trek theme song? Which one do you hate? Let us know in the comments below!

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Star Trek films soundtracks

Star Trek films soundtracks have been released by several record labels since the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979 . Since 2009 , a series of expanded releases, largely spearheaded by Lukas Kendall , have resulted in a set of complete scores being available commercially.

Releases [ ]

Other soundtrack releases featuring star trek film scores [ ].

• 2 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-G)

To Boldly Sing

Star trek has inspired plenty of pop culture, but nothing is as bizarre as the musical fandom following its warp trail..

 Filed under: filk , music , novelty music , star trek , star trek music , star trek songs

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Hey all, Ernie here with a fresh one from David Buck , who is helping us maintain our mental-health-break status for this week. If you’re a Star Trek enthusiast, you will enjoy this one.

Today in Tedium : Some readers might have noticed my absence last month. Unfortunately, my father passed suddenly and I was out of commission for a while. As I looked through some of his stuff, I came across some things that reminded me of the times we would sit down together to watch Star Trek: the Next Generation or Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Thinking about those moments reminded me of some old files and pitches that I was working on a few years ago. I came across one idea and decided to flesh it out a bit: a piece on songs about a certain science fiction television show. If I recall correctly, the original outline of the piece was written for a certain site that ghosted me a few years ago. So, here it is, completely rewritten with fresh insights. So set your phasers to stun and beam up your sense of humor because in today’s Tedium, we’re going where no one has gone before: down the black hole of songs about Star Trek . — David @ Tedium

Today’s GIF comes from a claymation music video for the well-known novelty song “Star Trekkin’” by The Firm.

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“And on no other show do I police myself as much, because I’m such a fan of Star Trek that it’s important to me that we are as funny as we can be without breaking Star Trek at all times and without being mean about Star Trek. With the network and with the studio, the conversations are mostly when I’m pitching an episode, I’ll be like, ‘Here’s what inspired this episode.’ And it’s always coming from a thing that I love about Star Trek, and then ‘Here are the things that we love about these characters, here’s how we want to explore them, and then this is why it’s going to be funny.’”

— Mike McMahan , creator of Star Trek: Lower Decks , discussing his approach to comedy on the show in a 2021 interview with Collider .

Where no musician has gone before (well, not really)

Last year, I discovered something rather silly: a radio station with an apostrophe in its call letters. I joked with Ernie that it reminded me of the Klingon language. This led to a very interesting journey about Klingon that ended up going pretty far and even made an appearance on Vice’s Motherboard —something for which I am eternally grateful. Revisiting this idea only further brings home the point that science fiction television can be a goldmine for weird stuff.

Star Trek has always been a great source of humor. Where Deep Space Nine and Picard readily take on more serious themes, there’s something to be said about the ever present sense of humor that runs a deep vein through most Trek shows. It’s in “The Trouble With Tribbles,” all over TNG (especially in some of Riker’s most memorable scenes ), interspersed between more maudlin moments of DS9 , and encapsulated by certain characters on Voyager . And that’s only naming a few shows! It’s not difficult to see the humor in the shows.

A few years ago, a surprising new Star Trek show was announced, focusing on the non-bridge crew of a “second contact” starship called The Cerritos . That show was Star Trek: Lower Decks . Created by Mike McMahan (who also worked on shows like Rick & Morty and Solar Opposites ), the show centers on a few quirky characters who aren’t officers but perform the ship’s grunt work. It’s hysterical and the characters are quite fun to spend 22 minutes with each episode.

With Star Trek: Lower Decks already two seasons into its run and a plethora of Trek shows coming out, it’s almost as if a renaissance for the series is upon us. Also, Strange New Worlds looks amazing.

Lower Decks goes out of its way to take itself less seriously, proving there’s definitely some room for a bit of comedy interspersed with the more abstract seriousness the show often aims to hit. What Lower Decks does so well is how it leverages that crazy sense of humor into the fandom at large. It sort of reminds me of what happens when enthusiastic, musically inclined fans get together to write songs about the show.

Music has always been integral to Star Trek . From the opening theme of Star Trek (TOS) onward, music has been an integral part of Star Trek , inspiring viewers and musicians alike. While each show’s own music is instantly recognizable, the program also inspired a great deal of music by other artists (often related to TOS ). You’ve probably heard “ The Trouble With Klingons ,” a pastiche created by Dennis Williams for a certain novelty song contest or “Spock Rap” by the animators at Will Vinton Studios (under the name The Neural Paralyzers ) in the ’80s. Admittedly, not everything in this category is great, but there are plenty of gems around. Here are a few artists/songs that explore strange musical worlds, seek out new melodies, and boldly sing where no one has sung before!

You won’t find William Shatner’s The Transformed Man or Leonard Nimoy’s Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy here. Likewise, we won’t revisit the original Trek theme and its lyrics . Rather, these songs and sketches represent unique takes on Trek by various musicians and comedians past and present.

5. “Banned from Argo,” Leslie Fish & the Dehorn Crew

“ And we’re banned from Argo every one, banned from Argo just for having a little fun…”

Filk music is full of talented musicians who share a love of science fiction and community. Filk music—folk music with lyrics based on science fiction—has a rich history , with a strong connection to Trek.

Leslie Fish is perhaps the genre’s best known figure. With her 12-string guitar and larger than life persona, Fish writes about science fiction and beyond.

“ Banned from Argo ” is an upbeat shanty with slightly twisted lyrics. The Enterprise crew goes on shore leave and various hilarious hijinks ensue. It doesn’t reference TOS characters by name, it’s obvious which crew members she’s singing about.

The first few lines of a song explore the mischievous misadventures of the crew checking out “every joint and bar” on Argo during their shore leave. Listeners then learn about the Captain’s sinful tastes and complex methods, the engineer’s ability to “outdrink space marines and a demolition crew,” and the first officer teaches the computer how to swear. It’s a shame what happened to the doctor … but I digress.

Surprisingly, Fish doesn’t seem to like the song much. As she states in several interviews (notably her brief appearance in Trekkies 2 ), the tune was written as quickly to fill out an album. It rapidly became her best known song—something she is a bit cranky about .

Leslie Fish has a large ouvre of other songs, both Trek related and otherwise. Her exuberant performances and love for storytelling shine during her performances. If you’re not a fan of folk music and/or sea shanties, you may want to give this one a pass.

If you enjoy her Trek music, check out the song “Carmen Miranda’s Ghost” and its accompanying anthology . For the full Leslie Fish experience, give Folk Songs for Solar Sailors a spin—if you can find it .

4. “Everything I Do, I Do with William Shatner,” Warp 11

”I don’t want to go to work, just wanna hang with Captain Kirk and if I had my way, I’d make it so…”

Dedicated to all things Trek , Sacramento’s Warp 11 built a career playing Trek -themed music. Originally devised as a “band that only plays Trek songs” for a one-time video project of bass player/singer Karl Miller, the idea stuck and Warp 11 was born. Two decades and six albums later, the band is still on their musical journey.

Through incredible energy, crunchy electric guitar, and hilarious lyrics, “ Everything I Do, I Do with William Shatner ” from 2002’s Red Alert perfectly reflects the band’s “mission statement” —to convert listeners into Trek fans. Despite its title, the song is about Captain Kirk rather than Shatner himself.

Effortlessly juxtaposing the manic energy of The Presidents of the United States of America and the killer chops of The Ramones with a wider mix of blues, rock, and punk styles. Add their DIY punk-meets- TOS cosplay aesthetic, and you get one very eclectic listening/visual experience.

With Warp 11, you’ll find songs about Q and Betazoids, an entire album covering The Borg, and a few sporadic tunes about Voyager . The band’s healthy mix of TOS and TNG material is the epitome of Trek music created by fans, for fans.

While I enjoy their music, it skews toward a teenager/adult audience and is definitely not for kids. Warp 11 are well known for their sense of humor and double entendre and they can be a bit R-rated at times, with mildly NSFW album art. Some of their stuff can be a bit of an acquired taste, but if you dig pink, scifi, humor, and Star Trek , they’re worth checking out!

For those interested in Warp 11, start with Red Alert , then dive into any of their post-2007 work from It’s Dead Jim onward, available at their website and most streaming services.

3. “StarDrek,” Bobby “Boris” Pickett and Peter Ferarra

“ To boldly go where everyone has gone before !”

What do The Godfather , the most famous Halloween song of all time, and Star Trek have in common? Bobby “Boris” Pickett, of course. After having his breakout smash with “The Monster Mash” in 1962 (we wrote about this classic novelty tune in 2018 ), Pickett forged a career as a writer, playwright, comedian, and songwriter.

In 1975-1976, Pickett got together with producer Peter Ferrara to record “Godfather’s Respect”—a song about the 1972 film set to the tune of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect”—and an original spoken word spoof of TOS called “Star Drek” (not to be confused with the MAD Magazine spoofs of a similar name).

The sketch follows the daily operation of a parody version of The Enterprise and its crew, focusing on the most exaggerated aspects of each character.

It isn’t an outright mockery of the franchise and its fans, either. “Star Drek” is a carefully crafted satire of the genre that plays to the absurdity of the occasional technobabble used on the show, taking a light hearted approach to the action. We won’t spoil the punchline for you here.

Barrett Hansen—a.k.a. radio host Dr. Demento—included the sketch on his 25th Anniversary collection, writing the two were on opposite coasts during the recording process so Peter ended up doing all the voices himself. They shared the credits, as Pickett helped write the piece.

The sketch is uproariously funny every time you hear it—a rare accomplishment for a comedy/novelty song—full of nuance and spot-on characterizations. Of course, your mileage may vary. The humor may be a bit dry for some, but it’s a fun piece that holds up remarkably well today.

If you like Pickett and Ferrara’s style consider listening to Pickett’s The Monster Mash LP. For more Peter Ferrara, watch the Jonathan Winters specials On the Ledge and Spaced Out .

(via Terry McGovern’s website )

2. “Beam me up Scotty,” Terry McGovern

”Beam me up Scotty, oh beam me up Scotty, life sure is trouble below …”

Terry McGovern is known today for his voice acting (he was the voice of Launchpad McQuack in the original Duck Tales ), but he began his career as a radio broadcaster . Later, he would work in movies and television as well. In 1976, he released a Trek song of his own, “Beam me up, Scotty” on Baseball Records as a B-side to his rendition of the classic tune “ Pachalafaka .” You can hear the entire thing on SoundCloud .

Not to be confused with an obscure country tune of the same name, McGovern’s song is a quiet rumination on how boring/awful life on earth can seem sometimes. The singer longs to join the crew of The Enterprise and escape the banality of modern life.

The song received airplay on various radio shows, but languished in obscurity for years until being officially re-released on a compilation album in the early 2000s. While it may not be the most well known Trek tune, it’s certainly well loved .

McGovern regularly attends conventions and teaches acting classes—on top of his legendary voice work.

1. “Star Trekkin’,” The Firm

“ There’s Klingons on the starboard bow, starboard bow, starboard bow… ”

The final entry in our list may be the best known: “Star Trekkin’” by The Firm. No, not Jimmy Page’s post Zeppelin band; this group was a side project of John O’Connor, a British music producer.

The song was popular in its own time—it hit Number One in the UK music charts and stayed there for quite awhile back in 1986—but took on new life in the internet age. It was used in one of the episodes of a Flash-based web series called Stone Trek (a mashup of The Flintstones and TOS ) and a claymation video makes the internet rounds every so often. Not bad for a novelty song that was rejected by every record company O’Connor approached. Then it became a million seller, prompting O’Connor’s move to America, where he went on to compose for television .

The Firm released a full-length LP, Serious Fun , that’s worth at least a slip of gold pressed latinum. “Star Trekkin’” is the best and catchiest of the tracks. Good luck getting the tune out of your head.

The number of songs in the Star Trek musical Boldly Go! Written by a Caltech theoretical physics graduate , Grant Remmen, and his brother Cole, the show is a humorous and satirical take on The Original Series . With songs like “Dammit Jim, I’m a Doctor” and “Captain’s Log (As Great As I Know I Am),” the show is well worth watching for its two hour runtime. According to a 2016 Caltech ad for the show, Boldly Go! is ”a story about being true to oneself and one’s convictions, about friendship and love, about discovery and wonder, about the triumph of the individual over adversity, and about the joy of sharing with each other this vast and mysterious Universe.” For those interested in such things, it’s available in its entirety on YouTube .

When I originally outlined this —several years ago now—it had quite a few more songs. But over time, my interest and enthusiasm for Trek has waned somewhat.

And of course we couldn’t fit all of our favorite goofy science fiction songs into this piece. But there are plenty of great Trek bands around like “one-chord punk rockers” No Kill I (and NKI: the Next Generation and NKI:Deep Space Nine; they’re all different bands), modern filkers Ookla the Mok , and the Klingon metal group Stovokor , whose performances take Trek music to the next level.

Songs and sketches about Trek continue to endure well into the 21st century and beyond and it will be interesting to see what strange musical moments the future of Trek fandom holds.

And although this piece no longer resembles anything close to the original idea I had for it, I’m glad I was able to take a quick reprieve from the insanity of our modern world to find—and share—some humor from the bridge of The Enterprise that can still resonate with audiences today.

Thanks again to David for the great piece. Find this one a worthy read? Share it with a pal ! And see you all next week.

Your time was just wasted by David Buck

David Buck is a former radio guy/musician who researches and writes about all manner of strange and interesting music, legacy technology, Nintendo and data analysis.

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Every Star Trek series and film ranked by IMDb rating

1. Star Trek: The Next Generation

2. Star Trek

3. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

4. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

5. Star Trek: Voyager

6. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

7. Star Trek: First Contact

8. Star Trek: Enterprise

9. Star Trek: Picard

10. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

11. Star Trek: The Animated Series

12. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

13. Star Trek: Discovery

14. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

15. Star Trek: Generations

16. Star Trek: The Motion Picture

17. Star Trek: Insurrection

18. Star Trek: Nemesis

19. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

More to explore, recently viewed.

Star Trek: Ranking All 13 Movie Soundtracks

10. star trek iii: the search for spock – james horner.

James Horner's second and final contribution, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock continues the groundwork laid by the composer's previous effort in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Faithfully extending the thematic material from his first score, Horner's music for The Search for Spock is restrained, even introspective compared to its predecessor. A blaring theme for the Klingons (reminiscent of but inferior to Goldsmith's The Motion Picture counterpart) that pulls directly from Horner's own theme from Aliens, and dissonant, atmospheric compositions for the Vulcan sections of the film, distinguish The Search for Spock as intelligently composed, but often a challenging listening experience.

The Search for Spock does contain some truly majestic moments, including the arrival at Spacedock and the destruction of the Genesis Planet, but these highlights are separated by long stretches of anonymous or obnoxiously dissonant underscore and an underwhelming climax on rising strings.

Still, while Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is considered the superior of Horner's two Trek entries, "Stealing the Enterprise" comes close to topping anything in that first effort and Horner's reprise of Alexander Courage's theme from The Original Series at the end of the film is worth the listen.

I played Shipyard Bar Patron (Uncredited) in Star Trek (2009).

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The best Star Trek series, ranked

Ready to settle in and watch some Star Trek episodes? Since there are so many, we’ve ranked all of the different series to help you get started on your quest.

Star Trek is one of the greatest franchises ever created. If you're new to the world of transporters and holodecks, you have so much wonderful content to catch up on — of course, some would say too much content.

Since there are over 850 episodes and counting (all of which you can stream on Paramount+ ), watching all of Star Trek can be more difficult than fighting a Gorn in the desert. To make things easier for you to get started, we've ranked every series (besides the short-form series Short Treks ) of this long-running franchise. Some of these choices were a bit daunting to play favorites with, but, like Jim Kirk, there's no belief in the no-win scenario.

Without further ado, here's our list of every Star Trek series ranked from worst to best.

11. Star Trek: Picard (2020–2023)

Star Trek: Picard was meant to be like comfort food to fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation . And whether fans were turned off by the changes in franchise direction with shows like Discovery or just wanted to see Patrick Stewart back in action, Paramount clearly thought this show would be almost universally beloved.

That didn't happen . The warm and fuzzy feeling of seeing a few familiar faces in the first season evaporated because of an often-confusing plot about androids. The second season continued this confusion with a time-travel story that often bordered on incoherence. While many Star Trek shows take a few seasons to hit their stride, it was shocking that so much of this relatively short series was seemingly created with "make it so-so" in mind.

10. Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973–1974)

If you're in the right mood (or you've been sipping on some Saurian brandy), Star Trek: The Animated Series has some wacky entertainment value. Any given episode had the writers throwing in stories like a giant version of a beloved character. And the animators threw some fun curveballs, including making the embodiment of evil into a shirtless hottie that would make even shirtless Kirk jealous.

However, this animated show was often caught between two very different worlds. It wasn't fully a return to the (relatively) grounded exploration of space, science, and morality of The Original Series . And it didn't fully lean into the chaotic possibilities of a cartoon world (something Lower Decks would later handle much better). So, while more and more elements of The Animated Series have become canonical thanks to shows like Discovery , and it's fun to hear the voice acting of the Original Series cast, this cartoon is one that all but the most hardcore fans can skip.

9. Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005)

Despite what you might have heard, Star Trek: Enterprise is not a bad show. It just didn't start as a very good show. The series was tragically canceled after the fourth season, which was arguably when it had just begun to hit its stride (thanks in part to longer story arcs and a really fun glimpse into Trek 's popular Mirror Universe).

At the end of the day, Enterprise is a show best enjoyed by Star Trek fans that like to pore over the Memory Alpha wiki and familiarize themselves with Trek minutiae. As a prequel show, it laid the groundwork for everything from Starfleet policy to alien interactions that other shows explore in more detail. If you don't have a shot at winning any Star Trek trivia contests at your local bar, it's still worth watching how captivating Scott Bakula can be in the captain's seat.

8. Star Trek: Prodigy (2021–present)

Star Trek: Prodigy was very difficult to rank. Unlike the other two Trek cartoons, this series was explicitly designed for younger audiences. Paramount clearly wants to use this show as a gateway for these younger fans to explore the wider world of Star Trek , but there are enough elements (most notably the return of Kate Mulgrew , reprising her role as Captain Janeway via a holographic form) to keep veteran franchise fans invested.

Ultimately, your enjoyment of this series will be largely dependent on how much you enjoy animated/YA entertainment. If nothing else, you should check out the first two episodes of this show to see just how beautiful the CGI animation can get.

7. Star Trek: Discovery (2017–present)

If Enterprise is the Star Trek show cut off too soon, Discovery may very well be the first Star Trek show to outlive its welcome, though it will end after its fifth season . There are many things the show gets right, from nifty effects to quirky characters to amazing casting (seriously, Sonequa Martin-Green is electrifying whenever she is on screen).

The show veers from a disjointed-but-interesting first season to a mesmerizing second season, which gets a real shot in the arm by introducing Captain Pike (played by the inimitably charming Anson Mount ) and Spock (played as a perfect homage to Leonard Nimoy by Ethan Peck). Later seasons, however, prove that the series can't get away from galactic-level threats, and character drama begins overriding plot development enough that we want to slingshot around the sun and return this series to its earlier roots.

6. Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001)

Like many Trek series, Star Trek: Voyager had a rocky beginning, and it was often overshadowed by the excellent Deep Space Nine . Ironically, Voyager dramatically improved with what could be a cynical casting stunt: adding the alluring Jeri Ryan (constantly wearing a catsuit, no less).

Though it really looked like a desperate ratings stunt, Ryan turned the reformed Borg Seven of Nine into the most interesting character on the show. And, despite their alleged clashes behind the scenes, the actress helped to elevate every scene she shared with Kate Mulgrew. Between the new cast member, improved writing, and Mulgrew being nothing short of a damned icon, Voyager soon became appointment television, and it's definitely worth binge-watching for modern audiences.

5. Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020–present)

Lower Decks is an impressive show for many reasons, including the fact that its execution elevates its initial premise, which focuses on the lives of the lower-level staffers aboard the starship. Because showrunner Mike McMahan previously wrote for Rick and Morty and the animation takes its cues from the cartoon adventures of Rick Sanchez, many fans may have assumed Lower Decks would simply be " Star Trek meets Rick and Morty ."

Thankfully, that's not the case. Aside from animation similarities, the main element these two cartoons have in common is a breakneck, borderline chaotic pace. But as entertaining as it can be, Rick and Morty is an often nihilistic show with gags revolving around how nothing really matters. Lower Decks , however, is a lighthearted series that serves as the cure to modern Trek . If you've dismissed other contemporary series such as Discovery and Picard because they are grim, violent, and serious, Lower Decks is a wonderfully lighthearted alternative that is never afraid to poke fun at its own franchise.

4. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022–present)

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a truly pleasant surprise to fans of the franchise. Set years before Captain Kirk sat in that famous chair, we see Capt. Christopher Pike (Anson Mount reprising the role) lead the U.S.S. Enterprise into bizarre adventures alongside some familiar characters (Ethan Peck returning as Spock, for example) and a few new ones.

Part of what helps this show shine is that it marks a return to episodic Trek in that every installment is a self-contained adventure as opposed to other newer series like Discovery and Picard , which build entire seasons around a single plot. The characters all ooze with the same swashbuckling charm of The Original Series characters, and we can't wait to see more of their adventures. We also can't wait to see more of Anson Mount's amazing hair (arguably the most awesome practical effect in the franchise).

3. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)

Star Trek: The Next Generation has the dubious honor of being the first Trek show where veteran fans warn against new fans starting at the very beginning. Early episodes ranged from stupidly horny (planetary inhabitants in the episode "Justice" were barely wearing scraps of clothing) to ridiculously racist ("Code of Honor" may very well be the worst Star Trek episode ever made). Many of these problems stemmed from the fact that despite being called "The Next Generation," the show was trying to recreate The Original Series (right down to using some of the same writers and shamelessly reusing scripts from the scrapped Star Trek: Phase II series).

As fans like to joke, the show got better as Commander Riker's beard got longer. Season 2 was a major improvement, which was then usurped by season 3, which brought in new uniforms, new sets, and Michael Piller to head up the writing team. Just like that, TNG embraced its differences from its famous forerunner (Picard was cerebral whereas Kirk was impulsive, Data yearned for emotion whereas Spock detested it, and so on). At last, the gamble paid off, and the next generation of this franchise ushered in the next generation of Star Trek fans.

2. Star Trek: The Original Series (1966–1969)

What can we say about The Original Series that hasn't been said already? Gene Roddenberry successfully fused science fiction with American pioneer spirit to create his vision of this " Wagon Train to the stars." The episodes were both fun and thought-provoking in equal measure, and William Shatner as Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as Spock, among many others, turned in performances that seared themselves into our collective pop culture consciousness.

The Original Series offered social commentary about racism, imperialism, and (often to Spock's annoyance) the human condition. And the blend of big acting, ambitious sets, and poignant plots helped this show become something truly transcendent. The OG Star Trek shaped not only the future of the franchise but television itself, and it's not hard to see why it continues to win over new generations of fans year after year.

1. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999)

Placing Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the top spot is perhaps a contentious decision. However, this series did more than measure up to the quality of The Next Generation (a lofty feat in and of itself). The show also made a number of storytelling and production choices that have helped DS9 seem more relevant in recent years than ever before, including tackling issues about race, religious fundamentalism, and war on a regular basis.

Perhaps the main way DS9 feels so pertinent is that the show broke the longstanding Trek rule of making only standalone episodes. As the powers that be focused more on creating their next show, Voyager , DS9 showrunner Ira Steven Behr was able to get away with creating long story arcs and frequent episode callbacks. The end result of this is that Deep Space Nine is the first of the pre-streaming era Trek shows that is perfect for binge-watching.

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• Star Trek Day pays tribute to Uhura actress Nichelle Nichols in moving in memoriam

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