"I'll Be There for You" by The Rembrandts.

OK, boys and girls, back to the 90s: This Crane/Kauffman/Willis '94-'95 alt-power pop classic peaked at #17 on Billboard's Hot 100. It talks about travels, friendships (hint, hint!) and dead-end jobs. Inspired by The Beatles' "Paperback Writer", the iconic handclaps were added as an afterthought. The theme for an extremely popular NBC sitcom, it was first offered to R.E.M. but they declined. The band that eventually recorded it did so by default, as they were the only group under contract by the network at the time. I like it for three reasons, not necessarily in that order: 1.) The band is named after my favorite painter. 2.) Phil Solem, the band's lead guitarist, used a vintage 1966 Rickenbacker Fireglo 450-12 and, as you know, I have a soft spot in my heart for Rics. The jingle-jangle in unmistakable. 3.) It is the theme of one of my all-time favorite sitcoms. I still watch reruns every morning while I exercise. Song? Band? Answer: "I'll Be There for You" by The Rembrandts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-9kPks0IfE

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