‘Doing Friends killed our cool’ – theme tune revelations from The Sopranos to The OC and more

The theme tune was originally Shiny Happy People … the cast of Friends. Photograph: Alamy

So no one told you life was gonna be this way (clap, clap, clap, clap). But what’s it like being in a band whose biggest hit is a TV theme? Is it creatively gratifying, financially life-changing or frustrating to live for ever in its shadow? We tracked down the artists responsible for five theme tunes. Roll title sequence …

‘It put my kids through college – but broke up the band’