Episode Music & Scores |
 |
| Song | Artist | Type | Episode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Twelve Days Of Christmas | Traditional | Closing Credits Music | Thank Heaven for Little Girls and Big Ones Too (1.4) | Orchestral version. |
| "Natatorium Groove" [audio clip] |
Ian Freebairn-Smith | Episode Score | Thank Heaven for Little Girls and Big Ones Too (1.4) | Great bass line! |
| Deja Vu [audio clip] |
Dionne Warwick | Piano/Vocals | Missing in Action (1.9) | Sung by Laura Fraiser (Rebecca Holden) at the King Kamehameha Club. Only a few lines are heard. |
| "Meeting Judge Caine" [audio clip] |
Mike Post & Pete Carpenter |
Episode Score | Lest We Forget (1.10) | Opening scene. An early Mike Post & Pete Carpenter score. |
| Adagio in D minor [audio clip] |
Alessandro Marcello | Piano | Don't Say Goodbye (1.15) | Variation on the main theme of "Adagio in D minor". The actress in the scene (Andrea Marcovicci) played the piece herself. |
| "Rescuing Higgins" [audio clip] |
Mike Post & Pete Carpenter |
Episode Score | J. "Digger" Doyle (1.17) | Use for the Haiku Valley Ladder ("The Stairway to Heaven") scene with Magnum and Digger. |
| Beyond the Reef | Hawaiian Standard | Live Performance | Beauty Knows No Pain (1.18) | Written by Jack Pitman. First few lines peformed by a Hawaiian group on the beach (at the beginning of the Iron Man race). |
| "Nihoa Channel" [audio clip] |
Mike Post & Pete Carpenter |
Episode Score | Dead Man's Channel (2.2) | Scuba diving score (with Magnum narration). |
| "Michelle's Theme" [audio clip] |
Mike Post & Pete Carpenter |
Episode Score (Orchestral) | Memories Are Forever (2.5 & 2.6) | Heard during Tom & Michelle's first "reunion" & over the closing credits. A slightly different version is also heard over the closing credits of "Little Girl Who" (7.7). |
| "Kacy's Song" [audio clip] |
Mike Post & Pete Carpenter |
Episode Score | Wave Goodbye (2.8) | Smooth Jazz piece heard at the beginning of the episode when Kacy and Gary meet at the Surfrider Club. |
| "Mad Buck Takes Flight" [audio clip] |
Mike Post & Pete Carpenter |
Episode Score | Mad Buck Gibson (2.9) | Final scene/frame of the episode. |
| Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major |
Mozart | String Quartet | The Elmo Ziller Story (2.21) | The "Romance" portion of this piece was played by a japanese string quartet at the Belvedere Club. |
| Got A Date With An Angel | Billy Williams | a cappella | Did You See the Sunrise? (1) (3.1) | 1930s jazz song revived, and made popular, in the 1950s by Billy Williams. Sung by T.C. while flying the chopper. |
| (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction [audio clip] |
The Rolling Stones | Stock Cover | Did You See the Sunrise? (1) (3.1) | Stock cover version. Heard on the radio at T.C.'s house (with "Nuzo"). This same version will also be heard in "The Look" (4.9). |
| "Mau Mau Fever" [audio clip] |
Mike Post & Pete Carpenter |
Episode Score | Black on White (3.6) | Dark, haunting piece. |
| Am I Blue? | Ethel Waters | Live Performance | Flashback (3.7) | Sung by Marissa (Irene Yah-Ling Sun), accompanied by piano. |
| Sweet Georgia Brown | Maceo Pinkard & Kenneth Casey | Closing Credits Music | Basket Case (3.15) | End credits. |
| "Rod's Song" [audio clip] |
Mike Post & Pete Carpenter |
Episode Score | ... By Its Cover (3.21) | Psychedelic, Doors-esque rock song heard in the opening scene. |
| Moonlight Sonata | Ludwig van Beethoven | Piano | The Big Blow (3.22) | Candice Wingate plays the beginning of this piece on the piano (39:36). |
| "Tijuana Tokyo" [audio clip] |
Mike Post & Pete Carpenter |
Episode Score | Distant Relative (4.4) | Pseudo-New Wave. |
| Sittin' On (the Dock of the Bay) | Otis Redding | Stock Cover | The Look (4.9) | Heard during a Holly Hudson (Gretchen Corbett) radio broadcast. |
| She's Not There | The Zombies | Stock Cover | The Look (4.9) | Heard during a Holly Hudson radio broadcast. |
| Yesterday | The Beatles | Stock Cover | The Look (4.9) | Heard during a Holly Hudson radio broadcast. |
| Up on the Roof | The Drifters | Stock Cover | The Look (4.9) | Heard during a Holly Hudson radio broadcast. T.C. also sings part of it. |
| Crocodile Rock | Elton John | Stock Cover | The Look (4.9) | Heard during a Holly Hudson radio broadcast. |
| All You Need Is Love | The Beatles | Stock Cover | The Look (4.9) | Heard during a Holly Hudson radio broadcast. |
| A Hard Day's Night | The Beatles | Stock Cover | The Look (4.9) | Heard during a Holly Hudson radio broadcast. |
| When I'm Sixty-Four | The Beatles | Stock Cover | The Look (4.9) | Heard during a Holly Hudson radio broadcast. |
| Under the Boardwalk | The Drifters | a cappella | Operation: Silent Night (4.10) | Sung by T.C.. |
| Chain Gang | Sam Cooke | a cappella | Operation: Silent Night (4.10) | Sung by T.C.. |
| Silent Night | Mohr & Gruber | a cappella | Operation: Silent Night (4.10) | Sung by Magnum, Higgins, Rick, T.C.. Classic melody heard in the background. |
| Der Erlkonig | Franz Schubert | Piano | The Case of the Red Faced Thespian (4.12) | Played by "Archer Hayes" on the piano. |
| Strangers in the Night | Frank Sinatra | Saxophone | Rembrandt's Girl (4.14) | A couple bars of the melody are played by Magnum on his sax. |
| Nowhere to Run | Martha & the Vandellas | Live Performance | Paradise Blues (4.15) | Sung by Alexis Carter (Leslie Uggams). |
| Here's That Rainy Day [audio clip] |
James Van Heusen & Johnny Burke | Live Performance | Paradise Blues (4.15) | Sung by Alexis Carter (Leslie Uggams) w/ Chuck Mangione on Flugelhorn. |
| Three Little Maids From School | Gilbert and Sullivan | Live Performance | Let the Punishment Fit the Crime (4.17) | Performed by Agatha Chumley (Gillian Dobb), Bernice (Hermione Baddeley) & Sylvia (Olga Marr). |
| Meditation (from Thais) |
Jules Massenet | Violin | Holmes Is Where the Heart Is (4.18) | Performed by David Worth (Patrick Macnee) on the violin as Sherlock Holmes (12:07 and 23:39). |
| Surfer Girl | The Beach Boys | Original | Dream A Little Dream (4.20) | Heard in the beginning of the episode during Karen Teal's surfing competition. This song was only used in the original broadcast and early syndication packages! It was taken off the DVD version (and later syndication packages) and replaced with incidental music, presumably because of licensing issues. |
| Good Lovin' | The Rascals | Stock Cover | Dream A Little Dream (4.20) | Heard over the radio and sung by Karen Teal. |
| Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) | The Temptations | Stock Cover | Dream A Little Dream (4.20) | Heard over the radio. |
| Feelings | Morris Albert | Vocals w/ Piano | I Witness (4.21) | Sung by Joy Kelley (Joy Garrett) while playing the piano. Three different versions are played. This is also Rick's favorite song! |
| Blade Runner Theme [audio clip] |
Vangelis | Original | Echoes of the Mind (1) (5.1) | Played in the opening scene. |
| Bless 'Em All | Fred Godfrey | Original | Echoes of the Mind (1) (5.1) | A famous WWI and WWII song. Higgins is listening to it in the study. |
| "Magnum's Stupor" [audio clip] |
Mike Post & Pete Carpenter |
Episode Score | Mac's Back (5.3) | Another great Mike Post & Pete Carpenter score, with a wonderful string arrangement and horn motif. |
| Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing [audio clip] |
The Four Aces | a cappella | Under World (5.5) | Sung by T.C. while chartering two honeymooners to Maui. |
| "Scuba Score" [audio clip] |
Mike Post & Pete Carpenter |
Episode Score | Under World (5.5) | Underwater scuba diving music. |
| Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major |
Mozart | Piano | Blind Justice (5.7) & Forty (7.17) | Heard at the 2:28, 10:22 and 32:05 marks in "Blind Justice" and the 23:58 mark in "Forty". |
| The Lambeth Walk | Douglas Furber & Noel Gay |
a cappella | Professor Jonathan Higgins (5.13) | Famous English Cockney dance song from the 1937 musical Me and My Girl. Performed by Sally Ponting (Jillie Mack). |
| Libiamo ne' lieti calici |
Verdi | Opera | Compulsion (5.14) | Opening scene; Carol is listening to it in her car. |
| Caro Nome che il mio cor | Verdi | Opera | Compulsion (5.14) | Carol is listening to it in her office. |
| Purple Haze | Jimi Hendrix | Stock Cover | All For One (1) (5.15) | Episode music during the Cambodian bar scene. |
| Proud Mary | John Fogerty | Stock cover | All For One (1) (5.15) | Episode music during the Cambodian bar scene. |
| Last Word Woman [audio clip] |
Reuben Leder & Jay Huguely |
Live Performance | Let Me Hear the Music (5.18) | Sung by George Lee Jessup (Robby Weaver) with band on stage. |
| Cheatin' Kisses | Dennis Weaver | Live Performance | Let Me Hear the Music (5.18) | Written & Performed by Dennis Weaver. Higgins also sings vocals. |
| Texas (When I Die) | Tanya Tucker | Live Performance | Let Me Hear the Music (5.18) | Sung by a female country singer (Amanda McBroom) in a bar. |
| When Will I Be Loved | The Everly Brothers | Live Performance | Let Me Hear the Music (5.18) | Sung by a female country singer (Amanda McBroom) in a bar. |
| I Just Want to Hold You [audio clip] |
Dennis Weaver | Live Performance | Let Me Hear the Music (5.18) | Written & Performed by Dennis Weaver. |
| Run To You | Bryan Adams | Stock Cover | Ms. Jones (5.19) | Heard in the "ladies club" scene. First true contemporary song used in the show. |
| Hit Me With Your Best Shot | Pat Benatar | Stock Cover | Ms. Jones (5.19) | Heard in the "ladies club" scene. |
| Misty [audio clip] |
Erroll Garner | Karaoke | The Man From Marseilles (5.20) | Sung by Magnum at the Sing Sing Palace karaoke bar. This clip will also be briefly seen in "Solo Flight" (7.16) as a flashback sequence. |
| Sentimental Journey | Ella Fitzgerald | Karaoke | The Man From Marseilles (5.20) | Sung by Jean Claude Fornier at the Sing Sing Palace karaoke bar. |
| Heartbreak Hotel | Elvis Presley | Karaoke | The Man From Marseilles (5.20) | Sung by a patron at the Sing Sing Palace karaoke bar. |
| Jambalaya (On The Bayou) | Hank Williams | Karaoke | The Man From Marseilles (5.20) | Sung by a patron at the Sing Sing Palace karaoke bar. |
| Tracks of My Tears | The Miracles | Karaoke | The Man From Marseilles (5.20) | Sung by a patron at the Sing Sing Palace karaoke bar. |
| On the Road Again | Willie Nelson | Karaoke | The Man From Marseilles (5.20) | Sung by a patron at the Sing Sing Palace karaoke bar. |
| Dead Man's Curve | Jan & Dean | Original | Old Acquaintance (6.3) | Heard almost in its' entirety in the background at Rodney Radcliff's garage. |
| Come Go With Me | The Del-Vikings | Original | Going Home (6.7) | Played at the "Welcome Home Magnum" dance at Tidewater High School. |
| When I Fall in Love | Nat King Cole | Original | Going Home (6.7) | Played at the "Welcome Home Magnum" dance at Tidewater High School. |
| Duke of Earl | Gene Chandler | Original | Going Home (6.7) | Played at the "Welcome Home Magnum" dance at Tidewater High School. Also heard in Don Eddie Rice's taxi. |
| I Shall Be Released | Joe Cocker | Original | Going Home (6.7) | Memorably played when Magnum visits the Vietnam Memorial. Written by Bob Dylan. |
| "The Rapture" [audio clip] |
Mike Post & Pete Carpenter |
Episode Score | Rapture (6.11) | More great scuba diving music. |
| Symphony No.5 in C minor | Ludwig van Beethoven | Record | A Little Bit of Luck, A Little Bit of Grief (6.20) | Higgins is seen "conducting" to this piece alone in the Estate living room. |
| As Time Goes By | Herman Hupfeld | Live Performance | A Little Bit of Luck, A Little Bit of Grief (6.20) | Played at a lounge bar in Albuquerque. Piano only. It's Rick's favorite song. |
| Since I Fell for You [audio clip] |
David Sanborn (Sax) & Carl Anderson (Vocals) | Special Original Recording | L.A. (2) (7.2) | Written by Buddy Johnson in 1945. The version heard in the episode is an original recording by Sanborn and Anderson, recorded just for this episode. Parts of this song can also be heard over the end-credits of "Out of Sync" (7.19). |
| Spring [audio clip] |
Antonio Vivaldi | Orchestral | One Picture is Worth (7.3) | From The Four Seasons. |
| Mama [video clip] |
Genesis | Original | Death and Taxes (7.6) | From their 1983 self-titled album, the song is heard in its entirety, and used to great effect, in the scene where Magnum is searching for The Ripper's next victim. Following in the footsteps of Miami Vice, this is the first time the show has featured a contemporary pop/rock song as in-episode music, and was one of the first TV shows to do so. |
| "Ripper Prowls" [audio clip] |
Mike Post & Pete Carpenter |
Episode Score | Death and Taxes (7.6) | Opening scene. A great 80's groove! |
| "Ripper Rendezvous" [audio clip] |
Mike Post & Pete Carpenter |
Episode Score | Death and Taxes (7.6) | Used to great effect in the climactic "Magnum meets The Ripper" scene. |
| "Kapu Theme" [audio clip] |
Mike Post & Pete Carpenter |
Episode Score | Kapu (7.10) | Chief Mano is coming! |
| Somewhere in the Night | Barry Manilow | Saxophone | Autumn Warrior (7.13) | Part of the song is played by Magnum on the sax. Written by Richard Kerr and Will Jennings. The song was also a Top 20 hit for Helen Reddy in 1975. |
| "Murder by Night Theme" [audio clip] |
Mike Post & Pete Carpenter |
Episode Score | Murder by Night (7.14) | "Old Hollywood" classical score, used for the opening credits and scene of a 1940s dream sequence. |
| Respect | Aretha Franklin | Original | Forty (7.17) | Heard briefly in the background at the "20/20 Club". |
| Try A Little Tenderness | Otis Redding | Original | Forty (7.17) & Resolutions (8.12) | Written by Jimmy Campbell, Reginald Connelly, and Harry Woods in 1933. |
| "Linda's Theme" [audio clip] |
Mike Post & Pete Carpenter |
Episode Score | Forty (7.17) | Slow tempo synth piece. |
| "Marketplace Stakeout" [audio clip] |
Mike Post & Pete Carpenter |
Episode Score | Laura (7.18) | 80s-style synth/electronic drums piece. |
| Tonight, Tonight, Tonight [video clip] |
Genesis | Original | Laura (7.18) | Song heard in its entirety. Featuring the legendary Frank Sinatra, in his last major film or television role, as retired New York City police sergeant Michael Doheny. |
| Looking For Space | John Denver | Original | Limbo (7.22) | Snippets of the song played at several different points in the episode. |
| I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today | Joe Cocker | Original | Infinity and Jelly Doughnuts (8.1) | Written by Joe Sample (of The Crusaders) and Will Jennings. |
| Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream | Felix Mendelssohn | Orchestral | Pleasure Principle (8.2) | Background music. |
| Conga | Miami Sound Machine | Original | Pleasure Principle (8.2) | Heard 5 different times during the episode. |
| "Avenging Tanaka" [audio clip] |
Mike Post | Episode Score | Tigers Fan (8.4) | Miami Vice-esque synth and guitar. Recorded just after Pete Carpenter, Mike Post's longtime collaborator, died. |
| He Pua Wehiwa [audio clip] |
Palani Vaughan | Live Performance | Forever in Time (8.5) | Palani Vaughan performs the song, accompanied by the traditional Hawaiian dancing of Lei Maa Richmond. |
| The Brazilian (Instrumental) |
Genesis | Original | Unfinished Business (8.8) | Played during the "revenge sequence" where Magnum is waiting for Quong Ki, Michelle's killer, to arrive. |
| "Academy Stroll" [audio clip] |
Mike Post | Episode Score | Resolutions (1) (8.12) | Opening scene, as Magnum strolls the grounds of the Naval Academy. Features some great guitar work. |
