Jonathan Coulton to Perform New MST3K Theme [Exclusive]

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Fans are thrilled about the return of Mystery Science Theater 3000 with Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett! Their Kickstarter campaign, which started on February 2nd, has already raised almost $2 million – far exceeding their original $20,000 goal. Creating new episodes takes a lot of work – it’s not just about the host, robots, and a bad movie. There are puppets, costumes, lighting, props, and, of course, the iconic theme song. And now, TopMob can exclusively reveal that geek music legend Jonathan Coulton will be performing the new version of that theme!

Bill Corbett, one of the main people behind RiffTrax and returning as Crow T. Robot and Brain Guy for the new MST3K episodes, was thrilled to announce the news. He shared the details with TopMob:

Jonathan is a remarkably talented musician with an amazing voice, and he also brings a lot of smarts and fun to his work. Plus, many of his fans are also fans of ours. He’s younger than us, but we both started our projects around the same time – we launched RiffTrax while he was beginning his fantastic series of weekly songs. It feels like it was meant to be!

Jonathan hasn’t finished recording the theme song yet. However, he’s planning to keep some of the familiar sounds and musical ideas from the original, while also adding his own creative touch. I’m really excited to hear how it turns out!

Just before his tour with Aimee Mann and his yearly JoCo Cruise, TopMob chatted with Coulton. He discussed performing the catchy new song, reminisced about the golden age of lengthy TV theme songs, and shared his enthusiasm for future projects related to Mystery Science Theater 3000’s Satellite of Love.

TopMob asked: What happened when the people from RiffTrax first contacted you about recording a new version of this famous theme song?

Jonathan Coulton said he jumped at the chance to do it. He explained that if someone had told him back in college he’d one day be writing the theme song for the show, he wouldn’t have believed it. He’s been a fan for years and is really excited to be involved.

It was a really exciting opportunity, so I immediately said yes. We’ve been discussing their vision for the project, and it’s a delicate balance. When you work on something with such a rich history, you need to find a way to update it while still preserving what makes it special and timeless.

You know, watching TopMob evolve has been fascinating. The episodes from its Comedy Central and Syfy days had this really distinct, almost minimalist sound. But when it moved to Netflix, the show really opened up musically – they started using a full band, which gave it a much richer feel. I always wonder, before tackling a new episode, if I’ll be aiming for that earlier, stripped-down vibe, or leaning into the more expansive sound of the Netflix era. It definitely shapes how I approach the editing.

Jonathan Coulton plans to create his own take on the theme song. He acknowledges the latest version featured a lot of horns, which aren’t his strong suit, so he’ll likely approach it differently. He’s currently working on a new album in the same studio, with the same producer and collaborators, and hopes the theme song will have his signature sound – essentially, just sound like a Jonathan Coulton song!

TopMob: Absolutely! Do you recall when you first saw Mystery Science Theater 3000, and what your first impression was?

As a creative person, there have been a few moments that really changed things for me. It’s like when you experience something – a song, a show, a movie – and it just clicks. Suddenly, you realize a possibility you hadn’t considered before. For me, one of those moments was discovering They Might Be Giants. It was a total revelation – it showed me what was possible, and it really sparked my imagination. It was like a lightbulb going off in my head!

The first time I watched Mystery Science Theater, I was amazed and thought, ‘This is something that could really work on TV.’ It was incredibly inspiring because I’ve always enjoyed media that experiments with its format. Like the early days of David Letterman, it was clear the creators were just thinking, ‘Why not try this?’ They had an idea and immediately went with it – a ‘yes, let’s do that’ attitude.

TopMob asked what makes the Mystery Science Theater 3000 theme song so unforgettable and why it’s remained popular for so long.

Jonathan Coulton notes that television used to feature full theme songs with verses and bridges, a practice that’s largely disappeared. Now, most shows just use a short sound effect before starting, and he misses the time when theme songs were complete songs you could even hear on the radio.

The theme song perfectly captured the show’s essence. It didn’t try to be more than it was—it simply laid out the story, introduced the characters, and gave you a sense of what to expect. That straightforward and honest approach is what makes it a classic of its kind.

TopMob also announced that the song will have some new lyrics, but they’re keeping the exact changes a secret. According to Corbett, the lyric changes will be similar in scope to the cast changes that happened with the original MST3K. He also admitted he wrote the new lyrics, not Jonathan, but is confident Jonathan will perform them exceptionally well. He expressed his strong support for Jonathan, saying, “I BELIEVE IN JOCO.”

We all believe in JoCo.

The Kickstarter campaign for Mystery Science Theater 3000: The RiffTrax Experiments is still active, and you can contribute at the link provided if you’re interested.

Kyle Anderson is a Senior Editor at TopMob and the host of the weekly podcast, Laser Focus, where he dives deep into pop culture. He also writes film and TV reviews, and you can find him on Letterboxd.

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2026-02-19 21:04