Doctor Who theme: Ron Grainer (composer) and Delia Derbyshire (musician and arranger)

Did you know the unforgettable Doctor Who music – one of the most iconic television scores of all time – was written by an Australian composer? 

That’s right. While the theme for the long-running BBC series, with its otherworldly pulsing bassline, was produced and recorded by English musician Delia Derbyshire, it was written by Australian composer Ron Grainer.

First recorded in 1963, the Doctor Who theme is believed to be the first electronic music theme created for television. Each note was painstakingly realised by Derbyshire using musique concrète techniques – cutting, splicing, and manipulating analogue tape recordings of white noise, a test-tone oscillator, and a single plucked string.

The theme captures the listener’s attention right from the start with its striking opening and swirling electronic sounds, even before Ron Grainer’s eerie melody begins. Its originality would have been startling for viewers in the 1960s. The opening sting was added for this version and was not part of the television broadcasts, but the rest closely resembles the 1963 original. While later versions added more complexity, the original's simplicity contributes to its charm. 

Grainer’s 1963 melody served as the theme music, with minor edits, until the end of season 17 in 1980. While later arrangements have been introduced, his original composition remains intact and is still in use today. 

Read more about Ron Grainer and listen to a 15-minute interview with him from 1966

Ron Grainer image on Sounds of Australia page: The Australian Londoners (1965)

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