1981 Yacht Rock Hit That Never Made It to No. 1 Became One of the Most Beloved TV Theme Songs of All Time
One of the best things about TV shows in the '80s was most definitely the abundance of unforgettable theme songs...some of which were actually kind of better than the shows themselves. In fact, one standout track that's forever etched into the subconscious of just about every pop culture-loving Gen X-er out there, "Theme from The Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)," almost made it to the very top of the charts.
For those who don't remember, The Greatest American Hero was a massively popular comedy-drama series starring William Katt as a high school teacher who ends up with a superhero suit he doesn't really know how to use (setting the stage for all manner of comedic hijinks).
The theme song, performed by yacht rock singer Joey Scarbury, had one of the catchiest choruses of the era:
Believe it or not, I'm walking on air.
I never thought I could feel so free.
Flying away on a wing and a prayer,
Who could it be?
Believe it or not, it's just me.
The sweet, hopeful theme was written by lyricist Stephen Geyer and composer Mike Post. As the latter explained in a 2005 interview, Scarbury "was an artist that I was producing, and had produced on three different record companies before that - unsuccessfully in terms of hits, but successfully in terms of how great a singer he was."
Greatest American Hero producer Stephen J. Cannell reached out to Post about writing a theme song, and though Post thought the premise for the show was "nuts," he agreed, saying, "We'll call up Stephen Geyer and see if he can write a lyric where maybe he can make an analogy between love and flying in a suit."
"Theme from The Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)" wasn't just a hit on TV, as it peaked at #2 on the BillboardHot 100 in 1981 ("Endless Love" by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie kept it from the top spot).
Years later, "Theme from The Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)" made a memorable return to the small screen thanks to an iconic episode of Seinfeld. In Season 8's "The Susie," George Costanza (Jason Alexander) uses the song as inspiration for his answering machine message, singing:
Believe it or not, George isn't at home
Please leave a message at the beep
I must be out, or I'd pick up the phone
Where could I be? Believe it or not, I'm not home
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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 8:11 PM.