History Main / ThemeMusicAbandonment

* ''VideoGame/DoubleDragonII'''s UsefulNotes/PCEngine CD port, which has a completely new soundtrack, is one of the few games in the series to omit its signature theme tune.

* ''VideoGame/HaloReach'' abandons the series' signature theme tune except for a brief cameo in the closing credits song "Unreconciled".

* ''VideoGame/SpaceQuestIIIThePiratesOfPestulon'''s intro starts with the opening notes of the series' original theme tune, but transitions into a completely new main theme. The classic theme would return in full in subsequent games.

* All of the ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'' have completely different themes, which is unusual for superhero films, but somewhat inevitable given that every film up until 2014's ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'' has a different composer. The trope was finally averted in that film, when John Ottman returned to the franchise for the first time in over a decade, remixing his [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic much-liked title music]] from ''Film/X2XMenUnited''; he does a more classical version for ''Film/XMenApocalypse'', to spectacular effect. And then the trope was played straight once again with ''Film/DarkPhoenix'', where Music/HansZimmer stuck to his own material.

* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3'' dropped the classic ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' theme tune due to legal pressure by the estate of the deceased Russian composer Georgy Sviridov, whose song "The Winter Road" [[SuspiciouslySimilarSong sounded very similar to the theme]].

* ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosU'' uses the classic Super Mario Bros. music often enough, but completely abandons the NSMB theme song used in the previous three games.

* ''VideoGame/DoubleDragonII'''s UsefulNotes/PCEngine CD port, which has a completely new soundtrack, is one of the few games in the series to omit the signature theme tune.

* ''Film/NeverSayNeverAgain'', as a third-party remake of ''Film/{{Thunderball}}'', was forced by law to not include the ''Film/JamesBond'' theme.

** Later franchises in the MCU, such as ''Film/{{Guardians of the Galaxy|2014}}'', ''Film/AntMan1'' and ''[[Film/MCUSpiderManTrilogy Spider-Man]]'', have generally averted this trope by establishing composer continuity. However, this trope can still occur when the characters appear in other MCU franchises, such as Ant-Man's appearance in ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' and the Guardians' appearance in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''. With ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', however, composer Alan Silvestri made a more concerted effort to avert the trope by incorporating the themes for Ant-Man and Film/{{Captain Marvel|2019}} [[spoiler:(among others)]] in the film. The score for ''[[WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021 What If…]]'' also largely averts this and brings together character themes from all corners of the franchise.

* The LicensedGame of ''Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough'' lacks the classic James Bond theme.

** Similarly, ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' does not include the Batman theme from ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'', despite them sharing a composer. Zimmer expressly avoided reusing his iconic motifs in order to better distinguish the film from the Nolan-directed series and help it develop its own identity. Music/JunkieXL collaborated on it.

Compare with ThemeMusicWithholding.

* The two Peter Cushing ''Series/DoctorWho'' films.

** Later franchises in the MCU, such as ''Film/{{Guardians of the Galaxy|2014}}'', ''Film/AntMan1'' and ''[[Film/SpiderManHomecoming Spider-Man]]'', have generally averted this trope by establishing composer continuity. However, this trope can still occur when the characters appear in other MCU franchises, such as Ant-Man's appearance in ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' and the Guardians' appearance in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''. With ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', however, composer Alan Silvestri made a more concerted effort to avert the trope by incorporating the themes for Ant-Man and Film/{{Captain Marvel|2019}} [[spoiler:(among others)]] in the film. The score for ''[[WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021 What If…]]'' also largely averts this and brings together character themes from all corners of the franchise.

** Ramin Djawadi's themes for ''Film/IronMan1'' were never used in ''Film/IronMan2'' or ''[[Film/IronMan3 3]]'', nor were John Powell's themes for ''Iron Man 2'' used in ''3'' (which was scored by Brian Tyler). Some of Tyler's themes do briefly appear in ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'', however, as that film was co-composed by Tyler.

** Ramin Djawadi's themes for ''Film/IronMan'' were never used in ''Film/IronMan2'' or ''[[Film/IronMan3 3]]'', nor were John Powell's themes for ''Iron Man 2'' used in ''3'' (which was scored by Brian Tyler). Some of Tyler's themes do briefly appear in ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'', however, as that film was co-composed by Tyler.
** Craig Armstrong's music for ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk'' is never utilized in any of the character's future appearances.

** Alan Silvestri's theme from ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'' does briefly appear in ''[[Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier The Winter Soldier]]'' but is never integrated into Henry Jackman's score for it or ''[[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar Civil War]]''. However, the theme is reprised in ''Film/TheAvengers2012'', as well as its sequels ''[[Film/AvengersInfinityWar Infinity War]]'' and ''[[Film/AvengersEndgame Endgame]]'', which were composed by Silvestri. Conversely, Jackman's ''Captain America'' themes aren't used in any other MCU films, though many returned in Jackman's score for ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier''.

** Later franchises in the MCU, such as ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'', ''Film/AntMan1'' and ''[[Film/SpiderManHomecoming Spider-Man]]'', have generally averted this trope by establishing composer continuity. However, this trope can still occur when the characters appear in other MCU franchises, such as Ant-Man's appearance in ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' and the Guardians' appearance in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''. With ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', however, composer Alan Silvestri made a more concerted effort to avert the trope by incorporating the themes for Ant-Man and Film/{{Captain Marvel|2019}} [[spoiler:(among others)]] in the film. The score for ''[[WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021 What If…]]'' also largely averts this and brings together character themes from all corners of the franchise.
** Even occurs with the Creator/MarvelStudios logo. ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'', the first film released fully under Marvel's own banner, retired the "pages flipping" sound for MCU works and introduced a new company theme composed by Brian Tyler, but it only lasted for [[Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier two]] [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy more]] films before disappearing. New fanfare by Creator/MichaelGiacchino accompanied the revamped logo introduced in ''Film/{{Doctor Strange|2016}}''; this theme has lasted through the remainder of Phase 3 and into Phase 4, including the associated TV series.

* ''Series/{{Community}}'' occasionally replaces or abandons its theme music for specific episodes (e.g. the Western version of the theme in ''A Fistful of Paintballs'' or the dropping of the theme entirely for ''Geothermal Escapism'')

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%% * The local Montreal radio show "Daybreak" recently got rid of its theme music.
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* ''VideoGame/KirbyMassAttack'' is the only game in the ''VideoGame/{{Kirby}}'' series where the classic victory dance music is never played at any point, even in the sound test.

* While early installments featured it noticeably, later entries in the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls'' series largely eschewed the classic ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'' theme as the spinoff took on its own identity and made fewer references to ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Friendship is Magic]]'' and its characters. The theme does appear for a brief MythologyGag in [[WebAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsDigitalSeries the web series]] episode “Festival Filters” when the characters use a G1-inspired pony filter on themselves.