The Big Bang Theory's Catchy Theme Song Sparked A Lawsuit

One of the coolest ways a band can luck out is by having a TV show use one of their songs in their opening credits, and for that TV show to become an unexpected decade-long hit. Not only does it often make the band a ton of extra cash in royalties, but it introduces the band to millions of viewers who might not have ever heard of them. How many "Mad Men" fans were familiar with RJD2 before hearing them in its theme song? How many "Scrubs" fans knew about Lazlo Bane before they heard "I'm No Superman" in the opening credits?

For "Barenaked Ladies," getting a song featured in the theme for "The Big Bang Theory" wasn't as big of a deal because they were already pretty famous beforehand. Still, with the sitcom lasting 12 whole seasons and being one of the biggest ratings hits of the decade, it was still very much worth the effort. The three-minute song has been giving the band members hefty residual checks for over 15 years by this point, and with the show still playing on constant reruns it doesn't seem like these checks will stop coming any time soon. In fact, co-founder of the band Ed Robertson reportedly claimed that the song earned him more money than any other song in his career.

The only problem was that the other members of the band, most famously co-founder Steven Page, allegedly weren't included in those profits. When Page left the band in 2009, he apparently sued the band for his portion of the royalties, alleging that Robertson was the only one collecting that money. Page argued that he was owed at least a million dollars, which is what he believed his promised 20% of the royalties would come out to. These court documents were reported on by TMZ in 2015, and since then there haven't been any public updates. Whatever came of this lawsuit, it all happened privately. 

As for the relationship between Page and the band he was once a part of, it seems cordial but strained. "The band was no longer the joyous place that it once was, but it hadn't been joyous for a long time before that," Page explained in a 2011 interview. "It wasn't that we didn't put on good shows, we still had a great time onstage every night. But it became a place where work was just about the stress and not the end product." When asked about Page's departure in a 2009 interview, Robertson replied, "We don't keep in touch, but we certainly wish him the best and there's good will there." 

Honestly, as far as band break-ups go, this all could've been a lot worse. Only one lawsuit, one that didn't even blow up into a whole big public ordeal? As a Beatles and Fleetwood Mac fan, this all seems pretty tame; whereas with the Barenaked Ladies, we have to read between the lines to get any hint of tension, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham would be openly fuming with each other on stage. 

Whatever financial or personal issues the Barenaked Ladies may have had, that didn't stop them from not just being a crucial part of the legacy of "The Big Bang Theory," but from being the recipient of constantly adoring shoutouts from other sitcoms of the time. Who can forget that scene in "Community" where almost the entire study group aggressively leaps to defend BNL's honor? The original BNL may no longer perform together, but no one can ever take away their triple-platinum status.