American Dad! is filled with various songs and musical numbers. Considering its co-creator Seth MacFarlane is a gifted singer and lover of musicals, this comes as no surprise. While some of the segments include the characters singing pre-established tunes, such as Steve singing pieces of Boyz II Men singles, the show has also made many original songs. Most of them have been riffs on classical tracks and were written and performed by a variety of singers and musicians, including Seth MacFarlane, Scott Grimes, CeeLo Green, and Walter Murphy, among others.
Throughout its run, the series has produced dozens of songs. Some of them have proven to be so popular they have been released on platforms like iTunes and YouTube.
"Reginald The Koala"
In the episode "Family Affair," the character of Reginald (Donald Fullilove) was introduced. As he chats with Hayley, his theme song "Reginald the Koala" plays. Reminiscent of a wacky sitcom theme, the song explained the origins of how his brainwaves were swapped with a koala's and how he became a CIA agent.
Despite being less than a minute long, the song was catchy and would be heard throughout the series whenever Reginald appeared. Fans of the series have claimed this as one of their favorite character theme songs.
"When I Was His Alien"
A spoof of Toy Story 2's "When She Love Me" and Les Misérables' "A Little Fall of Rain," Roger sang this song in "A.T. The Abusive Terrestrial." He belted this number out while recollecting all the wonderful memories he and Steven shared before he got older and became less interested in Roger.
The song managed to be emotional, as well as comedic - definitely suitable for American Dad! Another highlight of this tune was MacFarlane's impassioned performance, which apparently had some viewers tearing up.
"Stelio Kontos"
In "A Bully for Steve," Stelio Kontos is introduced as Stan's former childhood bully. After Stan starts bullying Steve, Steve hires Stelio to whip Stan's butt as payback and to teach him a lesson.
Stelios (who is even bigger and broader) shows up with a boombox and plays his theme while beating Stan to a pulp. While it is simply a chorus that repeats "Stelio ... Stelio Kontos," the instrumentals are what make the song.
"Is She Not Hot Enough for You?"
Steve confronts Stan in "Rubberneckers" after he lands in jail and won't admit to Francine that he rubbernecked. Creepiness aside, Steve sings a soulful song about how hot his mom is and ponders if she is not enough for Stan.
The song was written by musician Asa Taccone (who has written other songs on the series) and performed by Scott Grimes. It's incredibly catchy and has an R&B feel to it.
"Hot Tub of Love"
In "Hot Water," a stressed Stan unknowingly purchases a possessed hot tub (CeeLo Green) that progressively manipulates him throughout the episode. Aside from the song, the entire episode and music were an homage to Little Shop of Horrors, from the musical numbers to the final scene.
The "Hot Tub of Love" was written by Asa Taccone. Initially, the song was designed to be performed by MacFarlane, but a last-minute change resulted in Green being hired instead. However, MacFarlane does sing segments of the song as Stan.
"Good Morning, USA!"
The show's opening theme has not changed much (musically) since the series debut in 2005. The intro was composed by Walter Murphy, who previously collaborated with MacFarlane on Family Guy and other series.
The opening follows Stan waking up and cheerfully singing as he prepares for a day's work. It is less than a minute long, but its bombastic beat, catchy lyrics, and enthused performance from MacFarlane makes it one of the show's most memorable songs.
"You Get The Rod"
In "Minstrel Krampus," Steve is captured by Krampus (Danny Glover) after being naughty throughout the holiday season. After Steve tries to get fresh, Krampus questions who he is talking to and reminds him Steve is in his dominion.
The song spoofs Aladdin's "Friend Like Me" and was performed by the late soul singer, Charles Bradley. It was fun and energetic, while Bradley's performance was moving and jazzy. Krampus would sing another song later called "We've Been Bad" with Steve.
"Trapped In The Locker"
In the subplot of "Criss-Cross Applesauce: The Ballad of Billy Jesusworth," Steve narrates/sings his day in a style reminiscent of R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet."
Besides essentially being a long gag, it was an ambitious and intriguing plotline for an episode, mixing up the formula for the show. The song was also hilarious and will surely stick in viewers' heads long after they have seen the episode. Grimes, as always, did an amazing job singing, making it one of his most memorable singing performances in the series so far.
"Daddy's Gone"
"Daddy's Gone" was another song featured in "Hot Water." It was written by Asa Taccone and performed by Seth MacFarlane and Scott Grimes. The song played while Steve and everyone but Stan were at Francine's parents' home following a disagreement.
It featured Steve and Roger soulfully belting the song out while shirtless in a desert. After the episode was released, the song became available on iTunes. Grimes even performed the song at the San Diego Comic-Con during an American Dad! panel.
"Girl You Need A Shot Of (B12 (Boyz 12))"
Reminiscent of boy bands like NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, and EXO (which also featured 12 members), Steve and his friends join a boy band that is managed by Snot's uncle. The music video they shoot is as theatrical and bizarre as prior music videos in the genre.
The lyrics, instrumentals, and singing work together in great unison. The music video was released eight months before the episode "Can I Be Frank" premiered on Fox's YouTube channel.