Theme from The Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)
Joey Scarbury
1981
Annual listening list: initial release cycle, with recent carryovers; not an original-release-date field. Release chronology remains partly unverified.
Genre
Not classifiedTheme
Not classifiedRelease: 1981
Release: 1981Source checked
Source-supported first release year of the original recording at year precision. Later single-chart appearances and anthology or remaster dates are separate. Exact user-file audio, edit and mastering remain unverified.
The large badge identifies this listening list, not a newly issued recording. Later reissues and renewed chart popularity do not replace an original release date. How years are assigned.
Stephen Geyer - firsthand Believe It or Not interview
Geyer explains writing the lyrics from the show concept/scripts with Mike Post and recording Joey Scarbury; 1981 television and single history. Original interview 2011, republished 2020.
Joey Scarbury - original Americas Greatest Hero recording
The original Scarbury recording and album are dated 1981. Only year precision is used; the January 1 catalog default is not asserted.
Inspiration and background
Documented songwriting inspiration
Stephen Geyer recalled writing the lyrics for Believe It or Not after discussing The Greatest American Hero with creator Stephen Cannell and reading early scripts. Geyer and Mike Post developed the song together, then recorded it with Joey Scarbury. Geyer describes the commercial single following the television exposure in 1981.
Evidence scope: Firsthand songwriter account; interpretation is attributed to the participant.
Sources for this information
Stephen Geyer - firsthand Believe It or Not interview
Geyer explains writing the lyrics from the show concept/scripts with Mike Post and recording Joey Scarbury; 1981 television and single history. Original interview 2011, republished 2020. | Retrieved 2026-10-19
Joey Scarbury - original Americas Greatest Hero recording
The original Scarbury recording and album are dated 1981. Only year precision is used; the January 1 catalog default is not asserted. | Retrieved 2026-10-19
Earlier note and its recorded status
Earlier status: Basic catalog context. This earlier wording is retained as historical context; the reviewed account above is the current summary.
Theme from The Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not) by Joey Scarbury appears at number 11 in the reviewed U.S. year-end table for 1981. No reliable song-specific account of its inspiration was established in this review.
Other appearances and versions
catalog version unspecified
Source-supported first release year of the original recording at year precision. Later single-chart appearances and anthology or remaster dates are separate. Exact user-file audio, edit and mastering remain unverified.
An annual chart year and an original release date are different. Similar titles may be covers or different masters; no audio fingerprint has been performed.
Sources and scope
Source-backed annual association (secondary source; not a complete discographic review)
Not classified - no adequate editorial basis in this pass
Billboard year-end 1981 table (Wikipedia transcription)
Secondary chart transcription reviewed for title, artist and annual association. Not proof of release date, genre or inspiration.
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