Barenaked Ladies frontman Ed Robertson wrote the Big Bang Theory theme, fittingly, in the shower

You are likely aware that the Barenaked Ladies wrote the theme song for The Big Bang Theory.

But what you may not know, is how that collaboration came to be.

One night in Los Angeles, show creator Chuck Lorre had attended a Barenaked Ladies concert, and lead singer Ed Robertson sang an impromptu rap about the origins of the universe. Lorre was developing a new sitcom called The Big Bang Theory at the time – and in that moment, he thought the Barenaked Ladies would be perfect to write a fun theme song for the show.

He contacted Ed Robertson in 2005, who wrote it in the shower one morning, in about 15 minutes.

Since the show was a big hit, and considering it's in reruns constantly, the Barenaked Ladies have made big coin from that theme song. Ed Robertson has since said it changed his life, more than any other song in the band's catalogue. He said the song has been very good to his family financially, and to his "grandchildren's family financially," which suggests the royalties are huge.

When former frontman, Steven Page, left the Barenaked Ladies in 2009, he sued the band for his share of the song's royalties. Page said he was entitled to 20 per cent of the theme song royalties, and revealed that he believed the revenue was in excess of "one million dollars."

For the final scene of the final episode of The Big Bang Theory, the band recorded a simple, and emotional, acoustic version of the theme.

After 12 highly-rated seasons, The Big Bang Theory was over. But will live on for years.

For more stories from Under the Influence, click or tap the play button above to hear the full episode. Find more episodes on the CBC Listen app or subscribe to the podcast.