The death of actor Matthew Perry has led to renewed interest in the TV show “Friends,” including its theme song, which is back on the charts after 30 years. Perry’s fans have streamed the iconic theme song over 1.3 million times since his death. Phil Solem of the Rembrandts co-wrote the tune and recorded it in 1994 for the premiere of “Friends.” The entire cast was goofing around in the music video. But the famous song almost did not happen. The show’s creators wanted R.E.M.’s “Shiny Happy People” to be the theme song, but the band refused to give permission. The producers went with their backup plan, “I’ll Be There For You,” and the rest was history. Solem appeared on “Inside Edition” on Friday. He said: “You can’t not be proud of it. It’s humongous. It’s like the biggest thing we could’ve imagined.”
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