Who composed the music for How I Met Your Mother?

John Swihart composed the music for How I Met Your Mother. His score supplies the instrumental sounds that underscore the sitcom’s comic timing, romantic turns, flashbacks, and more emotional transitions.

Swihart’s work is distinct from the show’s opening theme, “Hey, Beautiful,” which was performed by The Solids, the band associated with creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas. That distinction causes a frequent mix-up: the theme-song performers and the series composer are not the same credit.

How I Met Your Mother used music in several ways. Swihart wrote underscore for scenes, while the series also licensed many existing songs to mark important moments, including relationship milestones and major reveals. The contrast between original score and carefully selected pop music became part of the show’s storytelling style.

The series ran for nine seasons, from 2005 to 2014, and its nonlinear narration meant that musical callbacks could connect events separated by years in the characters’ fictional timeline.