This brief piano solo of mine to wrap up 2025 (and in the case of my YouTube channel, kick off 2026) is my take on the simplified but repetitive theme music from the 2006-07 version of the game show "Chain Reaction." It was the third incarnation overall, and the first one for GSN (Game Show Network). Dylan Lane hosted this version (and would host the most recent one as well, from 2021-23).

The game is centered around solving a word-chain puzzle. In 1980, the chain comprised eight words. From 1986 to 2016, it comprised seven words, and in 2021, it comprised six words for the first three rounds and seven in the fourth. The words in the chain are linguistically or logically connected, with both the word at the top and the word at the bottom revealed at the outset.

By making inferences based on the revealed words and the revealed letters in incomplete words, contestants try to fill in the word chains to score points (dollars on Game Show Network). From 1980 to 1991, the team/player that reached the point goal first won the game. Since 2006, the team with the highest money total after the fourth round wins the game. A team can also win the game if at any time their opponents' money total is reduced to zero during the fourth round. Except from 1990 to 1991, the winning team/player then played the bonus round, which varied depending on the series.

A typical puzzle might look like this:

SCOOBY
SNACK
MACHINE
GUN
SHOW
DOG
DOO

The Dylan Lane eras also challenged the teams that completed a chain to try a speed chain, which had only for words. An example of that would be:

INDEPENDENCE
DAY
DREAM
GIRL

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This arrangement © me and me alone
Information provided by Wikipedia
Original music composed by Bob Cobert
Chain Reaction (TV show) © the following companies:

Bob Stewart Productions (1980)
Bob/Sande Stewart Productions (1986–91)
Embassy Row Productions (2006–07)
Sony Pictures Television (2006–22)

Bob Stewart also created the show. He is best known as the original creator for the original versions of "To Tell The Truth" and "The Price is Right" while employed by Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. When he left to form his own production company, his biggest success came with an idea that Mark Goodson had shot down: the original "The $10,000 Pyramid," and all Pyramid variations that came after it.

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Theme I attempted (if I got this wrong, I'm sorry): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iruMkYhk3TU
Full episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0aZPD66jaI (2006 version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKY0_kAW81c (2021)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyKQApkwcRM (Serbian version, Lančana Reakcija; this version used the same music)