Well This Quiz Has A Mystery Theme, How About It by kanyewesteros

The wikipedia entry for WHAT BATTING AND FIELDING EXERCISE describes it as "a common pre-game exercise where one player hits brisk grounders and line drives to a group of fielders who are standing around twenty feet away."

Songs by Snakehips, Say Anything, and (presumably most famously) LCD Soundsystem all share WHAT TITLE?

The archaeological discovery AL 288-1, comprising roughly 40 percent of the skeleton of a member of the species Australopithecus afarensis, is commonly known by WHAT OTHER NAME? (edited at 8:52 am, January 19, 2017 (PST))

An alternative rock trio from Louisiana, songs by Bruce Springsteen, the Postal Service, and the Goo Goo Dolls, and two former or current television shows, one starring Jay Harrington and the other starring Jonathan Banks, all share WHAT WORD in their titles?

In WHICH BOOK do the characters Hector Zeroni, Clyde "Sweet Feet" Livingston, and Mr. Sir appear?

NAME THE FLASH-ANIMATED INTERNET CARTOON SERIES created by brothers Mike and Matt Chapman, which includes surreal humor, frequent pop culture references, and a breakout character named Strongbad.

WHAT SONG does George Banks sing when he realizes that his family is more important than his job? (perhaps helped along by a certain magical person)

In WHAT SONG does Eminem's repeated opening lyric about women who live in a certain area reference "Buffalo Gals" by Malcolm McLaren?

WHAT AMERICAN GAME SHOW aired from 1955 to 1958 before being infamously rocked by scandal?

What FIRST NAME is shared by an unscrupulous journalist from children's novels and a mentally disabled television character played by Charlize Theron?

WHAT IS THE FAMOUS PHRASE associated with a fictionalized version of former Air Force Sergeant Adrian Cronauer?

English-Australian entrepreneurs and spouses Tony and Maureen Wheeler founded WHAT COMPANY in 1972? Hint: I'm going to Bulgaria later this afternoon.

WHAT BOOK, heavily edited to allow original publication in its country of origin, ends with the paragraph (at least in my translation) "Just one of the 3,653 days of his sentence, from bell to bell. The extra three were for leap years."

What is the theme of this quiz?