Neural oscillations in the theta band (4–8 Hz) are prominent in the human electroencephalogram (EEG), andmany recent electrophysiological studies in animals and humans have implicated scalp-recorded frontal midlinetheta (FMT) in working memory and episodic memory encoding and retrieval processes. However, the functionalsignificance of theta oscillations in human memory processes remains largely unknown. Here, we review studiesin human and animals examining how scalp-recorded FMT relates to memory behaviors and also their possibleneural generators. We also discuss models of the functional relevance of theta oscillations to memory processesand suggest promising directions for future research.