# Noteworthy music from TV show episodes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 14, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noteworthy-music-from-tv-show-episodes/532453 "2010-03-14T17:07:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noteworthy-music-from-tv-show-episodes/532453/1 "2010-03-14T17:07:34Z")
Two specific examples, both from _House_, make me wonder if you have some that you felt were particularly on target for the show involved: [Zero 7 - In the Waiting Line](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwpZi2KkuwM&feature=related) from [Third Season Episodes :: #313 “Needle in a Haystack”](http://www.housemd-guide.com/season3/313needle.php) [Fiona Apple - Why Try To Change Me Now](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uf1n1wUfxE) from [“House M.D.” Remorse (2010)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1503395/) ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noteworthy-music-from-tv-show-episodes/532453/2 "2010-03-16T22:34:44Z")
The first time I heard Gary Jules’ cover of “Mad World” was not in “Donnie Darko” which made it famous- it was actually in an episode of a short lived Mob vs Fed drama “Line of Fire.” Great song used very effectively there. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noteworthy-music-from-tv-show-episodes/532453/3 "2010-03-16T22:41:40Z")
My wife and I always point out any sad, female, solo voice song by saying, “Oooh, an Alias song.” If you watched Alias, it became very obvious that they loved to use these kind of songs at the end of an episode. ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noteworthy-music-from-tv-show-episodes/532453/4 "2010-03-16T22:44:08Z")
Caprica’s music is pretty amazing, and one feature is the incorporation of incidental music based on the orchestral score. In a recent episode, a recurring “Tauron Theme” was used as a funeral chant - excerpt [here](http://www.bearmccreary.com/blog/?p=3761) on the composer’s blog. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noteworthy-music-from-tv-show-episodes/532453/5 "2010-03-16T23:50:15Z")
Old examples: “Brothers in Arms” at the end of the “Two Cathedrals” episode of the West Wing “Hashkiveinu” from “Take This Sabbath Day” same show & “Eli’s Coming” on SportsNight From time to time, Sorkin got the music right. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noteworthy-music-from-tv-show-episodes/532453/6 "2010-03-17T00:05:54Z")
“Noteworthy” in the sense of terrible is the _Grey’s Anatomy_ use of music. Too loud, lyrica interfere with dialog, and they don’t ever make any sense. F. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noteworthy-music-from-tv-show-episodes/532453/7 "2010-03-17T00:06:50Z")
Back when I used to watch **ER** there was an episode where Carter got stabbed by some crazy guy during a party, and as he lay there bleeding he looked over to see another doctor, Lucy, laying on the floor, also stabbed. This all went down while they were playing “Battleflag” by the Lo Fidelity All-Stars - the crazy confusion of the loud party music along with the confusion as the scene unfolded was quite memorable. Aaand - here’s a [low res version](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OAfbpiXoCs) from Youtube. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noteworthy-music-from-tv-show-episodes/532453/8 "2010-03-17T00:21:01Z")
Before I even opened the thread I was going to cite “Passing Afternoon” from the “Wilson’s Heart” episode of House. I heard that song in the supermarket the other day and started to cry. Powerful stuff. I agree that the music of House is particularly noteworthy and well-chosen. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noteworthy-music-from-tv-show-episodes/532453/9 "2010-03-17T00:24:18Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > Aaand - here’s a [low res version](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OAfbpiXoCs) from Youtube. Stunning! I can’t remember any series doing better work with music than _The Sopranos_. We wound up with the soundtrack CD’s from the first two seasons and played them constantly in the car. Except for Tarantino’s _Pulp Fiction_ and _Easy Rider_, David Chase and his crew were the tops in musical selections. My favorite of them all was Bob Dylan’s version of “Gotta Serve Somebody.” The YouTube version of Bob’s that was my favorite has been taken down and the best one at present is [Gotta Serve Somebody - Word of Life Church Band w/ Phil Keaggy & Paul Clark](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPIhOaDPElQ) ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noteworthy-music-from-tv-show-episodes/532453/10 "2010-03-17T00:50:48Z")
Favorite from Sopranos: [Evidently Chickentown](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZKPiZl3wZs) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noteworthy-music-from-tv-show-episodes/532453/11 "2010-03-17T01:02:29Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > This all went down while they were playing “Battleflag” by the Lo Fidelity All-Stars - the crazy confusion of the loud party music along with the confusion as the scene unfolded was quite memorable. That song (in a version by Pigeonhed, I believe) is also used on _The Sopranos_. It rocks. ---
**Author:** ![missouri65](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@missouri65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missouri65)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noteworthy-music-from-tv-show-episodes/532453/12 "2010-03-17T02:34:56Z")
Homicide: Life on the Street used the Cowboy Junkies song This Street, That Man, This Life in the episode where Pembleton returned to work following a stroke. A search shows that the episode was titled Hostage: Part One. The use of this song made an already powerful storyline nearly unbearable for a few moments. It was brilliant. It hit me so hard I remember the scene about 10 years later. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noteworthy-music-from-tv-show-episodes/532453/13 "2010-03-17T03:54:48Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > “Noteworthy” in the sense of terrible is the _Grey’s Anatomy_ use of music. Too loud, lyrica interfere with dialog, and they don’t ever make any sense. F. I’ve actually never seen _Grey’s Anatomy_, but when _Supernatural_ parodied it recently, they played this absolutely ridiculous music. I have been assured that it’s a pretty good representation. [Stupid music begins at about four minutes in.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtI8UwKCR3s) ---
**Author:** ![ShadiRoxan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@ShadiRoxan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadiRoxan)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noteworthy-music-from-tv-show-episodes/532453/14 "2010-03-17T12:39:34Z")
Jeff Buckley’s version of Hallelujah in that episode of Scrubs with Jordan’s brother. The song has been used all over, but that’s the place it sticks out to me. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noteworthy-music-from-tv-show-episodes/532453/15 "2010-03-17T12:58:50Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > I’ve actually never seen _Grey’s Anatomy_, but when _Supernatural_ parodied it recently, they played this absolutely ridiculous music. I have been assured that it’s a pretty good representation. [Stupid music begins at about four minutes in.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtI8UwKCR3s) Ideal example of the ridiculous choices: 1. lyrics make you wonder what’s being said there which divide your attention between lyrics and inane dialog 2. inappropriate time for music 3. volume (at least on Grey’s) too high This last feature indicates they have an ex-CBS sound engineer managing things. Have you ever heard a CBS football game where you could hear the announcer plainly? Crowd noise to max! Whenever possible we mute the TV and listen to some radio coverage so we can hear what’s being said about the stuff we can’t see for ourselves. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noteworthy-music-from-tv-show-episodes/532453/16 "2010-03-17T13:44:40Z")
Sales of Billy Vera’s At This Moment went through the roof when it was used on an episode of Family Tuies where Alex & Ellen first danced together. I fell in love with Green Day;s Good Riddance when I first heard it ob Seinfeld. For what it’s worth, it was worth all the while. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noteworthy-music-from-tv-show-episodes/532453/17 "2010-03-17T13:48:12Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > if you have some that you felt were particularly on target for the show involved Got to go with “Eve of Destruction” from that Greatest American Hero episode where the left-leaning schoolteacher who came of age in the '60s needs to step up and avert an impending nuclear launch; he’s reluctant and none too sure of himself, but gets increasingly resigned to trying as best he can as the music builds and he realizes that nobody else can get the job done. The whole thing was, surprisingly, played absolutely straight. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noteworthy-music-from-tv-show-episodes/532453/18 "2010-03-17T13:48:40Z")
My Name is Earl had a great soundtrack on nearly every episode.