I don't think it comes as a shock to most of you that one of my life goals is to somehow be a music supervisor (and that I have it out for Bruce Gilbert, who consistently uses songs I've carefully tucked away for the off-chance that I do become one). Anyway, yesterday there was an article on IndieWire about some of TV's top music moments, as chosen by several critics. I have to say that I was overall disappointed with their choices. Someone listed The Sopranos finale as one of the best music choices and I just have to disagree on that one. Of course, listed throughout was probably the quintessential music moment: "Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap in The O.C. when Marissa shoots Trey. If you didn't watch The O.C. (you very well should), then you probably heard of the SNL parody of that scene.
In any case, I'm shooting this out to y'all on that off chance that:
A) you read this
B) you have a response
C) you care enough to respond
But, what are some top TV music moments in your personal TV viewing history?
Here are three of mine that come to mind:
- "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" - Leonard Cohen in S1E09 of Transparent (Ed dies and there's a flashback scene when the kids first meet Ed. He tells a joke which makes Shelley hysterically laugh. Ed says "I'm only here to make you happy. L'chaim!" It then cuts and this song plays.)
- "Look on Down from the Bridge" - Mazzy Star in S1E04 of The Sopranos (At Jackie Aprile's funeral, Anthony Jr. comes to terms with Tony's real life as a mobster criminal who is likely the next boss. This is a tender father-son scene but also a bit of a coming-of-age realization for Anthony Jr.)
- "(Theme From) 'Valley of the Dolls'" - kd lang in S1E01 of Nurse Jackie (We learn of Jackie's double life as she enters her house at the end of her shift. While at work she is intensely private, closed-off, cold, and a drug addict. But, we see that she returns home to her two daughters. We also learn that she has a husband, so what was originally presented as a clandestine relationship with the pharmacist now becomes an affair. In a monologue, as the song plays, Jackie says "Make me good, God, but not yet.")
I love this question! I wish I had better answers - I'm sure I'm forgetting my top TV music moments, but here's what I came up with:
ReplyDeleteBobby Darin's "Beyond the Sea" in the X-Files episode of the same name (S1E13), particularly when it's sung by serial killer Luther Lee Boggs as a means of getting under Scully's skin. The song evokes Scully's recently deceased father. I love this sort of contrapuntal use of classic pop music.
Sam Phillips' "Reflecting Light" in S4E21 of Gilmore Girls - Luke & Lorelai dance at Liz's wedding, I swoon; followed closely by Elvis Costello's "This is Hell" as Jess takes in Stars Hollow for the first time.
And more generally -
Season 2 of Fargo, which is peppered with covers of songs used in Coen Brothers' films.
The end-credit songs in True Blood, which reflect each episode's twist in hilariously obvious ways (ie, Lynyrd Skynyrd's "That Smell" in S1E4).
Every episode of Atlanta - especially OutKast's "Elevators (Me & You)" at the end of "The Jacket."
Yes to "Reflecting Light"!!! I loved that sequence as well!
ReplyDeleteI'll hit the Leonard Cohen. "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley in West Wing, S03 E21 "Posse Comitatus," following Bartlet's go-ahead for the assassination of Qumari defense minister Abdul ibn Shareef, brother of the Sultan of Qumar, and after C.J. Cregg's Secret Service bodyguard Simon Donovan is killed in a robbery of a bodega in New York. I cry.
ReplyDeleteFriends S02 E08 "The One with the List," where U2's "With or Without You" plays.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAznrm7BAcg
DeleteAbsolutely "Hide & Seek" by Imogen Heap was an incredible use of music during a TV show!
ReplyDeleteQuite honestly alot of mine come from Seth MacFarlane's two shows "Family Guy" and "American Dad" specifically the musical numbers which some are highly controversial (and for good reason) and some are just fun! However I tried to think of moments where they weren't musical numbers and just music was used for some of my examples:
1. "The Life of Brian" - Family Guy S12E3 - the scene when Brian dies on the table; scenes where animals die are always extremely emotional for me and the musical score really contributed to it.
2. "And Then There Were Fewer" - Family Guy S9E1 - The music throughout actually really stood out and it's one of their longest episodes too; In a bonus feature later on Seth MacFarlane discusses how he actually hired a real live orchestra to create the music to almost give it a flare of sophistication, which I thought was an interesting choice. This especially worked because this episode for many is one of their best (including myself).
3. "AT: The Abused Terrestrial" - American Dad S2E12: Granted this episode in general I didn't find funny, (because it makes light of domestic abuse situations), One moment in the episode, before any poking fun of abuse happens, is when Roger the alien sings a song called "When I Was His Alien", where he is dealing with the fact that the son of the family Steve doesn't want to hang out with him anymore. This always stood out to me because it was such a perfect moment of ridiculousness perfectly encapsulated in a traditional ballad type musical number that you would hear from a broadway musical. If anyone wants to here the song the link it below, it's actually quite a lovely song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nautzwsIYFQ