So many things go into making a television show successful. The acting, directing, and the plotline are all important — but what can be overlooked is the music.
The soundtrack of a show can help create the mood and help the viewers to connect with the characters.
Although almost every show has a soundtrack, there are some that stick out for its consistency to use music that paralleled the show’s vision.
Various shows on television today can be utilized to not only escape to another world but can exopse the viewer to a whole new range of potentially new music.
‘Girls'
HBO’s “Girls” first emerged onto the scene in April 2012 and has since capitalized on its witty comedy that chronicles the lives of four twentysomethings as they find their way in New York City.
The indie music that is the “Girls” background noise reflects the quirky, bohemian style of the show itself.
Aperture Music’s Manish Ravel told Billboard that most of the music featured on the show is “mixtapes, YouTube clips and MP3s circulated among the team.”
The music helps to further the theme of an episode and brings the viewer closer to the characters that show on the screen every Sunday night.
When characters Marnie and Hannah begin dancing to Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own” at the end of episode three in the first season, it’s hard to sit still and not get up and dance along with them.
In episode five of season one, the viewers learn that Hannah’s college boyfriend, Elijah, came out of the closet after he and Hannah had broken up.
The episode enlists a flasback to a party where Elijah and Hannah both exclaim when they hear Scissor Sisters’ “Take Your Mama,” implying a show with great respect to the glam-rock genre of music.
‘Friday Night Lights’
The athletic sports drama television show, “Friday Night Lights,” premiered years ago in 2006.
Even if you have only seen the first five minutes of a “Friday Night Lights” episode, you will know the importance of the music to the show.
The featured songs were often subtle, instrumental tracks, but when the time called for it, the music would pick up.
The songs would often pertain to the popular music at the time, making it easier for audiences to connect.
The indie band, Explosions In the Sky, contributes to much of the show’s soundtrack including the theme song called “Your Hand in Mine.”
The theme song is completely instrumental and fits with the overall idea of the show.
The memorable moments are even better when a popular song is played in the background.
‘Scrubs’
One of the best medical comedy-dramas on television not only brought laughs but a great musical variety.
The show premiered in 2001, and in its nine-year run, “Scrubs” consistently gave viewers a diverse soundtrack.
The music ranged from alternative rock to folk to pop.
Always helping to set the mood, the music would perfectly complement an episode’s storyline and the show’s characters.
The melodies never seemed like a filler to cover an otherwise silent portion of an episode, but rather acted as an intricate part of the show itself and aided to the storyline.
For that reason, it can be said that Lazlo Bane’s “Superman” will forever be remembered as the show’s theme song.
The comedy kept audiences laughing throughout the entire episode, until the end when it would sometimes sober up to remember the seriousness of working in a hosiptal.
The music would make the somber switch with the moment.
