If you’re anything like me, summertime, when all the best TV shows are on hiatus, is a little sad. Luckily, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite songs from some of the best shows to binge-watch this summer. Let’s hope for great soundtracks this upcoming season, too.
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers – American Girl (Parks and Recreation)
American Girl is one of my favorite songs in the entire world. Needless to say, I was more than overjoyed when it was played during the Harvest Festival in Parks and Rec. Whenever this song gets extra attention is amazing, especially on one of my favorite shows.
Travis – Sing (The Office)
This incredibly catchy song was featured on The Office when early Jim and Pam were sharing an iPod listening to Jim’s new music. Not only did everyone swoon, but everyone also tried to figure out what song briefly had the spotlight. It sounds like a Snow Patrol song meets Aqualung, and perfectly fit the scene and all of the Jim and Pam angst.
Bloc Party – I Still Remember (The OC)
The OC is really known for it’s amazing soundtrack, and with good reason. For years, fans got to watch Seth Cohen obsess over Death Cab and Rooney. It was a great way to hear new alternative music. Perhaps one of the best songs I heard was this Bloc Party tune with the best opener ever. It just sounds like a city. It was only featured for a second, but it’s unforgettable beat was hard to miss.
Aron Wright – Song For The Waiting (The Vampire Diaries)
I can say with conviction that The Vampire Diaries is one of the most awful shows on television. However, I must give credit where it is due. And when it comes to acoustic, angsty, melodramatic
music, Vampire Diaries is on point, especially towards the end of the episodes. “Song for the Waiting” is a prime example.
M83 – Midnight City (The Mindy Project)
Unlike The Vampire Diaries, Mindy Kaling’s rom-com show is my favorite show currently airing. While she normally sticks to her catchy, instrumental soundtrack, songs like “Midnight City” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” make me fall in love with the show even more. Mindy Kaling is a genius and using this semi-depressing sounding song as a backdrop for a cliffhanger ending added the perfect touch to a season finale fans anxiously awaited.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=6RlfN8bqaw8
Jimmy Eat World – Work (One Tree Hill)
Like The OC, One Tree Hill was a show completely influenced by all sorts of music. Everything from The Cure to The Wreckers and a slew of live performances. My favorite by far was Jimmy Eat World and the performance of “Work,” which is completely opposite their song “The Middle.” It sounds so genuine and desperate that you can’t help but love it.
Lord Huron – She Lit a Fire (Catfish)
As far as reality shows, Catfish has an amazing soundtrack. It’s fairly absent from pop songs, but uses a lot of indie-rock that offer a really balancing effect to all of the overwhelming drama that is in every episode. I love Lord Huron and was overjoyed and surprised when their song was featured during an episode.
Among Savages – New York City (Gossip Girl)
I totally understand why people don’t watch teeny-bopper shows like Gossip Girl or One Tree Hill. However, their soundtracks have always been something that have made me root for them. They use songs that are completely unexpected or unheard of, like “New York City.” Just like in Catfish, the mind blowing soundtrack makes viewers so happy that the over-the-top drama isn’t as noticeable.
Fort Atlantic – Let Your Heart Hold Fast (How I Met Your Mother)
More than any other show listed above, How I Met Your Mother is truly a show that had a music supervisor who know what he was doing. Every scene had a perfectly calculated song to accompany it. Out of all of them, “Let Your Heart Hold Fast” as the backdrop to Barney and Robin’s proposal, is one everyone remembers.
Jefferson Airplane – Embryonic Journey (FRIENDS)
This short guitar piece was featured at the end of the last episode of FRIENDS. If you weren’t already crying at the ending, chances are this melancholic tune did the trick.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=1IzoiqDaG4A
