Music on television

Mad Men

From a little recognised British drama to one of the most popular shows on television. Mad Men, a bitingly authentic study of advertising agencies in the 1960s, is famed for its utterly captivating score. Composed by former trombonist David Carbonara, Mad Men features cooler-than-cool original jazzy soundscapes and perfectly selected period pieces by the artists as diverse as Miles Davis, Chubby Checker and Yma Sumac. Few shows have matched their visual imagery as perfectly to their sonic environments, but Mad Men absolutely nails it, with show-runner Matthew Weiner notoriously anal about meticulously maintaining the period vibe. The music, as in the case of The Rolling Stones, Sonny and Cher, The Tornados and Nancy Sinatra, is always perfectly matched to the onscreen events without ever lapsing into cliché, which is testament to the brilliance of its selectors.

Vinyl

There are few things better in your listening life than when a currently running show has amazing music, and when that current show is about music, even better. HBO’s new Vinyl very comfortably falls into that category, blending some of the best 1970’s rock, hip-hop, punk, and disco into one music-fueled saga. You’ll find some Iggy Pop, Tower or Power, Elvis Costello and many others great artistes and songs. Whether you adore the series or have experienced one too many grungy underground rock dramas, the soundtrack for the series is divine, which probably has a lot to do with one of the show’s executive producers, Mick Jagger.

Hannibal

Widely praised for its aesthetic wonderment, Hannibal is an artistic masterpiece even among the many that have been made for contemporary television. It is gorgeous, with every shot stylised to the point that the show becomes hypnotic. Its beauty belies the darkness of the stories and themes. Fittingly, the score balances this stylised gorgeousness with dark and terrifying moments. The soundtrack is grandiose and alluring. The music never stops, making Hannibal an immersive audiovisual experience, and turbulent sounds clash with slowed down classical pieces. It is like an ambient soundtrack without any of the comforts or wallpaper-like subtlety of ambient music. Percussion is a major component, and it is impossible to recall any scene from the show without thinking of clattering drums and cymbals filling the soundscape. Rather than playing on the usual "scary" tropes of TV horror soundtracks, Brian Reitzell's score is far more in line with the avant-garde soundtracks of Morricone and Goblin in 1970s Italian horror. It works majestically.

The OC

When you think of great musical moments on television, it’s hard not to think of The O.C. After all, this was a show that ended its first season with a guest performance of Jem covering Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed.” The show’s popularity and dedication to filling scenes with amazing songs and performers even helped the performers. One of the biggest reasons why Death Cab for Cutie signed with Atlantic Records was because of their exposure on The O.C., and the show is credited with helping to launch The Killers to mainstream success. This is all at the hands of Alexandra Patsavas, the show’s music supervisor and a major reason why your teenage years were filled with so much great music.

Scrubs

You may remember this hospital comedy as a fast-talking joke machine, but we remember the series for its incredible and heartfelt soundtrack. The show features several songs you roll your eyes at now, like The Fray’s “How to Save a Life” and Dashboard Confessional “Stolen,” but Scrubs introduced several of these songs and artists to mainstream audiences. Music was a huge part of the show, often blending in-episode performances with JD’s imagination and non-diegetic songs. More importantly, most of the music moments were incorporated with Scrubs’ signature blend of heartfelt sincerity and humor, like this version of Men at Work’s “Overkill.” Scrubs showed us just how much great music could enhance already great television. This is all thanks to Christa Miller, who acted as the show’s unofficial music supervisor and played Jordan Sullivan.