Top 10 Songs That We Can't Separate from TV Scenes

“ER” (1994-2009)

In its eighth season, the long-running medical drama saw the exit of its central physician, Dr. Mark Greene. Greene was the show’s most stalwart and steady presence. Losing him to a brain tumor was a gut punch for viewers everywhere. His death scene is almost achingly serene. With his daughter, Rachel, at his bedside, Greene spends his last moments on screen listening to Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s version of “Over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz.” The contemplative, ukulele-heavy rendition continues over the dying doctor’s memories of his family. It’s a proper sendoff for a beloved character.

“You” (2018-)

Joe Goldberg is a mentally ill stalker who meets his match in Love Quinn, a woman with a psyche as broken as his own. There was no way their twisted marriage was going to end in anything other than murder. It was just a question of who would emerge the winner. Joe’s victory lap, in which he stages their house to look like a tragic double murder, is scored by the somber Taylor Swift and Bon Iver duet. “Exile,” a track from Swift’s 2020 “Folklore” album, provides an eerie underscoring as we watch Joe efficiently stage his own death by his dead wife’s hand. It’s hard to shake those images when you hear the song again.

“The Umbrella Academy” (2019-24)

The Hargreeves family of dysfunctional superheroes was not in the best place when they were introduced in this Netflix series. But we get a reprieve from the show’s high stakes, and a look at just how connected these siblings are, during an impromptu dance party. While occupying separate parts of the house, the Hargreeves hear the 1980s Tiffany cover of “I Think We’re Alone Now,” busting a move in their respective rooms. Not only is it the most infectious dance, but it also serves a thematic point. While they may not be unified right now, they’re all dancing to the same beat.

“American Horror Story” (2011-)

Originally recorded by Shirley Ellis in 1964, “The Name Game” is a fun, word game-turned-novelty song. The tune earned new life in an instantly iconic sequence on “American Horror Story: Asylum.” Near the end of the horror anthology’s second season, Sister Jude finds herself a patient in the very mental hospital she used to rule with an iron fist. Her escape from her tortured reality sees actress Jessica Lange decked out in a splashy retro get-up, leading a novelty dance straight out of a mod 60s musical. It’s equal parts unhinged, tragic, and hilarious.

“Scrubs” (2001-10)

The show may have continued for another, ill-conceived season that switched up the entire dynamic, but diehard “Scrubs” fans know the series ended for real in its eighth year. On a show full of impactful needle drops, the original finale’s use of this cover by Peter Gabriel is probably the most satisfying. Dr. Dorian faces leaving Sacred Heart Hospital and his best friend, Dr. Turk, behind. After an episode of premature goodbyes, he says his real farewell to the place as he walks through the corridors, seeing visions of his friends, colleagues, and former patients. “The Book of Love” is the soundtrack of the rest of his life, played out before him on a movie projector screen.

“The Sopranos” (1999-2007)

It’s hard to stake a claim on a song as ubiquitous and beloved as this 1980s Journey classic. HBO’s seminal masterpiece may have done just that. The last time we see mob boss Tony Soprano and his family, they’re meeting for dinner, munching on onion rings, and trying to parallel park, all while the jukebox plays the familiar tune. It’s business as usual, except it’s not. Every person in the place, we realize, is a potential assassin. Or, maybe not. Suddenly, “Don’t Stop Believing” becomes a haunting soundtrack for Tony’s paranoia. The episode, and the song, cuts to black with no resolution. In an instant, this track has become linked with one of the most head-scratching series finales of all time.

“Six Feet Under” (2001-05)

For five seasons, the Fisher family’s funeral home business has seen corpse after corpse come through. In the series finale, the show flips that dynamic on its head. In a meditative montage, we get a glimpse of each of the Fishers’ futures as Claire tearfully drives away. As Sia’s beautiful and pensive ballad, “Breathe Me,” plays, we see how each of the Fishers meets their end. It’s impossible to unhook the song from the scene because it’s such a seamless combination of sound and image. It’s one of the show’s best moments, and though the song has been used in other projects, this is the scene that most comes to mind when we hear it.

“The Last of Us” (2023-)

Even if you played the game, it’s safe to say most of us didn’t expect the TV adaptation to hit this hard. In the unforgettable third episode of this post-apocalyptic series, a survivalist named Bill takes in a traveler named Frank. The two fall in love, living out the rest of their years together. The Linda Ronstadt song highlights the emotional depth of their relationship, becoming their theme. From the moment Bill taps it out on the piano to the last frames when Ronstadt’s original record plays over the solemn end credits, it captivates viewers. The song saw a huge uptick in streams after the episode aired.

“Grey’s Anatomy” (2005-)

Back in its early days when the Shonda Rhimes’ medical drama had the power to completely shift the culture, it was known for introducing millions to great songs. Snow Patrol experienced this when their 2006 single, “Chasing Cars,” was featured in “Grey’s Anatomy’s” second season. Used at a seminal moment in the episode “Losing My Religion,” it became a theme of profound heartbreak. Dr. Izzie Stevens tries and fails to save her patient, Denny Duquette. She’s carried out of his hospital bed, crying, as the song’s chorus kicks in. The song would reappear a few seasons later in the show’s musical episode.

“The O.C.” (2003-07)

You want drama? Look no further than the words, “mmm whatcha say?” The teen soap, “The O.C.,” ended its second season with the shooting of Ryan’s villainous brother Trey. That would have been dramatic enough, but the choice of music ratchets up the melodrama of their brutal motel room showdown about ten notches. Ryan’s girlfriend, Marissa, intervenes and shoots Trey. All of a sudden, Imogen Heap is on the soundtrack. The moment is unforgettably scored by Heap’s haunting, vocoder-laden a cappella track, “Hide and Seek.” Ever since, the moment has been referenced and parodied by many. The most notable and impactful example may be in a “Saturday Night Live” Digital Short from 2007.


What song will you always associate with a TV moment? Let us know in the comments.