The 21 best TV soundtracks of the last 25 years

Best needle drop: “Train Song,” Vashti Bunyan (season 1 opening credits)

If Jeff Tweedy records a cover just for your show (in this case, cult-’70s singer-songwriter Bill Fay’s gentle “Be Not So Fearful”), you’re doing—to quote a recently-ended series the Wilco frontman can be spotted in—pretty, pretty, pretty good. Like the very funny spy dramedy itself, Patriot’s soundtrack is eclectic and tough to pin down but always enthralling, with choice cuts as random as “Cool Rick” (Michael Chernus) fave “Root Down” by Beastie Boys, “If I Needed You” by Townes Van Zandt (a country classic that may as well be the anthem of our main character, sad-boy spy John [Michael Dorman]), and ace globetrotting instrumentals (Amedeo Tommasi, “Noi Giovani”). Our hero’s deadpan original songs (he’s also an aspiring folkie) aren’t too shabby, either. Plus, the show makes a strong case for the music-fueled opening-credits sequence, with footage of childhood home movies masterfully set to Vashti Bunyan’s 1966 folk stunner “Train Song.” [Tim Lowery]

Best needle drop: “Running Up That Hill,” Kate Bush (season 4, episode 4)

Stranger Things conveys an era that its target teen/tween audience may not otherwise relate so well if it weren’t rendered so authentically—and meaningfully—through music. The Byers brothers’ bond over The Clash’s “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” is so powerful that it forms a portal between Hawkins and The Upside Down in seasons one and two. (It serves up some proper scares as well.) But no song on ST’s stellar ’80s-fueled soundtrack has had quite the cultural impact of “Running Up That Hill” by the great Kate Bush. Not only does it draw Max back from Vecna’s clutches, but its lyrics communicate a determination to do whatever it takes to protect and heal someone you love, a steadfastness reflected each time Lucas presses play on that Walkman to keep the girl he loves safe, with limbs unbroken, eyes in place. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Best needle drop: “Daydreamin’,” Lupe Fiasco feat. Jill Scott (season 2, episode 1)

Five years after it aired its final episode, USA’s moody psychological thriller remains one of the most unique TV shows of all time. Its soundtrack, held together by Mac Quayle’s druggy score, only added to the series’ self-referential weirdness, often making us feel like we were descending into madness right alongside Elliot. And it doesn’t get much more viscerally unsettling than when our antihero sifts through a puddle of vomit to find the Adderall pills he horked up, juxtaposed against the Kronos Quartet’s gorgeous performance of Philip Glass’ “Mishima/Opening.” Compare that with Elliot strolling the streets of Manhattan, determined to be “normal,” underscored by LEN’s obnoxious pop hit “Steal My Sunshine.” A piano version of the Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind” playing as Mr. Robot reveals its Fight Club-esque season-one twist may seem like an obvious bit of metacommentary, but it’s no less effective for being on the nose. But for my money, I’d have to give the most props to the stunner above, an utterly bewildering montage of Elliot’s precisely ordered new life, set to Lupe Fiasco’s “Daydreamin’,” that ushers in season two. [Jenna Scherer]

Best needle drop: “I Dare You To Move,” Switchfoot (season 1, episode 19)

Much like The O.C., One Tree Hill benefitted from giving its soundtrack the utmost prominence. The incredible and incredibly wide-ranging musical influences shape OTH from start to end via needle drops, live performances (Sheryl Crow! Kid Cudi! Fall Out Boy!), and even original songs like Bethany Joy Lenz’s “Halo” or her pop ballad “When The Stars Go Blue” with co-star Tyler Hilton. As for needle drops, it’s tough to pick only one. The season-three finale’s climax set to Led Zeppelin is as iconic as the Ravens winning in season four to “Heartbeats” by José González. But my underrated choice is season one’s “I Dare You To Move” by Switchfoot for Nathan and Haley’s first kiss, a perfect choice for the buildup of an angsty, awkward, yet super sweet moment (and an early glimpse at how OTH chose the right song for the right moment). [Saloni Gajjar]

Best needle drop: “Ellos Quieren Sangre,” Varsovia (season 1, episode 1)

These days, I listen to the soundtrack of this decidedly weird and wonderful HBO comedy (from creators Julio Torres, Ana Fabrega, and Fred Armisen) more than any other. Appropriately, the Latin American music used to complement this story of reverse-Ghostbusters in a fictional Latin American city is, yes, also decidedly weird and wonderful, with standouts like the infectious, cold-wavey “Náufrago” by Grado 33, spooky-fun instrumental “Union” by Perro Agradecido (off an album titled Grrreatest Shits!!!), and—the needle drop that most thrilled me and became the show’s title theme—the electro-punk cut “Ellos Quieren Sangre” by Varsovia. [Tim Lowery]

Best needle drop: “Where Does The Good Go,” Tegan And Sara (season 10, episode 24)

You might forget, 20 seasons in, that Grey’s Anatomy used to have one of the best soundtracks on television. The early seasons dropped indie-rock classics and tender singer-songwriter tracks with lethal precision to really tug on your heartstrings. Certain artists became Grey’s favorites that got boosted into the mainstream (“I’m Ingrid Michaelson. Of course the words Grey’s Anatomy are gonna be in my obituary,” the singer said in a recent TikTok.) Certain songs became synonymous with the series—when you hear the opening notes of “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol or “How To Save A Life” by The Fray, you know you’re in for an extra-emotional episode. Grey’s has used the well-up song schtick so often that at times it’s become a parody of itself. (The musical episode where characters sang “Chasing Cars,” “How To Save A Life,” and “Breathe [2 A.M.]” comes to mind.) But the first ten seasons are full of solid, well-deployed needle drops. Who among us didn’t feel a sense of catharsis when the first season favorite “Where Does The Good Go” by Tegan And Sara came back in during Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Cristina’s (Sandra Oh) final scene together? [Mary Kate Carr]

Best needle drop: “Climbing Up The Walls,” Radiohead (season 2, episode 2)

Yeah, it had to be this one—the everybody-eats-Jackie song—that stands out as defining Yellowjackets’ excellent soundtrack. The teens have been trying so hard until now to stifle the urge to chomp their dead friend, but the smell from the snow-aided slow-roasting of their pal on the funeral pyre compels them all to march zombie-like from sleep to the meat awaiting them outside. It’s hard to imagine a more perfect song to accompany this scene than Radiohead’s “Climbing Up The Walls.” First droning, then thrashing, it completes the cycle from slow march to feeding frenzy as no other ’90s anthem—of which this Showtime gem boasts plenty—can. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Best needle drop: “Alright,” Kendrick Lamar (season 1, episode 1)

With Raphael Saadiq serving as music composer and his frequent collaborator Solange as music consultant, of course Insecure’s soundtrack was gonna rule. And to properly illustrate Issa Dee’s rise from nonprofit employee at “We Got Y’all” to badass events coordinator by the end of the series, it was crucial that it did. Paired with sweeping cinematography of the L.A. vistas so dear to show creator (and Angeleno) Issa Rae’s heart, the music adds texture to each scene and deepens our relationship to the city even as mere viewers of the show. Plus, many of the soundtrack’s contributors hail from SoCal themselves, adding another layer of authenticity. To demonstrate just how strong this series started out with its musical choices, let’s reflect on the fact that its episode-one opening sequence was set to none other than “Alright” by Compton’s own Kendrick Lamar. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Best needle drop: “I Hear The Bells,” Mike Doughty (season 2, episode 22)

Even if critics didn’t see at the time, Rob Thomas’ UPN high-school whodunit was every bit as prestigious as its “prestige television” contemporaries. The soundtrack was nearly as influential as the show itself, signaled from the jump by the driving beats of the Dandy Warhols’ “We Used to Be Friends” over the opening credits. Veronica Mars made brilliant use of contemporary indie and alt-rock tracks that bridged the gap between the show’s stylish noir sensibilities and its millennial high-school cool. Witness Veronica (Kristen Bell) tailing a suspect, trusty Nikon in tow, underscored by Spoon’s funky “I Turn My Camera On” or Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring) making out with his secret paramour to tune of Tegan And Sarah’s “I Know I Know I Know.” But the needle drop that delivers the most feels has to be “I Hear The Bells” by Mike Doughty. Veronica Mars fans spent 21 episodes of season two eagerly awaiting the moment when Veronica and Logan finally rekindled their romance—arguably one of the hottest in TV history. The song’s driving guitar and swelling piano raises the stakes for the pair, and the lyrics perfectly encapsulate Logan’s frustration with the tough outer shell Veronica uses to conceal her feelings (“Your moony face, so inaccessible / Your inner mind, so inexpressible”) and his dogged determination to win her back (“I’m pushing through, I’ll disregard the cost”). Epic indeed. [Jenna Scherer]

Best needle drop: “There She Goes,” The La’s (This Is England ’90, season 1, episode 1)

Writer-director Shane Meadows already perfected the archival-footage opening-credits montage in his 2006 masterpiece This Is England, giving viewers a goosebumps-inducing snapshot of what was going on in that titular country in 1983, fads, fashions, hate crimes, and ridiculous wars and royal weddings and Prime Ministers and all. So it makes sense that he’d pull the same move for his (more melodramatic but still worthwhile) followup series for Channel 4—This Is England ’86, ‘88, and ’90—which catch up with the kids and young adults from the film during those years. It’s a sort of fictional spin on the Up documentary series treatment, but with much, much better music, allowing Meadows to delve his characters into mod-revival, Madchester-rave, and other scenes. [Tim Lowery]

Best needle drop: “Tidal Wave,” Thee Oh Sees (season 4, episode 10)

Breaking Bad merges all kinds of musical styles to amplify its stunning Southwestern setting. Fans may recall the use of the Tommy James And The Shondells smash “Crystal Blue Persuasion,” a bit of an on-the-nose albeit well-used nod to Walt and Jesse’s signature concoction: blue crystal meth. The team even cooked up a narcocorrido for old Heisenberg (as, in this universe, a drug lord of his stature would no doubt have such a song written about him). The show also folded in a treasure trove of modern cuts (The Walkmen! Alex Ebert!), and the one we’re highlighting here created the perfect ominous-yet-beachy backdrop for a pool party-turned-mass-poisoning in season four. Leave it to this show to make an otherwise pretty fun rocker so chilling. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Best needle drop: “Mr. Blue,” The Fleetwoods (season 1, episode 8)

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ partnership has taken over the culture right now thanks to Challengers and The Bear’s season-three premiere, but the pair has been producing unforgettable music for years now. Just look at their first TV venture, HBO’s wondrous limited series Watchmen, as an example. Their evocative score aces the subliminal, atmospheric vibe and displays their range. From dark ambient sounds to gospel, this Nine Inch Nails duo rises to the challenge of Damon Lindelof’s adaptation, encapsulating the show’s heavy themes like generational trauma, inherent racism, and 20th-century American politics. But the duo’s score runs alongside some clever and amusingly literal needle drops by the likes of Eartha Kitt, Frank Sinatra, David Bowie, and the great ‘70s Zambian outfit Witch. Besides, who wouldn’t chuckle at the sight of Doctor Manhattan set to The Fleetwoods’ ’50s weeper “Mr. Blue”? [Saloni Gajjar].

Best needle drop: “Salmon Stinta,” Black Belt Eagle Scout (season 2, episode 10)

With Sterlin Harjo’s guidance and love, the Reservation Dogs soundtrack showcases a rich mix of meaningful songs, both created by Native American artists (big commercial successes and indie folks alike) and those from backgrounds more widely represented in the American musical landscape. We get a Stooges proto-punk anthem to set the tone for the show and some ’90s kid-fan service in the form of the aunties’ beloved Brandy jam “Sittin’ Up In My Room” (one of the best scenes in the show, by the way). We’re also treated to acts like Link Wray and Big’s fave Redbone, now widely known as Native American musicians in part thanks to Rez Dogs, as well as an introduction to the beautiful vocals of Samantha Crain, a Choctaw artist from Shawnee, Oklahoma, as her songs float in throughout the series. The track I’m hooked on, though, is “Salmon Stinta” by Black Belt Eagle Scout (of Swinomish/Iñupiaq descent), which plays as the gang is spiritually reunited with Daniel upon finally making it to California. What a scene. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Best needle drop: “Hide And Seek,” Imogen Heap (season 2, episode 24)

Is The O.C. one of the most, if not the, defining teen drama with a cool-as-shit soundtrack? It’s safe the say the music was a major character here, propelling crucial moments right from episode one (with the use of Phantom Planet’s “California” setting the stage). The O.C.’s commendable mix of huge bands and indie artists made it stand out and introduced several musicians to the world by opening a wide door for them. For every Death Cab For Cutie and Modest Mouse reference or appearance, there were Dios Malos and Rachael Yamagata needle drops. Yet nothing screams melodrama more than the season-two finale’s use of Imogen Heap’s electronic yet soulful “Hide And Seek” when Marissa (Mischa Barton) shoots Trey to stop him from killing Ryan (Ben McKenzie). The sound of bullets, Marissa’s screams, and Heap’s lyrics, specifically “Mm, whatcha say?” are a perfect snapshot of The O.C.’s mad genius. [Saloni Gajjar]

Best needle drop: “Tomorrow Never Knows,” The Beatles (season 5, episode 8)

Mad Men’s soundtrack is full of iconic moments, from Megan Draper’s sexy “Zou Bisou Bisou” performance to Don’s closing meditation-fueled epiphany resulting in him coming up with the legendary Coca Cola “Hilltop” ad. With the show’s ’60s setting, of course show would aim for a cut form the Fab Four. And the series’ use of “Tomorrow Never Knows” emerges as an especially inspired choice. To Don’s dismay, Megan is leaving the advertising game. As consolation, she gives him The Beatles’ Revolver, a gesture intended to gently nudge him into the modern age. He scoots the needle to the very last track to barely give the boys a shot, reclines, and closes his eyes. There’s a montage of characters embracing change. But what does Don do? He rejects it and cuts the track short, like the old square that he is. It’s a masterful character beat. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Best needle drop: “Box Of Rain,” Grateful Dead (season 1, episode 18)

In Freaks And Geeks, music preferences are key in communicating character: Some signal geekdom (Kenny Loggins’s Caddyshack tune), others reflect the freaks’ taste (“Zeppelin, maybe some Sabbath”) . Plus, now and then, we get something for the olds (or Millie) like the Buddy Rich Ensemble or Bobby “Boris” Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers. In the series sendoff, Lindsay finally listens to an adult’s advice (Mr. Rosso’s) and gives the Grateful Dead a spin, discovering, in the privacy of her own room, a sound that speaks to her. There’s a sense of arrival in watching her sway and revel in something she can finally claim after trying all of these episodes to fit in somewhere. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Best needle drop: “Evil,” Stevie Wonder (season 2, episode 6)

With Atlanta’s carefully curated and eclectic soundtrack (and music-industry skewering), of course it makes this list, and its standout track is a Stevie Wonder tune: the latter of the two from Music Of My Mind that bookend the bizarre “Teddy Perkins” episode. Teddy hears Wonder’s music echoing from Darius’ rented U-Haul as he drives up to collect a multicolored key piano, and the two bond a little bit. It’s perfect, then, that as things have taken numerous dark turns over the course of this thing, and we end the episode with both Teddy and his brother Benny dead, police on site, and we’re left with “Evil,” the closing track from MOMM, playing over the sad scene. That’s not just a single song choice: It’s using an entire album as an episode arc. And it’s genius. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Best needle drop: “Spiders (Kidsmoke),” Wilco (season 1, episode 7)

From the pilot-episode’s hype tune by Refused that lets us know these chefs are about to get cookin’ to more tender selections like “You Are Not Alone” by Chicago queen Mavis Staples, The Bear mines the cultural landscapes of its characters and setting to create its own unique tone. There is even some Taylor Swift in there, tenderly communicating the bond between Richie and his little girl as well as his newfound love for his work. However, the needle drop highlight of this series has to be the one from that famed oner—not just Wilco’s “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” as a song but specifically the live version, the one with applause, the one with the wild, pulsing energy to it as The Original Beef breaks down. Few times in television has a track felt so perfectly suited for a scene—or have those claps once it ended felt so appropriate. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Best needle drop: “Falling,” Julee Cruise (season 1, episode 1)

Man, people are obsessed with this show—and maybe, maybe just as much with the music in it. The soundtrack has even inspired the creation of multiple guitar pedals attempting to emulate its swimmy tremolo. Angelo Badalamenti’s music (composed with input and lyrics from David Lynch himself) captures all the foggy spookiness of the Pacific Northwest. And when Twin Peaks returned for its third season in 2017, 26 years post-cancellation, contemporary artists like Sharon Van Etten and Eddie Vedder got to step in and add their own flair to the show’s sonic ambiance. Still, nothing quite transports viewers back into this weird world like the dream-pop mood setter “Falling” (the instrumental version of which became the show’s instantly recognizable theme).

Best needle drop: “Let’s Get Out Of This Country,” Camera Obscura (season 1, episode 5)

The first thing that sucked me into this this fantastic sports show for people who say they don’t like sports was its needle drops—and, in particular, the above one from early episode ”Git’er Done,” when an awkward chat after a one-night-stand (between a traveling businessman from L.A. and Tyra, a high-school student stuck in the small town of Dillon) ends and Camera Obscura’s “Let’s Get Out Of This Country,” all sunny guitars and not-so-sunny lyrics (“I drowned my sorrows, slept around”), begins. The series is packed with moments like this, ones that shed light on a character while also showing off some enviable taste by the people who made it. (In the season-two premiere alone, FNL manages to cram in songs by two of the best Chicago bands of that moment—Wilco and The Ponys—as well The Brian Jonestown Massacre most beautifully shoegazey track.) What’s more, the show often feels like a sonic love letter to its shooting location of Austin, highlighting locals such as Shakey Graves (who plays the character “the Swede”), Explosions In The Sky (who provide the score), Daniel Johnston (via a cover that ends season one), and even live-music haunts such as Emo’s. [Tim Lowery]

Best needle drop: “Glad Tidings,” Van Morrison (season 5, episode 13)

Back in January, when we toasted the 25th anniversary of this singular HBO show, we would have had just as tough a time paring down its best needle drops as we did its greatest episodes. Which is all to say that series creator David Chase seemingly loves rock and roll and filmmaking in equal measure—that is, a lot—seeing the artforms as intertwined and revolutionary, a thesis he basically made a whole movie about. (I wouldn’t say these are me favorites soundtrack picks on the show, but the uses of The Kinks’ “I’m Not Like Everybody Else,” Mazzy Star’s “Look On Down From The Bridge,” Johnny Thunders’ “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory,” Irma Thomas’ “Time Is On My Side,” and Van Morrison’s “Glad Tidings”—played three times over the course of an episode!—somehow, to this day, still own a bit of real estate in the back of my brain.) And in case you’re wondering just how serious Chase & Co. take music—and, in particular, rock—look no further than the episode “A Hit Is A Hit,” in which the show eviscerates a very particular, very chorus-less, very bad, very popular brand of ’90s rock via the fictional band Visiting Day. Hell, even Bob Dylan asked to record a cover for the show (Dean Martin “Return To Me,” which plays, with biting irony, as season three’s “Amour Fou” closes out). Didn’t know Dylan had to ask for anything. [Tim Lowery]