Best use of a song or music in a single episode in TV history

[TheHacker]

This isn't No. 1 for me but it's the first one I thought about.

Keep in mind, this first episode came on right after the Super Bowl. It was a different kind of show, a really forking good show, and then the ending, when these two seventh-graders kiss, became one of those TV moments that had everyone talking the next day.

As Wonder Years moments go, I like this one a lot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIeWfGFfuAA

Unfortunately I'm unable to hear that song without recalling that Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton went on to butcher it with their cover version, but Bob Seger's original version used in that scene was really well done. Listen to the lyrics after they say their I love yous ... well-conceived.

 

[LongTimeListener]

No show was consistently better at using music than Homicide: Life on the Street. Best single example is Peter Gabriel's "No Self Control" during a scene where they were hunting a fugitive in a train station. Couldn't find that one on Youtube, but this is one of many excellent ones...

Echo this too, and I always link "Iris" to the one where the rich girl and poor boy have a baby and kill it and the boy gets stuck taking the rap.

 

[dooley_womack1]

C'MON GUYS! EVERY COLD CASE EPISODE ENDS WITH A SONG!

(I think that's so hackneyed.)

Yeah, I know. I just think it worked well a lot of the time. The use of "do we make him for the doer?" in every episode was more hackneyed.

 

[Versatile]

This isn't No. 1 for me but it's the first one I thought about.

Keep in mind, this first episode came on right after the Super Bowl. It was a different kind of show, a really forking good show, and then the ending, when these two seventh-graders kiss, became one of those TV moments that had everyone talking the next day.

As Wonder Years moments go, I like this one a lot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIeWfGFfuAA

Unfortunately I'm unable to hear that song without recalling that Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton went on to butcher it with their cover version, but Bob Seger's original version used in that scene was really well done. Listen to the lyrics after they say their I love yous ... well-conceived.

That's one of my favorite scenes ever, more for the acting and directing than the song. It's also one of Daniel Stern's best monologues.

 

[BadgerBeer]

I think we could go with any number of Miami Vice episodes. But I always liked the Willie Nelson episode with Wanted Dead Or Alive. I hate Bon Jovi but I loved that song with Willie as an old, dying Texas ranger.

 

[Ronnie "Z-Man" Barzell]

Nick playing drums along to Rush's "Spirit of the Radio" on Freaks and Geeks.

 

[Hey Diaz!]

Mad Men pretty much has this surrounded for me. The Nashville Teens' version of "Tobacco Road", Peter, Paul and Mary's version of "Early In The Morning", Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice It's All Right" and the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" are probably my favorite show-closers.

Yup. My favorite was the Tornadoes' "Telstar" while Don was on the plane.



And the final scene of season 5, too.



Also liked the inclusion of Todd Rundgren's "Hello It's Me" to the final episode of That 70s Show, if only because it brought you back to the pilot when the song was first used.

 

[Oggiedoggie]

"Northern Exposure" consistently did a pretty god job of pairing music with scenes.

Lindsey Buckingham's "D.W. Suite" during the running of the bulls comes to mind.

 

[Bradley Guire]

C'MON GUYS! EVERY COLD CASE EPISODE ENDS WITH A SONG!

(I think that's so hackneyed.)

"Smallville" was very guilty of this. When I watched the entire series thos summer, I was exposed to a lot of shirtty pop music.

 

[JimmyHoward33]

Rescue Me had a ton of these but this one stands out:

Also Patty Griffin's Mary in Season 2 of Sons of Anarchy and Greg Holden's Lost Boy from season 5.

And Careful from HIMYM which is short and really in the background but still really well placed.

 

[Double Down]

Lot of my favorites already mentioned. "Devil Town" is the runaway winner for me. That was the moment I fell in love with the show. It's when I think the show became about the town of Dillon, not just about a football team.

"Brothers in Arms" would probably be second.

I still can't believe FNL used Wilco's "Muzzle of Bees" for the opener of the second season. That alone almost redeems the seconds season for me. In fact, I don't think any show ever got music quite as perfectly as FNL did.

GQ even did a little piece on the 10 best moments.

http://www.gq.com/sports/lists/201107/friday-night-lights-soundtrack-music-episodes

My favorite Scrubs ones are actually the funny ones, not the sad ones. The "More Than A Feeling" thing from the airband episode. Clay Aiken singing "Isn't She Lovely" from "My Life In Four Cameras." Turk trying to get Dr. Wen's briefcase back to him and he and The Todd having to fight off ninja surgeons while "Kung Fu Fighting" plays. And "Guy Love" of course.

I could probably do a Top 5 on The Sopranos alone, though, and none would be "Don't Stop Believing."

My favorite from The Sopranos is from the end of "Long Term Parking." It's a song that Chase said he plucked out of a pile and saved for like two years because he knew he wanted it for something. It plays over the very end of the episode, when Tony tries to grapple with what he and Christopher have just done while he and Carmella look at the piece of land he's basically using to bribe Carmella to stay married to him. "Wrapped in My Memory" by Shawn Smith.

The audio here sucks, but it really captures Tony's guilt, I think.

 

[Colton]

Appreciate the many links and suggestions.

Love great writing, visuals and soundtracks. There's some amazing talent in this world.