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

[BigRed]

Terrible version of this, but "Crystal Blue Persuasion" from Season 5 of Breaking Bad.
Can't believe they didn't use the song before this.

 

[Dog8Cats]

There was an episode of "Homicide" in which a biker essentially agreed to be killed in order to save his family. I think the Pretenders' "I'll Stand by You" was playing as the detectives did the crime scene as the show ended. Very moving.

Episode was "Cradle to Grave," and the biker gave himself up to his club in exchange for his daughter's mom, who ratted out someone in the biker gang and would have been whacked if he hadn't stepped forward. "A little girl's got to have her mother," was his explanation for his self-sacrifice.

The loyalty of the biker was juxtaposed with the backstabbling of the police commissioner. He asked Pembleton to do an off-the-record favor, and when it turned to shirt, the commissioner denied Pembleton's claim that he was acting at the request of the commissioner.

So, who has the greatest honor, the biker or the top cop?

Very moving episode with chillingly effective music.

 

[Versatile]

Ally McBeal does Al Green.

The last few seconds is cute.

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=4517872981690

I thought this was going to be about Calista Flockhart's old man jungle fever.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Old Time Rock 'n Roll ... by Alf.

 

[Donny in his element]

A recent series that used music really well, both for comedy and for tone, was the underappreciated NBC spy dramedy "Chuck." A nice mix of kitsch and a crapload of indie darlings, often before they broke out. Sepinwall would keep a running tally of music in his reviews.

One episode featured "Tom Sawyer" (the Rush song, not the book) prominently. Then there's this classic scene set to a cover of Mr. ROBOTO from the Season 2 finale.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ro6GhOsC5s

And my favorite tone-setter: Bon Iver's "Creature Fear" matching a huge moment in the series.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=M_9snvfoy90

 

[Colton]

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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.
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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.

One of my favorite episodes of one of my favorite series for the same reasons you stated.

And as a Seger fan, I've always loved the song, too. (And, like Rocky V, the Rogers/Easton ripoff does not exist)

 

[terrier]

"Six Feet Under" had so many great ones.

Bing Crosby's "I'll Be Home for Christmas" as Nathaniel Sr.'s limo gets plowed by a truck while Nate waits at the airport.

Nate bopping around with his toddler to X' "Los Angeles."

Contrived, but damned funny: "You Ride Up My Thighs" - Claire rebelling against having to wear pantyhose at the office.

And the "Deadwood" cellos of doom.

 

[Mystery Meat II]

Can't find the video for some reason, but I Will Wait for You by Connie Francis at the end of the dog episode of Futurama.

 

[blacktitleist]

Loved the final musical selection for "Friday Night Lights" Series finale "Devil Knows Your Dead" by Delta Spirit.

Also, as a sucker for one of my favorite TV characters, REM's "Nightswimming" playing as Brandon Walsh exits Beverly Hills.

 

[old_tony]

The Family Ties where Tracy Pollan leaves.. Billy and the Beaters -- if I could Hold You Again...

Exactly the one I thought of as i opened this thread.

 

[printit]

The Family Ties where Tracy Pollan leaves.. Billy and the Beaters -- if I could Hold You Again...

Exactly the one I thought of as i opened this thread.

Me too. This was the first national exposure for the song, which then got released as a result of that appearance.

 

[Pilot]

Most of my top choices are already on here, and Scrubs has been justly credited, but here's one more of my favorites from that series, Erasure, A Little Respect: