Just as we know words don’t have only one meaning, with certain connotations and other ideas they evoke, music can also be interpreted in multiple ways. For example, most people feel that instrumental music is meant to manipulate our emotions, and different aspects of Western music create “meaning.” Minor chords set a solemn mood, major tonality signifies happiness, a fast tempo reflects excitement, and so on. Ultimately, though, music is powerful and has the ability to influence people in a number of ways.
Unfortunately, though I feel as though I overlook most of the music that plays in the background of TV and movies. Granted, as a student, I multitask while I watch most of my entertainment; however, that also means that I watch a lot of TV and movies––while doing homework, getting ready, eating breakfast… (I’m not proud of it, but I also don’t regret it). Although I rarely pick up on each song played, I think that music is incredibly necessary to accompany visuals and influence our perception of them. So much so, in fact, that I have added numerous songs to my Spotify repository.
1) “Where Does the Good Go” by Tegan and Sara, Grey’s Anatomy I first started watching Grey’s Anatomy in my eighth-grade year––after hearing my peers raving about it and becoming privy to my best friend’s Netflix username and password. Everybody talked back then about Grey’s Anatomy being a high-quality and addictive show; in its 16th season, however, I seem to be one of the few still hooked! The show has arguably become of lesser quality since its inception, but I’m invested in the lives of the characters––and in discovering new music. For example, “Where Does the Good Go” by twin sisters Tegan and Sara has become one of my most-played songs on Spotify. It was first used in the episode above, “Fear (Of the Unknown)” and then again, funnily enough, in last week’s episode “My Shot.” Likewise, the show is full of fun acoustic covers of popular songs.
2) “The Dickhead Song” by Miles Betterman, The Edge of Seventeen In November of 2016, the film The Edge of Seventeen, starring Hailee Steinfeld, brought to me my favorite song of all-time. My all-time favorite song to annoy my brother with, that is… (Truth be told, I now skip the song each time it starts to play). Also known as the “Revenge Song,” “The Dickhead Song” by Miles Betterman is perfect for condemning a person who has done you wrong. Specifically, “It tells you what I think and how I feel about you, so take a seat and listen up cos every single word is true…”
3) “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers, How I Met Your Mother Popular opinion: How I Met Your Mother is a fantastic TV show. It did span nine seasons, full of main character Ted’s inability to find a wife; however, it is full of great comedic moments and haunting tunes. At least, “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers went on to haunt Ted and best friend Marshall throughout their road trip in Season 2 Episode 17, “Arrividerci Fiero,” as the tape got stuck in Marshall’s car’s player. Thankfully, the song has not yet become annoying or overplayed to me! If you’re into this song as much as I am, go check out this acoustic version by Sleeping At Last, too, linked here.
4) “Trampoline” by SHAED, Apple Macbook Air Commercial “Trampoline” by SHAED is a song that’s up-and-coming despite its appearance in an Apple Macbook Air commercial, though that is how I discovered it. Growing up in the age of iPhones and Netflix, I will say that it is rare I watch cable television except for ESPN or other broadcasts of sports games… However, I first heard “Trampoline” between quarters of a football game, immediately looked up “football commercial Apple trampoline song,” and have never looked back.
5) “Stamp of Love” by Jessica Lowndes, 90210Okay, so maybe this song wasn’t actually featured in 90210, but I did a little digging after getting into the series to find out that character Adrianna Tate-Duncan, or actress Jessica Lowndes, had also produced music outside of the show. “Stamp of Love” is not the greatest song, either, but man is it catchy!
Next time you watch a documentary, YouTube video, or even advertisement, I encourage you to listen closely to the songs lurking behind what’s on-screen. Who knows what bops you’ll find!