BY: Alexis Eichelberger

Music for television show scenes can make or break a program. It provides emotion and drama, or it can detract and distract from it. Talented music producers stand out for jobs well done.

Here are six show soundtracks that caught our attention in recent years:

Watchmen

HBO’s one-season revival of a long-beloved graphic novel blends classical masterpieces with new classics from recent decades and sprinkles some modern favorites on top. The Watchmen soundtrack features both Mozart and George Michael, Debussy and David Bowie. Other notable inclusions are Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York,” Billie Holiday’s “You’re My Thrill,” and the soundtrack from the movie musical Oklahoma!

 

The Chi

This Showtime drama set on the South Side of Chicago is currently in its third season. While its plot follows an all-Black cast navigating their way into adulthood, the music is a testament to Black culture. The soundtrack from The Chi stays rooted in hip-hop and includes modern favorites from Kanye West, Chance the Rapper, Lil Wayne, Common and others.

 

GLOW

A series set in the 1980s promises a phenomenal soundtrack featuring some of our favorite songs from various decades. The fourth season of Netflix’s GLOW, which tells the strange tales of a professional women’s wrestling circuit, is currently in production. Some notable music inclusions in the first three seasons are Heart’s “Barracuda,” Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Gypsy,” and Aerosmith’s “Dude (Looks Like A Lady).”

 

Peaky Blinders

Once you’ve adjusted to the accents in Peaky Blinders, you can start to enjoy the smart music selection that fills the background. As the Shelby crime family expands its organized crime empire in post-World War I England, you can hear some of the best rough-and-tumble rock tracks from Black Sabbath, Radiohead, Queens of the Stone Age, PJ Harvey and the White Stripes. 

 

Atlanta

 Donald Glover created this drama-comedy, so we had high hopes for its soundtrack and it did not disappoint. As we watch the main character Earn (a Princeton dropout) try to redeem himself in the eyes of his ex-girlfriend and family, we can enjoy a soundtrack that seems lifted from today’s rap charts. Notable featured artists include Migos, Yo Gotti, Rich the Kid, Kodak Black and 21 Savage.

 

Stranger Things

We’d be remiss if we didn’t return to the ’80s for Netflix’s captivating Stranger Things. As you watch the monster-fighting kiddos save Hawkins (for the first, second and third times), take a moment to admire the playlist of the decade’s greatest hits playing in the background. Some of our favorites are “Every Breath You Take” by the Police, “Africa” by Toto, and of course, “Should I Stay or Should I Go” by the Clash.