My Favorite TV Soundtracks

Back when CDs were a thing, TV series soundtracks were also a thing.  Over the years I have collected a fair share of soundtracks from some of my favourite television shows of all time.  Each album is a collection that captures the essence of the show, its characters and some of its seminal storylines; indeed, every time I listen to one of the soundtracks in my collection, I am reminded of a character that I loved or loathed, an episode that made me laugh or cry, or something that I was going through at the time the show was on the air (i.e. before the days of streaming and you had to wait a whole week to watch the next episode).

Here is a list of my seven favourite TV soundtracks (in no particular order):

The L Word: Season 2

 

The groundbreaking show about a group of lesbian and bisexual friends living in Los Angeles premiered in 2004 and ran for six seasons (a new sequel, titled The L Word: Generation Q and featuring some of the original cast members, was released in 2019).  The series produced several soundtracks featuring songs from and inspired by the show and included many queer artists, including Tegan and Sara, The Gossip, Rufus Wainright, Peaches and Betty.  My favourite is the season two soundtrack.

Standout tracks:
Mmmmnn - Grandadbob
Where Do I Begin - Shirley Bassey and awayTEAM
Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin 
On The Verge - Le Tigre

Dawson's Creek

The show about the teen foursome with a penchant for long-winded speeches and oversized shirts and sweaters: doe-eyed Joey Potter, troublemaker Pacey, tormented Jen and Dawson, the oldest sixteen-year-old in television history (except perhaps for 90210's Andrea Zuckerman).  The show ran from 1998 to 2003.

Standout tracks:
Letting Go - Sozzi
I Don't Want To Wait - Paula Cole
Lose Your Way - Sophie B. Hawkins
London Rain (Nothing Heals Me Like You Do) - Heather Nova

Roswell

Another late 90s/early 2000s show that I was obsessed with.  I later bought the box set on DVD and enjoyed it just as much the second time around.  Set in Roswell, New Mexico, the show centred around three (and later four after the annoying AF Tess joined the group) aliens with superpowers trying to blend in to society as ridiculously good looking human teenagers.  The show debuted in 1999 and the final episode aired on 14 May 2002. 

Standout tracks:
Here With Me - Dido
Fear (Hybrid's Super Collider Remix) - Sarah McLachlan
I Shall Believe - Sheryl Crow
Shining Light - Ash

Charmed: The Book of Shadows

Who could forget the electrifying series about three sisters and powerful witches, aka The Charmed Ones, who used their powers to help and save innocent people from demons and warlocks (and sometimes falling in love with the latter *cough* Phoebe).  In between saving the citizens of San Francisco and remodelling their house after countless attacks by evil entities (they must have had the best homeowner's insurance ever), they also found time to run a nightclub called P3.  The series ran from 1998 to 2006.

Standout tracks:
Fallen (Dan The Automator Remix) - Sarah McLachlan
Free (Swiss American Federation Club Mix) - Sarah Brightman
Unbroken - Missy Higgins
How Soon Is Love - Love Spit Love

Queer Eye For The Straight Guy

Okay, so not a scripted show, but the original QEFTSG was super entertaining and a weekly highlight on my viewing calendar.  The five experts in fashion, grooming, interior design, food and culture were known as the "Fab Five" and joined forces to help a "straight guy" make some positive changes in his life, often accompanied by some emotional breakthroughs as well.

Standout tracks:
All Things (Just Keep Getting Better) - Widelife
You Promised Me (Tu Es Foutu) - In-Grid
Everybody Wants You To Emerge - Fischerspooner/Billy Squier mashup
Slow (Chemical Brothers mix) - Kylie Minogue

Grey's Anatomy: Season 3

I have been a loyal fan of the show since the first season (way back in 2005) and I'm still tuning in every week 16 seasons later.  The show has produced some iconic moments in television history and often a powerful, moving song accompanied those moments (let's not talk about Denny's Death and Chasing Cars - which has since become the unofficial Grey's theme song).

Standout tracks:
A Cold Wind Will Blow Through Your Door - Bill Ricchini
The Story - Brandi Carlile
Keep Breathing - Ingrid Michaelson
Come To Me - Koop

True Blood: Volume 1

Another favourite show with a supernatural storyline, featuring vampires, faeries, telepaths, werewolves and witches, set in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana.  It included some of the most memorable characters in TV history (Sookie Stackhouse and her brother Jason, Eric, Pam, Lafayette, Alcide) and, since it aired on HBO, there was a decent amount of sex and nudity that added a spicy element to the gripping plot.  The series premiered in 2008 and concluded in 2014.

Standout tracks:
Bad Things - Jace Everett
Lake Charles - Lucinda Williams
Two - Ryan Adams
Bones - Little Big Town