Poll: What’s Your Favorite TV “Soundtrack” – Or Favorite TV Show With Great Music?

A few weeks back I posted a list of my favorite movie soundtrack albums. Having done this a while, I have to say posting that list was long overdue. I did do a list of songs that could only be found on soundtracks – music recorded or released only for that particular film (i.e. “Somebody’s Baby”)- but that was a really long time ago.

And as usual, after posting a few of my favorite movie soundtracks… around a dozen or so… I opened the floor to find out what you guys’ favorite soundtrack albums are. We got some great soundtracks that I’d overlooked or frankly forgotten about as I compiled my list. From Animal House to Good Morning Vietnam, the readers of B&V came up with a great list.

In the process of folks posting those favs, one of our long term readers DMJ posted a television show on his list that he felt had great music. It had never occurred to me to include television shows in my informal poll of soundtracks. Hell, the only television show I remember having a soundtrack – and I actually think it had several – was 80s cop show Miami Vice. 

I thought I’d revisit the idea of “Our Favorite TV Show Soundtracks” and poll you guys to see what are some of the good television “soundtracks.” Doesn’t matter if they have an actual soundtrack album, I’m looking for shows with great music to accompany the drama/comedy.

I think TV shows with great music is a blindspot for me as I didn’t watch any TV for years in my early adulthood. I was more likely to be, well, out. Of course, the time in my life when I watched the most television was when I was a kid in my parent’s house.

Most of those 70s/80s shows boasted great theme music. The Rockford Files theme was fabulous. If you were a jazz guy there was the theme from Kojak. Sammy Davis, Jr. sang the theme song for Robert Blake’s Baretta. And yes, Baretta was the one with a pet cockatoo. “Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow,” indeed. That song had the great line, “If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.”

In the 80s, other than Jan Hammer’s theme for Miami Vice, I remember Magnum P.I having a cool theme song. But then again I didn’t watch much TV in the 80s. If I’m being pressed, the show with the greatest theme song was Barney Miller. But I’m getting off topic here.

Shows that I’ve watched on TV over the years may have had good theme songs, but I don’t remember, or I hadn’t remembered those shows being full of rock n roll music. Perhaps that’s why I didn’t think to expand my “soundtrack poll” to TV shows as well. I’m looking beyond the just theme songs to actual music used during the show. Thankfully the readers did.

We had some great TV soundtrack mentions on that movie soundtracks post, as follows:

• The OC – suggested by DMJ
• That 70s Show – suggested by Dr. Rock
• Tour Of Duty – suggested by Guido (aka Guy).

I’m not sure there are many television shows that released a soundtrack. I know some television shows put out soundtracks with the orchestral score and the theme music, but no actual songs on them. I love the sweeping score of Game Of Thrones as much as the next guy, but I’m thinking actual songs here.

While there might not be an actual TV soundtrack out there, full of cool rock songs, I do know there are shows that boast fantastic music. DMJ mentioned that The OC actually had a hand in breaking several artist’s music. MTV did that in my day, but again I’m getting off topic. I do think MTV was very influential in the use of music in both movies and TV shows to this day.

If I was going to put a list of TV shows that I think had/have great music – and again there’s no official soundtracks to these shows – I’d pick these two:

• WKRP In Cincinnati – This classic 70s/80s show set in fictional a Cincy radio station was a fabulous 30-minute sitcom and was the first show I remember showcasing rock n roll music. Stuff that was then-current as opposed to say, Happy Days, which had some 50s music a la American Graffitti (which was mentioned by a reader on the movie soundtrack list). Nothing wrong with 50s, but to hear “Hot Blooded” (Foreigner) or “Heartache Tonight” (Eagles) in the living room was a treat.
• Dark Winds – This AppleTV show, set on a Reservation in the early 70s out in the American Southwest is not only a great show – Robert Redford was an early producer – it’s got stunningly good music. Not only great 70s rock n roll, but some very beautiful Indigenous music that really sets this show apart.

Those are the two TV shows that spring to mind for me in terms of “shows with great music/soundtracks.” But then this is a bit of a blindspot for me.

I’m sure you all have a lot more – and certainly better suggestions – than my two. Hell, I’ll be honest I’m hoping to find some good things to binge watch. The dog days of summer have me stuck inside these days.

Please drop your suggestions in the comments section. I look forward to seeing these!