20 songs forever tied to iconic TV scenes

In season four of HBO’s hit show Insecure, the characters Lawrence and Issa Dee show their viewers the nuances of trying to reconcile with an ex-partner. After Lawrence and his new girlfriend Condola break up, he sends an Instagram DM with a laughing emoji to Issa, prompting her to consider responding, and then the audience hears Mya’s 1998 single “Case of the Ex.” A classic track that’s perfect to showcase how people try spin the block. 

Scrubs is a medical series that follows the lives of employees at Sacred Heart Hospital. In a season five episode, The Fray’s “How to Save a Life” is heard while Dr. Perry Cox is dealing with the aftermath of the deaths of multiple patients who underwent organ transplants. Each of the patients passed away because the transplants came from a donor who suffered from rabies.  

Sometimes a song is not only used in an episode, but there are other times in which a scene references the music video. This was the case in NBC’s Grand Crew in a second season episode in which characters Sherm, Noah, and Wyatt attempt to bring a Aaron on a boys night out after going through a breakup. While they’re in the car, Usher’s hit song “U Don’t Have to Call” begins playing and the characters pay homage to the singer’s car choreography in the music video. 

Kate Bush’s 1985 single “Running Up That Hill” became a primary part of the Netflix show, Stranger Things. Although the song is featured in several episodes, one of the most memorable instances comes in season four, in which Max Mayfield is hoping to break away from Vecna’s curse. 

There’s no doubt about it that The Sugarhill Gang’s “Apache (Jump On It)” is a signature track to the ‘90s comedy sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It became a cultural moment in season six when Will and Carlton use the song in a dance routine to try to win a competition. 

After six seasons, HBO’s hit series The Sopranos came to an end. In the end scene of the series finale, character Tony Soprano walks into a diner and flips through songs on a jukebox before he chooses Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin.’” His wife Carmela and son A.J. join him at the table as other patrons in the dinner are looking around. The lyric “Don’t stop” is heard as the scene fades to black, leaving the audience to question the fate of the Soprano family in that moment. 

There are plenty of memorable music moments that occur in the Hulu drama show Reasonable Doubt. However, one that easily stands out comes in the season 3 finale in which lawyer Jax Stewart quits her job at a law firm to start her own. As she’s packing up her office on her last day and moving into her own building, Mariah Carey’s “Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise)” is played as Jax represents stepping out on faith. 

It’s not easy for television shows to run for numerous seasons, but the animated show American Dad is currently going strong through its 22nd season. In season seven, there’s a scene where characters Steve Roger are cruising through Las Vegas in a Ferrari, and the perfect song to play is Soulja Boy’s “Turn My Swag On.” 

In season one of the family sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, the lead character Malcolm realizes he can’t play street hockey, because he doesn’t have skates. Malcolm's father Hal tries to teach him how to skate as Lipps’ hit song “Funky Town” is played on the stereo. 

Phil Collins’ hit song “In the Air Tonight” helps set the tone in the pilot episode of crime drama Miami Vice. One particular scene shows detectives Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs on a mission to take down a druglord. As they’re driving around Miami in a Ferrari is when the song is heard to help set the scene. 

One of the most memorable scenes from the FX show Atlanta came in season two with the episode titled “Alligator Man.” Donald Glover stars as Earn, who goes to visit his Uncle Willy, (played by Katt Williams). During the visit, the police are called to Uncle Willy’s house as they received a call about a domestic disturbance. Uncle Willy claims he’s going to surrender to the police, but instead unleashes his pet alligator on the police to distract them as he runs away. When the alligator walks out the front door, The Delfonics’ “Hey! Love” plays as an introduction to the reptile’s presence. 

In the comedy sitcom The Office, Michael Scott and Holly Flax not only used Olivia Newton-John’s song “Physical,” but they turned it into a parody. In episode three of season five, Michael and Holly host a business ethics seminar for their coworkers. In an attempt to make it more engaging, Michael and Holly wear workout bands and sing Olivia’s song, but they change the lyrics from “Let’s get physical” to “Let’s get ethical.” 

One of the most memorable episodes on Disney Channel’s The Proud Family is when friends LaCienega, Penny, Dijonai, and Zoey form the girl group known as LPDZ. The group appears on a dance TV show called 'Hip-Hop Helicopter' in which they perform a dance routine to 112’s hit song “Dance With Me.” 

Rock band Badfinger released their single “Baby Blue” in 1972, and over four decades later, the song was featured in the TV series Breaking Bad. The song plays in the series finale when character Walter White dies in a meth lab. 

ABC’s political drama Scandal always played some classic tracks to fit a scene perfectly. One standout moment occurred in season four in which Olivia Pope and Jake are in a flashback scene dancing to Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” right before Pope is ultimately kidnapped. 

Police sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine went on to air for eight seasons, but there’s one particular scene that stands out among fans. During the cold open in the series fifth season, Detective Jake Peralta and a witness are looking at a lineup of suspects to determine who committed a crime. The witness claims she never actually saw the suspect, but she heard him sing the Backstreet Boys’ 1999 hit song “I Want It That Way,” so she could potentially identify him by his singing voice. Jake comes up with the bright idea and asks each witness to sing the song, until he ultimately joins in to sing the hook. 

ER is a TV medical drama that ran for 15 seasons, and one particular scene that stood out occurred in season eight. In an episode, Mark Green is soon dying, so he spends his final days in Hawaii as he tries to reconcile with his daughter Rachel. When Mark is taking his final breaths, Rachel says she remembers how he used to sing a lullaby to her as a baby, she then puts headphones on his ears and plays Israel Kamakawiwo'ole’s version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” 

Sia’s “Breathe Me” is always a memorable song as it was featured in the series finale of Six Feet Under. The song plays during the final scene as a montage depicts the future deaths of each of the characters. 

Medical drama Grey’s Anatomy has had plenty of emotional moments throughout its run. However, one episode that always stood out was the season two finale. In the closing scene, Izze mourns the death of her fiancee Denny, and Snow Patrol’s track “Chasing Cars” is heard to showcase the emotions within the scene. 

In the ‘90s, twin sisters Tia and Tamera Mowry starred in the family sitcom Sister, Sister. During its six-season run, there were plenty of music moments, including singers and rappers who made brief cameos. One of the standout scenes came in season five in which Tamera has to miss out on her boyfriend’s party due to doing chores around the house. It gives a Cinderella type of theme, as she does leave the house to briefly meet Jordan outside of his party. They share a dance as Usher and Monica’s hit song “Slow Jam” plays throughout the scene.