10 Overused Songs in Television
If you’ve ever seen any crime dramas on CBS you’ll know that nearly every show ends with some sort of sad, provocative music. The music scenes aren’t exclusive to CBS, although, they can also be heard on shows like House MD, Scrubs, and Grey’s Anatomy. The music scenes can make the show great, but could they use different music sometimes? Here are ten overused songs in television:
1. “How to Save a Life” by The Fray
Where you’ll hear it: Medical shows, particularly when someone dies or is near death
2. “Boston” by Augustana
Where you’ll hear it: Romantic dramas, someone is leaving forever
3. “Fix You” by Coldplay
Where you’ll hear it: Crime or Medical Dramas, a close friend dies
4. “Collide” by Howie Day
Where you’ll hear it: Romance of some sort
5. “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley
Where you’ll hear it: Successful case, bad guy(s) go to jail
6. “Superman” by Five for Fighting
Where you’ll hear it: Cop screws up, drinks the memory away
7. “100 Years” by Five for Fighting
Where you’ll hear it: Marriage, long relationship
8. “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie
Where you’ll hear it: Mysterious love, someone is leaving
9. “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol
Where you’ll hear it: Medical show, doctors working hard, can’t help everyone
10. “You and Me” by Lifehouse
Where you’ll hear it: Hard times, unrealized relationship
August 15th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Haha! So very true! I think I’ve heard pretty much all of those songs on a show I watch. Good songs, but definitely overplayed.
August 15th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Seems like you just copy pasted all of the songs that have ever been on Scrubs.
August 15th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
@AccessBlack
Yep, as well as House MD, Grey’s Anatomy, Cold Case, and CSI.
August 15th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
So basically 5 shows.
August 15th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
@peeved
yep but those shows are quite popular so lots of people will recognise the songs
August 15th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Wait, there can never be too much Jeff Buckley.
August 15th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Yea, their over played, but I still love them.And the shows.
August 15th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Gotta say, like most of the list but can’t go with the Jeff Buckley.
August 15th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
i know i hear them a lot
i watch scrubs csi and house
good shows
but i still love these songs
i mean being overused doesnt mean the songs meant for uveruse and just gimmicky
they are overused because in my opinion they are so good
August 15th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
over**
August 15th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Without the songs, I don’t think the show would be as powerful. It would just end. Think about Scrubs just ending without any music. I wouldn’t watch the show or consider it anything special.
August 15th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
You forgot that Peter, Bjorn and John song “Young Folks.” last fall that song was all over every show.
August 15th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
@Becky Yes, the whistle song. I think I heard on late night talk shows more than anything.
August 15th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
Oh and don’t forget about Breed Obsession by Gyroscope, I hear that song everywhere.
August 16th, 2008 at 4:22 am
When I began your list, I had never heard the deathcab song on any show. But I KNEW it had to be on the list and I was not disappointed! There it is, lol.
A good song that was on House and I heard elsewhere was “Matthew Ryan – Follow The Leader”. Follows the same rules lol.
I HATE that lifehouse song. >_< good list though.
August 16th, 2008 at 6:03 am
I’d never heard any of these until now. Go figure.
August 16th, 2008 at 8:21 am
Don’t forget these have also been overused on Smallville!
August 16th, 2008 at 10:29 am
If you listen to ‘Clubbed to Death’ by Rob Dougan you’ll see it’s played tons as well in drama’s and adverts. I do agree with this list though. Directors shouldd listen to some music every so often.
August 16th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
[...] http://r3fresh.com/2008/08/08/10-overused-songs-in-television/ [...]
August 16th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Push play on “superman” and “100 years” at the same time and you realize how Five for Fighting ripped off one of their own songs to get a quickie second hit!!
August 16th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
i never watch tv but have actually heard a few of these on the rare occasions i’ve flipped through primetime shows in the last year or two, which probably means they come on a lot.
seeing as how i don’t watch tv much though, i’m not sick of buckley, that’s one of the greatest songs ever, even if it is a cover.
August 16th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
If you play all the songs at the same time… your computer starts doing jumping jacks.
August 16th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
The Funniest thing is I’ve heard all of these songs at least 5 times on Smallville before
August 17th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
TV is emoooo
August 18th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Great article. It would be interesting to see an expansion of this that goes beyond contemporary/indie rock.
August 18th, 2008 at 8:29 am
[...] vorm van inspiratie. Er zijn echter een aantal nummers die zo ongeveer in elke serie terug komen. R3fresh.com heeft ze voor je verzameld en ik moet zeggen dat een aantal nummers zeker herkenbaar [...]
August 22nd, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Pretty sure… that IS Grey’s Anatomy. Or ANY show on ABC primetime.
August 22nd, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Carmina Burana, by Orff. it’s got to be in just about every show at some point or another. Listen yourself and see…. http://www.emusic.com/album/Vladimir-Dolezal-ORFF-Carmina-Burana-MP3-Download/10871877.html
August 23rd, 2008 at 1:15 pm
@Justjoeindenver
I’ve obviously heard this song before, but it’s played to denote some type of war between two or more people.
September 10th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
a list of overused songs isnt complete without hellogoodbye covers.
September 11th, 2008 at 5:38 am
Heartbeats by Jose Gonzalez (sp?) is another one. And Winter by Joshua Radin
September 11th, 2008 at 11:52 am
well, i havent heard most of these songs since i dont watch shitty television
September 16th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
“well, i havent heard most of these songs since i dont watch shitty television”
A friggin’ men brother.
October 31st, 2008 at 5:51 am
this is so true i used to love some of these songs until they over killed then on tv
July 22nd, 2009 at 9:48 am
As soon as I saw the title, I knew How To Save A Life would be on there somewhere, and there it was, top of the list. ^^ I’ve heard it twice on Scrubs, once seriously when that women got rabies and died, and again when JD made a joke about ‘that Fray song’, but he actually meant She Is. It was funny.