A scene is hardly complete without an emotional soundtrack to guide it — think Kate Bush’s epic anthem in Stranger Things, or Wednesday Addams’ delightful romp to “Goo Goo Muck,” both of which topped the charts again for the first time in decades. But those aren’t the only songs popularized by being featured in your favorite films and shows. From an orchestral cover of Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams” during that scene stealer in Bridgerton (yes, you know the one!) to a ’70s head-bashing tune that emphasizes a recurring motif in Russian Doll, keep reading to check out the most iconic, scene stealing songs you recognize from your small screen.
Played in Season 4 of Stranger Things, Kate Bush’s pounding anthem found new life — a whopping 37 years after it was first released — as Max Mayfield’s (Sadie Sink) grounding song that literally keeps her tied to the earth. Stuck in Vecna’s Mind Lair, Max nearly gives in to the monster, only to hear Kate Bush’s voice at the last second, leading her to escape back into the real world. She spends much of the remainder of the season in headphones, playing “Running Up That Hill” on loop; in fact, as long as she’s listening to this song, she’s able to maintain a connection to her world — and avoid being dragged back into the Upside Down.
There’s no party quite like a Lizzo dance party. And when Jenny Young (Gina Rodriguez) starts dancing to “Truth Hurts” in Someone Great, we can’t help but join in. You know the moment: Jenny and her boyfriend have just broken up, she’s sipping bourbon out of a fleet of colorful straws and pumping the song as loudly as possible in the kitchen — clad only in her underwear and a T-shirt. The scene reads as the perfect antidote (and bona fide distraction) to a breakup: Punchy pop music, wild dance moves with your best friend and screaming every lyric. It’s also the scene that launched “Truth Hurts” into the stratosphere.
Russian Doll’s opening sequence begins with Harry Nilsson crooning “Gotta Get Up” as Nadia Vulvokov (Natasha Lyonne) exits the bathroom into her 36th birthday party. To her, it starts as any other night would — drinking, smoking, finding someone to bring home — but the evening ends with her dead in the street, having been hit by a taxi. Seconds later she emerges, fully intact, back in the bathroom on the night of her 36th birthday, with “Gotta Get Up” playing once again — and again and again, as Nadia dies and comes back to life in a vicious, seemingly unending loop. The song serves as a bit of foreshadowing (the opening lyrics are the eponymous title), with Nadia literally getting up and restarting the same night to the very same tune.
Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) knows how to steal a scene — and that’s exactly what she does while dancing to “Goo Goo Muck” at Nevermore Academy. The hyper choreographed number is a treat, complete with plenty of frenetic twirling and not a hint of a smile. The psychedelic song mirrors the feverish flow of Wednesday’s movement: dark yet kooky — and arguably liberating. We witness her let loose for the first time as she prances across the dance floor, a veritable shift in her demeanor and character development. The song has gone viral across TikTok and racked up over 46 million streams on Spotify.
An original song from The Witcher, “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher” became a viral hit within days of the show airing. Sung in the show by Jaskier (Joey Batey), the bard who follows around Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), the tune showcases Geralt’s heroic ventures. It was so popular after its release that it was remixed and covered hundreds of times by fans on YouTube, resulting in translations into at least 13 languages including Polish, Spanish and Russian.
The Party may have been saving the world from monsters and Russians during Season 3 of Stranger Things, but Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Suzie (Gabriella Pizzolo) still find time to have a duet of Limahl’s “Never Ending Story.” Dustin radios Suzie to ask for a certain equation at a pivotal moment, but Suzie will only give it to him after he’s sung “Never Ending Story” with her — and everyone, including Mike, Will and Steve are on the line listening. The tender display shows how two kids, thousands of miles away from one another, can share a touching moment together over one mutually loved song. Plus, the tune comes back to haunt Dustin in Season 4 when his friends poke fun at the memory.
Lady Whistledown may be divulging all the raucous mischief on her gossip pages, but Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page) are getting up to their own shenanigans — to the tune of Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams.” Yes, we’re talking about those extra steamy scenes, where the newlyweds flit from the library ladders to the gardens and rainy steps of the mausoleum, discovering their bodies anew to a crescendo of violins, violas and cellos. Composer Kris Bowers worked with the Vitamin String Quartet and Duomo to curate a slew of classical renditions of pop songs, including Rihanna’s “Diamonds” and Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own.”
Bo Burnham transformed his time stuck at home during quarantine to write and direct Inside, and with it came plenty of masterpieces. “Bezos I” is just one of many hilarious and genius songs the comedian wrote, racking up over 177 million streams on Spotify and used thousands of times as a TikTok soundtrack. Thanks to the heavy synths and pounding drums, the song feels like something you’d hear at an EDM rave, but listen a little closer and it’s simply parody, expertly making fun of the country’s foremost billionaire, satirizing the downfall of capitalism and highlighting the stark divide among the 1% and everyone else. The under-a-minute song culminates with a grating scream from Burham — one that feels entirely powerless.
Serving as the theme song to Money Heist, “My Life Is Going On” expertly fits the dark and unsettling mood of the hit Spanish show. Spanish singer Cecilia Krull’s heavy anthem sets the tone for each episode, providing a glimpse of the uneasiness that’s sure to come. Each time you hear the song, the pounding bass and ever-growing cacophony instantly transport you to the streets of Madrid and the claustrophobia of being trapped in the Spanish Royal Mint — with no obvious escape in sight.
Although Sex Education is set in present day, it relies on a flourish of ’80s hits — from Billy Idol and The Smiths to Talking Heads and Salt-N-Pepa. One of those hits, “Seventeen,” by Sharon Van Etten, serves as the backdrop to a powerful moment at the end of Season 2. Aimee (Aimee Lou Wood), who was sexually assaulted on the bus earlier in the season, is finally riding the bus for the first time since her attack. Surrounded by her friends, she tentatively boards with “Seventeen” softly playing in the background. As she sits down amongst her schoolmates, the song bursts into the chorus — just as she takes back her power.
