The 21 best TV soundtracks of the last 25 years

Best needle drop: “Mr. Blue,” The Fleetwoods (season 1, episode 8) partnership has taken over the culture right now thanks to and , but the pair has been producing unforgettable music for years now. Just look at their first TV venture, HBO’s wondrous limited series Watchmen, as an example. Their evocative score aces the subliminal, atmospheric vibe and displays their range. From dark ambient sounds to gospel, this Nine Inch Nails duo rises to the challenge of Damon Lindelof’s adaptation, encapsulating the show’s heavy themes like generational trauma, inherent racism, and 20th-century American politics. But the duo’s score runs alongside some clever and amusingly literal needle drops by the likes of Eartha Kitt, Frank Sinatra, David Bowie, and the great ‘70s Zambian outfit Witch. Besides, who wouldn’t chuckle at the sight of Doctor Manhattan set to The Fleetwoods’ ’50s weeper “Mr. Blue”? [Saloni Gajjar].

Best needle drop: “Salmon Stinta,” Black Belt Eagle Scout (season 2, episode 10)With Sterlin Harjo’s guidance and love, the soundtrack showcases a rich, both created by Native American artists (big commercial successes and indie folks alike) and those from backgrounds more widely represented in the American musical landscape. We get to set the tone for the show and some ’90s kid-fan service in the form of the aunties’ beloved Brandy jam “Sittin’ Up In My Room” . We’re also treated to acts like Link Wray and Big’s fave Redbone, now widely known as Native American musicians in part thanks to Rez Dogs, as well as an introduction to the beautiful vocals of , a Choctaw artist from Shawnee, Oklahoma, as her songs float in throughout the series. The track I’m hooked on, though, is “Salmon Stinta” by Black Belt Eagle Scout (of Swinomish/Iñupiaq descent), which plays as the gang is spiritually reunited with Daniel upon finally making it to California. What a scene. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Best needle drop: “Hide And Seek,” Imogen Heap (season 2, episode 24)Is one of the most, if not the, defining It’s safe the say the music was a major character here, propelling crucial moments right from episode one (with the use of Phantom Planet’s “California” setting the stage). The O.C.’s commendable mix of huge bands and indie artists made it stand out and introduced several musicians to the world by opening a wide door for them. For every Death Cab For Cutie and Modest Mouse reference or appearance, there were Dios Malos and Rachael Yamagata needle drops. Yet nothing screams melodrama more than the season-two finale’s use of Imogen Heap’s electronic yet soulful “Hide And Seek” when Marissa (Mischa Barton) shoots Trey to stop him from killing Ryan (Ben McKenzie). The sound of bullets, Marissa’s screams, and Heap’s lyrics, specifically “Mm, whatcha say?” are a perfect snapshot of The O.C.’s mad genius. [Saloni Gajjar]

Best needle drop: “Tomorrow Never Knows,” The Beatles (season 5, episode 8) ’s soundtrack is full of iconic moments, from Megan Draper’s sexy “Zou Bisou Bisou” performance to Don’s closing meditation-fueled epiphany resulting in him coming up with the legendary Coca Cola “Hilltop” ad. With the show’s ’60s setting, of course show would aim for a cut form the Fab Four. And the series’ use of “Tomorrow Never Knows” emerges as an especially inspired choice. To Don’s dismay, Megan is leaving the advertising game. As consolation, she gives him The Beatles’ Revolver, a gesture intended to gently nudge him into the modern age. He scoots the needle to the very last track to barely give the boys a shot, reclines, and closes his eyes. There’s a montage of characters embracing change. But what does Don do? He rejects it and cuts the track short, like the old square that he is. It’s a masterful character beat. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Best needle drop: “Box Of Rain,” Grateful Dead (season 1, episode 18)In , music preferences are key in communicating character: Some signal geekdom (Kenny Loggins’s Caddyshack tune), others reflect the freaks’ taste (“Zeppelin, maybe some Sabbath”) . Plus, now and then, we get something for the olds (or Millie) like the Buddy Rich Ensemble or Bobby “Boris” Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers. In the series sendoff, Lindsay finally listens to an adult’s advice (Mr. Rosso’s) and gives the Grateful Dead a spin, discovering, in the privacy of her own room, a sound that speaks to her. There’s a sense of arrival in watching her sway and revel in something she can finally claim after trying all of these episodes to fit in somewhere. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Best needle drop: “Evil,” Stevie Wonder (season 2, episode 6) With ’s carefully curated and eclectic soundtrack (and music-industry skewering), of course it makes this list, and its standout track is a Stevie Wonder tune: the latter of the two from Music Of My Mind that bookend the bizarre “Teddy Perkins” episode. Teddy hears Wonder’s music echoing from Darius’ rented U-Haul as he drives up to collect a multicolored key piano, and the two bond a little bit. It’s perfect, then, that as things have taken numerous dark turns over the course of this thing, and we end the episode with both Teddy and his brother Benny dead, police on site, and we’re left with “Evil,” the closing track from MOMM, playing over the sad scene. That’s not just a single song choice: It’s using an entire album as an episode arc. And it’s genius. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Best needle drop: “Spiders (Kidsmoke),” Wilco (season 1, episode 7) From the pilot-episode’s that lets us know these chefs are about to get cookin’ to more tender selections like by Chicago queen Mavis Staples, The Bear mines the cultural landscapes of its characters and setting to create its own unique tone. There is even , tenderly communicating the bond between Richie and his little girl as well as his newfound love for his work. However, the needle drop highlight of this series has to be the one from that —not just Wilco’s “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” as a song but specifically the live version, the one with applause, the one with the wild, pulsing energy to it as The Original Beef breaks down. Few times in television has a track felt so perfectly suited for a scene—or have those claps once it ended felt so appropriate. [Meredith Hobbs Coons]

Best needle drop: “Falling,” Julee Cruise (season 1, episode 1)Man, people are obsessed with this show—and maybe, maybe just as much with the music in it. The soundtrack has even inspired the creation of attempting to emulate its swimmy tremolo. Angelo Badalamenti’s music (composed with input and lyrics from David Lynch himself) captures all the foggy spookiness of the Pacific Northwest. And when returned for its third season in 2017, 26 years post-cancellation, contemporary artists like Sharon Van Etten and Eddie Vedder got to step in and add their own flair to the show’s sonic ambiance. Still, nothing quite transports viewers back into this weird world like the dream-pop mood setter “Falling” (the instrumental version of which became the show’s instantly recognizable theme).

Best needle drop: “Let’s Get Out Of This Country,” Camera Obscura (season 1, episode 5) The first thing that sucked me into this this fantastic sports show for people who say they don’t like sports was its needle drops—and, in particular, the above one from early episode ”Git’er Done,” when an awkward chat after a one-night-stand (between a traveling businessman from L.A. and Tyra, a high-school student stuck in the small town of Dillon) ends and Camera Obscura’s “Let’s Get Out Of This Country,” all sunny guitars and not-so-sunny lyrics (“I drowned my sorrows, slept around”), begins. The series is packed with moments like this, ones that shed light on a character while also showing off some enviable taste by the people who made it. (In the season-two premiere alone, FNL manages to cram in songs by two of the best Chicago bands of that moment—Wilco and The Ponys—as well .) What’s more, the show often feels like a sonic love letter to its shooting location of Austin, highlighting locals such as Shakey Graves (who plays the character “the Swede”), Explosions In The Sky (who provide the score), ), and even live-music haunts such as Emo’s. [Tim Lowery]