Music and Songs from ABC's Grey's Anatomy

Music sets the mood. It is why we turn on soft, slow music for romantic dinners and why fast food restaurants kick on the high energy stuff. It is also used to set the tone of a TV show or movie. ABC's Grey's Anatomy is one of the shows that utilizes music most effectively. It only stands to reason because the writers have titled each episode after a song.¹ While it is very difficult to narrow down the list, as there are upwards of seven songs featured each episode, here is a countdown of the top ten best songs used in Grey's Anatomy.

#10- "Whatever Gets You Through Today" by The Radio

The first big story line shocker of Grey's Anatomy was in the season one finale, "Who's Zoomin' Who?" when Derek's wife shows up, much to the amazement of his clueless girlfriend, Meredith. The irony of the situation peaks with the sage advice of The Radio, with their song, "Whatever Gets You Through Today."

#9- "Cosy in the Rocket" by Psapp

You cannot write about the best music from Grey's Anatomy without including the theme song, "Cosy in the Rocket" by alternative group, Psapp. The theme song has unusually bright notes brushed with beautiful techno harmony. It is all at once familiar and unique. It sets an interesting mood for the show, highlighting both the intense drama you will see and the bright odd notes to suggest the uncertainty felt by the doctors in training.

#8- "Life is Short" by Butterfly Boucher

From the premiere episode, "A Hard Day's Night," Butterfly Boucher's music shows up frequently in Grey's Anatomy. The rock singer has an almost soulful quality and showcases her vocal talents versus using too much of the band. "Life is Short" is a nice song for the beginning of the series since it asks the question, "could this be the day I waited for?"

#7- "Ruby Blue" by Róisín Murphy

I have to admit, I did not care for alternative music when I first started on my journey of trying to find new music. Alternative seemed to be a catch-all phrase for the songs and artists that were not necessarily rock, pop, or R&B...just something weird. Then I heard RóisínMurphy's "Ruby Blue" on the third episode of season two. Something in the driving rhythm and the unusual cadence caught my ear and I love listening to it.

#6- "Suddenly I See" by KT Tunstall

Another great song from episode 3 of season two is "Suddenly I See" by KT Tunstall. Tunstall's driving pop rhythms are a nice fit for the cutting edge drama. It is also a little ironic to use this in the episode, "Make Me Lose Control" when Dr. Burke suddenly learns that Dr. Yang was pregnant with his child and when the hospital staff sees a great surgeon reduced to Alzheimer's.

#5- "I Fought the Angels" by The Delgados

In season two, episode four, "Deny, Deny, Deny," Dr. Yang deals with being the patient instead of the doctor. Not only has she lost a child, but fears she has also lost her boyfriend, Dr. Burke. In a very tender moment, Dr. Burke rushes to her side in an unlikely moment of concern. While Dr. Yang pours out her heart, this song sets the perfect mood. I have to admit, even I was teary before the end of it.

#4- "Rest of My Life" by Michelle Featherstone

In the third season episode, "Don't Stand So Close to Me," Izzie receives a multi-million life insurance check, thanks to the foresight of her fiancé Denny. As she wonders what to do with the check, "Rest of My Life" plays in the background. It is a wonderful choice of music as Izzie tries to determine how best to honor his memory with the money.

#3- "Breathe In, Breathe Out" by Mat Kearny

In a special music video, Mat Kearny's melancholic vocals in the song, "Breathe In, Breathe Out" offer the viewers a glimpse of season two and three clips of the major story lines. It is a beautiful song that ties the sequences together and the theme is finding inner strength.

#2- "Timeless" by Kate Havnevik

Another artist frequently featured on Grey's Anatomy is Kate Havnevik. Her soft voice, though electronic in style, is quite soothing. The song, "Timeless," is played as Derek rescues Meredith from drowning in the third season episode, "Drowning on Dry Land." The slow song allows the viewers a chance to watch incredible action without feeling overwhelmed, especially after all the action previously aired and about to come. It is tender while urgent and you get that sense watching Patrick Dempsey act his character's feelings.

#1- "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol

One of the most moving story lines in Grey's Anatomy was arguably the love story between Izzie (Dr. Stevens) and her patient, Denny. While he fights for life, Izzie takes matters into her own hands to get him a new heart. When everything falls apart and Denny dies, this song created a very emotional tone as we watch Izzie climb into the hospital bed with her deceased beloved. This has to be one of the best choices in music so far on the show.

There are so many wonderful artists and song sequences in the show. If nothing else, I would continue watching Grey's Anatomy just for the beautiful music.

Sources:

¹http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0962364/trivia

IMDB.com- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0413573/

Heard on TV- http://heardontv.com/tvshow/Grey%27s+Anatomy/Season+4

TV Show Songs- http://www.tvshowsongs.com/greysanatomymusic.html