10 Best TV Music Moments of 2007
The nonstop reruns of My Super Sweet 16 and The Hills has made one thing clear in 2007 - rich girls have taken over MTV. I’m not sure if this is metaphorically speaking or if an actual group of armed debutantes has hijacked the station’s control room. Either way, the past year has continued to see the shrinking of the “M” in “MTV.” Lucky for viewers thirsty for more tunes in their tube, there’s been some truly memorable music moments on some of 2007’s best TV series (and I’m not talking about just having a really hip soundtrack, McDreamy fans).
Below you can check out Hypeful’s 10 Best TV Music Moments of 2007 along with video clips, related tracks, and an explanation for each ranking. As always, I can’t wait to hear your thoughts about the year’s best music moments on the small screen…
TV SERIES:
South Park
EPISODE: “Guitar Queer-o”
WHY IT MADE THE LIST:
The success of Guitar Hero secured the video game a spot in this year’s pop culture pantheon - which is exactly where the South Park guys are keen on looking for material. More than just a satire on kids’ interest in video games supplanting traditional instruments, the episode also cleverly parodied the tired clichés of the musician biopic.
MP3:
Kansas - “Carry On My Wayward Son”
VIDEO:
TV SERIES:
Lost
EPISODE:
“Through the Looking Glass”
WHY IT MADE THE LIST:
After a slow start, the third season of Lost wrapped up with a doozy of a finale. While every character seemed more integral to the show’s storytelling than usual, one of the most important was arguably the doomed rocker Charlie. Finally accepting his tragic destiny, musician Charlie used his talents to turn the melody of “Good Vibrations” into a code that restores communications on the island. Although it ultimately led to Charlie’s demise, “Good Vibrations” played a pivotal role in both his character’s arch and the ever-expanding mythology of the island’s secrets.
MP3:
Beach Boys - “Good Vibrations”
VIDEO:
TV SERIES:
Veronica Mars
EPISODE:
“Debasement Tapes”
WHY IT MADE THE LIST:
Playing an amalgamation of almost every washed-up ’90s rocker without a VH1 series, Paul Rudd’s very funny guest role on Veronica Mars sadly did not save the series. However, alcoholic has-been rocker Desmond Fellows was the perfect role to show that almost no one is better than Rudd at straddling the comic line between unctuous and suave. For a series that featured a Dandy Warhols-penned theme and guests like Spoon’s Britt Daniel, Rudd was an entertaining standout who only made the show’s swan song all the more tragic.
MP3:
The Dandy Warhols - “We Used To Be Friends”
VIDEO:
TV SERIES:
Saturday Night Live
EPISODE:
“Season 33 Premiere Hosted By LeBron James/Kanye West”
WHY IT MADE THE LIST:
After Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad asserted in a speech that his country doesn’t have any homosexuals, SNL’s Andy Samberg had a gold mine of material to pull from such a ridiculous statement. For the first SNL digital short of the season, Samberg enlisted the help of Fred Armisen, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, and Jake Gyllenhaal to disagree with the remark and help serenade Ahmadinejad with nothing but guy-love.
MP3:
Andy Samberg - “Iran So Far (feat. Adam Levine of Maroon 5)”
VIDEO:
SNL - Iran So Far
TV SERIES:
The Office
EPISODE:
“Beach Games”
WHY IT MADE THE LIST:
It’s rare that the employees of Dunder-Mifflin accomplish anything harmoniously. However, this ep finds the group stuck on a bus together and united in common by one very special song - Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler,” of course. Other series probably would have done a much more broad parody of the Almost Famous “Tiny Dancer” bus singalong, but The Office gang keep the scene brief, casual, and very funny.
MP3:
Kenny Rogers - “The Gambler”
VIDEO:
TV SERIES:
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia
EPISODE:
“Sweet Dee’s Dating a Retarded Person”
WHY IT MADE THE LIST:
Despite the title, most of the best laughs in this episode don’t come from Dee’s love interest. Instead, the show’s highlights involved silver costumes, choreographed claps, and (oh yes!) Danny DeVito on drums! Not to mention the awesomeness that is the gang’s songwriting - “Night Man” and “Day Man” are standout scenes from the season.
MP3:
Electric Dream Machine - “Day Man”
VIDEO:
TV SERIES:
Flight of the Conchords
EPISODE:
“Bowie”
WHY IT MADE THE LIST:
The entire first season of Flight of the Conchords could be considered one of 2007’s best TV music moments. So, picking a particular Conchord instance as the best is no easy task. However, the “Bowie” ep incorporated some truly hilarious references and homages to the androgynous singer. Jemaine’s ever-changing Bowie impression was ace and the original Space Oddity-inspired video is one to watch.
MP3:
Flight of the Conchords - “Bowie”
VIDEO:
TV SERIES:
30 Rock
EPISODE:
“Jack Gets in the Game”
WHY IT MADE THE LIST:
Demonstrating just how fast 30 Rock delivers the ha-ha’s, “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah” was merely a six-second reference about a 1980s novelty song and music video recorded by Tracy Jordan. However, fans turned the “Thriller”-like montage of badly made-up werewolves celebrating a coming-of-age ceremony with lame disco moves into an internet sensation. Expect the lyrics “Boys becoming men, Men becoming wolves” to show up on a lot of Halloween playlists next year.
MP3:
Tracy Jordan - “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah”
VIDEO:
TV SERIES:
The Colbert Report
EPISODE:
“Rock and Awe: Countdown to Guitarmageddon”
WHY IT MADE THE LIST:
Okay-the episode originally aired in late December of last year, but it was too late to make it onto our best of 2006 list and it’s an ep that deserves tremendous props. After all, a full Report was dedicated to settling the much-hyped feud between Stephen and “hyperliterate prog rockers” The Decemberists with very amusing results. Boasting an impressive and diverse roster of cameos, including 60 Minutes‘ Morley Safer (who explained the battle would crown a “Socrates of shred”) and the Apples in Stereo’s Robert Schneider (who performed a song dedicated to Stephen’s awesomeness, of course), the episode was another shining example of why Stephen is being robbed of precious Emmys.
MP3:
The Apples in Stereo - “Stephen, Stephen”
VIDEO:
TV SERIES:
The Sopranos
EPISODE:
“Made in America”
WHY IT MADE THE LIST:
In what will likely be remembered as one of the most divisive finales in TV history, The Sopranos‘ big ending was easily one of the most-talked about events of 2007. As Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” played from a jukebox and shadowy characters hovered around Tony and his family while they quietly ate onion rings, Steve Perry’s music memorably helped the foreboding scene’s escalating tension and sense of inescapable doom. Journey ultimately played a very pivotal role in helping send-off and conclude one of TV’s greatest stories.
MP3:
Journey - “Don’t Stop Believin’”
VIDEO:
- Flight of the Conchords Season 2 Premieres In Two Weeks!!!
- Flight of the Conchords Pilot
- Flight of the Conchords Announce Second Season; Tour
Great list–that Sopranos clip still gives me chills. I was going to suggest Baltimore Boys Choir doing “Way Down in the Hole” on The Wire for honorable mention … until I realized that Season 4 was in 2006.
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[...] like “Imagine Christmas wishes shooting out of your eyes…,” Tracy has followed up “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah” in the best way possible. Hopefully it’s not too late for you to squeeze this new tune into [...]
You do realize it’s Morgan, not Jordan?
@Phinius: Tracy Morgan’s character on 30 Rock is Tracy Jordan.
Day Man would have most definetly been #1 on my list. That particular episode of It’s Always Sunny had me laughing hysterically all the way through.