Friday, February 6, 2009

Songs that Were Specifically Written to be Featured on Grey's Anatomy

In my incessant quest to make myself weep openly for no good reason, I have taken to watching reruns of Grey's Anatomy while working on the new draft of my thesis. The show stands up to scrutiny, at least the first season and a half...But oh, the music! The emo tunes!
So, we all remember The OC, a great prime-time teen soap that was basically an extended music video. Great show, featuring great diagetic and non-diagetic music of the highest quality, including the band of a family friend of mine, Ambulance LTD. In all seriousness, I learned about a lot of great bands from the OC, including The Walkmen, all introduced to me by sweet Seth Cohen, nerd-hipster extraordinaire.
In the wake of The OC, Shonda Rhimes' show Grey's Anatomy hit the air in 2005, and quickly became know for its trademark fun snark, raunchy and vaguely honest plotlines, and its great sound track. You automatically win my respect when you play Rilo Kiley in your show's pilot. Also, the amazing song inspired by Silence of the Lambs.
But quickly, too quickly, the music (which was, of course synergetically marketed by ABC) became overhwlemingly maudlin, and eventually kind of bad. In particular, I will point you to The Fray's "How to Save a Life." I am sure that this song was probably not actually written to be featured as someone so almost dies in surgery on Grey's Anatomy, but that is how it seems and it makes me nuts. Please. Gross. Stop.
Now, on the show it's one thing, but every once in a while I hear a Grey's song in the supermarket or the coffee shop. It makes me annoyed and sad, simultaneously. I wish these silly songs didn't exist. It's the opposite of a song that reminds you of a fun day, or a hilarious incident, like when my friend and I discovered a mix cd my brother had made for/about his high school girlfriend featuring "Don't Give Up" by the New Radicals, one of the most awesome/terrible songs ever. But every time I hear it, I laugh.
I cannot say the same about The Fray.

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