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The Groundbreaking Television Series With the Greatest Soundtrack Ever
An anniversary Rate-A-Record
Music has always been a crucial part of movies and television, from the theme songs of our favorite sitcoms to the soundtracks that are often better than the films themselves. Twenty-five years ago, a television series debuted on HBO that featured hundreds of songs from every genre imaginable over its six-season run. Never before and not since would you find songs by The Rolling Stones, The Ohio Players, and Britney Spears in one episode and then Dean Martin, The Bangles, and Bob Dylan only a few episodes later. That show was, of course, The Sopranos.
The Sopranos was a masterpiece for many reasons, and the music was definitely one of them. In honor of the 25th anniversary of the groundbreaking series, I give you just a few of my favorite songs from the show for the first Rate-A-Record of the new month. And let me get this out of the way now: there are no Springsteen songs here, and for good reason.
First, even though the show was set in New Jersey, only one Springsteen song ever appeared on the show (“State Trooper” from the Nebraska album) and it’s not one of my favorites. They didn’t need Springsteen songs, however, for his presence to be felt; they often accomplished this with dialogue, as in the episode “Long Term Parking”…
