There was a time, 20 or so years ago, when it seemed as if TV music supervisors were among the most important people when it came to shaping public tastes. There were, as yet, no video or music streaming services, so music featured in a hit show could blow up as a result. One music supervisor – Alexandra Patsavas, whose work included selecting tunes for Grey’s Anatomy – became so influential that Lena Dunham’s Girls featured a storyline in which two characters dreamed of having their lives changed by getting a song approved by her on Grey’s Anatomy, most likely a wispy piece of indie electronica over which a doctor would gaze wistfully into the middle distance while another patient copped it.
While music supervisors may no longer have Patsavas’s power to create new stars through a perfect piece of placement, the work of music supervisors these days is more imaginative than it has ever been, and it can be highlighted in ways it never was before: think how many times you’ve Shazamed something while sitting in front of the TV, or checked Spotify to see if there’s a playlist of the soundtrack. And often, they’re brilliant: try the perfectly judged dad rock of The Bear, or the incredible assemblage of early 1980s Black American music in the crack epidemic drama Snowfall. It helps, too, that a strong needle drop – the moment a featured song begins playing – can be a great promotional tool on social media.
