Building community: How soundtracks to shows and movies play a part in pop culture

It’s a cold day for Central Texas, and minor league hockey fans are making their way to the stadium. The speakers throughout the stadium play music before the game and in the short in-between points where players are setting up for the next play. As they wait for the puck to drop, the rink is filled with “All The Things She Said” by Russian duo t.A.T.u. 

This is not the only hockey rink playing this song and “I’ll Believe in Anything” by Wolf Parade lately. Minor and major hockey teams alike have added these songs to the rotation because of their explosion in popularity from the hit queer hockey show Heated Rivalry, which premiered on HBO Max and Canadian streaming service Crave in November. 

If it’s ensnared the attention of the masses, songs featured at significant points in a show or movie’s arc can transcend the screen. They quickly make their ways onto the charts, the sports arena or themed club nights, even if their release dates were years or even decades ago. 

One of the most powerful moments in Heated Rivalry is (spoiler!) when closeted hockey player Scott Hunter announces his relationship with his boyfriend Kip Grady after a major win soundtracked to “I’ll Believe in Anything” by Wolf Parade. The tender and brave moment backed by the lines, “I need your eyes / I need sunshine” calls back to a moment when Hunter is told that he deserves sunshine by being public about who he is. 

Seeing the global impact

After seeing hockey arenas taking advantage of the Heated Rivalry soundtrack, I was immediately reminded how Kate Bush came back into the public’s consciousness with “Running Up That Hill.” The song was featured in smash hit Stranger Things and was introduced strategically throughout season 4, leading up to the climactic moment of character Max Mayfield running out of the Upside Down in slow motion to the song. In the real world, which she can see a glimpse of, her friends have used the song to try and draw her back into the present using her favorite song.

This scene started online trends of songs that would save people from Vecna, the show's villain. It even reached the point where music streaming service Spotify used listeners data to make unique playlists featuring songs the listener had on repeat that would “save the listener from Vecna.” 

This was also the first time the song charted in the number one spot in the U.S. Billboard charts and the Billboard Global charts excluding the U.S. at the same time. 

Stranger Things did it again with its most recent and final season with “When Doves Cry” and “Purple Rain” by Prince. The latter song made its way across social media and the charts, reminding people of  — or maybe first exposing them to — the weight of the power-ballad album closer and Prince’s career as a whole. 

By playing this song in the final interaction between two main characters, the show's Music Supervisor leans on Prince’s vision for being at the end of the world with the one you love. Hearing the opening lines, “I never meant to cause you any sorrow / I never meant to cause you any pain” immediately sets the tone for heartbreak.

Breaking the screen barrier 

When songs break beyond a medium like TV or movies, it can show not only the power the right song at the right time has, but also the power that fans have in shaping broader pop culture.

None of the aforementioned songs would have made it into sports arenas, back onto the charts or in thousands of TikTok edits if it weren’t for dedicated fans who recognized the emotional impact of a specific moment. Just like how artists rely on fans to buy tickets to concerts, TV show and movie makers rely on people to keep watching for show renewal or making headway into the pop culture zeitgeist to reach the largest audience possible. 

When the clandestine moment happens and a song connects perfectly with another piece of media, this can last beyond the initial release and forever intertwine these two things. (Think “Chasing Cars” and Grey’s Anatomy or “All Star” and Shrek). 

This is something to pay attention to because it shows what people are watching, what’s popular and what moments are sticking out to the fan base. These moments can only be exacerbated by selecting a song that perfectly compliments a scene through its lyrics or composition. 

Shows with hardcore fans are the ones paying attention to the details, seeing how a certain song or score can add to a moment to make it transcendental. If movies like Interstellar can have stand out songs on the score that everyone acknowledges is powerful, shows like Heated Rivalry and Stranger Things can also be recognized for their impact. Just because the audience might be different doesn’t make it any less of a meaningful moment. 

With an onslaught of shows and movies constantly being released in theaters and various streaming platforms, the role of Music Supervisor will continue to grow in importance as music continues to play a role in creating the next major pop culture moment – seeing songs break beyond the purpose of the intended medium.