Music On Television

I am not exactly sure when this happened, but to me, it seems like music on television has become a huge thing. I think the first time I ever really noticed it was when Dawson’s Creek came on the air. At the end of each episode they had that whole, “music featured on tonight’s episode” thing. Whoever thought of that is a genius. Of course teenagers with disposable income are going to go buy the music that Pacey and Joey passionately embraced to. Music appearing on television series is now a viable way for indie bands to have commercial success

Take Spoon for example. I think the first time I heard them was on The O.C. The infectious song, “The Way We Get By” (I bet you’re even singing it your head right now) off of their album Kill the Moonlight seemed to fit the Californian teenagers so well. And when “The O.C.” died along with Marissa, and new teenagers ruled television from Upper East Side New York on Gossip Girl, Spoon went with them. Considering they have the same creator, I was not surprised in season one when“I Turn My Camera On” came on through my TV screen. According to tunefind.com they’ve also been featured on Scrubs, Brothers and Sisters, Mercy, Bones, One Tree Hill, Life, CSI: NY, Friday Night Lights, Veronica Mars, October Road, and Chuck. It is working for the band that has been together for 17 years. Their seventh album, “Transference” debuted at number four on the charts Billboard charts. They’ve also kept their indie credibility, remaining on the Austin based independent label Merge. Even more proof they’re still hip, “Transference” debuted at the sixth position on the “to cool” College Radio Top 10 Albums charts.

In a whole new way to meld music and television, How To Make It In America has been promoted with a free mixtape you can download from the show’s Facebook page. It is Kid Cudi, DJ Green Lantern, and Broke Mogul collaboration and features some of the music heard in the first episode. I wonder if the idea was brought to HBO by Kid Cudi, or if it was inspired by the casting. Either way it is a great marketing strategy to make a show about young hipsters young and hip. Here’s the facebook link if you want to listen to it. I’ve been enjoying it thoroughly.
http://www.facebook.com/howtomakeit?v=app_4949752878

My theory on why there’s this rise in music and television colliding is the lack of musical television. MTV is most famous for 7 or is in 8 Italian Americans getting wasted at a beach house. VH1 is known for it’s washed up celebrity dating shows, and washed up celebrity rehab shows. I have no idea what happens on country music television stations, but I bet it has something to do with Taylor Swift. With a lack of good and attention worthy music on these music dedicated channels then entertainment networks have picked up the slack.