From the moment Serena’s train pulled into Grand Central Station in the first scene of the pilot five years ago, it was clear we could expect big things from the music on Gossip Girl.
I recall being pleasantly surprised as S looked forlornly out the window and Young Folks by Peter Bjorn & John reached my ears. Full disclosure, I was also a little annoyed. I was a college student and, like the rest, thought my music taste far surpassed everyone else’s, never mind some soapy teen TV show. However, I would soon get two reality checks: 1. Gossip Girl wasn’t just any teen show. Over its 6 season reign, it would prove to be fresh, witty, and beautifully made 2. When Josh Schwartz and his go-to music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas are behind the scenes, the soundtrack will always be exceptional (does The O.C. ring any bells?).
Pulling together hip hop beats, electronic mixes, retro and indie tracks, Patsavas and the show’s composing team Transcenders curated a sound that felt unique and urban, helping to con-temporize a world that was often at risk of being too elite and inaccessible.A cotillion set to violins is a snooze. But set it to hip hop instead? That’s fun. And fun is what the world of Gossip Girl was really about, all heartache and back-stabbing aside. It was our means of escape.
So my pretties, in order of appearance, I give you a playlist of my favorite songs from Gossip Girl (all 121 of them). Some of these tracks will take you straight back to your favorite GG moments, some will be new gems that missed your radar the first time around, and – my favorite – many you’ll realize are groups you now love that were playing on GG years ago. Enjoy! And farewell to a great show.
Lucy Keating works for Alloy’s TV division in L.A. She loves live music, her dog Ernie, and Youtube videos of animals waving. Follow her music musings here: radionthetv.tumblr.com.
The post Lucy Keating’s Playlist: A Look Back at the Music of Gossip Girl appeared first on Alloy Entertainment.