“People are going out of their way”: ‘True Detective’ Brings 1 Forgotten Legend to Life, Repeats ‘Strangers Things’ Fate By Giving the Past a Second Chance
- Movies and TV shows benefit from good soundtracks just as much as musicians benefit from the loyalties.
- True Detective added new life to The Handsome Family's music after using their song in their theme music.
- Similarly, Stranger Things helped Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill top the music charts.
While the setting and location do play a crucial role in taking an ordinary series to extraordinary levels, no one can deny the impact of music and auditory stimulation in movies and shows alike. The sound can set the stage for the overarching emotions of the storyline. From suspense and danger to love and longing, a song is enough to make or break the scene.
The same is proved very well in TV shows like How I Met Your Mother, True Detective, and even Stranger Things. HBO and Netflix particularly pay acute attention to their soundtrack which can give new life to songs as well as the scene.
True Detective made The Handsome Family popular
The crime-thriller show True Detective chose an apt song for their theme music by The Handsome Family. Their song Far From Any Road opens the episodes of the series and welcomes viewers into a daunting environment where anything and everything is possible. The song perfectly matches the vibe of the crime show.
The Handsome Family consists of Rennie Sparks and her husband Brett. They have been playing and making music for over two decades, but having their song featured in a show like True Detective truly turned their fortunes around. When HBO contacted them for using their song, they were not just thrilled, but couldn’t believe their eyes at first. Talking about their growing popularity, Sparks said,
There has been a definite increase in sales. On the digital side especially. It surprised us though because the song is easily available for free on YouTube video but people are going out of their way to not only buy the single but also buy the record it’s from as well as our other records.
Far From Any Road was released back in 2003, but soon got lost in obscurity. However, the HBO show has managed to bring the song back into the limelight and even infused new life into The Handsome Family as well. While musicians love charting on top of music lists, having their songs chosen for movies and TV shows pays them better too.
True Detective is streaming on Max.
Stranger Things revived Kate Bush’s music
Every Stranger Things fan remembers that iconic scene where Max is levitating many feet off the ground and her friends can’t understand what’s happening to her. She is wearing her headphones and listening to Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush. Little did Netflix know that the song would go on to top the music charts in modern times.
Max listens to that song on repeat and even uses it as her personal mood booster. Eventually, the song became more than just background music as it added to the plot’s richness. Even the singer herself expressed her gratitude and joy over her song getting another day in the light of popularity.
Stranger Things is streaming on Netflix.
