The Sopranos - Selling Music

Introduction

This is a piece I originally posted in 2011, thirteen years ago. The Sopranos had concluded then and was certainly one of the truly great TV series, alongside The Wire and Breaking Bad.

This was originally very short so I have added enough music to allow it to be posted in the Beat community.

All of these have incredible soundtracks that bolster the excellent stories that make them unmissable viewing.

When I saw the first episode I was shocked by the violence, but engrossed by the story. Violence is nothing new in stories think "Macbeth" and "Titus Andronicus" by William Shakespeare which you can check out for free here:

And you can watch The Sopranos here, and visit the official HBO website. but this is just a playlist of a few of the songs featured in the Sopranos.

The Sopranos - Selling Music

I'm quite amazed at the number of artists who have benefitted from the exposure of having their music featured in an episode of The Sopranos.

Alabama 3 - "Woke Up This Mornin'" from "Exile on Coldharbour Lane"

Obviously, you have the Alabama 3 theme tune "Woke Up This Mornin'" from "Exile on Coldharbour Lane", though apparently someone else absconded with the profits. The Sopranos intro features the song and is at the beginning of this piece.

If you don't know the band, you should check them out.

Jefferson Airplane - "White Rabbit" from "Surrealistic Pillow"

Tony & AJ Soprano bond over ice cream sundaes to play out the final scene in episode 7 of the first series.

The song is unusual as it is in waltz time rather than the normal 4/4 time of most pop and rock music.

Johnny Thunders - "You can't put your arms around a memory" from "So Alone"

Cooking, Meeting the Feds and Lunch at The Suckling Pigs, the song plays out in this episode.

Sting - "Fields of Gold" from "Ten Summoners Tales"

The song plays in the background of the scene where Richie Sees Liliana's Husband Wearing "The Jacket". He wasn't upset about the Jacket. He was so utterly devastated upon learning that Sasha was once a mechanical engineer back in Poland and was now reduced to riding a cab around to make ends meet. That really got to him.

Al Green - "Take Me To The River" from "Al Green Explores Your Mind"

This is Toany and the singing fish. Very surreal and you are not sure whether to laugh or feel sympathy for him.

Al Stewart - "Time Passages" Title Track

Then I was at an Al Stewart concert and he mentioned that his bank balance had benefited from the use of his song "Time Passages" in an episode.

While this is not Al's greatest song, it is still a great listen but thirteen years on I can't remember which episode it was used in.

Doctor John Cooper Clarke - "Evidently Chickentown" from "Snap, Crackle and Bop"

The latest I've heard is John Cooper Clarke's "Evidently Chickentown", an amazing final scene from Series 6.

It is amazing that TV series can both be enhanced by music and in turn promote the artists who made that music.

Journey - "Don't Stop Believin'" from "Escape = ="

Then the final episode featured Journey's Karaoke favourite "Don't Stop Believin'", though in a disturbing sign of the times I've seen this song credited to Glee!!

This was where the series closed and is open to many interpretations, but it is a great series finale and a good place to close this playlist.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading and listening. I hope you have discovered something you like while going through this.

Here are a few more albums featuring a lot more music from the series than I have listed here.