Help me build the ultimate moody-alt-pop "CW-closing-credits" playlist

July 6, 2015 8:11 AM

I have a special fondness for the kinds of pretty, moody alt-pop songs you often hear, say, during the closing credits of a CW show, or Grey's Anatomy (or, if you're more my generation, all the way back to Ally McBeal and Dawson's Creek) when somebody gets their heart broken. But I don't normally listen to these bands, so I don't really know how to seek out more. Hivemind: Point me in the right direction!

Examples that I've stumbled across include The Fray's How to Save a Life (yep, cliche is just fine by me), X Ambassadors' Litost, Fine Frenzy's Almost Lover, David Gray's Babylon, Sia's Breathe Me....you get the idea. Anything from the 90's forward is welcome.

posted by elizeh to Media & Arts (24 answers total)

Not certain that I'm in the ballpark with this one, but somebody's gotta get this party started.

La Sera- Love That's Gone
posted by EKStickland at 8:27 AM on July 6, 2015

Josh Ritter - Change of Time.

Scrubs used to use some dramatic sad music at times as well. Here's a list of songs featured on the show—I'm sure there are some ones you'll like on it.
posted by General Malaise at 8:39 AM on July 6, 2015

Lots of that kind of stuff appears on my favorite DJ's show: Nic Harcourt on KCSN (6-11am Pacific; Live Now). He plays plenty of 90s (stuff that "holds up") and will also play the new poppy stuff (e.g., The X Ambassador's Jeep song).

He was previously the Morning Becomes Eclectic DJ at KCRW and "has served as music supervisor for TV shows including '90210,' 'Queer as Folk' and 'Life as We Know It.'".
posted by pjenks at 8:43 AM on July 6, 2015

Aimee Mann - Save Me
Sarah Harmer - Basement Apartment (, Lodestar?)
Fiona Apple - Criminal
Mazzy Star - Fade Into You
Beth Orton - Stolen Car
posted by sylvanshine at 8:48 AM on July 6, 2015 [1 favorite]

I think of this as starting on The OC, which was the first show to figure out that indie rock was cheap and cool. I actually enjoy soundtracks to tv shows as a way to access this music, for instance Bones and Grey's Anatomy.
posted by hydropsyche at 8:51 AM on July 6, 2015

Here's a playlist for every song played on Grey's Anatomy*


*okay, probably not every song, but a lot of them at least.

For Grey's moody music, you're looking at a lot of Tegan and Sara and Ingrid Michaelson


Shiver by Lucy Rose was featured at the end of a Girls episode this season and seems to fit in as well.
posted by Flamingo at 8:52 AM on July 6, 2015 [1 favorite]

This is in line with quite a bit of Imogen Heap's oeuvre.
posted by en forme de poire at 9:01 AM on July 6, 2015

Yeah, I was going to say, Imogen Heap's "Hide & Seek" (otherwise known as Mmmm Whatcha Say) is a must-have.
posted by MsMolly at 9:06 AM on July 6, 2015

The World Spins Madly On by the Weepies was on both Grey's Anatomy and Scrubs. Other Weepies songs that have been on TV and fit:
- Can't Go Back Now
- Be My Thrill
- Gotta Have You

Also, Deb Talan from the Weepies had a song at the end of the movie Lovely & Amazing called "Forgiven" that ticks your boxes.
posted by purpleclover at 9:38 AM on July 6, 2015 [2 favorites]

Emily Hearn's "Volcano" was used as the soundtrack to a break-up on the CW's Jane the Virgin earlier this year.
posted by Johnny Assay at 9:40 AM on July 6, 2015 [1 favorite]

Love this question, gonna build my own CW playlist.

I can imagine Jennifer Garner weeping prettily and taking long walks at sunset to every one of these songs. (Alias wasn't on the CW but it was the gold standard of soppy musical montages - there were sometimes 2 per episode.)

Sam Smith Latch (Acoustic)
Howie Day Collide
The Shins New Slang (Garden State = The CW in movie form)
The Civil Wars Dust to Dust (Acoustic)
Over the Rhine Latter Days
Mirah Archipelago
Sharon Van Etten We are Fine
The Eels PS You Rock My World
Regina Spektor Samson
Paolo Nutini Better Man
Damien Rice Blower's Daughter (Also featured in some Natalie Portman movie, can't remember which one)

Damn I'm only halfway through my Spotify - maybe all I listen to is CW music???????
posted by pretentious illiterate at 9:41 AM on July 6, 2015 [1 favorite]

Can't stop won't stop...

Ben Harper Amen Omen
Beirut Goshen
Cat Power Sea of Love (featured in Juno)
The National I Need My Girl
Cold Specks Blank Maps
posted by pretentious illiterate at 9:53 AM on July 6, 2015

Damien Rice Blower's Daughter yt (Also featured in some Natalie Portman movie, can't remember which one)

I think it was Closer.

David Gray Sail Away
Ryan Adams Come Pick Me Up
posted by jaguar at 9:55 AM on July 6, 2015

My life is an attempt to discover CW-music. Remember all the promos where the cast members from Buffy and Angel and Dawson's Creek and Charmed and Roswell and whatever else would stand around being pensively attractive while melancholy songs played? I downloaded those songs as soon as downloading was a thing, and when those songs get played I still think back to the same promo. Engraved on my brain. Here are some artists I associate with that style:

Gabrielle Aplin
Kye Kye
Parallel Lions
Cary Brothers
Greg Laswell
Beach House
Nerina Pallot
Umbrellas
A Fine Frenzy
Daughter
posted by a fiendish thingy at 9:56 AM on July 6, 2015 [1 favorite]

Emiliana Torrini Today Has Been Ok (I think that was on Grey's Anatomy)
posted by jaguar at 9:57 AM on July 6, 2015 [1 favorite]

Remember all the promos where the cast members from Buffy and Angel and Dawson's Creek and Charmed and Roswell and whatever else would stand around being pensively attractive while melancholy songs played?

Oh, yes! My friends and I were convinced this piano version of Anyway had to have been on Buffy at some point, though we never found evidence of it. (That was before Google got so good, though, so I should check again.) So I'd add that to the playlist, too.
posted by jaguar at 10:00 AM on July 6, 2015

OH MAN, HERE IT IS

WB Promo, Thisway - Crawl
posted by a fiendish thingy at 10:07 AM on July 6, 2015

Matt Nathanson - All We Are, I Saw, and Sooner Surrender were all on shows like that. Link to wiki with "Television" section.
posted by ersatzkat at 10:08 AM on July 6, 2015

Container - Fiona Apple
posted by Lanark at 11:36 AM on July 6, 2015

Beacon Hill - Damien Jurado

In the Deep - Bird York

Wait - Alexi Murdoch

Colours - Amos Lee & Norah Jones

House of Gold - Andy Stochansky

Day Old Hate - City & Colour

Call and Answer - Barenaked Ladies

Kathleen - David Gray

The Great Escape - Patrick Watson

Re: Stacks - Bon Iver

Ain't No Reason - Brett Dennen

Beautiful Blue - Holly McNarland

Gone Gone Gone - John Ralston

Brothers on a Hotel Bed - Death Cab for Cutie

September Baby - Joseph Arthur

Stubborn Love - Lumineers

Here with Me - Dido

Black Balloon - Goo Goo Dolls

Standing in the Rain - Jamie Scott & The Town

Consequence - The Notwist

Be Be Your Love - Rachael Yamagata

Call It Off - Tegan and Sara

I Was a Fool - Tegan and Sara

Stand Still, Look Pretty - The Wreckers
posted by gursky at 12:03 PM on July 6, 2015 [1 favorite]

Everything on Anna Nalick's first album, but especially Breathe (2AM).
posted by Night_owl at 12:30 PM on July 6, 2015

Not over the credit roll, but Michelle Branch's "Goodbye To You" at the end of the Buffy episode where Tara leaves Willow left me sobbing many years ago.

ignore the cheesy video.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 12:52 PM on July 6, 2015

Spotify is a great place for huge, free playlists of songs sourced directly from these series.
I have an ex boyfriend who loved this kind of vibe and I embellished many a playlist with gems from these big lists.
posted by rubster at 8:12 PM on July 9, 2015

Too corny out of context, but Sarah McLachlan's "Full of Grace," from this scene in Buffy is definitely a canonical example.

Can't believe it took me so long to realize this, but the "Hallelujah" scene from the end of the first season of The O.C. is actually exactly the same scene, only with a sailboat instead of a bus.

p.s. I'M NOT CRYING, YOU'RE CRYING, SHUT UP.
posted by bcwinters at 1:26 PM on July 10, 2015 [1 favorite]