Top TV Shows of 2021 Driving Music Discovery

Here at Tunefind we’re looking back at some of the highlights from 2021, including the top movie soundtracks, top new TV shows driving music discovery, top tv syncs, and most popular artists on Tunefind. Check out our handy compilation of all our year-end coverage at Round Up: Tunefind’s Best of 2021.

We cover over 2,000 television shows from around the world here at Tunefind. At any given time throughout the year some 250 or so of those are putting out new episodes – and featuring new music. But only some television shows use music in a way that drives fans to the ends of the internet to hunt down that song. That new artist you haven’t heard before. A cover that puts a new twist on an old favorite. That ear worm you can’t get out of your head. An unreleased mystery track…

These are the television shows that consistently send fans searching out the music and artists featured each episode. The viewers are super engaged with the music, following the soundtrack as closely as they follow the plot lines.

And, while television show production was thrown for a loop by Covid 19, the masses stuck at home were still desperate for entertainment. The streaming services were happy to oblige, and fans started tearing through past seasons of old favorites at a furious clip. Whether it was lighthearted sitcoms like How I Met Your Mother, or classic dramas like Criminal Minds, the archives are full of great television that provided critical distraction from this wild year.

But first we kick things off with the active shows, airing new episodes this past year. These were the most popular shows whose soundtracks were driving music discovery during 2021.

 

Music Supervisor: Paulina Marquez

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

Hacia el Fondo

by RUBIO

from Élite Soundtrack · Season 4 · Episode 1 · El nuevo orden

Rebe is standing on the roof with a beer in her…


Music Supervisor: Maggie Phillips

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

Fix You

by Fearless Soul

from The Handmaid's Tale Soundtrack · Season 4 · Episode 5 · Chicago

After the bomb drops and June is looking for Ja…


Music Supervisor: Derryck Big Tank Thornton

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

She Got It

by Jai'Len Josey

from The Chi Soundtrack · Season 4 · Episode 8 · Love Jones

Kevin dancing with a girl, Gemma watches from a…


Music Supervisor: Brittany Whyte

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

Music Supervisors: Season Kent, Gabe Hilfer, Henry van Roden

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

Heaven I Know

by Gordi

from The Walking Dead Soundtrack · Season 10 · Episode 4 · Silence the Whisperers

Opening; (repeats) At the end.


Music Supervisor: Amanda Krieg Thomas

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

Teardrop

by Massive Attack

from American Horror Story Soundtrack · Season 10 · Episode 2 · Pale

After Harry heard his work got green light, he …


Music Supervisors: Laura Webb, Lindsay Wolfington

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

A List

by HVOB

from Atypical Soundtrack · Season 4 · Episode 7 · Channel the Cat

Casey freezes at the track meet.


Music Supervisors: Manish Raval, Tom Wolfe

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

breathe again

by Joy Oladokun

from This is Us Soundtrack · Season 5 · Episode 6 · Birth Mother

Laurel in the hospital.


Music Supervisors: Jonathan Leahy, Alison Rosenfeld Moses

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

Heartbreak Television

by Weval

from Good Girls Soundtrack · Season 4 · Episode 9 · Chef Boyardee

At the end, Mick beats up the cop; Ruby and Sta…


Music Supervisor: Madonna Wade-Reed

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

How To Lose A Friend

by Wafia

from All American Soundtrack · Season 3 · Episode 7 · Roll the Dice

At the end, Olivia leaves Spencer.


Music Supervisor: Ann Kline

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

Falls (Reprise) (feat. Sasha Alex Sloan)

by ODESZA, Sasha Alex Sloan

from The Good Doctor Soundtrack · Season 4 · Episode 10 · Decrypt

At the end, Claire and Cort make their peace; A…


Music Supervisor: Lindsay Wolfington

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

Running Low

by syml

from Virgin River Soundtrack · Season 3 · Episode 7 · Split

Mel comes home and tells Jack she impulsively b…


Music Supervisor: Alexandra Patsavas

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

In My Blood

by Vitamin String Quartet

from Bridgerton Soundtrack · Season 1 · Episode 2 · Shock and Delight

Daphne and Duke of Hastings enter the ball toge…


Music Supervisor: Andrea von Foerster

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

Music Supervisor: Matt Biffa

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

Your Young Voice

by Jonny Muir

from Sex Education Soundtrack · Season 3 · Episode 5

Adam texts Eric and waits for a reply; End cred…


Music Supervisors: Tony Von Pervieux, Christa Miller

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

Only

by Ry X

from Ted Lasso Soundtrack · Season 2 · Episode 6 · The Signal

End Credits.


Music Supervisors: Ann Kline, Carly Van Skaik

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

Semper

by Last Verse

from Shameless Soundtrack · Season 11 · Episode 5 · Slaughter

Liam hears the racist dog and shoots his gun in…


Music Supervisor: John Bissell

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

One Last Dream

by Radical Face

from The Blacklist Soundtrack · Season 8 · Episode 22 · Konets

Elizabeth relives her life as a dream.


Music Supervisor: Justin Kamps

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

In the Air Tonight

by Jon Howard

from Lucifer Soundtrack · Season 3 · Episode 20 · The Angel of San Bernardino

At the end, Lucifer goes to Chloe's house; Luci…


Music Supervisor: Kasey Truman

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

Hymn

by Bjéar

from Grey's Anatomy Soundtrack · Season 17 · Episode 8 · It's All Too Much

Everyone gathers outside of the hospital for De…


Honorable Mention

While not technically airing new episodes in 2021 (unless you count the two special episodes released in early December 2020 and January) HBO’s Euphoria has continued to have a huge audience throughout the year, all driven by the 8 episodes released in summer 2019. Also included in our honorable mentions is the Canadian hit series Letterkenny, which wrapped up season 9 in December 2020 and will return for season 10 the day after Christmas.

Music Supervisor: Jen Malone

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

Music Supervisors: David Hayman, Cody Partridge, Sean-Michael Hamilton, John Rowley

Fan Favorite Music Moment:

 


From the Streaming Vaults

Some of these shows haven’t aired a new episode in over a decade, but they still drew in audiences this year – and had those fans seeking out the soundtrack. Whether you’re motivated by the Gossip Girl reboot and just need to re-watch the original series, or The Many Saints of Newark had you wanting to dive back into the world of The Sopranos, everything old is new again.

These are the shows that kept us distracted through 2021, with hours upon hours of episodes ready for your bingeing pleasure. And amazing soundtracks to fill up those playlists.

For full details on this year’s most popular songs, artists, television shows, and movies in sync and more, check out our Round Up: Tunefind’s Best of 2021.

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