It’s hard to believe Gilmore Girls is turning twenty-five this year. The show is going strong on Netflix and just recently appeared on Hulu as well, plus people are still asking for a second reunion show nine years and counting following 2016’s A Year In the Life. It’s pretty safe to say Stars Hollow isn’t going away any time soon.
Naturally, the show is known for the witty banter, the pop culture references, and the copious amounts of eats, especially Luke’s burgers, but one very integral part of the show is the music. Like every WB show, and for that matter, shows today in general, there are a plethora of songs throughout.
Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband, Daniel Palladino both pride themselves on their unique and daring taste in music, so Gilmore Girls music was never going to be a pop fest or deeply brooding, What we do get is variety. Big-time variety.
As such, I thought it would be fun to look at just a few of the many, many songs that have graced the series. It’s not a “Top” kind of listicle, but structured more around influence, novelty, and overall poignancy. I tried to get at least one selection from every season, but music was more at the center of some seasons than others. Here we go…
Time (Tom Waits)
This song plays above Richard’s funeral scene in the “Winter” section of A Day In the Life. Tom Waits gets quite a bit of love on the show, but few musical appearances are as melancholy and tear-jerking as this one.
Inside Out (Mighty Lemon Drops)
Played over a pivotal moment in the series finale, “Bon Voyage,” “Inside Out” may not herald the end of the series in the way Amy Sherman-Palladino originally envisioned it, but it’s not too shabby for what it is.
99 Luftballons (Nena)
A teenaged Lorelai plays this song on her Walkman while waiting to have Rory in the “Dear Emily and Richard” episode of Season Three. The natural question is, does she play the German or English version? German, of course. The English one isn’t bad, but the song seems to lose something in translation, and I quite prefer the German myself.
One Step Beyond (Madness)
Laine surprises everyone in the “Secrets and Loans” episode of Season Two when she joins Stars Hollow High’s cheerleading squad, and Lorelai and Rory are tickled to hear the squad’s choice of music at the pep rally. “One Step Beyond” might not be a conventional choice for a cheer routine, but the bouncy saxophone and other quasi-retro elements make it feel very natural.
Hollaback Girl (Gwen Stefani, covered by Sebastian Bach)
When Hep Alien is on the outs after Zach’s meltdown at the label tryout in Season Six, Gil and Bryan keep busy playing gigs, and when Zach gets wise to himself in the “Bridesmaids Revisited” episode he finds his bandmates playing at a bat mitzvah. Gil is a very accomodating fellow and sings this very female-centric song for bat mitzvah girl Julia.
Woo Hoo (5,6,7,8)
One of the most unique songs of the early 2000s, “Woo Hoo” can be heard at Finn’s Quentin Tarantino party in Season Five’s “Pulp Fiction” episode. Once this song is heard, it’s hard to unhear it, so if anyone hasn’t heard it, proceed with caution. The only safe way to listen to it is to watch the episode (Or Kill Bill, if anyone’s into that).
I’m the Man (Joe Jackson, covered by Hep Alien)
Another from the “Winter” episode of A Day In the Life, this infectious bit from Joe Jackson is covered by Hep Alien after Zach gets home from his warehouse supervisor job, and he morphs from working man to aging rock star. Off come the tie and the button down and on come the T-shirt and scruffy hair.
Love Will Keep Us Together (Captain and Tenille)
Sookie throws Lorelai and Max a huge engagement party in the “Hammers and Veils” episode of Season Two, and Miss Patti is on hand with her little five and six-year old tap dancers to put on a few numbers in the town gazebo. Everyone looks adorable and Rory reassures Kirk that the gazebo is well-able to hold the weight of all the dancers.
White Lines (Grandmaster Flash And Melle Mel)
Speaking of Kirk, one of the most infamous bits in the series was his short film (watch it here), which made its debut at the Stars Hollow Film Festival in Season Two’s “Teach Me Tonight” episode. In the film, Kirk regales his girlfriend’s parents with a choreographed dance routine, and leave it to the powers that be to pick a goofy 1980s song about cocaine use. Kirk must have made a great first impression.
Que Sera, Sera! (Doris Day)
Variety and irony are a great combo. Doris Day’s signature song pops up at the beginning of Season Two’s “Secrets and Loans” episode, which shows an idyllic morning at the Gilmore house coming to an abrupt end when Lorelai’s foot goes through the deck. At least we get to hear the first verse and a chorus.
Zydeco Boogaloo (Buckwheat Zydeco)
More variety. Zydeco music is referenced several times on the show, and in Season Six’s “Vineyard Valentine” episode, a band named Buzu comes to the Dragonfly Inn to audition for Luke and Lorelai’s wedding reception. These guys like to play. A lot. Even when they stop playing the music seems to go on ad infinitum.
Botch-A-Me (Ba-Ba-Baciami Piccina) (Rosemary Clooney)
There are a lot of Rosemary Clooney fans in the Gilmore Girls universe, and we hear her music several times. “Botch-A-Me” comes on in the “Fall” episode of A Day In the Life when Logan’s friend, Colin buys a tango club and declares it will now play all Rosemary Clooney all the time. To be sure, the woman was a phenom, but this seems cruel and unusual. At least she had a pretty big discography.
Know Your Onion! (The Shins)
The Shins were another Gilmore favorite, and the first time we hear them on the show is on Season Two’s “Like Mother, Like Daughter” episode, when Rory turns on her CD player at lunchtime at Chilton. It doesn’t take long before she’s knocked out of her reverie, though, because Headmaster Charleston has asked the school guidance counselor to find out why Rory isn’t social enough.
Mona Lisa (Grant-Lee Phillips)
Grant-Lee Phillips was a fixture on the show as the town troubadour, and while he played mostly covers, his own work made it onto the show as well. “Mona Lisa” can be heard at the Firelight Festival in the “Nag Hammadi Is Where They Found the Gnostic Gospels” episode of Season Four, when Luke gives Lorelai some earrings.
Reflecting Light (Sam Phillips)
Sam Phillips, of course, wrote the music for the show, so her songs are heard everywhere, and one of the most memorable is “Reflecting Light.” Initially heard during Luke and Lorelai’s first dance in Season Four’s “Last Week Fights, This Week Tights” episode, “Reflecting Light” is pure wistful romance, and the show has always used it to great effect. It also appears in the last few minutes of the “Fall” episode of A Year In the Life.
Another post is on the way on January twentieth. Thanks for reading, all, and I hope to see you then…
Gilmore Girls is available to own from Amazon, as either the complete series or Seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and A Day In the Life (DVD and Blu-ray) can be bought separately.
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