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22 August 2023

The Best Songs About Cats

MUSIC, OLD /

‘There are two means of refuge from the misery of life: music and cats.’ Einstein was a brilliant scientist, but this, for us, is what truly sums up his genius (he was a great animal lover, particularly devoted to his cat, Tiger). So, what could be better than a list of the best songs about cats? Here’s our pick of the best cat songs to add to your purrfect Spotify playlist (pawlist?).

Popular Songs About Cats


  • ‘Lovecats’ – The Cure
  • ‘Everybody Wants to be a Cat’ – The Aristocats
  • ‘Stray Cat Strut’ – Stray Cats
  • ‘Cool for Cats’ – Squeeze
  • ‘Memory’ – Cats
  • ‘Alley Cats’ – Hot Chip
  • ‘Pads, Paws and Claws’ – Elvis Costello
  • ‘What’s New, Pussycat’ – Tom Jones
  • ‘Cool Cat’ – Queen
  • ‘I Go Meow’ – The Kiffness
  • ‘Cat Music’

‘Lovecats’ – The Cure


80s songs about cats don’t come much more iconic than this. It makes being a cat out on the town sound like the most fun you can have (‘We slip through the streets/While everyone sleeps/Getting bigger and sleeker/And wider and brighter’), while also infusing the idea with a mixture of Alice in Wonderland craziness and Beatrix Potter anthropomorphism (‘Hand in hand/Is the only way to land/And always the right way round/Not broken in pieces/Like hated little meeces’). Throw in a brilliantly danceable tune with that unmistakable double bass and Robert Smith meowing, and let’s go, into the sea, you and me…

‘Everybody Wants to be a Cat’ – The Aristocats


Disney have created a host of fantastic felines, from Bagheera and Shere Khan in The Jungle Book to Simba and Scar in The Lion King. But some of their original top cats were found in the 1970 classic The Aristocats. The musical romcom sees a family of aristocratic cats living in Paris helped out by alley cat Thomas O’Malley. This is a jazzy little number that definitely brings to mind Baloo the bear’s laissez-faire attitude to life in The Jungle Book — not a great surprise, given that the same actor, Phil Harris, voiced both.

‘Stray Cat Strut’ – Stray Cats


Rockabilly cool, courtesy of Brian Setzer and the boys — written when Setzer was just 18 and a fan of cartoon series Top Cat. The band’s name, meanwhile, was a nod to Elvis Presley, the ‘hillbilly cat’, and how the early rockers called each other ‘cats’.

‘Cool for Cats’ – Squeeze


One of the band’s biggest hits doesn’t have that much to do with cats when you read the lyrics, but it’s relentlessly catchy and is from their album of the same name. It was one of Squeeze’s biggest hits, peaking at No. 2 in 1979, and has a rare lead vocal from lyricist Chris Difford. The title actually came from a rock ‘n’ roll TV show from the late 50s, and the tongue-in-cheek lyrics are all about the band’s social scene from their youth, when they were in a bit of a bubble.

‘Memory’ – Cats


When Andrew Lloyd Webber came up with the idea of a musical based on poems by T.S. Eliot, could anyone have foreseen what a decades-long smash it would end up being? (Let’s wipe the bonkers 2019 live-action film, starring everyone from Judi Dench to Taylor Swift and Idris Elba, from our, ahem, memory.) The standout song from the original musical is undoubtedly ‘Memory’, sung by Grizabella, a one-time ‘glamour cat’ who’s fallen on hard times and is ostracised by the other cats. Elaine Paige played the part in the first West End production and made it her own; it was named Best Song Musically and Lyrically at the 1982 Ivor Novello Awards, and the Evening Standard has written that ‘Paige’s version set the standard and enabled “Memory” to become one of the most recognisable musical theatre songs of all time.’ In the list of famous songs about cats, this has got to be right up there.

‘Alley Cats’ – Hot Chip


Cats and people often have complicated relationships, and ‘Alley Cats’ captures this perfectly. The two people in Hot Chip’s relationship are described as ‘alley cats’ — constantly restless and seeking attention and affection from each other. There’s both a deep connection and a sense of isolation in the song — anyone who owns a cat that regularly disappears and decides to spend whole days at a neighbour’s place before waltzing back in and yowling for Dreamies will find this is their perfect theme song.

‘Pads, Paws and Claws’ – Elvis Costello


If you’ve ever been on the wrong side of a cat, then this is the tune for you. Costello says it’s ‘just a story about some drunk guy who doesn’t know what good stuff he’s got’, but we prefer to think of it as a tune dedicated to a demanding cat ‘practising ways to flirt’ by stalking round your bedroom before leaping on top of you, claws out, insisting that you feed her. As cat owners, we’ve all been there.

‘What’s New, Pussycat’ – Tom Jones


We couldn’t have a list of songs about cats and leave out this classic. The theme song for the eponymous movie, starring Peter Sellers and Woody Allen, was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and became the Welshman’s third top-30 record in 1965.

‘Cool Cat’ – Queen


Anyone who’s seen Bohemian Rhapsody knows that Freddie Mercury was a huge cat fan — he had 10 in total. (Apparently, come Christmas time, he’d ensure that each had their own Christmas stocking, filled with treats and toys — aww.) This track is from 1982 album Hot Space and was never released as a single, just as a B-side. According to Freddie, it was inspired by his love of cats, and the song’s central character is someone who’s always making a show of themselves and trying to be the centre of attention.

‘I Go Meow’ – The Kiffness


The most significant thing to happen to cat music since this list first went up: South African musician David Scott, better known as The Kiffness, built a full song around the real meows of a vocal ginger cat named Cala, set to a Pachelbel Canon-style chord progression. Released in April 2024, ‘I Go Meow’ became a genuine global singalong moment across TikTok and YouTube — proof that cats have been shaping pop culture’s relationship with music for over 40 years, from Robert Smith’s meowing on ‘Lovecats’ right through to an actual cat getting co-writing credit.

‘Cat Music’


Do cats like music? There have been numerous studies to try to find out, and according to one scientist, cats tend to like songs that mimic the sounds they like in nature, like bird chirps and purring. As they’ve got better hearing than we have (they can hear up to 64,000 hertz, while we only hear up to 20,000 hertz), they don’t like anything too loud, or with lots of beats. So if you’re choosing something to chill to with your cat, look for tunes with higher, rather than lower, frequencies, and natural noises. Try this ‘Cat Music’, or a violin concerto, as string instruments can replicate higher-pitched sounds from nature.

 

Tracks for All Nine Lives


When it comes to licensing music with a cat theme, we’ve got you covered! Here are our favourite cat-themed tracks:

‘When the Cat’s Away’ – David Tobin, Jeff Meegan and Julian Gallant


Mischievous and playful, this is classical orchestral with a recurring melody that’ll make you think of cats chasing after toys and generally creating mayhem round the house.

‘Cat’s Pyjamas’ – Terry Devine-King and Adam Drake


This is light-hearted, vintage swing, with old time guitar, muted trumpet and brass, for when you fancy a carefree strut about, admiring your pristine paws.

‘When Cat Gets Mouse’ – Christopher Baron


You can’t have a list like this without a frenzied vintage cartoon chase, can you? Scurrying xylorimba and clarinet are pursued by quirky tuba, double bass and percussion.

‘Black Cat’ – Edward Lee Liggitt III


Indie-folk songs about cats don’t come any better than this upbeat little number, with catchy brass hooks and glorious male vocals. A black cat for luck to close out the list? But of course. So there you have it, a whole playlist of playful, mysterious, relaxing and strutting tracks to suit you — and your cat’s — every mood, from dawn till dusk. Head over to our blog for more music, film and TV content, or check out our latest releases and hand-picked playlists.

Need Music for Your Project?


At Audio Network we create original music, of the highest quality, for broadcasters, brands, creators, agencies and music fans everywhere. Through clear and simple licensing, we can offer you a huge variety of the best quality music across every conceivable mood and genre. Find out how we can connect you with the perfect collaborator today by clicking the button below!

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The Last of Us Soundtrack & Review

MUSIC, OLD /

Dare you ever order mushroom risotto again? The Last of Us, with its pandemic cordyceps infection that destroys much of the world as we know it, has given HBO Max another monster hit, and thrilled fans of the original game, newcomers and critics alike. Music was a key part of the video game’s story, so how did this translate to the show’s first season?

The Opening Titles

The sparse, haunting music that plays over the opening titles – and the score that’s used for much of the show’s first season – was composed by Argentinian Gustavo Santaolalla, who also composed the music for The Last of Us game. He started playing the guitar at five, writing his own songs at the age of 10, and then signed his first record deal at 16.

Santaolalla won back-to-back Oscars for his work on Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Babel (2006), and he also won a BAFTA for the latter, together with one for The Motorcycle Diaries. His theme for The Last of Us is characterised by his use of the folk string instrument, the ronroco, an Andean instrument that resembles a lute.

His music for both the game and the series responds to who Ellie and Joel are as characters. ‘When I did the game, I wanted two sounds: one sound that is more towards the feminine side, and one that is more viral and masculine’, he told IndieWire. ‘The ronroco gave me that connection with Ellie, and the six-string, the Fender vintage bass, gave me the sound of that more masculine, lower world.’

It’s the End of the World as We Know It

The series starts in 2003 with main characters Joel (Pedro Pascal), his brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and Joel’s daughter, Sarah (Nico Parker) having, it turns out, their last normal day together. All too soon, the mass cordyceps infection hits, turning even their elderly neighbour into a monster and causing carnage. The three try to escape in Joel’s truck, but their flight ends in tragedy when a state trooper shoots Sarah and she dies in her father’s arms.

The action then cuts to the Quarantine Zone (QZ) in Boston two decades later, with those who have managed to survive the plague which ravaged the globe scratching out a tough existence, brutally overseen by the authoritarian Federal Disaster Response Agency (FEDRA). Joel and his partner Tess (Anna Torv) are tasked by Marlene (Merle Dandridge, reprising her role from the game), the leader of a nationwide rebellion called the Fireflies, to take teenager Ellie (Bella Ramsey) to another group of Fireflies in the QZ in Massachusetts. Why? Because Ellie seems to be immune to the cordyceps infection. Could she be the key to a vaccine that would change the world?

Music as a theme and a vital story element is introduced early on – Joel and Tess receive messages from their friends Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett) via a radio, coded by decade. Songs from the 60s mean they have nothing new to trade; 70s music flags that there’s new stock available and 80s music? Trouble. Depeche Mode’s ‘Never Let Me Down Again’ plays at the very end of the first episode and out over the credits after Ellie, Joel and Tess have left the QZ – setting a suitably ominous tone for what lies ahead. Namely, not only avoiding The Infected, but also dealing with bands of survivors who might be even worse.

Director Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that the track was, in fact, his wife’s suggestion.

‘My wife has an encyclopaedic knowledge of 1980s music. I said, I need it to be a song that I kind of know but I haven’t heard in a long time. One that hasn’t been beaten to death. And I needed it to have context. I needed it to be meaningful. I needed [it to] be foreboding and, ideally, without being super on the nose, give me a comment. I needed to start a particular way so we can show that radio turning on. And then she was like: ‘Never Let Me Down Again.’’

Safe to say, not only was it a great choice, but it kicked off a lasting family connection with the song – Mazin’s daughter, Jessica, reprises it at the end of episode six, the aptly-titled ‘Kin’. A female vocal on the track reflects the fact that Ellie now has to save Joel, reversing the relationship they’ve had thus far in the series, where he’s been protecting her.

Long, Long Time

Episode three, meanwhile, stunned fans and critics alike with a masterclass in storytelling and character creation, fleshing out the game’s background characters Bill and Frank. Plus, this largely standalone episode focusing on Bill and Frank’s relationship did for Linda Ronstadt what Stranger Things did for Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up that Hill’.

There’s a flashback to 2003-era Bill, a full-on prepper whose plans are finally coming to fruition as the rest of his town is herded up by FEDRA and transported to a QZ. Fleetwood Mac’s ‘I’m Coming Home to Stay’ scores a montage as he breaks into a store and a natural gas plant to get his new life fully up and running, while ‘White Room’ by Cream plays out as Bill enjoys a very fancy home-cooked meal, happily all alone.

The emotional drama kicks in, however, when Bill discovers Frank, who has fallen into one of his traps. Initially suspicious, Bill is persuaded to offer Frank a meal; after dinner, Frank, spotting Bill’s piano, bashes out a rough version of Linda Ronstadt’s Grammy-nominated ballad from 1970, ‘Long Long Time’. Bill takes over and a decades-long relationship begins. At the end of this heart-breaking episode, Ronstadt’s version plays out, as Joel and Ellie drive away from Bill and Frank’s house.

‘We had this idea that Bill and Frank would connect over a song. That would be the thing that would essentially lead Frank to feel differently about Bill, to not just go “oh, I see what’s going on with this guy,” but also to want him’, director Craig Mazin revealed on HBO’s The Last of Us podcast.

And as for why they chose which character to start singing the song, ‘it was an interesting rotation of expectations. You might think Frank feels like the kind of guy that would be really good at the piano and have a beautiful voice, and he’s absolute shit at piano — by the way, Murray Bartley is great at the piano and has an excellent voice, which is why he was so funny doing an impression of a terrible player with a terrible voice.’

Road Trips & Merry Go Rounds

When the world effectively stopped in 2003, it means your music choices are somewhat curtailed, but Ellie’s introduced to a country classic as she and Joel travel in the truck together: ‘Alone and Forsaken’ by Hank Williams & The Drifting Cowboys, on a tape she finds in the back.

The track plays out as the pair travel through eerily deserted and decayed landscapes, populated only by herds of buffalo and abandoned cars.

Episode seven was another stand-alone, also centring music, which delved into Ellie’s backstory as a FEDRA trainee and her friendship with Riley (Storm Reid), who has disappeared to join the Fireflies. The two share a magical adventure together after dark, exploring a long-forgotten mall before tragedy – and one of The Infected – strikes.

In the opening scene, Ellie is sporting a Walkman and listening to Pearl Jam’s ‘All or None’. Classic 80s tracks then come to the fore again, with A-ha’s ‘Take on Me’ providing the ideal soundtrack to her being shown ‘the Four Wonders of the Mall’ by Riley, including, gasp, ‘ELECTRIC STAIRS??’

Note to self: enjoy escalators, they’re joyous (and Riley didn’t even count them as one of her ‘four wonders’!)

Our pick of episode seven’s tracks, though, has to be the ethereal version of The Cure’s ‘Just Like Heaven’, which plays as the two have a glittering, magical ride on a carousel.

The girls also dance around to Etta James’ ‘I Got You Babe’ in an abandoned Hallowe’en store – the music that’s been left behind seems few and far between, so teens such as Ellie and Riley listen to a mash up of music from across the decades without worrying about whether or not it’s cool.

The Season 1 Finale

There’s another little A-ha Easter egg in the finale – Anna (the game’s original Ellie actor Ashley Johnson) is about to give birth to Ellie in a flashback at the start. The Last of Us co-creator Neil Druckmann confirmed via Twitter that the song Anna sings to her newborn daughter is ‘The Sun Always Shines on TV’ – a call-back to the A-ha cassette tape we spotted on Ellie’s bedside table in episode seven.

Other than that, it’s all action all the way, as Joel and his ward finally reach their destination. But when Joel realises what the Fireflies intend to do to Ellie in order to try to create a vaccine, all hell breaks loose, and he takes matters very much into his own hands.

Interestingly for such an extended battle sequence, the sound of gunfire is knocked right back, and the soundtrack is minimal and sombre, rather than the high-octane action music you’d more usually expect.

The Last of Us soundtrack might have used needle drops and music sparingly across its first season, but each one was perfectly chosen, and we’re betting that fans will be re-watching each episode as many times as they’ve replayed the game, as they eagerly wait for season two.

Infectious Soundtracks

Looking for music for your TV project? We have hundreds of thousands of original tracks, from action-packed to emotional, upbeat and hopeful to music that will perfectly bridge games and TV, just like The Last of Us does.

And check out The Edit for the latest updates on the best TV shows, movies and their soundtracks, from Disney+’s comedy Extraordinary to blockbusters like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Need Music for Your Project?

At Audio Network we create original music, of the highest quality, for broadcasters, brands, creators, agencies and music fans everywhere. Through clear and simple licensing, we can offer you a huge variety of the best quality music across every conceivable mood and genre. Find out how we can connect you with the perfect collaborator today by clicking the button below!

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AUDIO NETWORK VINYL

CHAMPION SOUNDTRACK & REVIEW

MUSIC, OLD /
Contents
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    The BBC’s new eight-part drama about family and fame, set within a fictionalised version of the UK’s rap and R&B scenes, comes with an epic soundtrack built in. Who are the stars of Champion, and which of Black British music’s biggest names feature in the show?

    Champion v Champion

    Bosco and Vita Champion are sparring siblings, living in South London. At the start of the series, Bosco is a high-profile star on the scene, with Vita firmly in his shadow, but the status quo is about to be dramatically overturned…

    The show’s rivalry theme is there from its opening moments: shaky home video footage of a brother and sister rapping along to So Solid Crew’s ‘21 Seconds’ on the TV in their living room, and Bosco throwing a fit because his little sister Vita is effortlessly nailing it.

    Cut to now, and grime star Bosco (Top Boy’s Malcolm Kamulete) is having a panic attack backstage, after two years away from the scene in prison. Who successfully talks him down and onto the stage? Vita (Déja J Bowens). She’s not only his assistant, but it turns out she’s also been writing Bosco’s hits for him.

    Is it time for her to step out of her brother’s shadow and become a performer in her own right? Yes, very soon, head-to-head battle Champion v Champion is on. Plus there are tensions between Vita and her best friend (and erstwhile songwriting partner) Honey (Ray BLK), and the wider family fallout when Vita decides that she’s done toeing the line.

    Today, the music industry is more fraught than ever before, with walls of camera phones on 24/7; a cacophony of social media comment permanently streaming; the pressures of touring; and the perils of dodgy contracts; plus managers and producers who may or may not have their artists’ best interests front of mind.

    The show’s creator and writer, Candice Carty-Williams, wanted to ensure that social issues are as prominent as the music – Champion shows the music industry’s sexism and racism, together with issues such as mental health and heavy-handed policing in Black communities. It’s a show that’s driven as much by social purpose as gripping drama.

    And, of course, at the heart of the show, there’s family. Carty-Williams told BBC online that, ‘When I watch most TV shows, especially concerning young people, I’m always thinking, where’s the family, where did they come from? I think where we come from says so much about us… I can see why when people don’t talk to each other you can have massive rifts that last lifetimes sometimes. Putting that into my work is really important because family is so foundational.’

    Who’s the Team Behind Champion?

    Loosely based on an initial idea by Skins co-creator Bryan Elsley, Champion has been written by award-winning, bestselling author Candice Carty-Williams. Her debut novel, Queenie, took the publishing world by storm in 2019, and is currently in production with Channel 4 (Carty-Williams is attached as Executive Producer).

    Casting obviously presented its own challenges. Carty-Williams told the Guardian, ‘It’s not massively easy to find actors who can sing or rap and act to a high level.’ Malcolm Kamulete, who plays Bosco, has made music since he was about 12; Déja J Bowens, who plays Vita, grew up singing in church choirs. She confessed that, post-drama school she and Vita ‘had a similar journey in trying to find confidence, step out and become singers.’

    Singer Ray BLK (Honey) is coming from the opposite angle – it’s her first time acting, having launched her music career with debut EP Havisham in 2015. She was approached by Carty-Williams to create music for the series, but after reading the script, Ray – who took acting lessons as a teenager – found herself drawn to the character of Honey, Vita’s best friend, and asked to audition.

    The team reveal more in this BFI Q&A:

    The Soundtrack

    With the series billed as a ‘love letter to Black British music’, it’s obviously front and centre in Champion. So who wrote the tracks for Bosco, Vita and Honey? Each main character had a songwriter – Ghetts wrote most of Bosco’s tracks; Debbie wrote Vita’s and Ray BLK is herself a singer and rapper, so composed Honey’s music (for example the song ‘Shades of Blue’, which uses lyrics stolen by Honey from Vita – so Ray was channelling both Vita and Honey.)

    Candice Carty-Williams emphasises how much work went into the music: ‘We’ve created two albums’ worth of music. It’s like 78 music moments across the series, around 25 actual songs.’ She brought grime expert Hattie Collins on board as a music consultant, who reached out to everyone from Toddla T and Stormzy’s producer PRGRSHN to Shola Ama. She worked with music supervisor Catherine Grieves, who’s put together soundtracks as varied as Guardians of the Galaxy 3, Killing Eve and Extraordinary.

    The artists were briefed to create tracks that spoke to the story – they range from neo-soul ballads to soundclash bars, drill, rap, R&B, soul and there are also the reggae classics that Beres, Bosco’s father, plays on his radio show.

    Carty-Williams is keen to stress that it’s a show about music, not a musical: ‘In most musicals, someone is talking and you feel a song coming up because they’re about to gear up to it, but in Champion, all the music is very specific, everything has a point and a place. I really like that we’re not breaking the wall of the drama. We’ve got all these amazing hybrid actor-musicians, which is incredible.’

    Authentic, powerful and gripping, Champion has been made with passion both behind and in front of the camera – and it shows. One not to miss – you can binge the whole lot on BBC iPlayer now.

    Want More Music?

    For a different take on a drama featuring music, check out Nicôle Lecky’s Mood, and dive into music supervisor Catherine Grieves’ previous work on Disney+ comedy Extraordinary.

    Read about more trailblazing women in film, music and art and the best female artists of all time. Want to learn more about the history of women in music? Explore extraordinary female activists and the key women in hip hop.

    And if you need music to license for your TV show, then look no further than our hand-picked kick-ass women playlist and the Audio Network Beats collection.

     

    Need Music for Your Project?

    At Audio Network we create original music, of the highest quality, for broadcasters, brands, creators, agencies and music fans everywhere. Through clear and simple licensing, we can offer you a huge variety of the best quality music across every conceivable mood and genre. Find out how we can connect you with the perfect collaborator today by clicking the button below!

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    LOVE ISLAND SOUNDTRACK: LOVE ISLAND MUSIC GUIDE

    MUSIC, OLD /
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      Do you love Love Island? Most importantly, do you love the Love Island music on the Love Island soundtrack? Then you have come to the right place! We take a look at the songs on Love Island.

      If you can’t get enough of fit people falling for each other, then Love Island season 9 has you covered. Love Island 2023 is a special treat for fans – it’s the first winter edition of the show since 2020. What else has changed? It’s time for Maya Jama, previously the host of BBC Three’s Glow Up, to take charge of the presenting duties.

      Previous series have been filmed in a variety of villas in and around Majorca, but the producers wanted a location guaranteeing better weather than February in Europe has to offer, so Love Island season 9 took place in South Africa, with the supersized luxury eco-retreat villa on the 25-acre estate of Ludus Magnus near Cape Town.

      Otherwise, it’s very much business as usual. And that includes the Love Island songs – in amongst the dates, dalliances, passion and betrayal, there’s a soundtrack of ballads, bangers and bops. Plus, there are some huge pop names to make your Love Island Spotify sizzle.

      The Love Island Theme Song

      The Love Island theme tune is called ‘From Fiji with Love’. A-Mnemonic Music (aka Andrei Basirov and Toby Jarvis) were brought in by ITV to produce a music package for the show, including the theme tune, bumpers, promos and stings, through to the end credits.

      The producers asked for music that captured the essence of Ibiza’s dance scene – the result? An edgy but undeniably catchy set that’s been remixed by iLL BLU and featured on a Ministry of Sound Pool Party album.

      Music From Love Island

      The official Love Island playlist 2023 on Spotify contains an astonishing 828 songs – that’s over 24 hours’ worth of music to soundtrack flirting, getting together, having your head scrambled by a new bombshell and either sticking with your partner, or backing yourself and heading off in search of someone who’s more 100% your type on paper and who you might end up going exclusive with.

      The Love Island UK 2023 soundtrack is, it’s fair to say, pretty exhaustive – in the finale episode alone there were 36 featured tracks! Sigala, Mae Muller, Caity Baser and Stefflon Don’s ‘Feels This Good’ went head-to-head with Diplo, Paul Woodford and Kareen Lomax’s ‘Promises’; Ava Max declared ‘Maybe You’re the Problem’ – alternatively Sam Feldt and Rita Ora suggested that the finalists ‘Follow Me’.

      Other major names on the series tracklist include Beyoncé, the Chemical Brothers, The 1975, Self Esteem, Kylie, Demi Lovato, Mabel, Dua Lipa, Megan Thee Stallion, Ariana Grande and Clean Bandit. However, it’s not all sultry, sunny house and dance tracks.

      There are some old school classics, such as The Ronettes’ ‘Be My Baby’, The Bay City Rollers’ ‘Bye Bye Baby’, ‘Agadoo’ by Black Lace and even London Music Works’ ‘You’ve Got a Friend in Me’ (which might be more familiar if you’re a big Toy Story fan.)

      Would you expect a show about snogging in the sunshine to feature Pinkfong’s ‘Baby Shark’? Yep, Love Island went there. But then they’ll segue straight into P!ink’s ‘Raise Your Glass’ or ‘Tubthumping’ by Chumbawamba or Primal Scream’s 90s classic, ‘Rocks’.

      Fancy a bit of classical? Choose from The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra playing Harry’s Potter’s ‘Hedwig’s Theme’ or the Titanic classic ‘My Heart Will Go On.’

      Seemingly, the one thing you can predict about the Love Island songs is that they’ll be totally unpredictable. It’s pretty much a full Music 101 Degree course accompanied by sunshine, six-packs and an almost overwhelming surfeit of emotions.

      Where Does Love Island Get Their Music?

      With a massive audience that dominates the summer viewing schedules (and now the winter ones), if you’re an artist, getting your music played on Love Island can really take your career up a gear. ITV’s Hayley Smith is one of the team of music supervisors behind the show’s soundtrack and says that it’s ‘a beast – it realistically takes up almost half of my year.’

      The turnaround time for each episode is fast – around 24-36 hours, so she and the team work to prep every possible scenario, music-wise, months in advance with the series producers, providing thousands of pre-cleared commercial tracks.

      Plus the team also prides itself on hunting for new and lesser-known artists – stripped back versions and covers have been a particular hit on social media. Hayley often speaks to her contacts at labels to source those up and comers, as well as the labels, publishers and music libraries sending her music that might be a perfect fit.

      And she’s not averse to a Spotify playlists dive (utilising the ‘related artists’ feature) and checking out new talent at gigs and festivals.

      In terms of getting your music featured on Love Island or other shows, Hayley recommends networking, particularly at the yearly AIM sync conference. And do your research into the show if you’re pitching – make sure it really does fit the brief.

      Want to know why Joel Corry is massive now? It could be down to summer 2019, when his track ‘Sorry’ notched up 41,000 searches on Shazam – the most in-app song searches in a single day in the UK – during an episode of Love Island.

      Freya Ridings? Same, but a year earlier – her ballad ‘Lost Without You’ featured during a pivotal moment in the 2018 series.

      Alt-pop singer-songwriter Moss Kena told the Guardian that the Love Island music supervisors shared a list of acoustic covers they were looking for, which artists could record and submit. Kena submitted a cover of ‘Nothing Breaks Like a Heart’ by Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus, which topped the Shazam charts when it appeared on the show.

      Tom Walker, meanwhile, had his entire discography used in 2018, catapulting him from penniless musician living in a 12-person flat share, to a No. 1 album and a BRIT award.

      As to why the show can have this effect on a track, Andrea Madden, Made in Chelsea’s music supervisor, said that, ‘people invest emotionally in a series like Love Island or Made in Chelsea, and they connect with songs when they’re played in an emotional scene.’

      Mugged Off, or Catching Feelings?

      Looking for Love Island-style music for your TV show? We’ve got stacks of options. Make life easy with our hand-picked playlists, featuring everything from romance to tracks full of enough attitude for a Maya Jama strut. Drama round the fire pit? Got you covered. Or if you’re just hunting for summer hits, these will keep you at Feelgood Factor 50.

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      At Audio Network we create original music, of the highest quality, for broadcasters, brands, creators, agencies and music fans everywhere. Through clear and simple licensing, we can offer you a huge variety of the best quality music across every conceivable mood and genre. Find out how we can connect you with the perfect collaborator today by clicking the button below!

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      This page was updated 12/03/2024 and 24/05/2024.

      LOVE ISLAND SOUNDTRACK: LOVE ISLAND MUSIC GUIDE Read More »

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