’s season 2 finale, pop culture was forever changed.
It even got its ownSNLparody a full two years later.
That’s how much power teen TV music moments hold.
But finding the right song out of millions of options for a “synch” (a.k.a.
synchronize) to make teen TV’s most iconic music moments is a harder job than you may think.
She’s currently behind the genre-busting classical covers of pop songs you hear onBridgerton.
“I start with the sound,” Patsavas says.
Music supervisor Christopher Mollere who worked onThe Vampire DiariesandPretty Little Liars(at the same time!)
as well asGreekand other teen shows follows that same ideology.
What would the story need?
What’s the necessity of the emotion?"
“You have to be open to all music, from classical to death metal.”
But the most important thing he looks for in songs is “authenticity.
But it almost didn’t happen because of clearance issues.
That experience taught Mollere to never give up on the song he believes is perfect for a scene.
dies, so it bookended their relationship and became part of the characters' history.”
I always want to find stuff that’s special, and you’ve got to dig for it."
Webb explains, “Whenever I get goosebumps, that’s a good indicator.
When it makes you literally stop what you’re doing, that’s a sign of a good song.
I rely on that.”
But Patsavas says that finding a good song is only half the battle.
“The real magic happens with the pairing,” she adds.
And sometimes the perfect pairing comes from a really personal place.
“It was such a perfect blend of classic and new, and it ended up being chill-inducing.”
The process of making a music moment can sometimes even happens backwards, i.e.
when a song is chosen first and the scene is then created around that needle drop.
That was the case with “Hide and Seek” onThe O.C.
“That was terrific fun.
One ofTeen Wolf’s most jaw-dropping music moments was also built from the song up.
“We have to make a moment of it.
One Tree Hillhad its own haunting music moment, but for a much different reason.
“But it was too big for the moment.”
“In this case it was kind of a combination of relief meets a prayer with that song.
And it fit perfectly.”
“After that crazy violent beatdown, we use a yacht rock song.
Then we had the choreography.”
The whole thing took “about six weeks to put together” for just one music moment.
“There was so many moving parts.
It was intense,” she says.
“It was the last day of shooting for season 1, and it was very special.
And, voila, we won the Emmy for best original song!”
Now teen TV music moments aren’t just iconic they’re award-winning.
Read more fromI Want My Teen TV, EW’s summerlong celebration of teen shows past and present.
