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
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
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:

Will You Follow Me Into the Dark
by Klergy, Mindy Jones
from Riverdale Soundtrack · Season 5 · Episode 3 · Chapter Seventy-Nine: Graduation
Archie leaves Riverdale
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
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)
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
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:

Sleeping on the Blacktop
by Colter Wall
from Yellowstone Soundtrack · Season 4 · Episode 3 · All I See Is You
Opening montage.
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:
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:

When I R.I.P.
by Labrinth
from Euphoria Soundtrack · Season 1 · Episode 7 · The Trials and Tribulations of Trying to Pee While Depressed
(0:36) Jules and her friend in the car.
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.
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