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Tune!: Best TV Moments Involving Music


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(edited)

  Bumping it up with another powerful musical moment. President Obama gave the eulogy for Reverend Clemenza Pinckney, one of the victims of the Charleston, SC massacre, in which a White, racist thug killed him & eight other innocent Black people in cold blood, in a church, just because of their color. Obama not only paid a beautiful tribute to Rev. Pinckney and the other victims, at one point, Obama sang "Amazing Grace," which made the whole audience and everyone onstage stand up and sing along, proving once again that regardless of race, gender, politics or sexuality, even in the most tragic of circumstances, music has the power to unite, inspire and heal:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN05jVNBs64

Edited by DollEyes
  • Love 15

  Bumping it up with another powerful musical moment. President Obama gave the eulogy for Reverend Clemenza Pinckney, one of the victims of the Charleston, SC massacre, in which a White, racist thug killed him & eight other innocent Black people in cold blood, in a church, just because of their color. Obama not only paid a beautiful tribute to Rev. Pinckney and the other victims, at one point, Obama sang "Amazing Grace," which made the whole audience and everyone onstage stand up and sing along, proving once again that regardless of race, gender, politics or sexuality, even in the most tragic of circumstances, music has the power to unite, inspire and heal:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN05jVNBs64

 

I didn't get to see the beginning of the eulogy, but when the President began singing, I may have dropped a tear or two.

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(edited)

I've seen much better performances on Spike TV's Lip Sync Battle. Here are a few of them:

 

First, Dwayne Johnson's hilarious take on Taylor "Tay-Tay" Swift's "Shake It Off":

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFvfHh0FKsQ

 

Next, Anne Hathaway's version of "Wrecking Ball":

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzyjZAI9yEs

 

Next, Derek & Julianne Hough's takes on Sia's "Chandelier" & Lonely Island featuring Akon's "I Just Had Sex." Both of them were IMO not only way more likable here than they are on Dancing With the Stars, Derek's reactions to Julianne's performance were priceless:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYetZzlVOLI

 

Next, there's Terry Crew's shout-out to his performance of "A Thousand Miles" in White Chicks:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJTY2xeel_4

 

Here's The LEGO Movie's Will Arnett & Alison Brie's respective takes on "Everything Is Awesome" (the movie's theme song) & Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj's "Bang-Bang":

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZrCm6ToI5k

Edited by DollEyes
(edited)

 Two more examples of the power of music: First, this group called the "Rockin' 1000," whom I first saw on Good Morning, America. For those who don't know the story, it's a group of over 1000 musicians in Caesna, Italy who want the Foo Fighters to play there so badly that they practiced "Learn To Fly" for over a year and the results are epic:

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JozAmXo2bDE

 

  Next, from Jon Stewart's last episode of The Daily Show, Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band's performance was as fun, spontaneous and touching as the finale itself:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiyDJXlraRo

Edited by DollEyes
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Another moment I remember is Josh Groban singing on Ally McBeal.  I didn't know who he was so when the geeky actor playing the high school boy started singing, I wondered if he was dubbed at first.

 

Irlandesa, I remember this vividly.  He reduced me to a blubbering mess, and I hardly ever cry at anything.  (The Wire, Season 4 finale?  I probably could have used some Visine.)  He (Josh Groban) was such an unknown to me, and I don't think anyone expected something like that to happen in that silly show. Here's the information on the episode if anyone wants to be undone:

 

Josh Groban performs "To Where You Are" on Season 5, episode 7: Nine One One. 

 

If memory serves, it was a great stand alone episode, and the context (the lead-in of the story) makes the song that much more powerful..

 

TheGongofDoom, thanks for posting the Sister Cristina blind audition on the Italian Voice.  That was probably my favorite feel-good youtube of the last few years.

For me, Paul Rudd is the best celeb lip syncer. Obviously, there are others like JGL and Emma Stone who are great, but nothing beats Paul Rudd's "Don't Stop Me Now" performance. I don't know what it is, whether it's how he gives it his all, he emotes better, he does...something that makes me utterly captivated whenever I watch that video.

 

Also, the editors behind the scenes and camera operators are on point with the quick camera shots.

Edited by Lady Calypso
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For me, Paul Rudd is the best celeb lip syncer. Obviously, there are others like JGL and Emma Stone who are great, but nothing beats Paul Rudd's "Don't Stop Me Now" performance.  I don't know what it is, whether it's how he gives it his all, he emotes better, he does...something that makes me utterly captivated whenever I watch that video.

 

I've watched most of these lip sync videos way too much.  What I've noticed is that the actors are much better at it.  Its because they can isolate and exaggerate their facial expressions to sell the performance.  Paul Rudd, in particular, acts down to his finger tips during the song.  JGL is very good at that too.

 

I used to think that Jimmy was being polite to let his guests win since most of his bits are music related.  I quickly decided its just that he can't move his face. At all.  I think there was one time he did better than his guest but that was just because he had an inspired and obscure song.

 

The best part of these videos is watching the Roots in the background.

I've watched most of these lip sync videos way too much.  What I've noticed is that the actors are much better at it.  Its because they can isolate and exaggerate their facial expressions to sell the performance.  Paul Rudd, in particular, acts down to his finger tips during the song. 

 

The best part of these videos is watching the Roots in the background.

 

Exactly!  The thing with the fingers with the 'captured!' lyric in the Tina Turner song slays me.  Just slays me. Every. Single. Time!

 

And yes, The Roots cracking up in the background is always fun to see.

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I loved the Scrubs episode where the Erasure song "A Little Respect" keeps popping up throughout the episode. It'she song Turk's mentor Dr Wen chooses at the start for the surgery, Carla is humming it prior to the classic "Attitude" riff, and it's playing at the end when JD is racing to beat the 48-hour deadline to bring up the almost-kiss with Elliot.

My favorite Scrubs moment is when Dr. Cox is looking at some photos of his estranged wife Jordan, while Francis Dunnery's Good Life plays.  Never fails to make me emote.

 

I love the Sue's graduation scene in The Middle, set to "Make Your Own Kind of Music" by Mama Cass.  I don't know how to embed or anything; plus the scene is meaningless if you don't know Sue, but it is beautiful and terrific and fabulous and other adjectives, and it made me rush to the library to check out a CD with that song on it.

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My favorite Scrubs moment is when Dr. Cox is looking at some photos of his estranged wife Jordan, while Francis Dunnery's Good Life plays.  Never fails to make me emote.

 

I really love the end of the episode, My Philosophy, where they sing a medley of Waiting For My Real Life to Begin. It's poignant and sad and sweet, all at the same time.... Which I now realise I already said on the first page of this thread. Ah well, never mind.

 

I feel like this thread could just be Scrubs moments on its own. That show may take some stick from people, but they did a lot of things really well. Use of music was one. Oh, I also absolutely loved them using American Girl by Tom Petty to accompany Elliot's new look and attitude at the beginning of season 3. Great stuff.

 

Also, this from Community:

 

 

And everything they did in their musical episode.

Edited by Danny Franks
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I love the Sue's graduation scene in The Middle, set to "Make Your Own Kind of Music" by Mama Cass.  I don't know how to embed or anything; plus the scene is meaningless if you don't know Sue, but it is beautiful and terrific and fabulous and other adjectives, and it made me rush to the library to check out a CD with that song on it.

 

I only watch The Middle occasionally and hadn't seen this one, but I had to go find it, and you're right, it's a great scene. I just love Sue, and it's so nice when she gets a genuinely happy moment. (Oh, and to embed YouTube videos, just copy and paste the URL.)

 

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The version of Bob Dylan's The Times, They Are A-Changing played over Gus Grissom's funeral on The Astronaut Wives Club made me cry - everything about that scene was perfect, but the music just made it almost unbearable, in a good way.  Also, the use of Neil Diamond's original version of Holly Holy over the final scene of the series made me buy the song off I-Tunes.

Edited by proserpina65
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I loved watching LA Complex on the CW.  It was surprisingly good and had one of the best, most lovely tortured romances between deeply closeted hard core rap guy Kal King and the lovey Tariq.  But my favorite music moment was the recording of the song Hard Times, with Cassie Steel providing backing vocals.  It made me want to go out and get the actual song!

 

First part

 

Second part

Edited by DearEvette
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I love the Sue's graduation scene in The Middle, set to "Make Your Own Kind of Music" by Mama Cass.  I don't know how to embed or anything; plus the scene is meaningless if you don't know Sue, but it is beautiful and terrific and fabulous and other adjectives, and it made me rush to the library to check out a CD with that song on it.

 

I finally saw this episode last night, and you are right.  It was the perfect song for that scene.  Sue is all about doing your own thing, no matter what other people think.

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Found another entry for this thread courtesy of Stephen Fry (yes, that Stephen Fry).

 

Aired on CBS in late December, The Kennedy Center Honors 2012 paid tribute to Led Zeppelin, with a concert of their hits covered by other musicians.  Foo Fighters covered "Rock and Roll", Kid Rock played "Ramble On" and Lenny Kravitz did "Whole Lotta Love".  But to close out the show, they had to end with "Stairway".  And to perform that, the honor went to the Wilson sisters, Heart, accompanied on the drums by Jason Bonham, son of the late John Bonham.  The clip aired on CBS was edited for time, but the full version does exist.  And is one of the most awesome things you'll ever see.

 

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I love this scene and the song choice from HIMYM. I've been listening to Roxy Music since I rewatched this episode:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN7gob5uVj0

 

How I met your mother had a killer soundtrack. (Scrubs too)

 

also this from Grey's Anatomy (before they started using only annoying covers). "Edge of the Ocean" was such a nice choice:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj4RkhnoEPA

Edited by braziliangirl

Suzie McNeill, performing "Bohemian Rhapsody", as a contestant on the competition show "Rockstar INXS".  She really should have won.

 

In my opinion, "Rockstar INXS" was the best singing competition show there ever was.  All of them were great.

 

I liked Marty Casey's "Baby One More Time", myself.

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(edited)

Bumping it up to give mad props to Chris Stapleton & Justin Timberlake for their killer mash-up of "Tennessee Whiskey" & "Drink You Away" at this year's CMA Awards. Stapleton's a singer/songwriter who's been friends with JT for years, he asked Timberlake to perform with him and here are the incredible results. First, "Tennessee Whiskey":

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADuUQT_fPCw

 

Next, "Drink You Away":

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2sW92Hjrm8&list=RDADuUQT_fPCw&index

 

 What made the latter song's performance even better were the audience reactions, whether they were from Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Zac Brown, Little Big Town, Jewel, Miss America, Kimberly Williams (aka Mrs. Brad Paisley), Dierks Bentley, Jake Owen (I think), Jason Aldean or Jessica Biel, (aka Mrs. Justin Timberlake).

 

  Another great performance from the show was Pentatonix's rendition of the Oak Ridge Boys' classic "Elvira":

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg2-ZEgfTEc

Edited by DollEyes
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Ok, I can't resist the segue to Pentatonix's incredible performances on The Sing Off Season 3.  The first clip "Let's Get It On" may very well be my absolute favorite 6:46 on tv ever (including the judges' and audience's reactions, which I always rewatch as well).  The second clip was for the same episode and is also pretty incredible: they pull off  "Dog Days are Over" and, for me, it's far more interesting and epic than the original.  

 

Let's Get It On (song begins at about the 1:30 mark):

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dog Days are Over: the Judges' Choice challenge

 

Edited by ToxicUnicorn
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  Another example of the healing power of music happened overnight in response to the terrorist attacks in Paris, in which 129 people were killed and over 350 were injured. One of the attacks took place at a soccer game, which was attended by the President of France. The attacks caused so much chaos that the fans couldn't leave the stadium for hours. Once they were finally allowed to leave, many of the fans sang the French National anthem as an act of solidarity with Paris/France and defiance of the cowards who attacked them.

Edited by DollEyes
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many of the fans sang the French National anthem as an act of solidarity with Paris/France and defiance of the cowards who attacked them

 

Your post gave me a flashback to 9/11 when Congress spontaneously sang God Bless America.  Even after all this time I can barely handle watching it, but it was a beautiful moment nonetheless.

 

                     

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Another powerful musical moment inspired by the attacks in Paris is by Cerrano Soares, a pianist who took his piano by bike to the Bataclan Concert Hall, where one of the worst attacks took place and played a beautiful rendition of "Imagine":

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynsq5ms9lvI

 

  On a much lighter note, Lip Sync Battle did a holiday-themed episode with the stars of The Night Before, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt battling Anthony Mackie with Seth Rogen as The Elf On the Shelf. My verdict: while AM (and his junk) did a great version of MC Hammer's "2 Legit 2 Quit," JG-L slayed with his take on Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation":

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPWs1QkK9k8#t=120

Edited by DollEyes
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Oh boy, you had to post a Dead Like Me clip...that show was so good in the beginning. I wish Bryan Fuller stayed with it. Gets me really emotional to revisit those clips.

I think "Life in the Slow Motion" from ER is one of those songs that always takes me right back to the scenes from the show that introduced me to it. Abby needing a hysterectomy and young Joe being born were completely devastating as they played out, probably because Carter had lost his baby about a year or two earlier and we couldn't really be sure if the show was going to once again cause one of our lead characters such distress. Maura Tierney played the hell out of that material, showing us Abby in shock and in fear and in pain and trying to hold it together because she was still lying on an operating table with people touching her innards. Just crazy stuff.

Here is a fan video about those episodes:

Edited by DisneyBoy
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SNL has had some great viral musical parodies in the past, but one of their best was on this year's Thanksgiving episode that Matthew McConaguhey hosted, which was about a feuding family at Thanksgiving dinner who only had one thing in common: their love of Adele's "Hello":

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2zyjbH9zzA

 

  Then there's this adorable version of "Hello" with Adele, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yL7VP4-kP4

Edited by DollEyes
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So friends/fam got to talking over Thanksgiving as we all agreed that LL Cool J's MTV unplugged version of 'Mama Said Knock You Out' had to be one of the most surprising and thrilling versions of a tv performance of a song. To this day I love this version better than the original.  The drums, the piano... and the energy in the room is palpable even through the video (a not very high quality version).  But man... when you get to about 2:51 and he says 'Shotgun blasts are heard when I rip and kill at WILL...."  or later when he says '...Destruction, Terror, and Mayhem..." it is really badass and sounds waaaay more hardcore than the original too. He is really punching the song through.

 

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Nip/Tuck could be a truly ridiculous show, but I loved all of Ryan Murphy's musical choices. Especially while they were operating on someone.

 

It was a great show before they had them move to LA. My favorite all time surgery scene was when they were operating on a guy who'd gotten something super-glued to his butt during some sort of fraternity hazing prank or something. Or maybe it was 2 guys glued together...it's been so long since I've seen it I can't remember. But I do remember that the song played during the surgery was "Stuck to You" by Huey Lewis and the News, which was hilarious.

 

One of my favorite all-time music moments from TV is the Six Feet Under finale, which was set to Sia's Breathe Me. It is such a haunting song, and the perfect choice to play over that montage. It still makes me tear up every time I see it.

 

Currently my favorite music on a TV show is pretty much everything from The Leftovers. I loved the theme music from the first season. It was so mournful, and a perfect choice to play over the opening scene of the mural that depicts the Great Departure (rapture-like event) that is the basis of the show. There are new credits and a new theme song for season 2, which I don't like nearly as much -- although the pictures that are shown during the song are pretty sad. 

 

But whoever picks the songs that play during each episode is a freaking genius. Earlier in the season they played this really slow, soulful version of "You're The One That I Want" -- yes, the cheesy pop song from Grease. It was so unexpected, and cool. In Sunday's episode they played a country version of The Promise, an 80's one-hit-wonder song. It took me forever to place it. And they also played "Magic" by Olivia Newton-John, and, as corny as that song was, it was the perfect choice for the scene.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRebFAPKajI

 

Just when I couldn't get anymore excited about seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots got the cast to do a mash-up of the score:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTLAx3VDX7g

 

  After NBC's disastrous first two attempts at live musicals with The Sound Of Music & Peter Pan,  when I heard that they were going to do The Wiz live, I was skeptical, but they not only proved that the third time was the charm, it was full of great performances and great performers,  such as Stephanie Mills, Queen Latifah, Amber Riley, David Alan Grier, Ne-Yo, Elijah Kelley, Common, Uzo Aduba, Mary J. Blige and newcomer Shanice Williams as Dorothy. It was magical, from start to finish.

Edited by DollEyes
(edited)

 In tribute to the late, great Natalie Cole, who died yesterday, here's a clip from RuPaul's Drag Race featuring an epic "Lip Sync For Your Life" battle between contestants Dida Ritz & The Princess, in which Ms. Cole herself was one of the judges, to "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)," Ms. Cole's first & one of her biggest hits. The performance was great, but the judges', especially Ms. Cole's, reactions to it made it even better:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlc-_NXWano

 

ETA that while there have been some epic performances on LIP Sync Battle before, arguably the most epic was the Season Two premiere episode, which featured Channing Tatum Vs. his wife Jenna. Two examples of the awesomeness were Jenna's rendition of Ginuwine's "Pony,"  from the Magic Mike movies, complete with a cameo by MM co-star Adam Rodriguez and a lap dance,  followed by Channing's take on Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)," with a very special cameo:

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdfMKnJ1y2o

Edited by DollEyes
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  Bumping it up with yet another epic battle from Lip Sync Battle, this time featuring Kaley Cuoco Vs. Josh Gad. My verdict: it was the best episode of the season since the Tatum Vs. Tatum Season Premiere. Kaley's version of Britney Spears' "I'm A Slave 4U" is hilarious, snake & all. However, the most epic performance is Josh Gad's Donald Trump-inspired take of the Divinyl's "I Touch Myself":

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4kGhL096II

First season of Gossip Girl used music amazingly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ4wVwEJeqI

 

I was coming here just to post this.  Shivers up my spine.  No matter how many times I play it, I'm just awed.  And it's actually Season 2!

 

Gossip Girl is really my favourite example of this phenomenon, so I'll do a few more.  I'm purposely picking plot points that aren't as spoilery as some others I could put!

 

Lily Van Der Woodsen has her own daughter Serena arrested, to the amazing "Heart's a Mess" by Gotye.

 

 

Crazy model Agnes burns burgeoning designer Jenny's clothes, to Kings of Leon's "Be Somebody".

 

 

A nostalgic scene set at Thanksgiving, to Sebastien Tellier's beautiful "La Ritournelle"

 

Edited by Ms Blue Jay
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Bumping it up again with two powerful musical moments about female singers and their relationships with their fathers. First, from Grease Live, there's Vanessa Hudgens' beautiful  version of "There Are Worse Things I Could Do, " which she performed the day after her father died and dedicated to her late father's memory:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKsXNyb44Jw

 

Next, there's original American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson's performance of her song "Piece By Piece," about her relationship with her father, who divorced her mom and abandoned the family when she was a little girl, making her distrust men until she met/married her husband and the father of her children. It was so powerful, it not only moved Kelly, the judges, the contestants and the audience to tears, she got a well-deserved standing ovation:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIAH9jLGB_U

Edited by DollEyes
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I don't recall seeing this one posted but it's from the second season finale of The Affair.  If you would have told me that one of the most powerful moments of the series would involve Scotty, I wouldn't have believed you.

But here he belts out an amazing cover of House of the Rising Sun.  Bewarned, one of the characters makes a confession during the performance so if you're afraid of spoilers, you may want to skip it.  However, it's a confession that most people predicted early on in the 2nd season and isn't the reveal to the show's bigger mystery.  And the song and confession just go so well together to set this scene.

 

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