Soundtrack Deep Dive: The Boroughs
The Boroughs is Netflix’s latest sci-fi series that topped the streaming platform’s global charts, amassing over fifteen million views in ten days. The show was birthed by longtime friends Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, creators of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, in partnership with wildly successful Stranger Things originators Matt and Ross Duffer, who serve as executive producers on the project.
Starring Bill Pullman, Geena Davis, Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, Clarke Peters, and Denis O’Hare, the series depicts a picturesque New Mexico retirement community who unearth menacing monstrous entities hunting down what retirees need most: time. Trading in teenage misfits for those of retirement age, the show is an excellent choice for those itching for a show akin to Stranger Things with a seamless soundtrack to pair.
Nora Felder, CEO of Picture Music Company, offered up her expertise for the show’s soundtrack, pulling familiar rock ‘n’ roll favorites from the ‘70s and ‘80s, including songs by Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, Tina Turner, Bill Withers, Bob Seger, and other new favorites, such as Stranger Things’ alum Djo. She partnered with Legacy Recordings for this project and teamed up with composer John Paesano, composer of Maze Runner and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, who penned the show’s original score, catching the show’s emotional and spooky undertones.
David Bowie’s syncopated “Golden Years” from the album Station to Station plays during the trailer of the show and in the opening sequence as ex-engineer Sam Cooper, played by Alfred Molina, arrives at the utopian New Mexico retirement community, invoking a sense of nostalgia while channelling a new beginning. Bowie isn’t unfamiliar to Felder, as she secured Bowie’s staple “Heroes” for the Stranger Things finale, nourishing her pre-existing relationship with the singer’s estate.
Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road” makes a few appearances throughout the season, serving as a tribute to Sam and the memory of his late wife, Lilly, played by Jane Kaczmarek. Felder told Netflix that they ran through “at least 100 ideas” before officially selecting the song.
The multi-Emmy-winning and Grammy-nominated music supervisor also curated the music for Stranger Things, where she won the Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Music Supervision for her placement of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” in episode “Chapter Four: Dear Billy.” The usage massively reignited the 1985 song’s popularity and sent the song soaring to the No. 3 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She’s also the mastermind behind the soundtracks for Yellowjackets, Californication, Ray Donovan, and more.
All the songs in The Boroughs are below:
Episode 1 - “Welcome to the Boroughs”
David Bowie - “Golden Years”
Santana - “Oye Como Va”
Bruce Springsteen - “Thunder Road”
Bob Seger - “Night Moves”
Jacob Bright - “Easy Life”
Mike Jemison - “Spread Some Love”
Head Cut - “Straight Sound”
Earth, Wind & Fire - “Shining Star”
Netflix Recording / The Killers cover - “All These Things I’ve Done”
Episode 2 - “The Mourning After”
Ultimate Spinach - “Visions of Your Reality”
Sexbeat - “Sex Beat”
Lauryn Hill - “The Ex-Factor”
The Melophonics - “Champagne Nights”
Madeline Bell - “Love Is All”
Etta James - “Stormy Weather”
Episode 3 - “A Pyramid”
Queens of the Stone Age - “You’ve Got a Killer Scene There, Man”
Djo - “Back on You”
Dead Man’s Bones - “Lose Your Soul”
Clarke Peters singing Tina Turner - “I Can’t Stand the Rain”
Episode 4 - “Forbidden Fruit”
Tina Turner - “I Can’t Stand the Rain”
David Lawrence, Velma Valentina - “Alone”
Bill Withers - “Lovely Day”
Alan Hawkshaw - “Bluebird”
Illustration - “Upon The Earth”
Siouxsie & the Banshees - “The Passenger”
Cheryl Thompson - “Black Night”
Episode 5 - “Another Beautiful Day”
The Glasser Brothers - “Words Come Easy”
Johnny Cash - “Belshazar”
Morrie Morrison - “Goodbye Little Girl Goodbye”
Episode 6 - “The Grey Rebellion”
Engelbert Humperdinck - “Up Up and Away”
The Hues Corporation - “Rock The Boat”
The O’Jays - “Love Train”
Jim Wolfe - “Comin’ Back To You”
The Undisputed Truth - “Smiling Faces Sometimes”
Alfred Molina / Bruce Springsteen cover - “Thunder Road”
Episode 7 - “Time To Go”
Heart - “Barracuda”
Fred Astaire - “Cheek to Cheek”
Cast / Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - “Cheek to Cheek”
Cast / Bruce Springsteen - “Thunder Road” (Karaoke)
Cast / Andy Williams - “Promise Me, Love”
Episode 8 - “Tripe Audible”
The Lovin’ Spoonful - “Do You Believe in Magic”
Santana - “Oye Como Va”
The Spiral Staircase - “More Than Yesterday”
Bruce Springsteen - “Thunder Road”
Bruce Springsteen - “Born To Run”