Taylor Swift is without a doubt one of the biggest pop stars of our time, with millions of albums sold, countless awards won, and one broken record after another, with her 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, due out this fall. Not only is her music the soundtrack to her fans’ lives, but it’s also part of the soundtracks to some of the biggest TV shows out there.
Given Swift’s popularity, it’s no surprise the teams behind the music on TV shows are eager to use her songs to underscore storytelling, and with such an extensive discography, she has a song for just about everything. A well-done needle drop can do wonders to elevate a scene, from beautiful love scenes to haunting endings, and some of Swift’s songs have done just that. Their use in TV shows can also present them in a new light, with a different context that completely changes the meaning and impact.
10
‘CSI’
“You’re Not Sorry,” Season 9, Episode 16
For 15 seasons, CSI followed a group of forensic investigators as they investigated a new crime each week in Las Vegas. In Swift’s very first acting role, she guest-starred in the episode “Turn, Turn, Turn” as a teenager named Haley Jones, who had a connection to investigator Nick Stokes (George Eads) and was accidentally stabbed by the woman she thought was her mother. The episode also featured a remixed version of Swift’s song “You’re Not Sorry.”
Police procedurals like CSI, which feature new characters every week, are known for high-profile guest stars, and given Swift’s celebrity, it’s no wonder she was among them. Her character met a tragic end, and the moody remix of “You’re Not Sorry” — a song about betrayal — was a fitting song for the episode, given that the woman who raised Haley wasn’t actually her mother and was ultimately responsible for Haley’s death.
9
‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’
“We Are Never Getting Back Together,” Season 9, Episode 3
Long-running sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia follows a group of five friends called the Gang comprised of twins Dennis (Glenn Howerton) and Dee Reynolds (Kaitlin Olson), their father, Frank Reynolds (Danny DeVito), and their friends Charlie (Charlie Day) and Mac (Rob McElhenney) as they run an Irish pub in the city. In the Season 8 episode “The Gang Tries Desperately to Win an Award,” they tried to give Paddy’s Pub a makeover so it would be named one of the best bars in Philly.
The episode featured Swift’s hit “We Are Never Getting Back Together.” When the Gang visited a nearby bar for inspiration, the song was playing at full volume as part of a playlist designed to appeal to patrons. It was a great choice, especially considering the show uses needle drops pretty infrequently. But the best part was how the Gang reacted to it, especially after a couple of drinks.
8
‘Supernatural’
“Shake It Off,” Season 10, Episode 12
Supernatural followed brothers Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), who spent the show’s 15 seasons in the family business of hunting monsters and demons to keep humanity safe. Season 10 episode “About a Boy” presented a twist on the familiar story of Hansel and Gretel, and Dean was transformed into a teenage version of himself — and discovered that he liked Swift’s “Shake It Off,” which he confessed to Sam.
Swift was just about the last artist viewers — and Sam — would expect Dean to enjoy, and his confession that he liked “Shake It Off” was a funny moment between him and Sam. The song played in the episode’s final scene, making for a fitting ending to Dean’s strange experiences. His love of it served as proof that there’s a Swift song for everyone, even a demon hunter who only — only — listened to classic rock.
7
‘New Girl’
“22,” Season 2, Episode 16
After a difficult breakup, Jess (Zooey Deschanel) moved into a loft apartment in Los Angeles with three single guys in the sitcom New Girl. When Jess went through another breakup in Season 2, she wanted to spend some time listening to Taylor Swift alone and played “22″ while Nick tried to cheer her up with his dance moves. Swift also once guest-starred in the Season 2 finale as Elaine, Shivrang’s long-time love.
Most of us can relate to Jess’ desire to listen to her favorite songs and have some alone time and a good cry, as well as wanting to cheer up a friend in their lowest moments. But Jess listening to “22” and enjoying a glass of wine while Nick tried to make her laugh wasn’t just relatable — it was also a sweet moment between the two of them.
6
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
“Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version),” Season 6, Episode 9
Hulu’s dystopian drama The Handmaid’s Tale premiered in 2017 with the story of June (Elisabeth Moss), a woman forced to serve as a concubine for the wealthy elite. The show lasted six seasons and was based on the novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood. The show’s final season used Swift’s song “Look What You Made Me Do” in Episode 9, starting with a shot of the resistance group Mayday, led by June.
“Look What You Made Me Do” continued to play as June led Mayday to storm Gilead and attack the Commanders, a moment in which they fought for their freedom and targeted the men responsible for taking it. While some viewers felt the song’s use was a little too “on the nose” and distracted from the intensity of the scene, it perfectly matched the tone and made for a memorable moment that highlighted what the women had been through.
5
‘Grey’s Anatomy’
“White Horse,” Season 5, Episode 2
ABC’s long-running medical drama Grey’s Anatomy — which will air Season 22 this fall — follows the staff of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital in Seattle through their personal and professional ups and downs. Swift’s ballad “White Horse,” from the album Fearless, played in the two-part premiere of Season 5 while Izzie (Katherine Heigl) delivered some difficult news to a patient with memory loss and Bailey (Chandra Wilson) bent the rules to help a patient.
Grey’s Anatomy has become known for its well-placed needle drops, and it’s no surprise that Swift’s music has been among them. “White Horse,” a song about the realization that one’s hopes of a fairy-tale life are crashing down, made an already emotional scene even more impactful. Swift is also a fan of the show — she named her cat, Meredith Grey, after the show’s main character.
4
‘The Bear’
“Love Story (Taylor’s Version),” Season 2, Episode 7
After a death in the family, Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), a young chef from the world of fine dining, moves back to Chicago to run his family’s sandwich shop in The Bear. Season 2 episode “Forks” featured Swift’s song “Love Story” as part of a montage with Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) — whose daughter is a Swiftie — including scenes of him driving through the city as he sings along to the song.
The Bear has featured plenty of great needle drops in its time, and while Swift’s classic “Love Song” seems a somewhat odd choice for the show and Richie in particular, the end result was a sweet, fun scene that showed the character’s lighter side, as well as some beautiful shots of Chicago. It was a great moment for Richie in which he finally found his purpose, especially as it came after some difficult professional setbacks.
3
‘Bridgerton’
“Wildest Dreams,” Season 1, Episode 6
Romance series Bridgerton, set in Regency-era England, follows the siblings of the noble Bridgerton family and their respective quests for love. Three seasons have aired so far, and the series is based on the books of the same name by Julia Quinn. In keeping with its setting, Bridgerton often uses instrumental versions of popular songs, including Swift’s “Wildest Dreams” in Season 1, Episode 6, during a montage of Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon’s (Regé-Jean Page) steamy honeymoon.
The instrumental music featured in Bridgerton is a crucial part of the show, and it’s always fun to see what songs are used and in what way. Swift’s music has been featured in the show a few times, but rarely as perfectly as the scene featuring “Wildest Dreams.” The orchestral version featured in the show is gorgeous, and the song lends itself well to the style, undoubtedly giving Swifties the perfect arrangement for their own weddings.
2
‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’
“Bigger Than the Whole Sky,” Season 2, Episode 8
Amazon Prime’s coming-of-age series The Summer I Turned Pretty follows a teenage girl as she becomes caught in a love triangle with two brothers. It’s based on the trilogy of novels of the same name, written by Jenny Han, who also created the series. The Season 2 finale featured Swift’s track “Bigger Than the Whole Sky” in a scene with Belly (Lola Tung) and Susannah (Rachel Elise Blanchard), the brothers’ sick mother.
The Summer I Turned Pretty often turns to Swift’s music in particular — especially her deep cuts — to highlight its biggest moments, from its sweetest highs to its most emotional lows. “Bigger Than the Whole Sky,” a poignant song about loss and grief, is one of its best uses of her music as Belly and Susannah share a moment together. It’s a hard-hitting tearjerker of a scene, and the song only serves to enhance it.
1
‘You’
“Exile,” Season 3, Episode 10
Thriller series You followed Joe (Penn Badgley), a charming but intense and dangerous stalker. The series ran for five seasons, moving to Netflix after premiering on Lifetime, and was based on the book series of the same name written by Caroline Kepnes. The Season 3 finale featured Swift’s song “Exile,” a duet with singer-songwriter Bon Iver featured on the album Folklore, as Joe and his wife, Love (Victoria Pedretti), violently turned on each other.
Like other shows, You used Swift’s music a few times, including “Anti-Hero” at the end of Season 4, but the best was “Exile.” Thanks to its somber sound and lyrics, the song made the episode’s final scenes even more haunting and powerful. With lines like, “You’re not my homeland anymore/So what am I defending now?/You were my town/now I’m exile seeing you out,” the song perfectly described the couple’s relationship and end.
