Music in Supernatural

Sam criticizing Dean's tape collection. Promotional image from 1.01 Pilot (episode)

Season 1 (2005/2006)

Pilot

Classic - What Cha Gonna Do (Jessica, Sam and a friend at the Halloween party)
Eagles of Death Metal - Speaking In Tongues (guy stops for the hitchhiking Woman in White)
Allman Brothers Band - Ramblin' Man (Dean and Sam at the gas station)
AC/DC - Back in Black ( after Sam found Dean's "Mullet Rock" Collection )
AC/DC - Highway to Hell (Dean and Sam are talking about finding their dad)
The Living Daylights - Gasoline
Kid Gloves Music - My Cheatin' Ways
Mentioned, but not played: Black Sabbath , Motorhead, Metallica

Unaired pilot

Green Day - Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Jessica gets ready for the Halloween party)
50 Cent - Disco Inferno (Jessica, Sam and a friend at the Halloween party)
Jay Z – 99 Problems (guy stops for the hitchhiking Woman in White)
ZZ Top - La Grange (Dean and Sam at the gas station)
Metallica - Enter the Sandman (after Sam found Dean's "Mullet Rock" Collection)
AC/DC - Highway to Hell (after Constance's spirit's gone and Dean and Sam are talking about finding their dad)
AC/DC - Back in Black (closing credits)
Mentioned, but not played: Black Sabbath , Motorhead

Wendigo

Dave Matthew's Band - Out of My Hands (played during Sam's nightmare in which he visits Jess' grave
Foreigner - Hot Blooded (in the car when Sam wakes from his nightmare)
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Down South Jukin' (at the bar where the guys discuss the case and watch the video on the laptop)
Rush - Fly By Night (at the end when Sam's driving the Impala and they leave the woods)

Dead in the Water

Black Toast Music- What a Way to Go (at the Lynnwood Inn when the guys look through newspaper articles)
Ratt - Round And Round (when they arrive at Lake Manitoc )
Billy Squier - Too Daze Gone (in the car with the " We don't have to hug, are we?" -remark)
Bad Company - Movin' On (at the end when they leave Amy and her son)

Mentioned, but not played: Led Zeppelin

Phantom Traveler

Black Sabbath- Paranoid (The "Blues Brothers" on the way to the warehouse)
Rush – Working Man (in the Impala when they try to get Amanda Walker on the phone)

Mentioned, but not played (well, hummed by Dean): Metallica - Some Kind of Monster

Bloody Mary

Fall Out Boy - Sugar We're Going Down (Jill's encounter with Bloody Mary)
Def Leppard - Rock of Ages (in the car when they're talking about how Mary is connected to all the mirrors)
The Rolling Stones - Laugh, I Nearly Died (end of episode when Sam sees Jessica at the side of the road)

Skin

Iron Butterfly- In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (shapeshifter is surrounded by police in the apartment)
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Poison Whiskey (at the gas station where Sam's reading his emails)
Filter – Hey Man, Nice Shot (shapeshifter fleeing crime scene and shedding skin in the sewers)
Free - All Right Now (end of episode when Dean tells Sam that he wished he could have a normal life)

Hook Man

Split Habit - Higher Mathematics (beginning of episode when Lorie's getting ready for her date)
Quiet Riot - Bang Your Head (Metal Health) (when they're arriving at the fraternity house)
Low Five - Noise (when they meet Murf and question him about the death of the fraternity guy)
APM - At Rest (at the sermon for Lorie's dead friend)
APM - Royal Bethlehem (when they do research at the library)
Paul Richards - U Do 2 Me (at the college party)
Boston - Peace Of Mind (end of episode when Sam and Dean hit the road)

Bugs

Def Leppard - Rock of Ages (at the beginning in the bar scene, also played in Bloody Mary )
The Scorpions - No One Like You (at the end of episode when the guys hit the road)

Home

no music played

Asylum

Bachman-Turner Overdrive – Hey You (at the bar when they question the cop)

Scarecrow

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Lodi (at the bus station when Sam meets Meg again)
Bad Company – Bad Company (at the end when Meg makes her “call”)

Mentioned, but not played: Led Zeppelin

Faith

Blue Öyster Cult - Don't Fear The Reaper (when the Reaper kills the girl in the woods)

Route 666

The James Gang - Walk Away (at the service station when Cassie first calls Dean)
Bad Company - She Brings Me Love (during the love scene between Dean and Cassie)
Blind Faith - Can't Find My Way Home (at the end of the episode when Dean puts on his shades)

Nightmare

Bob Seger – 2+2=? (at the beginning when Jim pulls his car in the garage)

The Benders

Joe Walsh – Rocky Mountain Way ( Kugel's Kec bar, with Dean playing dart and Sam doing research)

Shadow

Little Charlie and the Nightcats - You Got Your Hooks In Me (teaser, the song Meredith is listening to on her iPod)
The Vue – Pictures of Me ( Firehead Bar, when Dean hits on the bartender and Sam spots Meg again)

Hell House

Blue Öyster Cult – Fire of Unknown Origin (the song on the radio Dean is singing)
Blue Öyster Cult – Burnin' for You (at the end of the episode when they are leaving the trailer park)

Something Wicked

UFO – Rock Bottom (after the Teaser; Sam and Dean on their way to Fitchburg )
Ozzy Osbourne – Road to Nowhere (at the end of the episode when they hit the road again)

Provenance

Steve Carlson - Night Time (at the Bar when Dean hits on the girls)
Grand Funk Railroad – Bad Time (To Be In Love) (the song on the car radio; Dean "sets the mood" for Sam and Sarah)

Dead Man's Blood

Stevie Ray Vaughan - The House Is Rockin' (teaser; Elkins in the Bar studying his journal)
Tito & Tarantula - Strange Face Of Love (the vampires partying at their place)

Salvation

Kansas – Carry On My Wayward Son (played during the recap of events before the actual episode)

Devil's Trap

Triumph – Fight The Good Fight ("The Road So Far", recap of previous events)
Joe Walsh – Turn To Stone (Sam and Dean on the way to Bobby)
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bad Moon Rising (end of episode, when they are hit by the truck)

Season 2 (2006/2007)

In My Time of Dying

Ted Nugent - Stranglehold (played during recap of previous events)

Everybody Loves a Clown

The Chambers Brothers - Time Has Come Today (played during recap of previous events) Three Dog Night - Shambala (One week later as Dean fixes the Impala) Captain & Tennille - Do That To Me One More Time (Played in the van Sam and Dean take to the Roadhouse)

Bloodlust

Journey - Wheel in the Sky (played uring recap of previous events) AC/DC - Back in Black (The Impala is back on the road)

Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things

NONE

Simon Said

REO Speedwagon - Can't Fight This Feeling (The song Jo puts on at the Roadhouse that Dean scoffs at) Spinal Tap - Stonehenge (Heard as Dean and Sam walk up to Andy's van) Soundgarden - Fell On Black Days (Heard as the episode closes, as Ellen gets whiskey for the boys)

No Exit

Cheap Trick - Surrender (As Sam and Dean drive to Philly) Foreigner - Cold As Ice (Heard on the radio that Dean turns on during the long drive home and Ellen shuts off)

The Usual Suspects

NONE

Crossroad Blues

Downhearted Blues - Son House (The song Johnson plays in the flashback opener) Crossroad Blues - Robert Johnson (Flashback scene with Johnson at the Crossroads) Key to the Highway - Big Bill Broonzy (On the radio in the Impala as Sam talks to Dean about John) Nazareth - Hair of a Dog (Played during the SOON preview for upcoming episodes)

Croatoan

NONE

Hunted

Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit (Scott talks to his psychologist about the Yellow-Eyed Man through him walking home) Carey Bell - Lonesome Stranger (Sam talks to Ellen at the Roadhouse) Muse - Supermassive Black Hole (Ash gives Sam his search results at the Roadhouse)

Playthings

None yet identified

Promos

Season 1 promos

Dave Matthews Band - Out Of My Hands
Crossfade – No Giving Up
Echo And The Bunnymen - Killing Moon - UK-Promo by ITV
Unknown - All I Need Is You

Season 2 promos

Johnny Cash - God Is Gonna Cut You Down (Heard in a promo for new Jan '06 eps)

Score - Season 1

The Supernatural OST received an Emmy nomination in 2006.

Score analysis by Zimshan.

Supernatural has two score composers. Christopher Lennertz and Jay Gruska, brought in by executive producers Eric Kripke and Robert Singer respectively, who share the composing responsibility by alternating episodes.

Lennertz Scores

Lennertz seems to prefer a style of scoring for SPN similar to the Bernard Herrmann idea, focusing on the irrational by consisting of small dissonant repetitive pieces that rest on "unfulfilled" endings or just pure Jerry Goldsmith-stamped clangor. If you’ve ever found yourself on the edge of your seat in anticipation or just scared absolutely shitless, he’s probably the reason. He uses the strings more for the unsettling, scary action and turning to the piano keys for the creepy tension. He works with a lot of extended notes and swells with diverse percussion but mostly, his approach is very anti-melodic. His pieces are perfect for the visuals that accompany it but they are very indistinct. Its effect is incredibly embedded in the unconscious which is fabulous but...it's a bitch to ID.

The following list of tracks appeared on the OST CD, leaked online on August 25, 2006.

cover of the promotional CD

The promotional CD showcases the following tracks:

• And So It Begins - 1.01 - Heard in the opener as Mary gets out of bed to check on baby Sam. The beginning strains are heard again in 114 as Max tells Sam his mother died in his nursery. (Can be considered The Demon's Theme.)

• Let‘s Go Hunting - 1.01 - Heard as Dean opens up the trunk and tells Sam what John was hunting

• On the Bridge - 1.01 - Heard as Dean and Sam spot the Woman in White who falls from the bridge

• Sam Understands - 1.03 - Heard as the father sits on the deck through the son talking to the boys

• A Father‘s Despair - 1.03 - Heard after the boys first meet Lucas as the Sheriff tells them what he’s been through

• He Can‘t Speak - 1.03 - Heard as Dean colors with the kid in the park

• Not The Lake - 1.03 - Heard as the boys find the father in the boat on the lake through the attack

• A Lonely Picture - 1.03 - Heard as Dean talks to the kid the second time, realizing he’s scared and telling him his father would want him to be brave

• The Water Attacks - 1.03 - Heard as Andrea gets attacked in the tub

• Evil Awaits - 1.03 - Heard as the old lady tells Dean and Sam about her boy’s disappearance through the father sitting on the dock.

• The Hidden Terror - 1.03 - Heard throughout the climactic scene, starting as Andrea says “Tell me you didn’t kill anybody” and all the way through to Dean saving Lucas

• The Morgue - 1.05 - Heard as the boys examine the body in the morgue. Theme throughout the episode

• Dean Comforts Sam - 1.05 - Heard when Dean pulls over the car to tell Sam Jess’s death wasn’t his fault

• Searching History - 1.07 - Heard as Dean and Sam first get the boxes to go through papers at the library

• The Library - 1.07 - Heard as Sam and Dean return to the books after the pastor gets attacked

• No One Believes Me - 1.07 - Heard at the end as Laurie and Sam talks while Dean watches in the mirror

• Fighting the Beast - 1.09 - Heard as the boys fight the poltergeist in the house through Mary appearing

• Nightmare - 1.14 - Heard when the brothers are at the wake at the house, starting as Dean asks the mother about the house, through Sam talking to Max

• Into The Loft - 1.16 - Heard as Sam follows Meg through the streets and into the warehouse

• Dad Is Alive - 1.16 - Heard throughout the reunion of John and the boys

• Hell House - 1.17 - It’s got to be in 117 right? But hell if I can find it.

• Boys Break In - 1.19 - Heard as the boys break in the auction house to destroy the painting

• Sam Can Love Again - 1.19 - Heard as Dean confronts Sam about moving on after Jess

• Sam Opens Up - 1.19 - Heard as Sam tells Sara about Jess

• Penance/Murder - 1.21 - Heard from the moment the episode begins (the beginning vocals were taken out of the real ep track) through Meg’s arrival and subsequent attack on Pastor Jim

That's not to say Lennertz hasn't done other cues that were noteworthy. There were a few other memorable ones that weren't included in the compiliation.

• Home Sweet Home - 1.09 - The full opening sequence in Lawrence, Kansas

• Go Back Home - 1.09 - Sam tells Dean where they need to go next

• What Happened That Night - 1.09 - Sam and Dean discuss what they know

• Dean Calls Dad - 1.09 - Self-expanatory, don't ya think?

• Goodbye - 1.09 - Towards the end as Sam and Dean leave

• Ending - 1.10 - Sam and Dean sees the kids off, and Sam apologizes

• Let Sam Go His Own Way - 1.16 - Through Dean's confession that he wants them to be a family again

• Let Dad Go - 1.16 - As Sam and Dean let John go, and watch him drive away

• Jim Murphy's Dead - 1.21 - As the trunk and Impala drive down the road through John stopping and explaining what happened to Pastor Jim

• Finding The House - 1.21 - After Sam has the first vision, as he goes looking for the house

• Happy Family - 1.21 - As Sam leaves Monica and Rosie, and watches the family from afar

• Holy Water - 1.21 - Throughout John saying his prayer and dropping the rosary in the water

• The Brothers' Confrontation - 1.21 - Throughout Sam's lamenting at Dean not letting him go back in.

Lennertz Motifs

The Demon's Theme: (the beginning of 'And So It Begins')

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• 1.01 - Starts as Mary gets out of bed to check on Sammy
• 1.14 - Heard again as Max tells Sam his mother died in his nursery

Gruska Scores

Gruska, in comparison, has a much more melodic hand. He’s the one that helps give the show its big beating heart. While Lennertz tends to be more focused on the scare, Gruska tends to be more focused on the sentiment. I’ve personally grown more accustom to favoring his scoring because I like the balance he’s seemed to create between the two aspects. What struck me when I first started watching was the amount of actual emotion contained in the show, and how they could balance it in just being real instead of going over the line into the corn most shows would make it. I’ve found Gruska’s scores to be really integral in all the most important scenes, skilled in being just prominent enough to be effective while being careful enough not to be intrusive. It’s unconscious enough to let a viewer live in a scene alone, but when you are listening for it, you realize why that scene worked so well for you before. It truly LENT something to the scene. If you’ve developed a connection to these characters and their journey, most likely it’s because of Gruska’s score that has effected you along the way. Of course, because this IS Supernatural, he also plays the needed amount of creepy Lennertz favors so much. But generally, he's more willing to use strings and woodwinds (including some fabulous oboe uses) especially in terms of sentiment where Lennertz leans more on the lone piano keys. He’s also more likely to use an acoustic guitar (as opposed to Lennertz's electric) and less-commonly used folk instruments to make a much more rustic Midwestern sound for the show.

• For Jessica - 1.02 - Sam’s dream of visiting Jess’s grave

• We‘re Gonna Find Dad - 1.02 - End of episode as Dean assures Sam they’ll find John

• Triumph - 1.04 - The muted horn victory as the plane returns to safe flight

• On Solid Ground - 1.04 - The passengers return to safety of the airport

• Dad‘s Message - 1.04 - Sam and Dean call John’s cell and hear the new message. Melody heard again in 120 when John tells Sam this was never the life he wanted for him. (Can be considered Sam and John's Theme)

• Mirror Murder - 1.06 - After Dean shoots the shapeshifter, as he examines the body and retrieves his necklace

• Never Disappointed - 1.08 - Dean assures Sam John was never disappointed in him

• To Find The Truth - 1.08 - Native melody heard as the boys visit the tribe to find information

• Sam Wants To Find Dad - 1.08 - End of the episode as Sam admits to Dean he does want to find John

• Opener - 1.11 - Beginning as the couple comes out of the restuarant in the town

• Dad‘s Call - 1.11 - Throughout John's call to the boys

• The Split - 1.11 - As Sam gets out of the car, Dean declares he's selfish, through Sam walking away and Dean leaving him behind

• Coming Into Town - 1.11 - Dean drives into Burkittsville

• Brothers' Goodbye - 1.11 - Throughout Dean's conversation with Sam on the cell

• To Boston - 1.11 - A short melodic piece heard as the boys see Emily's bus off

• Stuck With Sam - 1.11 - Sam tells Dean he's staying

• Sheriff Checks Out The House - 1.15 - As the Sheriff walks up to the hillbillies' house

• Don't Ever Do That Again - 1.15 - The ending as Dean expressing his sympathies to the sheriff, through Dean and Sam walking away to the close

• The Hospital Walk (Full Episode Theme) - 1.18 - Heard as the boys first investigate the hospital corridors through talking to the doctor

• Full Episode Theme - 1.18 - Same place as above, just cut before dialogue for a cleaner version of the theme

• Drive Into Town - 1.18 - A short fragment heard as the boys drive into the hotel parking lot

• Second Flashback - 1.18 - Heard throughout Dean remembering the milk and spaggetios memory

• Asher's Sick - 1.18 - Throughout Michael telling Dean about his brother

• Old Woman (Theme) - 1.18 - Throughout Dean and Sam walking through the hospital to the old woman's room

• Fort Douglas, Wisconsin - 1.18 - Throughout Dean's reveal of what happened before

• Do Anything For Your Brother - 1.18 - As Michael comes back and agrees to help

• All Better - 1.18 - As Dean, Sam, and Michael find out the kids are all well again

• Stake Out/The Colt - 1.20 - As John stakes out the vamps with the boys, through him telling them about The Colt

• Not The Life John Wanted For Sam - 1.20 - As John explains to Sam his mindset in their fight (Same motif as that used in 'Dad's Message' - 1.04)

• Leaving The Colt - 1.22 - A small response to Dean supposively giving into Sam and putting The Colt in the trunk

• Pulling The Alarm - 1.22 - As Sam pulls the alarm, Dean bothers the firefighters, and Sam gets the uniforms

• Attack - 1.22 - Throughout Sam being attacked, to Dean's bullet usage

• Dean's Family Dedication Theme - 1.22 - Heard as the Impala speeds down the road in the night, this is the clean version of the motif used for Dean later in 122, more fully heard throughout 201, and then again in 209.

• The Things Dean's Willing To Do (Dean's Full Theme) - 1.22 - In the cabin, the full motif is heard as Dean laments to Sam about killing for Sam, through John coming in and praising Dean

Gruska Motifs

Sam and John's Theme:

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• 1.04 - Heard at the end as Sam and Dean listen to John's new cell message
• 1.08 - A wavering, unsettled derivative heard as Sam tells Dean he wants to find John
• 1.20 - Heard as John tells Sam this was never the life he wanted for him

Dean's Family Dedication Theme:

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• 1.22 - Heard through Dean's "Things I'm willing to do" speech inside the cabin
• 2.01 - Episode Theme (small strains are heard throughout the episode)
  • The pure form heard as John sits by Dean's bedside while Dean yells at him to do something
  • A distorted form heard as Tessa is revealed as a reaper and tries to convince Dean to let go
  • A piano and flute version heard through John's "You did that" speech to Dean
  • A higher octave flute w/ backed orch. version heard as Sam finds John dead
• 2.09 - An acoustic version heard throughout Dean's "I'm tired" speech
• 2.11 - Same acoustic version heard as Dean watches Drunk!Sam go to sleep after he made Dean promise

Sources/Credits

• zimshan compares the Pilot to the unaired Pilot scores
• Score motif analysis by zimshan
• Lennertz & Gruska score division by zimshan
• Score analysis and downloads by zimshan
• The Music of Supernatural Fanlisting
• trustygeek here
• shadow_walker3 here
• goldie_gal here
• keepaofthecheez here