Best use of a song or music in a single episode in TV history

Damn good call. I remember that scene well.

 

Scrubs kicks ass in this category. There are so many scenes where they nailed the musical choice. Both happy and sad. Aside from the ones already mentioned, another that just popped in my head on the sad side was this scene:

 

There was an episode of "Homicide" in which a biker essentially agreed to be killed in order to save his family. I think the Pretenders' "I'll Stand by You" was playing as the detectives did the crime scene as the show ended. Very moving.

"Californication" has some great music too. The Warren Zevon song (can't remember the name) playing in the final scene i season 3 or 4, when Hank and his daughter are on the beach as his wife flies off to New York, was outstanding.

And all of the music in Ken Burns' "The Civil War" was epic.

 

Season 2 of Californication, Hank's letter to Karen, when the show still meant something.

Pearl Jam:

 

Clutch, Regulators, from the barn-burning episode of Walking Dead.

 

My first thought.

 

Cold Case had numerous nice uses of period music. A great instance of a musical instance repeated several times was With or Without You as the leitmotif for Ross-Rachel breakups on Friends.

 

I can't hear "Don't Stop Believin'" and not associate it with the final few minutes of the entire run of The Sopranos.

 

Seinfeld retrospective with Green Day's "Time of Your Life"

 

My first thought was the final scene of "Soprano Home Movies" when Bobby is holding his daughter while looking out over the lake after killing the dude and This Magic Moment is playing. Always stuck with me.

 

How To Save A Life
Season 2
Grey's Anatomy

 

The Body of an American. For Christ's sake, Hugh, play the fucking song already!