It’s always engaging when a show decides to incorporate a musical number into an episode, either thematically, a number in a musical episode or just thrown in out of nowhere. I chose to keep it as only one per show or else I could have just listed multiple videos for each entrant featured below.
I’m sure I’m forgetting some but I’ve gathered a few of my favourites to share with you:
Smelly Cat – Friends
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7jlGRq8xZ4
A staple of the beloved series Friends, Phoebe Buffay’s ‘Smelly Cat’ was her most common song in the show as she played in the gang’s local coffee shop. It even became the jingle for kitty litter as well as having its own music video made.
Let’s Go To The Mall – How I Met Your Mother
It was a surprise to the group in How I Met Your Mother to find out their friend Robin was a teen idol with the stage name of ‘Robin Sparkles’, something she wanted to stay hidden given the embarrassment she suffered due to this delightfully camp music video.
Guy Love – Scrubs
An ode to the greatest bromance in all of media, ‘Guy Love’ is a must-listen for all besties. Of course, outside of this episode there is often the musical talent of Ted’s Band, played by the band The Blanks, who are worth checking out (click the link!)
Santa Barbara Skies – Psych
Unfortunately I couldn’t find the show clip but this song opens the musical episode of Psych, a show about a fake psychic detective and his friend’s detective agency. For those unfamiliar, I highly recommend it. This choice was a hard one for me, as I was torn between this and the closing song of the episode ‘Jamaican Inspector Man‘. Ultimately, I sided with the opening to which gives a good feel for what the show’s about. The episode revolves around a musical production about Jack the Ripper which is just fantastic in itself.
And those are just some of my favourite musical numbers from recent TV. Let us know some of your favourites in the comments below!
