‘The Bear’ has served up the greatest TV soundtrack of all time
The Bear is arguably the most culturally potent TV show of the last five years, launching careers, defining prestige drama and cementing cultural touchstones. Of course, we’re still very much enjoying a golden era of television, but The Bear offers far more than simply high kitchen drama. It is, without doubt, the best soundtrack on the screen.
Now, you can throw your Breaking Bad barbs or your devotion to the twisted wonder of Twin Peaks at me with full force. I will never yield to anything but the notion that those involved with the Chicagoan story of a dysfunctional family, biological and professional, desperately trying to find peace in a world where chaos is the only true constant, have created an utterly perfect soundtrack.
A show about a high-pressure chef turning his attention to a failing family business could have the potential to fall incredibly flat. After all, how many movies or series about the pitfalls of high-end cooking have really felt soft and supple enough to make us want to watch back-to-back seasons?
While a very large chunk of that acclaim can be gathered by the mesmeric cast, including Jeremy Allen White as Carmy, Jon Bernthal as Michael, Ayo Edebiri as Sydney, Ebon Moss Bacharach as Richie (not to mention Jamie Lee Curtis and Matty Matheson), and another hefty heap is down to the simply wonderfully textured writing.
But, as every chef knows, a dish is only complete with a great sauce. And the sauce for this show about struggle and family strain is the buttery brilliance of a soundtrack dappled with the heat of 1960s swagger, the umami of unpolished Midwest grit, a dash of sweet forgotten 1980s disco fillers and an unstoppable vibrant willingness to mix it all together in a pot with modern indie, glam rock, hip hop and a whole host of beautiful flavours.
Perhaps most incredible of all is that a traditional music supervisor didn’t curate this extraordinary soundtrack. Instead, it was pieced together by The Bear’s showrunner Christopher Storer and executive producer Josh Senior. This deliberate choice ensured the music would be woven directly into the show’s DNA rather than simply sprinkled on top.
As we join Carmy on his deeply emotional journey to rescue the family restaurant following his older brother’s suicide, it was important that he wasn’t trying to show off with his music selections. These aren’t tracks that are meant to feel cool or fashionable; they are picked to represent the world Carmy is being dragged back into. As brown as Lake Michigan, the soundtrack is littered with introspective moments and bombastic crescendos made to mirror what’s on screen.
The show’s first season set the scene with Sufjan Stevens’ classic ‘Chicago’ to kick off with an obvious reference, while Wilco’s ‘Via Chicago’ provided a similar titular locational benefit, but also showcased the dysfunction at the centre of our story. Grunge-heavy and haunted by the ghosts of Carmy’s past, the season’s finale is perhaps its finest musical moment as ‘New Noise’ by Refused erupts with explosive catharsis.
The following season offered a change of pace as the story unfurled and new textures were laid upon one another. ‘Strange Currencies’ by REM becomes a recurring theme as it is used in multiple episodes, while the two versions of the same song ‘Save It For Later’, one by The Beat and the other Eddie Vedder, provide a dual perspective on the same thing, again mirroring the discoveries the team have when getting themselves into shape. Richie’s arc, in particular, is perhaps the most perfectly soundtracked in modern TV history and includes tracks by The Replacements, David Byrne and Taylor Swift as he ascends from the bottom of the pile to a pivotal member of the new team.
Most fans would argue that season three was a wobbly moment for the show, not because it lacked the detailed depiction of the crew, but perhaps because it became so easy to become numb to the story while lost in that detail. But the soundtrack again reflects this as it dives into a more cerebral place. As Carmy’s mental state begins to split and he struggles to cope, musically, we are taken to darker spots provided by Jon Hopkins and Sonic Youth. This is neatly balanced by the reintroduction of thematic tracks from previous seasons that continue to make appearances,
Season four continued the great run of impeccable songs, but this time leaned in on itself to deliver the emotional punch, using recurring and revitalised songs to make its point. ‘I Got You Babe’ features twice and showcases the energy of the season as the crew, who have drifted into chaos and barely held themselves together over the last three editions, now begin to gel, listen to one another, and, in general, find love and comfort. Love songs, all from the alternative space, litter the soundtrack: Cher, The Ramones, Elton John and more.
The series’ playlist is absolutely chock full of sentiment and feeling, and also a stack of truly incredible artists. This isn’t a set of tracks picked for TikTok; they are auditory frames for a moving tale.
What makes The Bear standout against any of those shows that will be found in the comments is that every song used feels deliberate. There is an intention behind every selection. This isn’t a soundtrack to play out behind the action, a score to bring a little bit of colour to the quieter moments, this is an integral part of the show’s prowess. It is, in many ways, a unique character in itself. Growing and evolving alongside the story.
As the fifth season is set to drop in 2026, there are bound to be a lot of people excited to see how the story plays out. Will Carmy finally settle down? Will Sydney break out on her own? Will Richie just fucking kiss Jessica already? But my biggest question will be a simple one: when does the playlist drop?
