Have people ever felt so nostalgic for 90s New York City?
In Ryan Murphy’s FX series “Love Story,” about the tragic romance between JFK Jr. (Paul Anthony Kelly) and Carolyn Bessette (Sarah Pidgeon), people ride bikes like Kennedy, dress like Bessette and listen to the show’s popular soundtrack, hand-picked by music director Jen Malone, on repeat.
“I wanted to be completely period-accurate, right down to the ’90s. The first thing I did was dig through my personal playlists of my favorite ’90s songs,” says Malone, who divided the songs into playlists labeled “1991,” “1992,” and so on.
Malone has definitely incorporated a wide range of genres from Britpop to soul to indie rock. This versatility further enhances the show’s ability to transport viewers to 1990s New York and draw people directly into the scene.
Here, Malone breaks down some of the show’s key needle drops.
Peter Gabriel’s “Blood of Eden” and Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work” from “The Pilot”
“Max Winkler, the director, and I sent a lot of songs back for this film, and we talked about how it could be a sort of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ kind of passing moment. Using ‘Blood of Eden’ was set in an intimate moment when two people meet. The pulse of going into that scene and then going into ‘This Woman’s Work’ really engulfed John and Carolyn, and they were the only ones in the room.”We worked closely with Kate’s team to make sure she was comfortable using the song. ”
“It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over” from “Pilot” by Lenny Kravitz
“It’s such a fun scene because it’s the beginning of their courtship. Everyone in Carolyn’s office is so giddy, and I think the audience feels it too. The song had the feel of a new, undisputed romance on air. The song title and lyrics worked well and helped tell their story. And it’s amazing how viral the song has become. Every social media post has it in it.”
“Human Behavior” in Björk’s “The Pools Party”
“I’ve always wanted to use Björk’s songs in my show, but she’s a very difficult artist to clear. At that point when the deadline approaches, we will consider writing to the artist. Her first two records, ‘Debut’ and ‘ ‘Post’ was basically the soundtrack to my first love and first heartbreak. I wrote a very honest and vulnerable letter to Björk, telling her not only about the show and how we used that song, but how much her music meant to me. We got approval within 48 hours.”
“Common people” in Pulp’s “The Wedding”
“Juli Weiner wrote the script. I learned that Jarvis Cocker rarely, if ever, licensed the song. A producer I worked with said he knew Jarvis’ team, so I called him and we connected. I I said, “Don’t say I can’t do it, I’ll do it.” It was such a light moment in the show and it really humanized them, their relationship, and their love.”
Dido’s “Here With Me” in “Search and Recovery”
“As soon as I heard it, I thought, ‘This is it.’ I just sent it and the first time I saw it in a photo, I started crying, because this song gives me hope that they would do this work together. But it’s very heartbreaking because we know what’s going to happen. We didn’t know when we chose this song that it would be the final needle drop, but it’s great to connect the season with their story.”
