How I Met Your Music (Original Songs from the Hit Series "How I Met Your Mother") (2012)
How I Met Your Music: Deluxe (2014)
Deluxe artwork
Album artwork of the 2014 Deluxe version
How I Met Your Music is the name of two albums (the first being followed by the subtitle Original Songs from the Hit Series "How I Met Your Mother", the second being followed by Deluxe) composed of songs from the CBS television series How I Met Your Mother, the first of which was released hours before the Season 8 premiere.[2] It features 20 songs that had appeared in the first seven seasons of the show and was released only digitally, originally through iTunes.[3] A second iteration, titled How I Met Your Music: Deluxe album, was released a year later. It contains an entirely different play list. Many critics have said that the albums reflect the series' consistently effective use of music.
Show soundtrack summaries
Critics have often commented on the series' "thoughtful" use of music.[4][5][6] As Rolling Stone noted:
Maybe you liked the show's soundtrack better than its 'surprise' ending? It may have gotten lost in all the meeting-the-mother mythology, catchphrases, slaps and recurring gags, but How I Met Your Mother was an incredibly musically-minded sitcom... the show had some truly catchy original tunes, ranging from teen pop... to show tunes... to death metal... . If that weren't enough, HIMYM has also been incredibly adept at matching great scenes with great songs.[4]
One critic said the show makes "flawless" music choices that meld with the story.[5] Jessica Blankenship wrote that the show's writers seamlessly "use a song as a punchline, a bridge, or an emotional punctuation mark."[5] It was a hallmark of the series.[6][7][8]
In 9 seasons (208 episodes), at least 408 songs were used.[A]
Viewers report that the soundtrack varies depending upon forums and media. It is claimed there is a significant discontinuity in the songs that were originally used, the DVD version, and the Netflix versions of the show.[13]
The 100th episode was dubbed "How I Met Your Musical", which presaged the albums' names.[14]
The albums
The very concept of "best" songs from the series is problematic[15] as the many lists of 'iconic' songs vary.[5]
The first album contained about 20 tracks totaling 40 minutes. According to Craig Thomas, a co-creator of How I Met Your Mother, a decision was made to release it without a physical CD, "because that’s so 1992".[3]
Entitled How I Met Your Music: Original Songs from the Hit Series, it was originally released digitally to iTunes in 2012, and featured songs from the first seven seasons of the show.[16]
^Not including Golden Girl, which is not listed although twice used, and reportedly involved copyright infringement.[9][10][11] According to the band's drummer, Tristan Davies, there was a silver lining in the theft: "The exposure was great and we were blown away by the fact that they would even consider something that we'd done – some s***house band in Canberra that no-one's ever heard." The band was paid more than if the song had been properly licensed. The infringement was said to be ironic given the lyrics. "While the producers of television sitcom How I Met Your Mother only used the heavy guitar riffs of TONK's rock tune, ... [the song's opening lines are] 'Out in the streets, it's a dirty dirty living.'".[12]
^ abGoldman, Eric (29 July 2012). "How I Met Your Mother Soundtrack Coming in September". IGN. Retrieved 7 April 2017. "It's iTunes only." Thomas jokingly added, "It's not a physical CD, because that's so 1992! When's the last time you bought a CD?"
^ abcdBlankenship, Jessica (April 1, 2014). "43 Of The Most Perfect Songs From 'How I Met Your Mother'". Thought Catalog. Retrieved April 11, 2017. During last night's series finale of How I Met Your Mother, the very last scene... got at least one thing right: the song, "Heaven" by the Walkmen. It was perfect. Not that we should be surprised – of all the things HIMYM has done well, making flawless music choices was possibly the most crucial. The show was never too heavy-handed with their song selections; it never leaned on the music.
^ abEng, Joyce (March 26, 2014). "How I Met Your Mother: The 12 Best Musical Moments". TV Guide. Retrieved April 11, 2017. If there's one thing How I Met Your Mother loves more than dragging out Ted and The Mother's meet-cute, it's musical numbers. From Barney's suitable 100th episode extravaganza to Robin Sparkles' throwback tunes, HIMYM's song-and-dance moments are, well, legendary.
^Gelman, Vlada (December 26, 2013). "Farewell, How I Met Your Mother: The Sitcom's Top 10 Most Memorable Song Moments". TVLine. Retrieved April 11, 2017. How I Met Your Mother is as synonymous with music as it is with questions about Ted's future wife. From Robin Sparkles to "You Just Got Slapped," the show has served up plenty of its own original songs. But it's also made smart, clever use of popular tunes to create many unforgettable, emotional scenes.
^"How I stole your music". The Sydney Morning Herald. March 16, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2017. Canberra rock band TONK were alerted by messages on their Facebook page congratulating them on hearing their music on the show. ... The band's 27-year-old drummer Tristan Davies told triple j's Hack program that they eventually found their song Golden Girl on season six, episode six, but it was another band playing it.
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