14 Songs That ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Ruined Forever
If you grew up watching Grey’s Anatomy, it’s impossible to hear Snow Patrol’s ‘Chasing Cars’ and not audibly weep over the tragic death of Denny.
While Grey’s Anatomy isn’t the first TV drama to tie emotion to music, the show truly made it a goddamn art form. In its height of popularity in the early seasons, every week watching Grey’s was something of a spiritual experience, and it was the music being paired with devastating moments that would reduce people to tears.
I literally would schedule my Grey’s viewings as my “cry time” because that’s what I’d spend 90% of each episode doing. The music used in this show still triggers me and tbh, some of these songs have been ruined forever. And by ruined, I mean that the track will always represent a beloved character’s traumatic death or sad event.
14 songs that Grey’s Anatomy ruined forever:
1. ‘Chasing Cars’, Snow Patrol
The Snow Patrol song, which debuted on the episode where Izzy’s boyfriend Denny died, was covered several times throughout the show during traumatic death scenes. But no cover compares to the scene where Izzy lays beside Denny in his hospital bed after he died of a stroke, despite a successful heart transplant surgery. Is there a sadder song in existence? I doubt it.
2. ‘How to Save a Life’, The Fray
This devastating tune almost feels like the show’s unofficial theme song.
3. ‘In My Veins’, Andrew Belle
There’s a lot of truly traumatic scenes in this show, but not many compare to the shooter episode, when Bailey tries to save Charles’ life after he was shot by Gary. ‘In My Veins’ plays as Bailey attempts to stay composed as she tries to drag Charles to the elevator up to get to an operating room, but she absolutely loses it when she realises the elevators aren’t working. Soon after, Charles dies.
4. ‘Holding Us Back’, Katie Herzig
In the same episode, Derek gets shot in view of Meredith while ‘Holding Us Back’ blares in the background. Grim!
5. ‘Keep Breathing’, Ingrid Michaelson
Burke leaves Cristina the day they are meant to be getting married. After Cristina discovers that he’s taken all his belongings from their apartment, she tells Meredith, “I’m free, damn it!”, just as ‘Keep Breathing’ hits its crescendo. It’s impossible to watch this and not start crying.
6. ‘Turn To Stone’, Ingrid Michaelson
Another wedding, another Ingrid Michaelson song played under devastating circumstances. After weeks of Izzy undergoing chemotherapy while planning Meredith and Derek’s wedding, Izzy and Alex end up walking down the aisle after Derek discoverers that Izzy has an inoperable brain tumour. Chills!
7. ‘Off I Go’, Greg Laswell
This whole scene has left me truly scarred for life. A John Doe is rushed into the hospital after getting hit by a bus and just before he dies, Meredith realises that he’s George, who is disfigured beyond recognition from the accident. At the same time, Izzy almost dies from cancer complications and sees George on the other side. This show did George dirty and I haven’t been able to listen to ‘Off I Go’ the same ever since.
8. ‘Breathe (2am)’, Anna Nalick
Bomb. Bomb in a body. Meredith holding a bomb in a body. This episode was beyond tense and just when bomb diffuser, Dylan, extracted the bomb and walked away, it exploded in front of Meredith’s eyes. Anna Nalick’s breezy tune took a real dark turn.
9. ‘All I Want’, Kodaline
Mark Sloan dies. That’s all you need to know.
10. ‘Skin’, Zola Jesus
Teddy and Henry were one of the show’s most beloved couples, which made it all the more heartbreaking when he died from complications from surgery. Cristina interrupted Teddy’s surgery to tell her the news, and ‘Skin’ played as Teddy visited Henry’s body. She sat and cried. Same.
11. ‘Kiss Me’, Ed Sheeran
Richard’s wife Adele suffered an aneurysm and is first thought to be okay after Meredith and Bailey operated on her. However, she died later in the day from a heart attack and Richard doesn’t share the news with anyone besides Meredith, due to it being the day of Bailey’s wedding. Ed Sheeran’s ‘Kiss Me’ plays while Richard watches Bailey’s first dance, while in his head he reminisces about his own wedding to Adele. My heart hurts.
12. ‘Rise Up’, Andra Day
Following their divorce, Callie and Arizona fought for custody of Sophia: Callie and Mark’s biological daughter. In the end, after a nasty court battle Arizona won sole custody, leaving Callie absolutely shattered when she had to say goodbye to Sophia. The scene is emotional enough but the Andra Day anthem makes it all the more heartwrenching.
13. ‘Lost Without You’, Freya Ridings
This episode was a milestone moment for the series, as the show addressed the medical process that sexual assault victims and domestic violence survivors often have to endure. In a beautiful scene, sexual assault victim Abby was wheeled into the operating room, and the hospital’s women lined the hall to show their solidarity with her bravery.
14. ‘Where Does the Good Go’, Tegan and Sara
True fans of this show will know that the series’ real love story was not Meredith and Derek — it’s Meredith and Cristina. They were each other’s “person”. They supported each other through everything. So when Cristina left the hospital to go work in Switzerland, Meredith and Cristina said goodbye the only way they knew how: dancing through the pain, which is something the besties would do throughout the series.
Tegan and Sara’s ‘Where Does the Good Go’ provided the perfect parting tune.
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Don’t mind me, I’ll just be sobbing into my cereal. This show is emotionally exhausting.