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Freaks and Geeks (soundtrack)

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The cult television show Freaks and Geeks used music from the show's time period, 1980–1981 for its soundtrack.

Because this called for using popular, established artists, purchasing the rights to use songs required much of the show's budget and became an obstacle in releasing the show on DVD; in fact, reruns seen on Fox Family replaced some of the songs with generic production music. However, Shout! Factory eventually brought Freaks and Geeks to DVD in 2004, with all of its music intact.[1]

Complete series soundtrack list

[edit]

The following is a complete list of the songs featured in Freaks and Geeks as they appear in the DVD booklet. Listed along with the titles of each song are the artist who performs the versions that appear in the series as well as the original album the track appeared on and that albums original year of release.

The opening credits of each episode are accompanied by the song "Bad Reputation", performed by Joan Jett from her 1980 Bad Reputation album.

101: Pilot episode

[edit]
Song title Artist Album Year
"Runnin' with the Devil" Van Halen Van Halen 1978
"I'm Alright" Kenny Loggins Kenny Loggins Alive 1980
"Renegade" Styx Pieces of Eight 1978
"Come Sail Away" Styx The Grand Illusion 1977

102: Beers and Weirs

[edit]
Song title Artist Album Year
"Hush" Deep Purple Shades of Deep Purple 1968
"Jesus Is Just Alright" Sarah Hagan and Jason Segel (performed in character as a cover)
The Byrds
The Doobie Brothers
Ballad of Easy Rider
Toulouse Street
1969
1972
"Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" Rick Derringer All American Boy 1973
"No One to Depend On" Santana 3 1971
"Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" Van Halen Van Halen 1978
"Maybe" Janis Joplin I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! 1969
"Do You Love Me" KISS Destroyer 1976

103: Tricks and Treats

[edit]
Song title Artist Album Year
"The Monster Mash" Becky Ann Baker and John Francis Daley (performed in character as a cover)
Originally by Bobby "Boris" Pickett The Original Monster Mash 1962
"Gonna Raise Hell" Cheap Trick Dream Police 1979
"Roller" April Wine First Glance 1978
"Free-for-All" Ted Nugent Free-For-All 1977

104: Kim Kelly is My Friend

[edit]
Song title Artist Album Year
"Jamie's Cryin'" Van Halen Van Halen 1978
"Ice Cream Man" Van Halen Van Halen 1978
"King Tut" Steve Martin A Wild and Crazy Guy 1978
"Reminiscing" The Little River Band Sleeper Catcher 1978

105: Tests and Breasts

[edit]
Song title Artist Album Year
"Takin' Care of Business" Bachman–Turner Overdrive Bachman–Turner Overdrive II 1973
"Superfly" Curtis Mayfield Super Fly 1972
"Love's Theme" Love Unlimited Orchestra Rhapsody in White 1974
"Little Dreamer" Van Halen Van Halen 1978
"Debris" Faces A Nod Is as Good as a Wink...To a Blind Horse 1971

106: I'm With the Band

[edit]
Song title Artist Album Year
"The Spirit of Radio" Rush Permanent Waves 1980
"Sunshine of Your Love" Seth Rogen and Creation (performed in character as a cover)
Originally by Cream Disraeli Gears 1967
"Crossroads" Jason Segel and Dimension (performed in character as a cover)
Originally by Cream based on Robert Johnson's Cross Road Blues Wheels of Fire 1968
"White Room" Cream Wheels of Fire 1968
"One Step Beyond" Madness One Step Beyond... 1979

107: Carded and Discarded

[edit]
Song title Artist Album Year
"C'était Toi (You Were the One)" Billy Joel Glass Houses 1980
"Rosalinda's Eyes" Billy Joel 52nd Street 1978
"Don't Ask Me Why" Billy Joel Glass Houses 1980
"Stomp!" The Brothers Johnson Light Up the Night 1980
"I'm Eighteen" Dave (Gruber) Allen and Feedback (performed in character as a cover)
Originally by Alice Cooper Love It to Death 1971
"We're an American Band" Dave (Gruber) Allen and Feedback (performed in character as a cover)
Originally by Grand Funk Railroad We're an American Band 1973

108: Girlfriends and Boyfriends

[edit]
Song title Artist Album Year
"Whipping Post" The Allman Brothers Band The Allman Brothers Band 1969
"Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" Journey Evolution 1979
"Nights in White Satin" The Moody Blues Days of Future Passed 1967
"Lady" Styx Styx II 1973

109: We've Got Spirit

[edit]
Song title Artist Album Year
"Dust in the Wind" Kansas Point of Know Return 1977
"How Funky Is Your Chicken?" McKinley High Cheerleaders
"Keep Yourself Alive" Queen Queen 1973
"Everybody Wants Some!!" Van Halen Women and Children First 1980
"Stranglehold" Ted Nugent Ted Nugent 1975
"Do Ya Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)" Joan Jett Bad Reputation 1979
"Hava Nagila" Samm Levine
"The Song Is Over" The Who Who's Next 1971

110: The Diary

[edit]
Song title Artist Album Year
"Journey to the Center of the Mind" The Amboy Dukes Journey to the Center of the Mind 1968
"No Language in Our Lungs" XTC Black Sea 1980
"Theme from Diff'rent Strokes" Al Burton and Gloria Loring 1978
"Theme from What's Happening!!" Henry Mancini 1976
"Overture" Bill Conti Rocky II soundtrack 1979

111: Looks and Books

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Song title Artist Album Year
"I'm the Man" Joe Jackson I'm the Man 1979
"Look Sharp!" Joe Jackson Look Sharp! 1979
"Slip Kid" The Who The Who by Numbers 1975
"Stomp!" Brothers Johnson Light Up the Night 1980
"Flamethrower" The J. Geils Band Freeze Frame 1981
"Take the Long Way Home" Supertramp Breakfast in America 1979

112: The Garage Door

[edit]
Song title Artist Album Year
"25 or 6 to 4" McKinley High Marching Band
Originally by Chicago Chicago 1970
"When the Saints Go Marching In" McKinley High Marching Band
"Go, Fight, Win" McKinley High Marching Band
"Beautiful Loser" Bob Seger Beautiful Loser 1975
"Good Times Roll" The Cars The Cars 1978
"Karn Evil 9" Emerson, Lake & Palmer Brain Salad Surgery 1973
"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" The Charlie Daniels Band Million Mile Reflections 1979
"Amie" Pure Prairie League Bustin' Out 1972
"Free Bird" Lynyrd Skynyrd Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd 1973
"Classical Gas" Mason Williams The Mason Williams Phonograph Record 1968

113: Chokin' and Tokin'

[edit]
Song title Artist Album Year
"Charlie's Angels Theme"
"Smokin'" Boston Boston 1976
"Fat Bottomed Girls" Queen Jazz 1978
"Hi-De-Ho" Blood, Sweat & Tears Blood, Sweat & Tears 3 1970
"Aqualung" Jethro Tull Aqualung 1971
"Little Green Bag" George Baker Selection Little Green Bag 1970
"Baby, Don't Get Hooked on Me" Mac Davis Baby, Don't Get Hooked on Me 1972

114: Dead Dogs and Gym Teachers

[edit]
Song title Artist Album Year
"I'm Free" The Who Tommy 1969
"I'm One" The Who Quadrophenia 1973
"Boris the Spider" The Who A Quick One 1966
"Love, Reign o'er Me" The Who Quadrophenia 1973
"Squeeze Box" The Who The Who by Numbers 1975
"Going Mobile" The Who Who's Next 1971
"Drowned" The Who Quadrophenia 1973
"Michael Row the Boat Ashore" Jason Segel, James Franco, and Seth Rogen
"Lady L" written and performed by Jason Segel
"Summer Breeze" Seals & Crofts Summer Breeze 1972

115: Noshing and Moshing

[edit]
Song title Artist Album Year
"Spacefunk" written and recorded by Paul Feig
"Rise Above" Black Flag Damaged 1981
"Your Phone's Off the Hook, But You're Not" X Los Angeles 1980
"You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You" Dean Martin This Time I'm Swingin'! 1960
"Lime Green" Diesel Boy Cock Rock 1996
"Happy Street" Diesel Boy Cock Rock 1996
"Punk Rock 101"
(no relation to Bowling for Soup's song "Punk Rock 101")
Diesel Boy Cock Rock 1996

116: Smooching and Mooching

[edit]
Song title Artist Album Year
"Tom Sawyer" Rush Moving Pictures 1981
"The Monster" Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich Krupa and Rich 1956
"Katmandu" Bob Seger Beautiful Loser 1975
"You'll Accomp'ny Me" Bob Seger Against the Wind 1980
"Poor Poor Pitiful Me" Warren Zevon Warren Zevon 1976

117: The Little Things

[edit]
Song title Artist Album Year
"When the Saints Go Marching In" McKinley High Marching Band
"If My Friends Could See Me Now" Linda Clifford If My Friends Could See Me Now 1978
"Hail to the Chief" McKinley High Marching Band
"Fashion" David Bowie Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) 1980
"The Road" Jackson Browne Running on Empty 1977

118: Discos and Dragons

[edit]
Song title Artist Album Year
"Hot Number" Foxy Hot Numbers 1979
"Box of Rain" Grateful Dead American Beauty 1970
"Ripple" Grateful Dead American Beauty 1970
"I Don't Want to Be a Freak" Dynasty Your Piece of the Rock 1979
"I Will Survive" Gloria Gaynor Love Tracks 1978
"The Groove Line" Heatwave Central Heating 1977
"Spacefunk" Paul Feig

Notes and statistics

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  • Over 120 songs are featured in the series.
  • The artist to be featured in the most episodes (5) is Van Halen.
  • The artist with the most songs in the series (9) is The Who.
  • The album to have the most songs in the series (5) is Van Halen's 1978 self-titled debut.
  • The oldest song to appear on the series (1955) is "The Monster" by Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich.
  • Other than instrumentals such as "Spacefunk" and score, and songs sung by characters such as "Lady L," the only songs to appear in the series that were not written or recorded until after 1981 are "Lime Green", "Happy Street" and "Punk Rock 101" by Diesel Boy (recorded in 1996).
  • The only songs to be featured in more than one episode are "Stomp!" by Brothers Johnson, "When the Saints Go Marching In" by the McKinley High Marching Band and "Spacefunk" by Paul Feig (all of which were used twice).
  • The producers had hoped to use "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" by Neil Young for the final scene of the "Noshing and Moshing" episode, but ended up substituting Dean Martin's "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You" when they were unable to get the licensing rights to the Young song.

CD soundtrack release

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Freaks and Geeks
Soundtrack album
ReleasedSeptember 14, 2004
GenreSoundtrack
Length64:29
LabelShout! Factory
ProducerJudd Apatow, Andrew Jay Cohen, Paul Feig

A CD soundtrack for the series was released in 2004 from Shout! Factory. The CD soundtrack release contained nine songs featured in the series, eleven original Freaks and Geeks score tracks by Michael Andrews, three alternate cast recordings of songs performed on the show ("Lady L" being a fan favorite), an extra performance by "Feedback" and a bonus track by The Leaving Trains. The accompanying booklet features 15 pages of liner notes written by David Wild and Jake Kasdan as well as written track by track commentary by the Freaks and Geeks character, guidance counsellor Jeffery Theodore Rosso.

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link
  1. "Bad Reputation" - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
  2. "Geek Hallway" - Michael Andrews
  3. "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" - Warren Zevon
  4. "Lindsay's Theme" - Michael Andrews
  5. "Gettin' High" - Michael Andrews
  6. "Look Sharp!" - Joe Jackson
  7. "Clem's Theme" - Michael Andrews
  8. "No Language in Our Lungs" - XTC
  9. "Lindsay Disturbed Theme" - Michael Andrews
  10. "Bill Gets Funky (A.K.A. Spacefunk)" - Paul Feig
  11. "USA Rock" - Michael Andrews
  12. "The Spirit of Radio" - Rush
  13. "Daniel's Theme" - Michael Andrews
  14. "I'm One" - The Who
  15. "Porno Music" - Michael Andrews
  16. "Neal's Lament" - Michael Andrews
  17. "The Groove Line" - Heatwave
  18. "Ken's Ode To Joy" - Michael Andrews
  19. "Come Sail Away" - Styx
  20. "End Title Theme" - Michael Andrews
  21. "Lady L" - Jason Segel
  22. "I'm Eighteen" - Dave (Gruber) Allen
  23. "Jesus Is Just Alright" - Jason Segel/Sarah Hagan
  24. "Up on Cripple Creek" - Dave (Gruber) Allen and Feedback
  25. "Dumb As A Crayon" - The Leaving Trains

References

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  1. ^ "Freaks and Geeks DVD news: Official Press Release: April 6 is the day!". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 2010-07-09. Retrieved 2012-02-16.