Big Little Lies soundtrack: The best hits from Michael Kiwanuka to the B52s

MOST fans of Big Little Lies were too engrossed in the drama to pay attention to the killer playlist. Here’s a rundown of songs in 2017’s best TV show so far.

Cameron AdamsNational music writer

3 min read

April 4, 2017 - 10:50AM

News Corp Australia Network

Michael Kiwanuka is the man behind the Big Little Lies theme song. Here’s the show’s other musical gems

Music

Don't miss out on the headlines from Music. Followed categories will be added to My News.

THE other brilliant thing in Big Little Lies? The selection` of music.

Music actually became a key component of most episodes, from the kids displaying impeccable taste by listening to Papa Was a Rolling Stone to the finale’s cherrypicking of some of Elvis Presley’s least played-out tunes.

If you were too engrossed to Shazam during the show, here’s some of those tunes you’ll want to stream/download/go out and buy.

Michael Kiwanuka — Cold Little Heart

Let’s start at the beginning. This was a highlight from the UK singer/songwriter’s album Love + Hate last year. Its haunting feel was the perfect introduction for the show each week, yet it was funky enough to soundtrack the cast dancing in the credits.

PJ Harvey — The Wind

BLL made you really concentrate, so this moody track was the ideal soundtrack when Madeline’s daughter Chloe turned car DJ. When other kids are slamming 1D, Chloe’s all about PJ Harvey whispering in the dark. Respect.

Leon Bridges — River

More from DJ Chloe. Modern retro soul man Leon Bridges is still not as big as he deserves to be, but he’s one of those artists that when you hear one song in a forum like this, if it’s on your frequency you’ll automatically go and investigate everything you can find by him. Enjoy.

Sade — Cherish the Day

Remember the scene where Nathan and Bonnie (Zoe Kravitz, daughter of Lenny btw) had dinner with Ed and Madeline. And this Sade bedroom jam was played and a tipsy Madeline told her hubby Ed they needed to buy the song. Then Ed pointed out they already owned it? Everyone needs at least one Sade album.

Irma Thomas — Straight From The Heart

This old tune surfaced during some of the more disturbingly violent scenes as Perry assaulted his wife Celeste. And it’s there for a reason, with the lyrics talking about “the pain that you caused” and “tell me we could make another start, you know I’ll never go.”

Agnes Obel — September Song

The beautiful piano song used at pivotal moments? You’re welcome.

The B52s — Dance This Mess Around

Jane had some choice songs to accompany her gruelling jogging sessions. Here’s a live version of this therapeutic choice from the Love Shack hitmakers’ early quirky years.

G olden Boy & Miss Kitten — Rippin Kittin

Sure there was Jefferson Airplane to Elvis Presley, Frank Ocean to Kiwi’s Fat Freddy’s Drop, Alabama Shakes to Otis Redding, Martha Wainwright to Sufjan Stevens but also this twisted club classic with the lyric “Mommy, can I go out and kill tonight? I feel like taking a life.”

Villagers — Nothing Arrived

Tune! This Irish band have a cult following and this song comes from their brilliant album Awayland from 2013. If you like this, buy that.

Ituana — You Can’t Always Get What You Want

Maybe they couldn’t afford the Stones original? Or maybe they just found one of the umpteen covers of it that actually works, even if turns the song into a cafe track. This was the last song you heard in the series final and was a fitting farewell.