Women and Television Music

An exploration in the evolution of music and television, specifically surrounding women.

Born out of radio, the appeal of the television was the combination between visuals and sound, and the ability to turn the television set on and off rather than committing to it like viewing a film requires. Since television’s birth in 1928 with a live broadcast of The Queen’s Messenger in Schenectady, New York, the television industry has been refining and revolutionizing the itself in ways unimaginable to those who watched the first broadcast. With its association with radio, music plays an obvious and imperative component to television; it garners emotion, tells the audience which show is starting, and with its use of leitmotifs it allows the viewer to infer which characters or actions will appear onscreen. In popular television shows such as I Love Lucy (1951), Charlie’s Angels (1976), Desperate Housewives (2004), and Game of Thrones (2011), music not only plays a significant role in the show, but aids in showing the evolution of women in television.

While later television music is pre-recorded and complex, early television music was produced in a significantly different manner. In Tuning In: American Narrative Television Music, Ron Rodman explains that “television’s arc of development in the early years resulted from its ties to the radio stations that pioneered television broadcasting in the 1930s and 1940s”. Television’s “ties to the radio” also explains the musical cues that television borrowed from radio in its early years. He further explains that “early television soundtracks consisted of either live musicians performing along with the drama but in an adjacent studio… or canned music, that is, music that had been pre-recorded, often for another purpose”. As television shows started being filmed and television as a whole became more popular around the world in the mid-1950s, composers from film studios began working for television production companies which assisted in the advent of leitmotifs and music being composed in a more narrative manner. But, according to Rodman, “the TV score is in fact not unique, that it draws upon musical styles that persist in the audience’s collective memory and perhaps even borrow material from many other musical scores that preceded it… this lack of uniqueness taps into a cultural familiarity with viewers”. Television scores borrowed the large gestures of cinema and used them as recycled stock scores, triggering a familiar emotion or cue within the viewer’s psyche. This evolution of music is evident in the four aforementioned women-centric television shows, spanning from the 1950s to the 2010s.

One of the most important components of a television show is its opening sequence, which generally introduces the characters as well as valuable crew members such as the producers, director, composer, and costume designer. Some of the most iconic opening sequences include that of The Sopranos and Six Feet Under, according to Annette Davison in Title Sequences for Contemporary Television Serials. Davison explains that

“Title sequences pitch, or make desirable, the show that follows. As a result, signifiers that suggest the show’s genre are often incorporated. Functioning as a trailer for the coming attraction, they seek to convert the distracted potential viewer into a repeat viewer/consumer, and use arresting images and notable music to achieve this”

The opening sequence functions as a familiar cue that tells the viewer the show is starting. Catchier opening sequences may attract a viewer who has not seen the show and encourage them to keep watching past the title sequences. Davison writes, “Title sequences present a ‘promise’ of what is to follow, but just enough to tantalize, inviting potential viewers to watch the show for possible answers”. A successful title sequence will not give away the plot of the show, otherwise there would be no point in watching past the opening sequence. But from the title sequence it is possible to infer the show’s genre- for example, if the music includes staccatos and upbeat music in a major key, one can infer the show is a comedy, like I Love Lucy.

The title sequence of I Love Lucy clearly reflects the music of the 1950s with its upbeat rhythm using muted brass instruments and low quality sound. The music, which was composed by Eliot Daniel, utilizes an ascending, repeating, and seemingly-random harp strum that gives an angelic sound to the sequence. The first image of the sequence is a heart containing the names of Lucille Ball and her real-life and on-screen husband, Desi Arnaz. The sound of the harp as well as the major and upbeat brass section tells the viewer that while the show is a comedy, at its core it is about the love between two people. In her essay Millions “Love Lucy”: Commodification and the Lucy Phenomenon, Lori Landay explains that “the glimmers of equality in the Ricardo marriage, combined with the audience’s extra-textual knowledge of the real-life Ball and Arnaz marriage/creative partnership, posited the hope of a collaborative marriage alongside of its dramatization of the conflicts of the 1950s ideal of the companionate marriage”, which is undoubtedly suggested in its title sequence. About twenty years later, Charlie’s Angels was released in 1976, but the show sports a title sequence drastically different from I Love Lucy.

Charlie’s Angels was first broadcast in 1976 and the pilot episode was aired as a two-hour television movie on the ABC Network. The succeeding episodes were about fifty minutes long, yet it was one of the most viewed shows at the time. The show relies on the beauty and spy abilities of the three “Angels”; the summary for the third episode of the show reads, “Charlie counts on Kelly’s striking resemblance to a fashion model who was a victim in a series of rag doll stranglings. The wife of a well-known fashion designer is the next victim”. The sex appeal of the three stars of the show, Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Jaclyn Smith, is referenced by the music heard in the title sequence, composed by Edward Shearmur, which utilizes a medium-tempo brass section that repeats a similar phrase, as well as funky beat evocative of 1970s popular culture catalyzed by the enevelope filter on the bass guitar in the background.

The first sound in the title sequence is Charlie’s voice over saying, “Once upon a time, there were three little girls who went to the Police Academy”. The use of the phrase “little girls” not only demeans the abilities of the Angels, but aids in creating a fantasy around them. The title sequence shows a montage of the main characters looking flawless and doing activities such as training in the police academy, playing sports, and dabbling in photography with full faces of makeup and shiny hair. The title sequence simultaneously idealizes women and creates unattainable standards of beauty and Renaissance-esque capabilities, such as completing police obstacle courses and being a fantastic tennis player, as shown in Farrah Fawcett’s portion of the montage.

ABC’s Desperate Housewives, which premiered in 2004, has a title sequence primarily based on images unrelated to the show’s characters. The show itself is an ironic commentary on suburban housewives in America, yet the drama throughout the show can distract its viewer from this. In Reading Desperate Housewives: Beyond the White Picket Fence, the argument is presented of whether or not Desperate Housewives represents “flimsy feminism” in the words of Ashley Sayeau or “playful representation of emotional reality and its ability to tap into the cultural zeitgeist” according to Rosalind Coward. The title sequence begins with an image of Adam and Eve standing by a tree as a giant apple that reads “Desperate Housewives” crushes Adam, triggering a sequence of images of women throughout history. These images include an Egyptian woman drowning in children, a pregnant maiden from what seems like the Middle Ages sweeping a house, and a 50s housewife juggling canned food. The last image is a woman crying and punching a man in the face, followed by the main characters standing under the same tree as Adam and Eve in the beginning of the sequence. While the opening sequence is obviously focused heavily on imagery, the music plays a narrative role and keeps the viewer engaged.

The main component of the title sequence’s music are bells and strings, which are plucked in the beginning with the image of Adam and Eve. A bell signifies a change in the image, as the viewer sees that of the Egyptian woman and her children; the string section begins bowing as horns are added. The image showing the medieval housewife sweeping boasts a chorus as well as another layer to the string section that begins an ascending and descending pattern behind the main section. As the image changes to the housewife juggling cans, the percussion section takes precedence and the music grows increasingly suspenseful. Finally, as the woman punches the man in the face, the number of instruments reaches an all time high and a large crescendo ensues, followed by the image of the four main characters, which is backed by a grand finish in the score. The music was composed by Steve Jablonsky, who said that a trademark of the music in Desperate Housewives is counterscoring it to what is happening in the show. In this way, the music aids in reminding the viewers that at its core, Desperate Housewives is a humorous and ironic commentary on women in suburbia.

The Game of Thrones title sequences is arguably one of the greatest sequences of all time. Composed by Ramin Djawadi, it relies on percussion and cello which guides its viewers through the infectous three/four rhythm tune. The music switches between C major and C minor, which Djawadi addresses in the Song Exploder podcast: “There’s so much backstabbing and conspiracy — anybody can turn on anybody at any point, so I thought it would be cool to do the same play with the music. So even though the majority of the piece is in minor, there’s that little hint of major in there where it kind of switches and then it changes back again”. Furthermore, Djawadi explained that he was asked to avoid flutes and wind instruments which producers thought were overused fantasy themes. The title sequence ends with the crackling of fire, followed by the recognizable five-note sequence played on what sounds like a medieval instrument akin to a harpsichord. None of the main characters appear in the title sequence; there is a CGI gameboard that seems to be controlled by gears and machinery, signifying the systematic game of which family takes the throne.

Aside from title sequences, one of the most important musical components of a show is the scoring within the opening and closing credits. For scoring within the plot, many composers utilize leitmotifs in order to give the show’s viewers clues about what is occurring or going to occur within the plot. In Sound and Music in Film and Visual Media, Stan Link explains that “leitmotif (and leitmotiv) connotes a concise, recurring musical statement associated with a non-musical object or idea”. The term leitmotif was first used by F.W. Jahns when he described Weber’s “reintroduction of thematic material” in his operas in the late 19th century. Today, however, Link states that “the leitmotif becomes most directly linked to its subject through some explicit visual or narrative occurrence”.

One of the most notable leitmotifs used in film is the theme from Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, with its use of the repeating cello ostinato that speeds up and garners an immense amount of suspense. In his article The Exorcist and Jaws, Stephen E. Bowles writes, “From the first scene, we become conditioned to respond with anxiety to the presence of the giant shark, signalled to us not by appearance but by the accelerating beat of the music and the subjective camera movement through the water”. The leitmotif “conditions” its listener to evoke a certain emotion as the familiar music begins, adding a layer, whether the viewer is conscious to it or not, to the plot at hand.

In I Love Lucy, there is hardly any scoring within the show itself, which reflects not only the low budgets of television shows and poor equipment at the time, but the lack of respect television had from musicians and production companies alike. During each scene change, there is the same one-pitch, several second-long opening that introduces the new context, but other than this, the show is simply focused on dialogue. Laughter from the off-screen audience serves as a constant throughout the show and reminds the viewer when something funny is said. The show relies heavily on sound effects as Lucy finds herself in bizarre situations such as jockeying a race horse and working in a chocolate factory, creating a more believeable environment for the viewers at home. Given the age of the show and how early it was in television’s career, I Love Lucy’s sound is heavily reliant on the opening sequence’s music, as well as music that aids in transitioning between scenes and sound effects.

Charlie’s Angels employs various amounts of leitmotifs and sound effects, showing the growth television experienced in the twenty-year difference between the show and I Love Lucy. The score in Charlie’s Angels is notably reliant on wind and brass instruments, especially when there is little dialogue in the scenes. A recurring leitmotif is the opening sequence’s music that is played slowly and oftentimes altered either in rhythm or key; if the scene is sensual and emotional, the sequence’s music is played in a higher octave and most likely on a solo instrument. If the scene is dramatic however, it will be played by many instruments in a low pitch that stirs up both fear and suspense. In Episode 6 of Season 1 the villain of the episode stalks the Angels in addition to threatening Charlie. The scoring of each scene showing the villain is done on a synthesizer, which creates loud and confused pitches that hurts the ears of the listeners, and creates an association between the villain and physical discomfort in the viewers’ ears. The discomfort of the synthesizer is relieved by the flutes and brass instruments associated with the Angels and “good” characters, and order within the music is restored. While the scoring does not explicitly sexualize the women such as the opening sequence does, the repeating leitmotif of the opening sequence can serve as a reminder to viewers of the objectification of Charlie’s Angels.

In Desperate Housewives, Steve Jablonsky explained that like the opening sequence, the scoring of the show is left intentionally light in order to counteract the drama occuring in the scenes, ultimately reminding the viewer that the show is supposed to be an ironic portrayal of suburban housewives. Much like Charlie’s Angels, the overall score of the show relies on winds that create a light sound surrounding the women. These sounds are supplemented by string instruments and bells that frame the women as delicate and unsuspecting, and as the show takes place in the suburbs, there are notable sounds of nature such as leaves rustling and birds chirping under dialogue that takes place outside. In his interview regarding the Season 4 soundtrack, Steve Jablonsky explains that in the episode in which a tornado hits Wisteria Lane, there are about two million sounds throughout. The music creates a utopia of sorts, thus when a dramatic plot point occurs, such as the tornado in Season 4, the shift to dark and heavy music lets the viewer know something frightening and important will happen.

Each character in Desperate Housewives has certain music associated with them as well, and this is made exceedingly clear in the pilot episode of the show. Edie Britt, the enemy of the four core housewives, has a cynical string section that accompanies her entrance in most scenes, but this leitmotif is shifted once the women realize that she is hardly an enemy, rather a friend in later seasons. Furthermore, the character of Bree Van de Kamp, a poised and disturbingly perfect housewife, is scored with a classical, concerto-sounding string section, as she enters a wake with her family bearing a smile on her face. Lastly, Gabrielle Solis, played by Eva Longoria, is introduced by a Spanish guitar, which arguably exoticizes her character as she is one of the only people of color in the show. She is framed as a sexy foreign housewife with no children, and this is heightened by the music choice surrounding her. Desperate Housewives undoubtedly shows an evolution in music from Charlie’s Angels, as the main female characters have their own leitmotifs, however their leitmotifs strike the viewer as simple and based on seemingly superficial perceptions of the women characters.

Game of Thrones has some of the most refined and recognizable leitmotifs in television history. The opening sequence appears multiple times in the score of the show, and each family’s “house” in the show has their own theme associated with them as well. Two of the most notable scenes of Game of Thrones are the Red Wedding in Episode 9 of Season 3 and Light of the Seven in Episode 10 of Season 6. Not only are these two scenes propelled by the intellect of the women in the show, but they employ various musical techniques that strike the viewer in different ways.

The Red Wedding takes place during the war between the Lannister and Stark Houses, and the attack, organized by Lord Walder Frey, was in revenge against King Robb Stark for breaking the marriage pact between House Stark and House Frey. The attack takes place during the Stark family wedding, and it is triggered by the diegetic wedding band that switches from their scheduled programming to playing the Lannister House theme while the doors to the venue are locked shut. The wedding band plays medieval instruments but is lead by the cello of course, as it is the primary instrument used in Game of Thrones. Based on the camera work in the scene, it appears that Lady Catelyn of the Stark House is one of the first to realize what is about to occur, as her gaze leaves Roose Bolton and follows the arm of the guard next to her, who appears to be wearing chainmail under his clothes. The use of the Lannister leitmotif, called Rains of Castamere, in the scene tells the viewers that something will occur that is most likely orchestrated by that House, and it heightens the tension in the scene as Lady Catelyn realizes that something is terribly wrong.

The music in Cersei’s trial with the Light of the Seven is an obvious departure from the sound of Game of Thrones, which tells the audience that some sort of abnormality will occur in this episode. Composer Ramin Djawadi employs a soft, minor piano tune throughout the first twenty minutes of the episode rather than the usual cello and percussion. The music begins as the camera shows Cersei getting dressed in military uniform, and continues until children appear to stab an elder member of the Seven. Just as the children appear, a children’s choir enters the score, as a character states, “Sometimes before we can usher in the new, the old must be put to rest”, functioning as a cue for the children to begin attacking and for the music to pick up in both pace and in the number of instruments present. A cello is introduced over the children’s choir and piano, and just as a teenage member of the Seven is stabbed by a child underground, an organ plays a version of the music from Game of Thrones’ opening sequence accompanied by the cello before the piano takes over again as the camera cuts back to the Sept of Baelor. The fact that the music begins with Cersei’s preparation and ends with the explosion caused by her creates a cyclical nature to the music as well as an association of the music to her. Further, the presence of the Game of Thrones theme reminds the viewer of the core concept of the show: that every act is that of strategy, and that in this fantasy, the goal is simply the throne.

Regarding both opening sequences and actual scoring within shows, television has evolved significantly, and coupled with this is the framing of women in television as well. The opening sequences evolve from being that of a woman associated to a man, followed by one that is unnecessarily and overtly sexual, followed by an ironic commentary on women’s position in suburbia, and finally arriving at a sequence that simply outlines the premise of the show with no mention of sex or gender. Furthermore, the scoring within the show evolves from non-existent like in I Love Lucy to uniform and hardly calculated as seen in Charlie’s Angels, then moves to one moved by superficiality as in Desperate Housewives, ending in a score that is calculated and polished like Game of Thrones. While there is still a ways to go for women in television, by simply observing the strides made for both women and the music associated with them, a glimmer of hope remains for what is to come in the future of entertainment.

Sources Cited:

1. Rodman, Ronald. “Tuning In: American Narrative Television Music.” Oxford University Press, 2010, pp. 3–309., doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195340242.001.0001.
2. Davison, Annette. Title Sequences for Contemporary Television Serials. The Oxford Handbook of New Audiovisual Aesthetics, 2013.
3. Landay, Lori. “Millions “Love Lucy”: Commodification and the Lucy Phenomenon.” NWSA Journal 11, no. 2 (1999): 25–47. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4316654.
4. “Charlie’s Angels (Season 1).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Nov. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie%27s_Angels_(season_1).
5. Carly Kocurek. “Reading Desperate Housewives: Beyond the White Picket Fence (review).” Film & History: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Film and Television Studies 37, no. 1 (2007): 93–93. https://muse.jhu.edu/ (accessed December 13, 2018).
6. Elegyscores. “Steve Jablonsky — Making of Desperate Housewives Season 2 Soundtrack.” YouTube, YouTube, 9 May 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWr1AD2cth8&list=RDxWr1AD2cth8&index=1.
7. Hrishikesh. “Episode 40: Game of Thrones.” Song Exploder Podcast, 12 May 2018, songexploder.net/ramin-djawadi.
8. Link, Stan. “Leitmotif: Persuasive Musical Narration.” Sound and Music in Film and Visual Media, by Graeme Harper et al., Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014, pp. 180–193.
9. Bowles, Stephen E. “”The Exorcist” and “Jaws”.” Literature/Film Quarterly 4, no. 3 (1976): 196–214. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43795506.
10. “Charlie’s Angels S01E06 Target Angels.” Dailymotion, Dailymotion, 4 Nov. 2016, www.dailymotion.com/video/x50no7n.
11. Elegyscores. “Steve Jablonsky — Making of Desperate Housewives Season 4 Soundtrack.” YouTube, YouTube, 9 May 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=08TPArcD1CU.
12. Martell, Doran. “Game of Thrones 6x10 — Cersei Lannister Burns the Sept of Baelor with Wildfire.” YouTube, YouTube, 26 June 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjtPtTUx_ks&t=79s.