The 10 Best Music Moments In Mad Men, Ranked

Mad Men is widely regarded as one of the greatest TV dramas of all time. Various aspects of its production are continuously praised, including the acting, writing, and particularly the production design. But perhaps the most unappreciated part of the show is its brilliant soundtrack.

Like everything else, the music on Mad Men is period-specific and accurate, with many hit ’60s songs appearing throughout the show. Many of these songs are utilized to a fantastic degree, often offering their respective scenes a heightened sense of drama, intrigue, or emotion. A great song can make a great scene even better, and these songs certainly did that.

10 Butchie’s Tune

Season five’s “Commissions and Fees” is one of Mad Men‘s finest hours. While it’s primarily known for the death of Lane Pryce, it also contains a spectacular ending. A grieving Don offers to drive Glen home, and while in the elevator, Glen states, “Everything you think is going to make you happy just turns to crap”. The words have an immediate impact on Don, who is feeling particularly crappy in the current moment. Wanting to give Glen just a little bit of happiness, Don decides to let him drive – a touching scene that is accompanied by The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Butchie’s Tune”.

9 My Way

Mad Men is about many different things. One of the main things is the relationship between Don and Peggy. Defying the usual “will they won’t they” cliche, the relationship between Don and Peggy is entirely platonic and based around respect (or the lack thereof). Their relationship crumbles around the sixth and seventh seasons, but things repair themselves in season seven’s “The Strategy”. The two open up to each other, share their insecurities, and proceed to share a dance to Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”.

8 Zou Bisou Bisou

Serving as one of Mad Men‘s signature scenes, Megan Draper’s performance of Zou Bisou Bisou is a mix of sensuality and cringe. Wanting to impress Don for his birthday, Megan decides to perform a sexy rendition of Gillian Hill’s “Zou Bisou Bisou” in front of the office employees. While certainly sensual, the performance only ends up embarrassing Don. Whether viewers find the scene embarrassing or sexy, it was certainly memorable and not at all forgettable.

7 The Best Things In Life Are Free

Bert Cooper’s role was greatly diminished in the later seasons, and he died in the seventh season episode Waterloo. Serving as the mid-season finale, “Waterloo” ends in spectacular fashion with a touching song and dance number from Bert.

Appearing to Don in the SCDP office (whether spiritually or through Don’s imagination), Bert performs a little song and dance to “The Best Things In Life are Free” before waving goodbye. Don is left in tears by the surprise performance – and so are the viewers.

6 (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

Released in the summer of 1965, The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” appears in the fourth season episode “The Summer Man”. The episode comes immediately after the death of Anna Draper, and it sees Don attempting to turn his life around. The song proceeds to play while depicting Don as the coolest dude on the planet, throwing on his shades and lighting up a cigarette. Don has never looked sexier, and “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” serves as the perfect companion to the heat he gives off.

5 You Really Got Me

Few scenes are more iconic in the Don-Peggy saga than the quitting sequence at the end of “The Other Woman”. Feeling unappreciated, Peggy informs Don that she is leaving SCDP and joining rival firm CGC. Thinking it’s a ploy to get a raise, Don begins some negotiations before Peggy informs him that the decision was made over self-respect and dignity, not money. The Kinks’s iconic “You Really Got Me” begins playing as Peggy leaves the office and smiles in victory. Viewers can’t help but smile as well.

4 Tomorrow Never Knows

Season five contains some stellar music choices, and that includes The Beatles’s “Tomorrow Never Knows”. Don is left feeling particularly out of touch throughout “Lady Lazarus”, and he naively believes to have a firm grasp on “modern” music.

When he arrives home that night, he finds that Megan has purchased The Beatles’ Revolver. She tells him to throw on “Tomorrow Never Knows”, and Don listens to a minute of the song before turning it off in frustration and disbelief. And with that, Don realized that culture – and music – had passed him by.

3 Both Sides, Now

While “Both Sides, Now” is typically attributed to Joni Mitchell, the song was first recorded and released by Judy Collins. It’s this version that appears in the season six finale, “In Care Of”. Feeling disillusioned from work and distanced from his children, Don decides to open up and takes them to see the broken-down brothel in which he grew up. It’s a beautiful moment and serves as a wonderful bit of character development for Don, and the look that Don and Sally share is one of the most touching images in Mad Men history.

2 Space Oddity

“Lost Horizon” is perhaps the most important episode of Mad Men. If not, it’s the most important episode in Don’s development as a character. Don is left feeling disillusioned with McCann Erickson and literally leaves in the middle of an important meeting. He proceeds to travel the United States and picks up a hitchhiker in Minnesota. As they two drive off in a rather symbolic gesture, David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” begins to play amidst a cinematic camera sweep exposing the vast expanse of the surrounding area.

1 You Only Live Twice

Mad Men probably could have ended after season five and no one would have complained. That’s because the fifth season finale, “The Phantom”, is perhaps the most perfect episode of Mad Men. It certainly contains the best ending, as various characters go about their lives to the sounds of Nancy Sinatra’s “You Only Live Twice”. The haunting tone of the song itself, the images, the meaning behind them, the thematically-fitting lyrics of the song, the ambiguous “Are you alone?” question and the rising music synched to Don’s final look all combine to create the finest two minutes in Mad Men history.

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Nathan Sharp
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Nathan Sharp is a writer from outside Toronto, Ontario. He has a love of movies and television, having enjoyed them for more than twenty years. His preferences include drama, action, and horror, with the former being a particular point of interest and fascination.

He also has a love of video games, particularly those of Rockstar.

Whether it be about film, television, or video games, Nathan loves a good discussion and has written hundreds of articles for Screen Rant.

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