Grey's Anatomy has featured countless popular songs, some of them becoming iconic for their appearances in the series. Many of the songs are covers, but fans will have recognized the likes of Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" and Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" among the songs included on the show.
On the long list of songs that underscored scenes, some are truly emblematic of Grey's Anatomy, and when fans hear them, they are immediately reminded of those key moments on the show, such as when Izzy cried over Denny's dead body or when Meredith almost drowned in the icy water of Seattle's bay.
"Make This Go On Forever" By Snow Patrol
The Northern Irish/Scottish rock band Snow Patrol has a close relationship with Grey's Anatomy, as many of their songs have been featured on the show. "Make This Go On Forever," from Snow Patrol’s fourth studio album Eyes Open, is one of them. Fans might remember it particularly because it was featured in the season 3 episode "Walk on Water." As the song played, audiences watched Meredith struggle in ice-cold waters that she fell into while trying to tend to a victim of a ferry boat crash. The song was used again in the season 14 episode "Cold as Ice" while everyone waited on April to wake up after an injury.
"Timeless" By Kate Havnevik
After Meredith almost drowned, she was rescued by the love of her life, Derek Shepherd, in the episode "Drowning on Dry Land" (season 3, episode 16). As these events unfolded, the song "Timeless" by Norwegian singer Kate Havnevik played.
Havnevik seems to be a favorite of Grey's Anatomy's music supervisors. Many of her songs have been heard on the medical drama, including another fan-favorite titled "Grace," which was featured over one of the most tragic death of Grey's Anatomy season 2. Indeed, eight of her songs have been featured on the show, and some of them were even played multiple times.
"Blindsided" By Bon Iver
The story of Grey's Anatomy's soulmates Izzie and Denny is one of the most memorable romances on the show, but when Denny kept appearing to Izzy after he had died, fans were a little confused. This was revealed as the song "Blindsided" by the indie folk band Bon Iver played during the season 5 episode "Sympathy for the Devil."
As Denny told Izzie that he was "here" for her, she came to realize that she was sick. Fans found out that Denny's hallucinogenic appearances were in fact caused by a stage IV metastatic melanoma.
"Breathe (2AM)" By Anna Nalick
In the season 2 episode "As We Know It," fans held their breath and watched as Meredith pulled a bomb out of a patient's body. She then handed it off to Dylan Young, the bomb squad leader who took it down the hall before it exploded in his hands.
As all this unraveled, the song "Breathe (2AM)" by Anna Nalick, played in the background. The song is featured on Nalick's debut album Wreck of the Day, which was released in 2005. It was used again on Grey's Anatomy in the musical episode "Song Beneath the Song" (season 7, episode 18) when Lexie sang it as she looked for Mark.
"How To Save A Life" By The Fray
"How to Save a Life" by the American rock band The Fray is another song that has been used many times on Grey's Anatomy. The first instance was in the season 2 episode "Superstition" as fans watched two of the most brilliant surgeons on the show, Derek Shepherd and Preston Burke operate on patients to save their lives.
The song was used again in Season 7 Episode 18 (the musical episode of Grey's Anatomy) in which it was performed by several characters as the Seattle Grace surgeons operated on Callie.
"Chasing Cars" By Snow Patrol
There might not be a more iconic song on the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack than "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol. It has been featured on numerous occasions, often in key moments on the show. It was, for instance, heard as a cover when Meredith bid adieu to a brain-dead Derek.
"Chasing Cars" was also covered by the cast during the musical episode of Grey's Anatomy in season 7, but the very first time it was heard was in the season 2 episode "Losing My Religion" as devastated fans watched Izzie Stevens cling to the body of Denny Duquette after he died.
"Running On Sunshine" By Jesus Jackson
Not all best songs featured in Grey's Anatomy are associated with a bad memory. In fact, the show also features funny scenes that are paired with good songs. It's the case of "Running on Sunshine," by Jesus Jackson, which was first heard in the season 3 episode "I Am a Tree.
In that episode, fans heard "Running on Sunshine" as they watched Meredith make a choice between dating Finn and dating Derek. The song was then covered during Grey's Anatomy musical event in season 7 and performed by several members of the show's cast, including Kevin McKidd and Scott Foley.
"Where Does The Good Go" By Tegan And Sara
Not every character on Grey's Anatomy got a fitting exit, but Cristina Yang certainly did when she left the show with brio. In her last moments with her "person," Meredith Grey, the two "danced it out" one last time to the song "Where Does the Good Go" by Canadian pop duo Tegan and Sara.
This wasn't the first time the song appeared on the show. Fans might recall that it was heard for the first time all the way back in season 1 when Cristina called her first death during the episode "No Man's Land." However, it is in Cristina and Meredith's goodbye scene in the season 10 episode "Fear (of the Unknown)" that it is the most memorable.
Total Eclipse of the Heart, Jill Andrews
Jill Andrews' version of the popular song "Total Eclipse of the Heart" is one of the best covers featured on Grey's Anatomy. It was first played in the season 10 episode "Get Up, Stand Up" as Jackson interrupted April's wedding to confess his love for her.
The song, which originally was recorded and released by Bonnie Tyler in 1983, became associated with the ups and downs of April and Jackson's stormy relationship on Grey's Anatomy. It remains one of the most memorable usage of pop music in the long-running series.
"Keep Breathing" by Ingrid Michaelson
Grey's Anatomy fans remember very well when Cristina Yang was stood up at the altar in the season 3 episode "Didn't We Almost Have It All?" And those fans also will recall the song that played as Cristina started hyperventilating upon realized that Burke wasn't going to marry her.
The song was aptly called "Keep Breathing" and performed by Ingrid Michaelson. It played during the iconic scene in which Meredith helped her best friend remove the choker she was wearing and cut her out of her wedding dress.