In Watchmen season 1, a variety of nostalgic tracks complement the show's primary themes about inherited trauma and historical injustices. As whole, the collective songs in the HBO series significantly boost key characters moments, both for comedic and dramatic purposes.
The official Watchmen season 1 soundtrack was composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. In 2010, the duo won Academy Awards for their work on David Fincher's The Social Network, and they've most recently collaborated for Mid90s, Waves, and the 2020 film Soul.
Many of the featured instrumental tracks in Watchmen season 1 function as recurring musical motifs, but the series also includes numerous commercial hits and well-known operatic compositions. From Beatles hits to indie folk tunes, every song featured in Watchmen season 1 that's not part of Reznor and Ross' official score is used to enhance the narrative action onscreen.
It's Summer And We're Running Out Of Ice
- “Crushed Up” by Future
- "Oklahoma!" by Watchmen Cast
- "Tinh Quan Dan (People and Fighters Unite)" - Traditional Vietnamese Song
- "Three Little Birds” by Elizabeth Mitchell
- "2. Andante" by Géza Anda & Camerata Academica Des Mozarteums Salzburg
- "Poor Jud Is Daid" by Gordon Macrae and Rod Steiger
- “Unforgettable" by Dinah Washington
- “People Will Say We’re in Love” - Don Johnson
When the title graphic first appears, "Crushed Up" plays as young Will looks at a burning landscape after the Tulsa riots. Later, "Three Little Birds" scores a moment in present-day Tulsa as Angela and Topher discuss Redfordations during a car ride home.
"Unforgettable" can be heard when Adrian Veidt announces his play, a moment that transitions to a dinner sequence featuring the Abars and Crawfords. Judd Crawford performs "People Will Say We're In Love" shortly before the episode's shocking final moments.
Martial Feats Of Comanche Horsemanship
- "Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today)" by The Temptations
- "Santa Baby" by Eartha Kitt
- "Symphony 29 In A Major, 1st Movement" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- "Nothing Fades Like The Light" by Orville Peck
- "Egg Man" by Beastie Boys
- “Requiem In D Minor, K. 626: 3. Sequentia: Lacrimosa” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- “Ride Of The Valkyries” by Richard Wagner
As Angela deals with a Tulsa murder, "Santa Baby" plays as the visuals transition to Angela dancing with Cal during the infamous "White Night." "Nothing Fades Like The Light" scores a sequence where Topher plays with Manhattan blocks and learns about Judd's death.
When Angela searches Judd's home, “Requiem In D Minor, K. 626: 3. Sequentia: Lacrimosa” plays when she discovers a hidden KKK outfit. "Egg Man" closes out the episode as Will ascends to the sky and Angela tries to process what's happening; the song connects to a Watchmen season 1 finale reveal.
She Was Killed By Space Junk
- "Mongoloid" by Devo
- “Israelites" by Desmond Dekker & The Aces
- “The Last Round Up” by Gene Autry
- "Romeo And Juliet, Op 64” by Sergei Prokofiev
- "Carmen Suite No. 2: Habanera" by Georges Bizet
Angela sings "The Last Round Up" at a funeral. Soon thereafter, “Isrealites" plays during a Cyclops bomb explosion, with the visuals then transitioning to Adrian Veidt at Europa.
After arresting a fake superhero, Laurie Blake arrives home and immediately plays "Mongoloid." Later, "Carmen Suite No. 2: Habanera" scores a Europa sequence when Adrian Veidt receives a threatening letter from the Game Warden, and then dictates a response.
If You Don't Like My Story, Write Your Own
- "Islands In The Stream" by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers
- "You're My Thrill" by Billie Holiday
- "Do Your Thing" by Leroy Sibbles
- "Time Is On My Side" by Irma Thomas
- "Symphony No. 7 In A, Op. 92: II. Allegretto" by Ludwig van Beethoven
The episode begins with "Islands In The Stream" playing over a Clarke Farms sequence. Later on, "You're My Thrill" scores various moments, most notably when Laurie Blake's past is revealed to Angela during a car ride.
"Do Your Thing" accompanies Adrian Veidt's creation of Phillips and Crookshanks clones, while "Time Is On My Side" complements Will's closing dialogue about how Angela will hate him upon discovering the truth.
Little Fear Of Lightning
- "Things Can Only Get Better" by Howard Jones
- "Careless Whisper" by George Michael
- "Theme From New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra
- "Some Enchanted Evening" by Frank Sinatra
- "Requiem In D Minor - Lacrimosa" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- "Turtles All The Way Down" by Sturgill Simpson
- "Careless Whisper" by Nataly Dawn
- "Some Enchanted Evening" by The Castells
- “Careless Whisper" by Alexander Misko
- “Clair De Lune” by Claude De Bussy
As young Wade navigates Hoboken, "Things Can Only Get Better" sets the mood. Shortly after, "Careless Whisper" plays as Wade experiences an intimate moment with a local woman (Roxi), just before the giant squid attack kills three million people. "Theme From New York, New York" kicks in as Wade screams out "What Happened?" as the camera pans over the wreckage.
In the present, "Some Enchanted Evening" plays at the very end of Wade aka Looking Glass' "Mirror Guy" conversation with Laurie Blake. "Requiem In D Minor - Lacrimosa" scores the sequence in which Wade looks for the Seventh Kavalry. An acoustic version of "Careless Whisper" plays over an 11-2 flashback moment, and "Some Enchanted Evening" closes out the episode as Wade betrays Angela.
This Extraordinary Being
- “You Better Change Your Way Of Lovin’” by Garland Wilson
- "When Cootie Left The Duke" by Raymond Scott
- “The Way It Used To Be” - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
- "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire" by The Ink Spots
- "Whispering Grass (Don't Tell The Trees)” by The Ink Spots
- "We Three (My Echo, My Shadow, And Me)" by The Ink Spots
- "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" by Eartha Kitt
- "(There's) Always Something To Remind Me" by Sandie Shaw
- "Living In The Past" by WITCH
"When Cootie Left the Duke" plays during a Nostalgia flashback sequence between June and Will. As Will settles into his Hooded Justice persona, "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire" scores a Cyclops fight sequence. "We Three (My Echo, My Shadow, And Me)" can be heard when June asks Will to remember when he saved her during the Tulsa riots.
After Will learns that hidden messages are being used in movies to provoke violence, "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" plays when he takes out a Cyclops member during an audio recording. "Living In The Past" closes out the episode once Angela awakes from her Nostalgia overdose.
An Almost Religious Awe
- "Living In America" by James Brown
- "Requiem In D Minor - Lacrimosa" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- "Everytime You Go Away" by Hall and Oates
- "Life On Mars" by David Bowie (Cover by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross)
- “Tinh Quan Dan (People And Fighters Unite)” - Traditional Vietnamese Song
The episode begins with "Living In America" as young Angela buys a "Sister Night" VHS tape in Vietnam. "Requiem In D Minor - Lacrimosa" establishes an operatic mood during Adrian Veidt's trial, in which he offers an official statement by passing gas.
When June arrives in Vietnam, "Everytime You Go Away" scores a restaurant moment as she explains the past to Angela. The episodes concludes with "Life On Mars" and Angela confronting Cal after discovering Lady Trieu's plan.
A God Walks Into Abar
- "How Sentimental Can You Be" by Ballads
- "Rhapsody In Blue" by Walter Murphy
- "Blue Danube" Johann Strauss
- "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)” by Irma Thomas
- "Tunnel Of Love” by Doris Day
- "Mr. Blue” by The Fleetwoods
- "Les Contes d’Hoffmann” by Jacques Offenbach
- "It's Just A Matter Of Time” by Brook Benton
- "My Prayer” by The Ink Spots
- "Summer Funk (Adam Oland Remix)” by Green Aqua and Adam Oland
- “A Woman, A Lover, A Friend” by Jackie Wilson
- “Requiem In D Minor - Lacrimosa” by Cornelius Oberhauser and Ferdinand Oberhauser
The episode opens with "Rhapsody In Blue" as Doctor Manhattan enters a Vietnam bar and meets Angela. "How Sentimental Can You Be" plays when she explains her thoughts about Doctor Manhattan, while "Blue Danube" complements the blue man's explanation of time and the past. "Tunnel Of Love” plays after Doctor Manhattan claims it to be Angela's favorite song.
In the future, "Mr. Blue” scores the moment when Angela asks Cal (Doctor Manhattan) to leave. "It's Just A Matter Of Time” can be heard just after an egg-themed scene in Vietnam. “A Woman, A Lover, A Friend” plays when Doctor Manhattan is captured in the present, and “Requiem In D Minor - Lacrimosa” scores an after-credits moment featuring an imprisoned Adrian Veidt.
See How They Fly
- "Les Contes d’Hoffmann” by Jacques Offenbach
- "Blue Danube” by Johann Strauss II
- "Clair De Lune” by Claude Debussy
- "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin’” by Gordon MacRae
- "Requiem In D Minor - Lacrimosa" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- "I Am The Walrus" by Spooky Tooth
Early on, "Les Contes d’Hoffmann” scores a sequence where Lady Trieu's mother impregnates herself with Adrian Veidt's child. Later, "Blue Danube” sets in when Lady Trieu arrives in Europa, and "Clair De Lune” is heard when she explains her plans to capture Doctor Manhattan.
"Requiem In D Minor - Lacrimosa" is heard once again during Watchmen season 1 as Adrian Veidt discusses Lady Trieu's hubris. When Will walks outside the Dreamland Theatre, "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin’” kicks in as he sees the aftermath of a frozen squid drop. "I Am The Walrus" closes out the episode ("I am the egg man / "They are the egg man") when Angela consumes an egg left behind by Doctor Manhattan, and attempts to walk on water.