It is a bit annoying, but even more so for me are the constant pop culture references that come out of nowhere and feel completely wrong for the characters who speak those lines.

My guess is that Ax loves that band, so they'll keep reappearing unless someone turns him on to something he likes better, since we know he's a ruthless opportunist with very little loyalty.

I wonder if monetary backers of certain shows have such an intense love of pop music etc. that they insist on injecting it into shows that would otherwise be much better, at least in my opinion. I stopped watching Peaky Blinders (supposedly set around 1900) but full of contemporary pop music. They took pains to use appropriate period costumes, cars, etc. to suspend disbelief, but then repeatedly yanked me out of that with some pop music they liked. That might have made sense if the show involved time travel but I doubt it.

@simonize_our_watches said:

I wonder if monetary backers of certain shows have such an intense love of pop music etc. that they insist on injecting it into shows that would otherwise be much better, at least in my opinion. I stopped watching Peaky Blinders (supposedly set around 1900) but full of contemporary pop music. They took pains to use appropriate period costumes, cars, etc. to suspend disbelief, but then repeatedly yanked me out of that with some pop music they liked. That might have made sense if the show involved time travel but I doubt it.

The last season I watched was season 4 and I don't recall there being any Metalica type music in it for quite a while. But then I don't remember Metalica being particularly prominent in it in season 1. I do remember they had a guest appearance but I don't remember their music used in such a way that it would imprint itself in my memory.

Peaky Blinders on the other hand does use it's music very prominently and I vividly remember and associate it as going hand in hand with the show. It's part of it's identity. And I believe it chooses particular bands that have a kind of raw, savage, primal sound like The White Stripes, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and certain Arctic Monkeys songs to imbue the show with that raw, savage feel and give you a feeling of the raw, savage world that the characters live. It is to convey that feeling and not to provide a historically accurate rendering. If they were to use music from that time that was considered raw and savage it probably wouldn't feel raw and savage to the audience of today.

I can separate the music from the historical period I'm watching and I think most of the audience probably can too. And though it might be from a completely different era it does sound quite fitting with what's going on on screen while giving the show a bit of identity that makes it stand out. There are many other historical shows that do only use music of the time that you can watch and enjoy. This one does it's own thing. If it used things like Backstreet Boys then yeah, I would agree with you 100%. That would be inappropriate. But the tunes it does use have been very specifically chosen for a purpose.

@JustinJackFlash said:

@simonize_our_watches said:

And I believe it chooses particular bands that have a kind of raw, savage, primal sound like The White Stripes, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and certain Arctic Monkeys songs to imbue the show with that raw, savage feel and give you a feeling of the raw, savage world that the characters live. It is to convey that feeling and not to provide a historically accurate rendering

Do the producers really think like that? I think it's more likely that they like those bands and were hoping that the audience would as well.

_ And though it might be from a completely different era it does sound quite fitting with what's going on on screen_

I think sometimes the show's music is OK but sometimes it seems someone stuck it in without any awareness of whether it fit. To add senseless "music" to a scene containing senseless violence may seem like a good idea to some of the viewers, but I am not watching it any more.

@simonize_our_watches said:

Do the producers really think like that?

Maybe, but I would hope it's more the showrunners or directors. The actual creative people involved who are actually interested in conveying something unique, interesting and cohesive rather than make money. Who knows? But it's probably different in different instances. In the case of Peaky Blinders, the show was created by Steven Knight, who does have some auteuristic sensibility and is quite celebrated. So I would imagine it was his choice.

I think it's more likely that they like those bands and were hoping that the audience would as well.

In some instances that may be the case. Especially with someone like Quentin Tarantino. Though he does seem to choose songs that are relevant to the film he's making. Though also notice that he doesn't always use music specifically relevant to the time period of the film he's making either. Remember those guitar riffs in Inglorious Bastards?

In the case of Peaky Blinders, the fact that those songs have such a very specific sound suggests they were chosen to convey a specific feeling. Not because the creators love those songs. Although they may well do. Considering Arcitc Monkeys' music is generally not like their songs that were included in Peaky Blinders suggests to me that they were chosen because they had a very similar sound and vibe to the other bands chosen.

I think sometimes the show's music is OK but sometimes it seems someone stuck it in without any awareness of whether it fit. To add senseless "music" to a scene containing senseless violence may seem like a good idea to some of the viewers, but I am not watching it any more.

And you don't have to. And to be honest I think it's a bit overrated. But I do appreciate that it goes for it's own identity. And if you want shows that are more cohesive to the time period you've got things like Boardwalk Empire. The two different styles can co-exist. And I'm happy that people like Tarantino and Knight try to experiment and have fun with the medium while I also enjoy the more traditional and classical mode of storytelling too.

Thanks for the reply.