The Cue Sheet Podcast, Episode 2: The Music of ‘Freaks and Geeks’, with Cat Jones
After taking a deep dive into the music of Veronica Mars last month, your hosts Jeff and Candice have time traveled back to suburban Michigan in the 1980s to hear what’s playing on the soundtrack to Freaks and Geeks. Paul Feig and Judd Apatow’s coming-of-age comedy drama is back, streaming on Hulu, after a long absence. And there’s a reason for that absence—licensing issues with its music held it in limbo until the songs were cleared. And for those who haven’t seen the show, there are a lot of songs on Freaks and Geeks.
Music isn’t just a major presence on Freaks and Geeks, the show used music in a way that few before it did—it’s central to the very character of the show, and creator Paul Feig has even said that the music is a character unto itself. Whether it’s the “geeks” of the show going garage-door hunting to The Cars, Lindsay Weird discovering the Grateful Dead, or the ubiquitous presence of Van Halen, music is an inextricable part of what made the short-lived show an instant classic.
For our second episode, we’re very excited to welcome guest Cat Jones, music journalist and rock ‘n’ roll fanatic—and longtime Freaks and Geeks fan—to talk about her favorite musical moments on the show and how it was a major part of her own musical education.
Share your favorite Freaks and Geeks moments in the comments, and let us know if there’s a show you’d like us to cover!
Subscribe to the Cue Sheet podcast on Apple or on Spotify.
Our theme music is by Bit Maps. Listen to and download their music via Bandcamp.
This podcast referenced the following articles:
AV Club, “Paul Feig Walks us through Freaks and Geeks” (April 9, 2012)
Brooklyn Vegan, “Freaks and Geeks coming to Hulu with full original soundtrack” (February 19, 2021)
