“Driver Picks the Music” - Supernatural - A Journey With Music as Fuel

Abstract

“Well, house rules, Sammy: Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole.” Dean turns on the growling engine of the Impala and the intro of AC/DC’s “Back in Black” starts playing. This thesis examines the musical practices employed in the action/horror/drama television series, Supernatural, and explores possible engagement processes and perceptions that are offered through the music accordingly. The pre-existent songs, as well as the musical underscore are of great importance to the perception of the characters, the scenes, the episodic narrative, and of the series as a whole. The music helps in offering identification processes, illusive immersion, emotional engagement, as well as it helps in constructing ideas of identity and gender, among other factors. Supernatural uses music as a kind of fuel in different ways. The study seeks to explore these ways, as well as the extent to which Supernatural’s music might inspire new approaches for film music scholarship.