Music in the Breaking Bad Franchise – Part One (Spoilers!)

The musical score of the Breaking Bad Franchise (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul and El Camino) was composed by Dave Porter. He is an accomplished American composer best known for his exceptional work on the critically acclaimed television series “Breaking Bad.”

His distinctive and atmospheric score for the show played a pivotal role in enhancing the tension and drama of the storyline. Beyond “Breaking Bad,” Porter has showcased his musical prowess in various film and television projects. He has collaborated with Vince Gilligan, the creator of “Breaking Bad,” on other projects such as the prequel series “Better Call Saul,” where he continues to contribute his signature sound.

Additionally, Porter has lent his talents to diverse projects, including films like “The Disaster Artist” (2017) and “The Great Wall” (2016), displaying his versatility across different genres. With a keen ability to capture the emotional nuances of a narrative through music, Dave Porter has solidified his reputation as a prominent composer in the entertainment industry. In this post, I’ll go over some of his music and some of the popular songs included in the series.

“Breaking Bad Main Title Theme (Extended)” was written and performed by Porter and heard in “Granite State” (Season 5, Ep. 15). It is a very haunting tune. The In Crowd, perform “Mango Walk” in the “Pilot” (Season 1, Ep. 1). The In Crowd are a popular Jamaican reggae showband who had their commercial peak in the late 1970s, best known for the singles “We Play Reggae” and “Back a Yard”.

Also in the “Pilot” was Stonewall Jackson’s “Come on Home and Have Your Next Affair With Me”. Jackson, born on November 6, 1932, was an American country music singer and songwriter known for his smooth baritone voice and honky-tonk style. He achieved considerable success in the 1950s and 1960s with hits like “Waterloo” and “Don’t Be Angry,” becoming a prominent figure in the country music scene during that era.

In “A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal” (Season 1, Episode 7 we hear 10,000 Maniacs doing “Candy Everybody Wants”, The Motels, “Suddenly Last Summer”, and Gnarls Barkley’s, “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul”. J.J. Cale’s “Anyway the Wind Blows” was in “Seven Thirty-Seven” (Season 2, Ep. 1).

Cale was born on December 5, 1938, was an influential American singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his laid-back blend of blues, rock, and country, and he gained widespread recognition for timeless songs like “Cocaine” and “After Midnight.”

In “Down” (Season 2, Ep. 4) we hear Nancy Sinatra’s cover of “It’s Such a Pretty World Today” which was included on her album Country, My Way. In “Over” (Season 2, Ep. 10) we have Wang Chung, “Dance Hall Days” (re-record), The Marshall Tucker Band, “Heard it in a Love Song”, and Robert Palmer, “Every Kinda People”.

“Phoenix” (Season 2, Ep. 12 brings us The Outlaws, “Green Grass & High Tides”. We hear America’s, “A Horse With No Name” “Caballo Sin Nombre” (Season 3, Ep. 2), and Pat Boone’s, “America the Beautiful”. In “I.F.T.” we hear The Amboy Dukes, “Loaded for Bear” from their 1969 LP Migration featuring Ted Nugent, and ZZ Top’s, “Tush”.

“Half Measures” (Season 3, Ep. 12) includes The Association’s “Windy”. Conway Twitty’s, 1976 “(I Can’t Believe) She Gives it All to Me” is heard in “Cornered” (Season 4, Ep. 6). “Problem Dog” (Season 4, Ep. 7) has The Pretenders, “Boots of Chinese Plastic” from their ninth album in 2008, and The Fixx’s, “Saved By Zero” from the 1983, Reach the Beach album.

Thomas Dolby’s, “Hyperactive!” was in “Bug” (Season 5, Ep. 9) taken from his second album The Flat Earth, released in 1984. “Face Off” (Season 4 Ep.13) includes “Black” by Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi (feat. Norah Jones) which is included on their Spaghetti Westerns inspired Rome, 2011, album. The Coachmen’s, “I Can’t Hide It” is in “Madrigal” (Season 5, Ep. 2).