As we come the end of a wonderful week spent reminiscing about McMansions and Mischa Barton death scenes via the 10-year anniversary of The O.C. premiere, we’d be remiss not to mention the music. For four years, Josh Schwartz and music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas saved you the trouble of making your own collection of tunes essential to the teenage experience with a series of official soundtracks from the show. I spent many hours driving around to “Saturday Morning” by Eels and Beulah’s “Popular Mechanics For Lovers,” and followed the complex family dynamics of the Cohens, Coopers, and Nichols for a solid three seasons (for those who stuck it out after Marissa’s death, bravo). To celebrate our California friends hitting TV screens 10 years ago, here are the essential moments made even stronger by the soundtrack.
1. Cohen gets lucky, and Super Fury Animals become legendary