10 Music Moments That Prove The Vampire Diaries Nailed Every Needle Drop

Everyone has that one TV show that they know like the back of their hand.

They can quote it without thinking. They know an embarrassing amount of behind-the-scenes facts about it. They could write an entire dissertation about it, if pressed.

For me, that’s The Vampire Diaries.

The Vampire Diaries is the show I throw on whenever I don’t know what else to watch.

And though I know quite well what’s going to happen after many repeat binges under my belt, the angst, the high stakes, and the hot vampires always seem to hook me as if watching for the first time.

One of the most defining features of The Vampire Diaries is, undoubtedly, its excellent soundtrack.

All eight seasons are chock-full of heart-wrenching moments that have left lasting impacts on the show’s fans — and I believe in many cases, that’s due to the magic of the music supervisors finding the perfect song for the scene.

Whether The Vampire Diaries pulled from a 2010s darling like The Fray or an Icelandic indie artist like Sigur Rós, there was always something special about the music chosen for their pivotal moments.

So grab your headphones and get ready for our round-up: these are the top ten music moments that defined The Vampire Diaries, cementing these scenes forever in our cultural consciousness.

1. “Give Me Love” by Ed Sheeran: Season 3 Episode 14

The Vampire Diaries Season 3 Episode 14, otherwise known as “The Ball Episode,” is the ideal example of an episode that nailed its creative decisions on all fronts: the plot, the costumes, the set, and of course, the music.

It’s interesting to look back and know that at the time they used Ed Sheeran for the iconic dance scene, he hadn’t yet become the global superstar he is today.

The creators had a sixth sense about the magic they were making when selecting this song for the scene.

It’s cinematic and flawlessly timed with the choreography, which makes me wonder: did they select the music in editing, or did they plan the scene around the music?

It feels too perfect a match not to be the latter.

Of course, the scene gives you some of the most iconic moments between Damon and Elena, as their building tension is hitting its peak. But of course, Klaus and Caroline steal the show as she sweeps around the floor in his gifted gown, and they can’t resist a little banter.

2. “A Drop in the Ocean” by Ron Pope: Season 3 Episode 1 

The third season of The Vampire Diaries is arguably the best, and The Vampire Diaries Season 3 Episode 1 ends by doing what TVD learned to master: leaving you on a cliffhanger while also pulling at your heartstrings.

Ron Pope’s vocals swell as Stefan breaks and calls Elena while on the road with Klaus, and — cue the waterworks — she knows it’s him even though he hasn’t said a word.

It’s a song choice that works because it has to do double duty.

The ending montage oscillates between scenes of Tyler and Caroline getting together for the first time and Elena telling a silent Stefan to “hold on.”

They are two tonally very different moments, and the song bridges the gap between them.

I also love that this song has that quintessential late 2000s sound — the kind of music I always heard on the radio while driving to school — which instantly brings a wave of nostalgia whenever the scene comes on.

3. “Feel So Close” by Calvin Harris: Season 4 Episode 4

No list of The Vampire Diaries’ music moments would be complete without Damon and Elena’s bloody frat house dance party.

At this point in The Vampire Diaries Season 4, Stefan and Elena are hanging on by a thread, and this is the first scene where it’s abundantly clear that Elena’s future as a vampire would be much less constrained with Damon by her side.

Damon tempts Elena to let loose, freeing herself from self-control and embracing her vampire nature (even if that means a little feeding on the party-goers).

The electricity and tension between the two of them is palpable. It’s messy, visceral, and uninhibited.

It’s a perfectly placed song as well — it’s exactly what anyone would be listening to at a frat party in 2012 — yet Calvin Harris hasn’t dated the scene at all.

That scene from The Vampire Diaries Season 4 Episode 4 is burned into my brain. It’s joyful and free, and it’s pivotal for Elena learning to embrace the changes she’s going through with more self-acceptance.

4. “Running Up That Hill” by Placebo: Season 1 Episode1

The Vampire Diaries’ pilot episode does an excellent job of setting the tone for the show’s musical identity right off the bat, previewing a mix of indie needle drops and the 2000s hits that would come to define it.

Before Stranger Things got Kate Bush’s iconic “Running Up That Hill,” The Vampire Diaries got Placebo’s haunting, dark cover.

The low vocals and ominous beat play while Stefan pulls out his journal, revealing to the viewer their first surprising glimpse of Katherine’s portrait.

It immediately sets the eerie atmosphere for the scene.

The seemingly good, Edward Cullen-esque vampire might actually have ulterior, nefarious motives in his pursuit of Elena — and you immediately want to know what will happen next.

5. “Be Still” by The Fray: Season 3 Episode 20

Even though I know exactly what’s to come, The Vampire Diaries Season 3 Episode 20 still has me immediately reaching for my box of tissues. 

The episode marks the moment where everyone says goodbye to Alaric, thinking he’s about to die. Yet in a classic Vampire Diaries twist, he cheats death at the last second to become “Evil Alaric.”

The scene is beautiful, and the music supervisors pulled out one of their trusty artists to carry the emotional weight of the moment, choosing The Fray’s “Be Still” for the tearful goodbye.

The camera pans to each character, lingering on their emotional grief as they stand back and watch Alaric retreat into the crypt.

The lyrics “Be still and know that I am with you” play, perfectly encapsulating what every character is trying to convey to Alaric in this moment.

6. “Never Let Me Go” by Florence and The Machine: Season 3 Episode 19

I could never, in good conscience, create this list without mentioning one of the most iconic kiss scenes in television history.

Damon and Elena’s motel kiss on The Vampire Diaries Season 3 Episode 19 has permanently carved “Never Let Me Go” into the cultural consciousness, cementing it as one of the most iconic teen-drama musical moments of all time.

The drama. The sweeping chorus. The way they collide right at the climactic moment. It’s immaculate.

I’m obsessed with the way her hair flutters and the lights flicker — everything feels perfectly timed to the beat.

It sweeps you up and away as, after almost three full seasons of build-up, the tension between Damon and Elena finally breaks.

7. Wings” by Birdy: Season 5 Episode 22

The Vampire Diaries likes to return to a few favorite artists throughout the series — The Fray being a classic — but they also make great repeated use of singer-songwriter Birdy at various high-impact moments.

Her atmospheric ballad “Wings” plays as the Other Side collapses in The Vampire Diaries Season 5 Episode 22, scoring what I would argue is The Vampire Diaries’ most insane cliffhanger.

The lyrics “I just want to be your side” parallel Damon and Bonnie leaning on one another as The Other Side crumbles around them, and they prepare to go down with it.

“I’m sure there are a million people we’d both rather be with right now,” Bonnie says, as Damon replies: “A couple thousand at most.”

He grabs her hand, and it’s the beginning of the best friendship of the series (and arguably a huge part of why Season 6 was able to step out of the shadow of a wobbly Season 5).

It’s scary, emotional, and dramatic, and the music heightens all of the suspense and tragedy of the moment perfectly.

8. “Wait” by M83: Season 6 Episode 5

M83 is an incredible choice of artist for a scene that needs to balance both haunting and hopeful emotional beats.

“Wait” plays over one of my favorite emotional scenes of the series (and that’s saying something, because there are hundreds of tragic moments to choose from).

Stefan breaks down in the family crypt, talking as if Damon was there, telling him he’s lost without him now that he believes he’s dead.

But just when he chucks his bourbon bottle at the wall, Damon appears, back from the Prison World, to catch it. 

Stefan’s sadness turns to disbelief in a split second, and the song crescendos as the two brothers finally — after a few episodes of painful separation — reunite.

9. “Enjoy The Silence” by Anberlin: Season 1 Episode 7

One of the best and most iconic scenes, hands down, is Vicki and Damon’s Salvatore mansion dance party on The Vampire Diaries Season 1 Episode 7. 

Anberlin’s “Enjoy The Silence” is the ideal match for this moment. It’s grungy, it’s dark but fun, it’s a little sexy, and it pairs so well with the chaotic energy of the scene.

This scene feels like the start of The Vampire Diaries in many ways. The show has started to gain its footing (goodbye crows and fog machines), even if it said goodbye to Vicki far too soon.

Damon’s charismatic, seductive charm is on hyperdrive, and this was the moment where I officially fell in love with him (and fall in love with him again on every rewatch).

That moment where he jumps up on the balcony beam and grooves will forever live rent-free in my head.

10. “Dauðalogn” by Sigur Rós: Season 3 Episode 22

I saved the best for last.

What happens when you find the perfect song to score one of the most climactic scenes in Vampire Diaries history? Magic, that’s what.

Sigur Rós’ “Dauðalogn” plays while Elena is drowning on The Vampire Diaries Season 3 Episode 22, and the scene flashes between her present with water and a flashback of when she almost drowned with her parents.

Because the whole scene takes place underwater, there’s no audio or dialogue, and the music carries the scene’s emotion.

It feels like it was scored specifically for the scene — I can’t think of a song that’s more cinematic, more tragic, or beautiful for this moment than the one they chose.

I can’t listen to this song without crying. It has become a Pavlovian reaction whenever this song comes on my playlist.

All I see is the moment when her dad shakes his head, and Elena nods in acceptance, silently mouthing “I love you”.

And of course, the scene is timed perfectly, with the song right as Elena opens her eyes as a vampire for the first time.

It’s the perfect way to end what is inarguably one of the best — if not the best — episode of the entire series.

So Vampire Diaries Fanatics, which of these scenes is your favorite? Did your favorite music moment make the list? We want to hear all of your thoughts in the comments!