GOOD STORIES are fueled by emotion. For Netflix’s Beef—one of the best shows of 2023 so far—that emotion is, unquestionably, anger. The show kicks off with a road rage incident between our two main characters in a parking lot that snowballs into so much more; it proves to really be an encapsulation of what Beef is all about. The show is all about two people from different backgrounds and different classes who just cannot get over their egos to let something of the past go. The way the show escalates this conflict over the course of 10 30-ish minute episodes is unlike anything you’ve seen before.
And great storytelling becomes even better when paired with great music. Beef music supervisor Tiffany Anders had the difficult task of finding songs that matched the angry tone of the show—but without ever making things feel too on the nose. “It was a delicate balance of commenting on these characters with songs that expressed inner turmoil, humor and rage without ever having the humor directed solely at the music or the characters,” she tells Men’s Health. “Rather using it as an observation.”
The show’s increasingly-intense story of Danny (Steven Yeun) and Amy (Ali Wong) is constantly accompanied with songs—typically from the ’90s or early 2000s—that just sort of make you feel the inner rage that’s simmering throughout Beef. Songs that will make you bop your head and want to start sing along, too: like “Drive” by Incubus or “Self-Esteem” by The Offspring. And, again, Anders didn’t want that to be too on the nose, but she felt like she’d found the perfect era to capture the story of these two very flawed people.
“The ’90s was an interesting time for music, especially with grunge and the offsprings of Nirvana, because there was a different kind of anger than in previous decades of rageful rock,” she says. “There was more self awareness, confessional lyrics, and self deprecation to the point of being self indulgent. Given the self-awareness of the rage, it works with this story and characters as an observation more than anything—I don’t think it’s intrinsically tied to who they are, but it comments on the story in a unique way.”
Below, you can check out the full soundtrack for Netflix’s Beef.
Episode 1
“Liquid Dreams”- O-Town
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“The Reason”- Hoobastank
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Episode 2
“Shine”- Soul Collective
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“Samesquad”- P-Lo
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“Cornflake Girl”- Tori Amos
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Episode 3
“O Come To The Altar”- Steven Yeun and cast
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“Drive”- Incubus
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Episode 4
“Fly”- Sugar Ray
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“Nookie”- Limp Bizkit
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“Cure For Pain”- Morphine
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“Self Esteem”- The Offspring
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Episode 5
“Natural One” Shearwater
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“Lonely Day”- System of a Down
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Episode 6
“Raise a Hallelujah”- Steven Yeun and cast
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“I Don’t Want To Wait”- Paula Cole
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“Genie in a Bottle”- Christina Aguilera
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“Machinehead”- Bush
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Episode 7
“Amazing Grace”- Steven Yeun and cast
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“Somewhere Only We Know”- Keane
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Episode 8
“Mockingbirds” Grant Lee Buffalo
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Episode 9
“Jinx”- Tad
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“All Is Full Of Love”- Bjork
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Episode 10
“Mayonaise”- Smashing Pumpkins
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Evan is the culture editor for Men’s Health, with bylines in The New York Times, MTV News, Brooklyn Magazine, and VICE. He loves weird movies, watches too much TV, and listens to music more often than he doesn’t.
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