Speaking of viewing the world through the filter of our obsessions (well put, bundt), OK, so if you were magically handed a baton and could conduct the score and work in all sorts of great cool songs which fit congruent with LOST and LOST’s characters as you see the story, songs which serve to both further the storyline and musically delight/enrich LOST listeners, then what sort of score and playlist would you devise?

Part of the purpose in asking this question is to invite LOST tribe members to play together here with one another in sharing some tunes they like and consider LOST-worthy (I enjoy hearing new music; now that YouTube and iTunes are around it is so easy to find and listen to sample snippets or download fresh material when directed toward them via a recommendation). So, “self interest” is a motivation here- I am curious as to the new (to me, at least music) seeing others’ playlists might lead me to discover for myself.

Another part is just to throw the frisbee for others who enjoy chasing and leaping to catch it in midair, hoping they will throw it back. Just for fun, in other words.

Please do be prepared to be asked questions such as “How do you feel [name of song] conceivably fits within the LOST construct?” and not take offense at the question, since some of us may be curious at how one might envision how a particular song might connect, fit, exemplify, or further the story within LOST.

Having thrown the glove myself, I’ll start.

What sort of score and musical background I’d compose for LOST is the tougher end of this two-part question, imho, and I think I’ll chew on that awhile longer before venturing a reply. For now I’ll say that as much as I think highly of LOST --including the background music scoring-- and admire how (based on results) the score is fairly effective in manipulating emotions to some extent, I still consider it probably the weakest part of the whole show. To my mind an emotional manipulation is not elegant if it distracts with its heavy-handedness, slightly annoying the viewer with a conscious realization “OK, here is the screechy noise: we are supposed to feel anxious” and “Oh boy, swelling strings, there's the cue for everyone to pull out handkerchiefs!” It is much easier to criticize than come up with something better, though, so this aspect will take more thought before I can suggest how I’d alternatively score the background; I do have some ideas and examples in mind.

The songs I’d work in, though, now that aspect is both fun and easy! Might want to google the lyrics for some of these &/or give ‘em a listen before pulling out your fencing foil and waving it at me in challenge. Some of these fit with specific scenes or contexts within the show (or where I think LOST is headed) whereas others I’’d think of as “Julia’s theme,” “Sawyer’s theme,” “Kate’s theme,” “Walt’s theme,” “Locke’s theme,” “Desmond’s theme,” “Charlies theme,” “Ben’s theme,” “Jack’s theme(s),” “Hurley’s theme,” “Eko’s theme,” “Rousseau’s theme,” “Richard’s theme,” “Martin Keamy’s theme,” “Smokey’s theme,” “Others' theme,” “Aaron’s theme,” “Jacob’s theme,” and so on, such do the songs --to my mind-- fit together with or describe certain characters so well.

[Not all of these following below are listed with the original artist; the songs are listed with the specific version and artist who I think best renders them for goodness of fit with LOST, and yes, the order is deliberate: this is the best I can arrange them so --overall, in terms of mood development-- one flows well into the next if indeed you go ahead and assemble this as an iTunes playlist].

AlaskaSteven’s LOST Playlist:

The Ring by Mythos [Reality of a Dream]

In The Waiting Line by Zero 7 [Simple Things]

The Seeress Prophecy (Daydreaming) by Achillea [The Nine Worlds]

The Sea by Morcheeba

Danger In Your Paradise by Alphaville/Marian Gold [United]

God Lead Your Soul by The Sleepy Jackson [One Was A Spider, One Was A Bird]

Right In Two by TOOL [10,000 Days]

Broadsword by Jethro Tull [Broadsword]

Into The Dead Sky by At The Gates [Slaughter of the Soul]

Jerusalem by Emerson, Lake, & Palmer [Brain Salad Surgery]

For Whom The Bell Tolls
Nothing Else Matters
Until It Sleeps
Wherever I May Roam -all by Metallica [S&M]

Blue Monday by Orgy [Candyass]

Take A Bow by Muse [Black Holes & Revelations]

White Rabbit by Blue Man Group/Esthero

Frontier Psychiatrist by The Avalanches [Since I Left You]

Show Me The Way by Peter Frampton

Hotel California by The Eagles

Parchman Farm by Hot Tuna

Hold Your Head Up by Argent

White Bird by Its A Beautiful Day [Its A Beautiful Day]

Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress by The Hollies

Voodoo Child by Angelique Kidjo, Buddy Guy, & Vernon Red [Lightning in a Bottle]

Frankenstein by Edgar Winter [Not a Kid Anymore]

Human After All by Daft Punk [Human After All]

Changes by The Diarys [Rise! America’s Synthpop Underground]

Sixty Years On (UK release mix) by Elton John

Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding by Dream Theater [A Change of Seasons]

Don’t Fear The Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult

Bibit Aleum by Covus corax [Venus Viva Musica]

The Last Of The Mohicans by The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards [Spirit of the Glen]

The Host Of The Seraphim by Dead Can Dance [The Serpent’s Egg]

Wind That Shakes The Barley by Dead Can Dance [Into the Labyrinth]

Time by Wolfsheim [Casting Shadows]

Herculean by The Good, The Bad, & The Queen [Herculean]

Slipping Away (Axwell vocal mix) by Moby

Kein Zuruck by Wolfsheim [Casting Shadows]

Earthbound by Wideband Network [Synthpop for a Darkened Room, Vol. 2]

Earth Song Remix (Pit Bailay remix) EP by Terence

Minor Earth, Major Sky (Pumpin’ Dolls Club mix) EP by a-ha

World In My Eyes (Cicada mix) by Depeche Mode

Drown In Me (Cicada remix) by Silencer [Drown In Me EP]

Days Go By by Countdown [#1 Dance Hits]

This Is Forever (Illuminati radio edit) by Metasonica

I Feel Free (original edit) by Eruption & Michael Splint [Nukleuz Trance Sessions Vol. 2 iTunes version]

Is Your Love Strong Enough by Brian Ferry

Be Yourself by AudioSlave [Flex-Able Leftovers]

Hymn by Ultravox

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Enjoy! I hope at least one of those tunes is new to you and gives you endorphin goosebumps when you listen to it (googling the lyrics is a plus on some of these as otherwise parts can be a bit difficult to discern accurately by ear alone). Please do share a LOST-inspired mix playlist you come up with, too!