Ted Lasso Star Jason Sudeikis Reveals His Top 5 Songs
The beloved actor and comedian opens up about the diverse musical tracks that have shaped his life, from country classics to hip-hop anthems.
The mastermind behind the hit series Ted Lasso has opened up about his personal soundtrack, sharing the five tracks that have meant the most to him throughout his life. Jason Sudeikis, the former Saturday Night Live comedian turned beloved TV creator, revealed an surprisingly diverse collection of songs during a recent radio interview.
Anyone who's watched Ted Lasso knows the show's musical choices are exceptional. Beyond the stellar performances from Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein, and Hannah Waddingham, the series features an incredible soundtrack. The musical direction comes courtesy of Marcus Mumford from Mumford and Sons, who handles both the scoring and the show's memorable theme song.
The series showcases premium musical selections throughout its three seasons - George Harrison's "Beware of Darkness," Nick Cave tracks, Michael Kiwanuka's work, Primal Scream's "Rocks," and even Spiritualized. It's clear someone behind the scenes has serious musical knowledge.
Country Roads and Karaoke Nights
Speaking with radio station KCRW, Sudeikis kicked off his list with Steve Earle's "Guitar Town." The actor explained his connection to the country track: "This is a song that I will, on occasion and have recently, sing at karaoke, it's just a good two and a half minute karaoke song... When you hear a good song and you don't know it but then someone sings it well at karaoke, it's as good as anything because you're actually in the room."
His second choice took a dramatic turn - "Heaven On Their Minds" by Andrew Lloyd Webber, specifically Murray Head's version from the original 1970 Jesus Christ Superstar concept album. "This is also, again, another song I would do at karaoke and mean every word from it in an attempt to be as tortured as Judas is during this song," Sudeikis shared.
Hip-Hop Influences and Jazz Standards
The third selection showcased Sudeikis' appreciation for groundbreaking hip-hop: N.W.A.'s "Gangsta Gangsta" from their legendary 1989 album Straight Outta Compton. He recalled discovering the track through a friend: "This album, one of my dear friends Terry, his older brother Brian had it, and the language and content was so foreign to us, that we just fell in love with it, so I wrote out all the lyrics."
For his fourth pick, Sudeikis chose Harry Connick Jr.'s jazz interpretation of "The Bare Necessities." He praised the performance: "It's got a sense of humor, it's got the swagger that I still love about Harry Connick Jr. The song's just got a lot of soul to begin with, and he just puts a little more on it."
Musical Brotherhood
Rounding out his top five, Sudeikis selected "Evaporated" by piano rock group Ben Folds Five. This choice held special significance for the actor's career journey: "I feel like Ben Folds, I've referred to him in the past few years as like being a musical older brother. This song, this was right before I moved to Chicago before I decided to become an actor. It represents a culmination of all these other four songs to me."
The eclectic mix reflects Sudeikis' diverse musical tastes and personal history. His production company Ruby's Tuna Inc. oversees Ted Lasso, and he's previously acknowledged drawing inspiration from Foo Fighters' "My Hero" for the show's second season themes. He's also appeared in music videos for both Foo Fighters and Mumford and Sons.