On Sunday, May 17, ESPN concluded airing the 10-episode docuseries, ‘The Last Dance,’ about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. In the absence of live sports, the series became must-see TV for sports fans on Sunday nights. In the US starting on April 19, ESPN aired two episodes a week, averaging 5.6 million viewers per episode. Internationally, the series could be streamed on Netflix.
An entertaining component of revisiting the Jordan era was the nostalgic soundtrack that music supervisor Rudy Chung (Silicon Valley, Rapture, Andre The Giant) and director Jason Hehir inserted into the series: a mix of 80s/90s hip-hop & pop with a few wild card instrumentals and indies thrown in. Let’s not forget about Hehir’s frequent collaborator, composer Thomas Caffey, whose dynamic score infused the series with a certain level of sophistication — an amalgamation of upbeat modern classical, sparse ambient and percussive electronic beats. Caffey’s tense, melancholy and cool tones enhanced the visuals while capturing the drama of the Chicago Bulls’ journey.
The music was at its best when the hip-hop & pop presented a contrast to the intensity of the score. The story was so juicy that in some moments, the score would have been sufficient instead of a popular song.
Our team ranked all of the songs used in the series in three departments. Each track was given between one to five stars in creative usage (music), cultural relevance (setting) and storytelling (lyrics). We judged Instrumentals by emotional impact in the storytelling section. Any songs that scored the same were then placed based on higher creative usage. Overall, we thought the music for the docuseries was stellar but that it might be interesting to take a deeper dive into each track and how they compared to each other as used in the series.
(Spotify-curated playlist at the bottom of page three in order of appearance)
28. Soon E MC – Sur Le Boulevard Du Rhythm’funky (1992) / Episode 1
Before the 1997-98 basketball season began, the Bulls traveled to Paris, France for an international exhibition tournament. Soon E MC’s silky flow runs over location shots of the city as the team arrives surrounded by large crowds and hordes of reporters. Former NBA Commissioner David Stern describes how the Parisian media mocked the team and particularly Jordan. The use of French hip-hop was fresh, but it didn’t quite lend anything to the segment apart from being a backdrop for the setting.
Creative Usage ★★½☆☆
Cultural Relevance ★★★★☆
Storytelling ★☆☆☆☆
27. A Tribe Called Quest – Can I Kick It? (1990) / Episode 5
On March 8, 1998, the Chicago Bulls took on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, Jordan’s favorite place to play. It was only fitting that he played his last game at the Garden in the same shoe he wore for his first game in the arena — the original Chicago Air Jordan 1 from 1984. Lou Reed’s classic bass line from ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ permeates location shots of New York City along with the Tribe’s vinyl scratching. Live from the locker room, Jordan is weaving his ink-black laces through the holes of what is arguably the most famous sneaker of all time. The Air Jordan 1 was revolutionary, and musically the sequence felt mild for such an iconic part of Jordan’s story.
Creative Usage ★★★☆☆
Cultural Relevance ★★½☆☆
Storytelling ★★☆☆☆
26. José González – Teardrop (2007) / Episode 8
Gonzalez’s indie-folk cover of Massive Attack’s 1998 single, ‘Teardrop,’ plays over an emotional sequence in the series. On June 16, 1996, the Chicago Bulls played the Seattle Supersonics in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Leading up to the game, Supersonics point guard Gary Payton thought he was tiring Jordan out. Jordan cackles at the thought and confesses he had a lot on his mind. In 1993, Jordan’s father was tragically murdered. Game 6 took place on Father’s Day.
The Bulls won the game to seal their fourth championship title. The clip concludes with Jordan lying on the ground, wailing into a basketball as media looks on. It’s heavy to see the man, the superhero, the champion, experience an extreme flood of emotion. Gonzalez’s track was a noticeable departure from the music in the series and seemed a little too on the nose. The content had so much strength on its own, Caffey’s score or an instrumental would’ve been favorable to level out the segment.
Creative Usage ★★½☆☆
Cultural Relevance ★★½☆☆
Storytelling ★★★★☆
25. Outkast – Rosa Parks (1998) / Episode 5
Hip-hop duo Outkast represented Atlanta in the 90s, so it was inevitable that they soundtrack the Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks game on March 27, 1998, at the Georgia Dome. 62,046 spectators were in attendance for what may have been Jordan’s last game at the arena. Tickets for the game were the number one commodity at the time. Acoustic thumps and Outkast’s masterly rhymes run over an amusing sequence showcasing the celebrities in attendance — Gary Sinise, Better Midler, Sinbad, Dr. Dre, Danny DeVito, Chris Rock, Drew Barrymore, Bill Murray, Wayne Gretzky, Jerry Rice, Muhammad Ali, John Cusack, Spike Lee and Jerry Seinfeld. Outkast was a perfect choice, but lyrically ‘Rosa Parks’ didn’t quite align with the story.
Regarding the message of the song, André 3000, one-half of the group, once told Rolling Stone, “It was just symbolic, meaning that we were comin’ back out, so all you other MCs move to the back of the bus.” His statement was mainly in response to the controversy around the title of the track; however, there were multiple occasions throughout the docuseries when Jordan and the Bulls made a comeback, which could’ve been more suitable for the song. An alternative Outkast track with their signature playfulness could have topped off the segment.
Creative Usage ★★★½☆
Cultural Relevance ★★★★★
Storytelling ★☆☆☆☆
24. Naughty By Nature – Hip Hop Hooray (1993) / Episode 6
Naughty By Nature’s percussive chant pops up in the series after the release of Sam Smith’s, ‘The Jordan Rules: The Inside Story of a Turbulent Season With Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.‘ The controversial biography took a tole on Jordan off the court, but on the court, he was still the most dominant player. The track accompanies on-court footage during the 1992-93 regular season of the Bulls putting on a show — dunking, swatting, slamming alley-oops and hitting jump shots at the buzzer. ‘Hip Hop Horray’ enhanced the section with pep.
Creative Usage ★★★★☆
Cultural Relevance ★★★★½
Storytelling ★☆☆☆☆
23. Nas feat. Lauryn Hill – If I Ruled the World (1996) / Episode 5
‘If I Ruled The World’ was the opener for episode five, playing over locations shots of New York City as we enter Madison Square Garden for the NBA All-Star game on February 8, 1998. The draw of the segment is the introduction of rookie Kobe Bryant as the youngest all-star of all time at nineteen years and five months. As Jordan’s career was coming to an end, the emergence of Bryant felt like a passing of the torch. Witnessing the two playing together is fascinating; Bryant’s hunger and naivety clashing with Jordan’s confidence and power.
Closing out the clip, the all-star team participates in a photoshoot in their respective jerseys. Before we get to hear from Bryant about being the new kid on the block and his close relationship with Jordan, the song fades out. It could have been a more effective use of the first-rate collaboration if it had continued through Bryant’s story.
Creative Usage ★★★½☆
Cultural Relevance ★★★★☆
Storytelling ★★☆☆☆
22. Pearl Jam – Present Tense (1996) / Episode 10
A building track about overcoming regret, ‘Present Tense’ closes out the series. As a placement, somber and sentimental from Pearl Jam felt on the nose to conclude the show and similar to Jose Gonzalez’s ‘Teardrop,’ a clear departure from the other music in the series. In 1998, after the Bulls organization decided to rebuild, Jordan admits he was devastated that they never went for that seventh championship. Coach Phil Jackson called a team meeting at the end of the 1998 season and asked the guys to write down what being on the team has meant to them during the past year. Jackson decided they would read their responses aloud and then burn them in a coffee can. Each players’ words were emotional. Jordan opted to write a poem, expressing a depth of emotion his teammates never thought he had.
Lyrically, ‘Present Tense’ could’ve been one of the poems read that day. Nostalgic footage jumps through the years of the teams’ cries, cheers, dunks and championships. A passionate young kid took a lousy team and created a dynasty. “I want the bulls to be respected like the Celtics, Lakers, 76ers – hopefully I and this time can build an organization like that,” says a 21-year-old Michael Jordan. The series opened with present-day Jordan sitting in a chair staring out of a beachfront window, he stands up and walks away, leaving his past behind — fade to black.
Creative Usage ★★☆☆☆
Cultural Relevance ★★★☆☆
Storytelling ★★★★★
21. Kenny Latimore – Days Like This (1996) / Episode 10
Six hours before tipoff against the Utah Jazz on June 3, 1998, Jordan is goofily dancing on the bus to the music pouring out of his headphones. He tells the camera he’s jamming to unreleased tunes by his friend, Kenny Latimore. The sparkly acoustic intro of ‘Days Like This’ accompanies Jordan as he walks into the arena hoarded by paparazzi. “Can I walk in peace?” He exclaims. A melancholy mood rings throughout the empty arena as Jordan warms up alongside his teammates. Latimore’s track complements the tone of the scene nicely.
Creative Usage ★★★½☆
Cultural Relevance ★★★★½
Storytelling ★★☆☆☆