Media and Music: How Skins Made Dubstep Cool

While “Skins,” the late 2000s TV show about a group of partying teens in Bristol, England, was highly acclaimed for its unflinching portrayal of true-to-life issues considered too gritty for many pre-streaming service TV providers, its true legacy lies in its incredible soundtrack.

In Media and Music, our writers take a deep dive into how movies use scores and songs to engage viewers, give new meaning and tone to some of our favorite scenes, and establish themes. It almost goes without saying, but there are spoilers abound.

Written by Kasey Clarke

Photo courtesy of Fanpop

“Skins” fans will say it got many things right: the cast, the humor, the drama, but most of all, the music. 

For those who haven’t seen the show, think of it as a raunchier, better-written “Degrassi,” or even a rougher predecessor to “Euphoria.” Basically, it isn’t a show you would want to watch with your mom, especially when it premiered in 2007. For those who did watch it, probably on Netflix as it only ran until 2013 and only aired on the British channel E4, it may be a surprise to hear that you watched the watered-down version of the show. No, not the unspeakable flop that was the American remake, but the version with much of the soundtrack swapped out for songs that didn’t have hefty licensing fees. 

With the original soundtrack, the backing music becomes the most memorable part of many scenes of the show. Each episode centers around one character, and the music uniquely characterizes each teen, fleshing out their personal world. Cassie’s episode, for example, opens with “Cody” by Mogwai, a late ‘90s indierock ballad that introduces us to the spacey but lovable Cassie, delirious from partying and starvation. Later in this episode is one of the most-loved scenes in the series: Cassie runs her fingers down a railing as she seems to float through the hallways, beginning to realize that her subconscious is trying to fight against her anorexia. This scene in particular is remembered for its music — set to “Aht Uh Mi Hed” by Shuggie Otis, the song gently tells us that Cassie is really out of her mind. “Skins”’ music supervisor Alex Hancock cited it as one of his top 5 music moments in the entire show. 

Many songs were delicately interwoven into the background of scenes, but others were intentionally in your face. The season 2 episode “Michelle” uses songs by some of the up-and-coming indie artists of the time almost like a score, setting scenes to “House on the Hill” by Beach House and “Keep the Car Running” by Arcade Fire. In one of the most impactful scenes of the episode, the cast run into the beach to “Fireworks” by Animal Collective. In fact, many of the biggest music moments in the series are when a song unites the characters. In the season 1 finale, for example, the cast sings along to Cat Stevens’ “Wild World” just after Tony gets hit by a bus. Although strange and unexpected, the scene is often named viewers’ favorite, and Stevens’ lyrics about apprehension in venturing into the big bad world fit perfectly. 

In addition to having a well chosen soundtrack, “Skins” began to have an impact on the underground music scene in the late 2000s. “Skins” featured one of the earliest uses of dubstep on television. The Guardian credited it with kickstarting MGMT and Gossip’s success, and Vice said it did the same for Foals. Now, going through the song’s Tunefind page feels like being gifted your ultra-cool older brother’s iPod Nano before he left for college in 2009. But at the time, for artists, your song making it into a “Skins” episode meant getting a better shot at making it in the music world. 

The show’s trendsetting prowess came from an understanding of what teens at the time were actually listening to. The show’s music staff was passionate about giving exposure to music that they thought the show’s characters (and viewers) would actually enjoy. By using dubstep, “Skins” represented a style of music that defined teen culture at the time. Real band members also appeared on the show. Crystal Castles appeared in season 2, episode 3 “Sid”, further popularizing the punchy electronic music that was making its way from underground rave culture into the mainstream. Instances of youth culture were everywhere in “Skins,” because its young creators valued authenticity. The main cast was full of amateur actors who actually looked and spoke like teens, head writer Jamie Britton was in his early 20s, and music producer Alex Hancock was a 20-something music fan and student at King’s College.  

Although many of the music trends boosted by the show have since passed, “Skins” did have a lasting impact on the music industry, and its frankness in expressing teen style, slang, music, and problems certainly had an impact on how stories of younger generations are told today.