Just as important as the writing, acting, and directing that bring your favorite productions to life, music is the final puzzle piece that fully ties it all together. Whether it’s an underlying theme that announces a character’s entrance or the familiar sounds of a top hit that acts as a needle drop, the music that the team adds can make or break a sequence. In the case of The CW’s long-running teen drama, <em>The Vampire Diaries</em>, series co-creators Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson worked hand in hand with music supervisor Chris Mollere to ensure that the soundtrack would transform the production into something even bigger, better, and more goosebump-inducing than it already was. During a panel over the weekend at FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention, which was moderated by Collider’s Maggie Lovitt, The Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder opened up about the show’s unforgettable musical moments and reminisced about the days when Lady Gaga would visit the set.
Looking back on the show’s immense popularity, Somerhalder gave the audience a staggering fact, revealing that the Season 1 soundtrack “sold like 15 million copies,” adding, “The music moments were amazing. We had incredible music supervisors — Julie [Plec] and Kevin [Williamson] […] they knew what was gonna hit.”
Teasing one specific musical collaboration that never took flight, Somerhalder leaned into the rumors that multi-Grammy-winning musician, Taylor Swift, was asked to appear in the series, telling the crowd, “I think Taylor Swift, we offered this role, and she was like, ‘No.’ [Laughs]” Despite the “Shake It Off” singer never stepping foot on the set, the show had another monstrously popular performer lurking in the shadows.
“Taylor Kinney was engaged to Lady Gaga, well they weren’t engaged yet, they were boyfriend and girlfriend. And Stef [Germanotta] — Lady Gaga — would come to Georgia to spend time on our set. This is in like 2010/11. She was literally the biggest thing since sliced bread. She would be on set, no bra, fishnets… hanging out, chewing gum, drinking coffee, watching her super handsome and awesome boyfriend on screen. And all of a sudden every producer was all of a sudden there. Every actor who wasn’t working was all of a sudden there. It was just the funniest thing. So that was really special.”
The Immense Part That Music Played in ‘The Vampire Diaries’
While it may have lacked appearances from two of the biggest names in pop culture, The Vampire Diaries was filled with needle-drop moments and boasted a soundtrack that millions wanted to add to their collection. Looking back on the show’s musical stamp, Somerhalder said:
“We had incredible music. It really lifted and elevated these moments. We had some big artists and really awesome songs… Music is so important, and we are so fortunate — we had a teeny tiny music budget and sometimes when we needed it, they would spring for the songs that we needed. And it’s very special.”
Stay tuned to Collider for more to come from FanX.
- Release Date
- 2009 – 2017-00-00
- Network
- The CW
- Directors
- John Dahl
