Sons Of Anarchy: 10 Best Forest Rangers Songs
What makes a good TV show, a great TV show? An outstanding soundtrack.
When you think of Sons of Anarchy your mind immediately goes to the violence, the bikes, the gangs, the guns, the patches, and all of the drama that goes with the 7-year ride. What you may forget, or overlook entirely, is the music.
Sons of Anarchy employed an in-house band called The Forest Rangers, a group of musicians led by Bob Thiele Jr. and collaborating with some of the biggest names in the industry such as Curtis Stigers, Slash, and others, creating some of the most breathtaking songs on any TV show.
The music of The Forest Rangers is there to make the defining moments of the show more dramatic, tense and emotional, and they never fail to deliver, taking some of the most recognisable songs of the past century and giving them a true 'SAMCRO' feel. Whittling it down to just 10 wasn't easy.
Spoiler alert, as we will be going through some of the key plot points for Sons of Anarchy.
10. This Life - Curtis Sitgers & The Forest Rangers
There is only one place we could start this countdown, and that is with the title track.
What would Community be without At Least It Was Here, The Big Bang Theory without The Barenaked Ladies and Freinds without I'll Be There For You - sadly not the Bon Jovi song. Each show would be totally different, as the opening theme song sets the tone for every single TV show in History. "This Life" is no different.
Written specifically for Sons of Anarchy by Dave Kushner, Curtis Stigers, Bob Thiele Jr. and Sons creator Kurt Sutter, the song is the perfect way to set up the episodes, and there's not a fan in the world that doesn't know they first few chords. Even the instrumental version played during the end-credits gives you the chance to sit back and try and absorb and digest what you have just witnessed for the past 60 minutes or so.
The lyrics stir up images of outlaws on the run causing all manner of hell for the authorities and fellow degenerates, whilst giving two fingers to the establishment. The music is the exact sort of gritty southern sound you'd expect to hear in a bar on the bad side of town and lets you know what you're in for right off the bat from episode 1. It sets a precedent and standard for music that keeps being met with every new track that is featured in the series.