Everything I Know About Love soundtrack: every song in BBC One Dolly Alderton drama, from Cymande to S Club 7

Every song played during new BBC One drama Everything I Know About Love, from The Pretenders to The Velvet Underground & Nico to Cymande
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One of the things that characterises Everything I Know About Love is its soundtrack - in part establishing its texture as a 2012 period piece, and in part because listening to music and dancing and laughing together is a big part of what bonds the characters together.

You might not have recognised all of those songs, but there’s a lot of them you’ll probably want to find and listen to again.

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Here’s your guide to every song played in Everything I Know About Love – though do be aware that this probably constitutes spoilers in some respect. Each of these songs can also be found on Spotify and Apple Music.

Bel Powley as Birdy, Emma Appleton as Maggie, Marli Siu as Nell, and Aliyah Odoffin as Amara, practicing a dance routine in Everything I Know About Love (Credit: BBC / Working Title / Universal International Studios Limited)Bel Powley as Birdy, Emma Appleton as Maggie, Marli Siu as Nell, and Aliyah Odoffin as Amara, practicing a dance routine in Everything I Know About Love (Credit: BBC / Working Title / Universal International Studios Limited)
Bel Powley as Birdy, Emma Appleton as Maggie, Marli Siu as Nell, and Aliyah Odoffin as Amara, practicing a dance routine in Everything I Know About Love (Credit: BBC / Working Title / Universal International Studios Limited)

Episode 1

Femme Fatale by The Velvet Underground & Nico plays when Maggie is hanging out at Street’s house. She sings along.

Brothers On The Slide by Cymande plays when Maggie, thinking she’s alone, dances naked through the new house.

Brass in Pocket by The Pretenders plays as Maggie runs away and catches the bus. Emma Appleton, who plays Maggie, recently starred in Danny Boyle’s Sex Pistols biopic - which features The Pretenders founder Chrissie Hynde as a main character.

Episode 2

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The girls are learning a dance routine to Ritual Union by Little Dragon at the start of episode 2.

Workin' by Jazz Holdouts plays over a montage of the girls going to work.

7 Heures Du Matin by Jacqueline Taieb plays while Maggie is searching for journalism jobs.

Kickstarts by Example plays while Maggie is showering.

Love at First Sight by Kylie Minogue plays during a flashback to young Birdy and Maggie dancing.

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Scratch My Back by Jan Panter plays while Skeet and Maggie are having sex. I couldn’t work out which Bryan Cox podcast Birdy and Nathan were listening to, but if anyone wanted to write in with the answer...

Saturday Night by Whigfield plays during a disco flashback to Maggie and Birdy’s younger days.

Domino by Jessie J plays when Maggie gets her new job.

Gold Dust by DJ Fresh plays as the girls are celebrating in the club.

Love At First Sight by Kylie Minogue plays again as the club scene bleeds into more flashbacks and the episode ends.

Episode 3

Oblivion by Grimes plays in the bar as the episode opens.

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Take Me Where The Roses Grow by Mystery Jets plays when Maggie wakes up and leaves Street’s house.

Don't Stop Movin' by S Club 7 plays during the train station flashback sequence. (I once interviewed a member of S Club 7, which remains a personal highlight.)

Gangnam Style by Psy plays at Maggie’s parents’ social club, firmly establishing Everything I Know About Love as a 2012-set piece.

Acceptable In The 80s by Calvin Harris plays later on at the same party.

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More Than This by Roxy Music plays when Maggie’s parents leave her. This one was also in the Conversations with Friends soundtrack, interestingly. (Or not interestingly, I suppose, it’s a popular song.)

Shiver by Lucy Rose plays when Maggie’s parents do the crossword together.

Pulling Me Down (Lounge Mix) by Eddy Chrome plays at the end of the episode, as Maggie leaves Street’s house again.

Episode 4

Everything Goes My Way by Metronomy plays when Birdy gets a new job.

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Golden Touch by Razorlight plays during a flashback sequence to Maggie and Birdy smoking together in their car.

Lights On by Katy B Feat. Ms Dynamite plays during the party.

Young Love by Mystery Jets Feat. Laura Marling plays while Maggie is at the bus stop after leaving the clinic.

Put Your Records On by Corinne Bailey Rae plays during a flashback to Maggie and Birdy leaving home to go to university.

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You Could've Been A Lady by Hot Chocolate plays over a montage of the girls getting ready to go out.

Step On by Happy Mondays plays in the club.

Gimme Some Skin, My Friend by The Andrews Sisters plays as each girl meets their date for the evening.

Wondrous Place by Alice Gold plays over the episode’s credits.

Episode 5

Seed Of Wonder by Jesca Hoop plays during an opening dance montage.

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Dancing in the Moonlight by Top Loader plays in the show’s best punchline.

Feel The Love by Rudimental Feat. John Newman plays during their house party.

That's Not My Name by The Ting Tings plays later at the same house party.

On A Ragga Tip by SL2 plays while Maggie is hanging out with Craig Parkinson at the diamond jubilee party.

Overload by Sugababes plays during a guitar flashback.

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Head Over Heels by ABBA plays during a flashback to young Maggie and Birdy drinking, and then is reprised as the episode ends.

Episode 6

Pure & Simple by Hear'Say plays as the episode begins and the girls are doing their makeup.

The song then changes to Over And Over by Hot Chip.

Wish I Was A Single Girl Again by Tia Blake plays while Maggie is eating cheese.

C'est La Vie by B*Witched plays while Maggie and Birdy are baking cookies.

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Coconut by Harry Nilsson plays while the girls are drinking together.

Stand On The Word (Larry Levan Mix) by The Joubert Singers plays as the episode ends.

Episode 7

Manhattan by Cat Power plays while Maggie writes her name in steam on the shower door.

New York by Stephen Fretwell plays while Maggie updates her social media status.

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Au Cinéma by Lianne La Havas plays while Maggie is making tea.

Goodbye England (Covered In Snow) by Laura Marling plays as Maggie enters the Camden house.

Everything I Know About Love is available as a boxset on BBC iPlayer now. You can read our review of the series here.

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