Spoiler Alert: This list contains spoilers for ‘Reacher’ Season 3.It’s Jack Reacher’s (Alan Ritchson) world, and everyone else is living in it. The Reacher universe shows no signs of stopping, thanks to the upcoming Neagley spin-off and the much theorized Season 4. Although the action genre is arguably oversaturated, there’s much to love about Reacher. The former Army vet is hard to ignore, thanks to his very obvious large physique, but his kind heart and sharp intellect are the true components that make him a hero audiences want to root for.
The spirit of Reacher continues to live on thanks to its vivacious soundtrack. Songs are just as important as the script when telling a story. With Reacher being a lover of the blues, fans can expect a soulful, guitar-laced repertoire throughout most of the show. But audiences can also expect some nostalgic throwbacks and unexpected picks here and there. Without further ado, here are the best songs featured in Reacher, ranked.
10
“Blood and Roses” by The Smithereens
Season 3 of Reacher wastes no time setting the brooding mood. “Blood and Roses” sounds like a breakup song, but it’s also tied to the feeling of being unable to help someone who is suffering. There’s no heartbreak yet in the debut episode, but Reacher is about to see so much blood.
Somewhere in Maine, Reacher is in the middle of selling his vinyls to a record store. All of a sudden, he notices someone kidnapping a young man at the nearby college. It doesn’t take long for Reach to save the man. But something’s off about Reacher — the Army vet kills an innocent policeman with his gun. There’s more than meets the eye, though. Later on, it’s revealed that the entire thing is a setup.
9
“Nearly Lost You” by Screaming Trees
Nothing hits harder than the feeling of losing a loved one. “Nearly Lost You” captures the somewhat metaphysical experience of being stuck in a limbo following someone’s departure. It’s impossible to return to the past (“There’s a rider that’s fallen and / It’s clear there’s no time to return.”) The only thing you can do is to sleep away the pain.
It’s a song fitting for this episode. Dominique Kohl (Mariah Robinson) was the star prodigy taken under Reacher’s wing. She displayed the same wit, determination, and sharp intellect as her superior. But her time on Earth was cut short when she was brutally tortured to death in a barn. Although Reacher clearly is not at fault, he can’t help but blame himself for putting someone at risk in the first place.
8
“Spoonful” by Howlin’ Wolf
The blues are a huge part of Reacher’s life. It’s also one of the reasons why the vet is travelling across the country in the first place. That is, before being pulled into multiple crime scenes. “Spoonful” tells a man’s violent search to satisfy their cravings. Although spoons are often associated with cutlery to eat or drink meals, “Spoonful” is inspired by the act of feeding men with sex, love, or even violence.
Episode 3 shows Reacher getting more than a spoonful of fights. With no concrete leads on their case, the vet interrogates the town’s residents one by one. As he walks out of a bar, he quickly realizes he’s being tailed. He lures them to an empty field, proceeding to brutally assassinate them.
7
“Smokestack Lightning” by Howlin’ Wolf
A ’50s blues staple, “Smokestack Lightning” is inspired by the singer’s time watching trains in the night. Back when smokestacks were still a thing on trains, Wolf noticed sparks coming out of them as trains passed them by in the dark. Ther’’s the idea of uncertain traveling in the lyrics — “stop your train / let a poor boy ride” — that fits well with Reacher’s situation.
“Smokestack Lightning” is the first song in the entirety of the Reacher series. The army veteran literally just got off the bus in the middle-of-nowhere Margrave. Walking towards the local diner, he notices a man being abusive to his partner, only to back away at the sight of Reacher. As he reveals later in the show, Reacher is a huge fan of the blues, making “Smokestack Lightning” the perfect song to introduce the show’s main protagonist.
6
“Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd
“Simple Man” is a neat compilation of thoughtful advice given by a mother to his son. There are many ways to live life. But as the singer’s mom advises a younger him, the best kind of man he could ever be is to be “a simple kind of man.” There’s no need to rush after fortunes (“Forger your lust for rich man’s gold.”) What’s important is that you follow your heart.
With his newfound millions of dollars, Reacher could’ve lived a comfortable life. And yet, Reacher opted to buy a Trailways bus pass, which costs less than $1300. To some, the biggest luxuries in life include mansions, fast cars, and bottles of champagne. But for Reacher, he’s just as happy and content with traveling across the country with unlimited passes to spare (at least for a year).
5
“Dancing in the Moonlight” by Toploader
Time to take a break from all the carnage! “Dancing in the Moonlight” is the ultimate party song, and the title says it all. Everyone at Zachary Beck’s (Anthony Michael Hall) birthday bash is encouraged to dance. But it seems like some very important guests aren’t in the celebratory mood. As the Reacher gang infiltrates the merry party, they’re about to get ambushed one by one.
It’s also the episode that features the bloodiest fight of the season, if not the entire Reacher franchise. The Reacher versus Paulie (Olivier Richters) confrontation is as smashing as it can be (literally). From almost getting hanged to death in a barn, nearly drowning in the freezing cold ocean, or the rain of punches that never seemed to end, they’re doing it all under the sweet moonlight.
4
“Beat the Machine” by the Quaker City Night Hawks
“Said those fools can never take the crown / But it’s still up to you and me.” What makes Reacher successful is that audiences always want to root for the underdog. In all the seasons, Reacher and his motley crew go against some heavyweight business cronies. With money, resources, and henchmen under their wing, these villains think they can do anything. But Reacher’s got something else: a sense of justice large enough to prove his foes wrong.
As the air of their final fight settles down, Reacher and the 110th Special Investigations Unit are left with millions of dollars. They could take the easy way out: retire early, retreat to the beach, and never work another day in their life. Instead, they sent the money to the loved ones of those killed in action and to those in need. All the more reason to admire Reacher.
3
“Spirit in the Sky” by Norman Greenbaum
Ranked No. 336 on Rolling Stone’s “500 Great Songs of All Time,” “Spirit in the Sky” is just as godly as its title makes it out to be. Alluding to the afterlife, the song conveys the idea of dying a peaceful and happy death. If they’re lucky, the departed ends up spending eternity in heaven — “When I die and they lay me to rest / I’m gonna go to the place that’s the best.”
In true Reacher fashion, the reflective “Spirit in the Sky” is paired with one of the show’s gnarliest fight scenes ever. In broad daylight, Reacher quickly realizes that he’s being followed. When the two get into a fight in an empty alley, the vet brings him up to an outdoor staircase. In a dramatic yet discreet finish, Reacher uses his belt to choke his assailant on the railing. The last thing the killer literally saw was the sky. Hence, “Spirit in the Sky.”
2
“Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” by Elton John
A wild night out in town wouldn’t be complete without somebody throwing their fists. Nothing captures the spirit of Season 2 more than “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting.” Previously, Reacher was introduced as a stickler for discipline and proper conduct. The second installment, however, says otherwise. Much like the lyrics, “Want to get a belly full of beer,” and “We had it with your discipline,” Reacher does just that.
Season 2 shows flashbacks of Reacher’s 110th Special Investigations unit — the one he led until its dismissal. When their “team-bonding” drinking session at the bar gets disrupted, the already aggravated unit gets into a rowdy fistfight. Their night isn’t completely ruined, though. Setting up a campfire, the group sings Elton John‘s “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” to their heart’s content in unison, signifying the start of a beautiful friendship.
1
“Crazy” by Patsy Cline
It’s a sin to have a show set in northern Georgia without playing some country music — even if Margrave is just a fictional town. Originally written by Willie Nelson, the Patsy Cline rendition brought “Crazy” swinging to the charts. Taking a break from all the adrenaline in the show, the song is a tender moment of peace as the singer recounts the all-too-familiar feeling of loneliness in the midst of a heartbreak.
Ironically, “Crazy” is the song that brought Reacher and Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald) emotionally and physically closer. Spending the night over beers at a nearby bar, the two hard-headed fellows finally let their guards down. The moment Cline plays in the bar, Conklin gets up and asks Reacher to dance with her, and will not take “no” for an answer.
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