How cool is it that a band with the depth and wit of They Might Be Giants sings a TV theme song? "Boss of Me" is a great dorky teenage anthem with the right mix of nyah-nyah-nyahs with its yeah-yeah-yeahs. And TMBG lose nothing by being associated with the show -- in fact it's boosted the band's career, turning younger viewers onto their earlier albums. (One wishes TMBG had contributed to a show a decade earlier -- "Doogie Howser," anyone?) The soundtrack CD also showcases the show's subtle humor, with bands like the Push Stars and the Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies.

While "The O.C." owes a debt to serials such as "Buffy" and "Charmed" (see below) in its devotion to music, the machine that is this young teen soap has hit the ground running, already cranking out four soundtrack albums mixing introspection with poppy brilliance, mostly by indie bands. Our favorites: A tie, between "Music From 'The O.C.' Mix One" -- which features the show's haunting theme, "California," by Phantom Planet, as well as Jem's hypnotic "Just a Ride" -- and "Mix Two," with perhaps Death Cab for Cutie's finest tune ("A Lack Of Color") and the Thrills' baby-Beach-Boy tribute, "Big Sur." But all four are stellar and feature a lot of young bands you owe it to yourself to check out.

The show is gone (sniff), but the fabulous music lives on. The Thomas Newman theme is haunting, but you'll find real juice in the other songs on the two soundtrack CDs. The mixes are more cross-generational, befitting a show about a funeral home, creator Alan Ball's fixation on death and betrayal, as well as the humor that binds families through the toughest times. The first volume includes Peggy Lee and the Classics IV as well as gems by the Dandy Warhols and Lamb; "Vol. Two: Everything Ends," features the fabulous rendition of "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone from the final season's trailer (eat your heart out, Michael Bublé) and Sia's "Breathe Me." (Fans still reeling from the death of Nate will miss Nirvana's "All Apologies," which was used to such great effect in two scenes on the show but does not appear on the compilation.

Aaron Spelling waded into pop waters previously on "Beverly Hills 90210," with guest appearances on the show by the likes of Babyface and that memorable scene after Brenda and Dylan broke up when Brenda played R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion" in a continuous loop. But none of the best moments show up on the soundtrack. The "Charmed" soundtracks are much more generous. The show's second CD, "The Book of Shadows," is an all-female roundup of some of the best talent singing today: Sarah McLachlan, Liz Phair, Dido and Aussie newbie Missy Higgins (just skip right over that pesky Ashlee Simpson cut). The first volume has some great moments too, including Love Spit Love's theme, which has lost none of its bite over the show's many seasons, and quality cuts by Ziggy Marley, Vanessa Carlton, Third Eye Blind and others. It's magic.