THE O.C.
Starting off with its catchy theme song, ''California,'' by Phantom Planet, Fox's buzzy teen hit set a new standard for cool, indie-tinged TV soundtracks when the show debuted in 2003. Offbeat artists like Death Cab for Cutie, Jem, and Imogen Heap enjoyed exposure to a more mainstream audience — and several even appeared at the show's Peach Pit After Dark knock-off, the Bait Shop. And no discussion of The O.C.'s soundtrack would be complete without a mention of Jeff Buckley's cover of ''Hallelujah,'' which the show managed to both bring to even greater prominence and overexpose by overusing it. Still, it's a darn good song.
