A Mixtape for Whovians

This came about because I have fun making playlists for shows and characters I love when songs start to remind me of them. So if you’re also a Whovian, please enjoy this list inspired by the journey from Nine to Twelve. (And these goofy AF pictures of me fangirling over TV favorites.) WARNING: Major spoilers ahead if you haven’t seen the show all the way to Capaldi’s first season.

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Part One: Rose

1. “Doctor Who Theme” – Murray Gold: An obvious beginning to a Doctor-themed playlist.
2. “Gypsy” – The Moody Blues: This somewhat alien-sounding song could have been literally written for the Doctor. Every lyric relates perfectly to his history, bringing him to this point in time.
3. “All You Wanted” – Michelle Branch: To me, this whole song bears the spirit of Rose and her feelings for the Doctor.
4. “In the Year 2525” – Zager & Evans: Another song with alien vibes, more obvious this time. It reminds me of many of the weird futures we see in the show, but most especially of the episode “The End of the World” when the Doctor and Rose go to watch the Earth’s last day.
5. “Don’t Stop Me Now” – Queen: This, for me, is the unofficial theme for Captain Jack Harkness.
6. “Song for Ten” – Tim Phillips: This introduction to Ten was taken straight from the show’s soundtrack. Unfortunately, I can no longer find this version (my favorite and the one that was actually in the show) to download or listen to anywhere, but this Neil Hannon cover is available.
7. “Cry” – Mandy Moore: Rose realizing she is head-over-heels in love with Ten.
8. “I Know Him So Well” – Elaine Page & Barbara Dickson: From the episode “School Reunion” where Rose meets Sarah Jane, this could be in their own words as they consider their pasts and futures with the Doctor.
9. “Time After Time” – Cyndi Lauper: For Madame de Pompadour, one of my very favorite brief Companions in “The Girl in the Fireplace”. Again, it feels like every lyric could have been written for this episode.
10. “Mr. Roboto” – Styx: Even the villains get a song here. This one is for the Cybermen. The lyrics and the whole creepy vibe of this one, plus the eerie hints that the robot may have once been human.
11. “Time Won’t Let Me” – The Outsiders: This one is for Mickey deciding to take a stand for himself and go his own way in “The Age of Steel”.
12. “Time in a Bottle” – Jim Croce: Ten’s feelings for Rose.
13. “Mr. Blue Sky” – Electric Light Orchestra: Another one straight from the show, this one is for “Love & Monsters”. Such a fitting choice.
14. “Stop Crying Your Heart Out” – Oasis: Having recently endured a serious breakup at the time I watched this episode, I, too, cried my heart out when Rose found herself suddenly stuck in a separate universe and unable to reach the Doctor in “Doomsday”.
15. “No Milk Today” – Herman’s Hermits: I feel like this one embodies the Doctor’s feelings about being separated from Rose. It’s sad, but not as dire–he appears to move on more easily at first. The description of the home also reminds me of Rose’s home with her mum. (Side note: Here’s an explanation for the meaning of this song, if it seems confusing.)
16. “Who Knew” – P!nk: Who knew, indeed? One more for Rose and Ten as they go about their new realities.

Part Two: Martha and Donna

1. “Love Don’t Roam” – Neil Hannon: Here’s another great song that was literally written for the show. From “The Runaway Bride”, with Donna’s wedding.
2. “Have You Met Miss Jones?” – Robbie Williams: In which the Doctor meets Miss Martha Jones. The lyrics fit very well with his mental state at the time.
3. “Fly Me to the Moon” – Astrud Gilberto: The ethereal nature of this version of the song suits Martha’s feelings so well as she begins her adventures with the Doctor.
4. “Magic Man” – Heart: Martha tries to reassure her family about the Doctor.
5. “She’s Leaving Home” – The Beatles: For the Jones family’s histrionics and betrayal of Martha.
6. “Drumming Song” – Florence + the Machine: Another villain song. This one, of course, goes out to the Master in “The Sound of Drums”.
7. “The Final Countdown” – Europe: Martha saves the world in “Last of the Time Lords”.
8. “Alone Again (Naturally)” – Gilbert O’Sullivan: Martha takes her exit, leaving the Doctor alone again (naturally).
9. “Come Sail Away” – Styx: The Doctor invites Donna to join him. (She refuses. At first.)
10. “The Stowaway” – Yamit Mamo: Another song written for the show. This one is for Astrid in “Voyage of the Damned”.
11. “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” – The Proclaimers: I felt this one was fitting for the Doctor and Donna finding each other and starting a beautiful friendship. (It also happens to be one of David Tennant’s favorite songs.)
12. “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” – R.E.M.: Another one that I feel is very much in the spirit of Ten and Donna.
13. “1000 Stars” – Natalie Bassingthwaighte: Rose and the Doctor are reunited.
14. “Two Hearts” – Phil Collins: Besides the obvious bit about the Doctor’s literal two hearts, I have this one doing double-duty here as the Doctor’s feelings about being reunited with Rose, and for the Doctor-Donna.
15. “Memory” – Elaine Page: Donna has an incredibly difficult decision to make.
16. “Where Do All My Friends Go” – Oingo Boingo: The Doctor’s feelings for Donna and all the friends he’s lost along the way.
17. “Time Stand Still” – Rush [feat. Aimee Mann]: The Doctor leaves Rose with the Doctor-Donna and heads off on his own.
18. “The Wanderer” – Dion: Ten’s injured psyche and wanderings after everything that has happened over the last few years. This one really fits with his recklessness in his four special episodes before he doesn’t want to go. (There’s even a Rosie on his chest whom he loves the best!)

Part Three: Amy and Rory

1. “Across the Universe” – The Beatles: I like this mellow one for our introduction to Eleven as he leaves the past behind and begins a new journey.
2. “E.T.” – Katy Perry: This has major “grown-up Amy meets the Doctor again” vibes.
3. “Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)” – Josh Groban: For van Gogh.
4. “Chances” – Athlete: And another one for Vincent (this time directly from the show’s soundtrack) because darn it if this episode doesn’t deserve two songs!
5. “Remember (Christmas)” – Harry Nilsson: For Rory’s death and Amy’s subsequent memory loss in “Cold Blood”.
6. “Spaceman” – The Killers: Amy begins to have flashes of a white room foreshadowing that all is not quite as it seems with her.
7. “Everything You Want” – Vertical Horizon: Amy and Rory are reunited, but Amy can’t remember him and they don’t know why. (Bonus: Repeated mentions of angels in this one.)
8. “How Can I Remember?” – Michael Dees: Amy struggles with her feelings about her loss of any memories of Rory. (Note: I can no longer find an MP3 version of the original Michael Dees version of this for purchase anywhere, but this cover by Bob Rawleigh is nice.)
9. “In My Life” – The Beatles: Amy regains her full memory.
10. “Come Fly With Me” – Frank Sinatra: Amy and Rory go on honeymoon.
11. “In the Bleak Midwinter” – Katherine Jenkins: One of Abigail’s two songs from “A Christmas Carol”.
12. “Silence is All You Know” – Katherine Jenkins: Abigail’s second song from “A Christmas Carol”.
13. “Somewhere in My Memory” – John Williams: For Kazran in “A Christmas Carol”. (Clearly I really loved this episode!)
14. “You Sexy Thing” – Hot Chocolate: For the episode “The Doctor’s Wife” when the TARDIS becomes a woman and the Doctor just cannot contain himself.
15. “Tick Tock” – Murray Gold: You may remember this thoroughly creepy piece from “The Wedding of River Song”.
16. “The Sound of Silence” – Simon & Garfunkel: Amy kills the Silence. (I love how well this one fits with the words written on the walls, too!)
17. “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)” – Train: This song reminds me of River Song every time I hear it. I really couldn’t tell you why. But I think of it as her theme.
18. “Englishman in New York” – Sting: The legal English alien in New York always reminds me of “The Angels Take Manhattan”.
19. “It’s All Been Done” – Barenaked Ladies: Okay, everything about this one is just so Amy and Rory, starting with its opening line about knowing each other before the fall of Rome, and before the west was won, and a thirtieth-century night. And the idea that it’s all been done before speaks to their fate at the hands of the Weeping Angels. If I didn’t know better, I would think this song was written for them.
20. “’39” – Queen: The Doctor deals with his feelings for the loss of Amy and Rory. (The year is even really close, but off by one–Amy and Rory get sent to 1938.)

Part Four: Twelve Begins

I didn’t get very far with this list, mostly because the writing of those next two seasons didn’t inspire or entertain me much, despite liking Capaldi’s Doctor a lot. But I still wanted to share these songs that reminded me of him.

1. “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)” – Elton John: Twelve has regenerated and said goodbye to everyone. He speaks of missing the Earth and missing his wife, and being incredibly lonely on a “timeless flight” through space. He thinks it will be a long while before he comes back, and that no one will recognize him when he does.
2. “Traveller in Time” – Uriah Heep: This is another one that feels like it could have been written for the show, and I think it suits Twelve’s mental state well, “paying for his crimes” and being weary from trying to help mankind.
3. “Kashmir” – Led Zeppelin: The first few lines set the mood for me as an older Doctor who has been through a lot.
4. “Ballad of Serenity” – Sonny Rhodes: The theme from Firefly has major Twelve vibes, in my opinion.

If you liked this playlist, you may also enjoy this other one I made of autumn carols.