When viewers think of songs associated with the monarchy, Tubthumping by Chumbawumba is unlikely to be the first tune to leap to mind. But The Crown series six goes where few thought it would, and once again the Firm gets knocked down, but it gets up again.
This first half of season six of the jewel in Netflix's crown takes place solely in 1997, unlike other seasons, which have spanned multiple years – season two, for example, spans 1956 and 1964 – and as such, has a thoroughly Nineties soundtrack.
It’s a lot more playful than previous seasons – at least initially – as much of the first half of the season takes place while Princess Diana, Prince William, and Prince Harry are holidaying on a yacht in the South of France. Here are some of the best tracks.
Tubthumping by Chumbawumba
The first song in the series is quite the clanger against its stiff Royal backdrop – and it’s supposed to be. It plays after an onlooker witnesses Diana and Dodi Fayed’s car crash, which frames the series, before the credit rolls and it flashes back. Diana is once again in a car. This time she’s the driver, the car is a convertible and she’s merrily chanting along with William. Kinda creepy, kinda fun.
Fastlove by George Michael
This track plays when Diana and the boys board a helicopter, leant to them by Mohamed Al-Fayed, to take them to an airport where they’re jetting off to St Tropez. It’s poppy, playful and acts as a cheeky nod to Diana’s long standing friendship with the singer.
Walkin’ on The Sun by Smashmouth
Smashmouth? In The Crown? You thought you’d never see the day, but this track slides in surprisingly effortlessly. It soundtracks Diana and Dodi’s frollicking in the sea with their young family members, jumping off the back of the yacht and its diving board.
Young Hearts Run Free by Candi Staton
A brief break from the Nineties comes in the form of Candi Staton, and who can complain when it’s Candi Staton? This aptly-chosen song features at Camilla’s 50th birthday party, while she bops along with Charles on the dancefloor. Their moves are… as you would expect from a royal of a certain age. Of course there is a Nineties connection here, as the song was covered by Kim Mazelle in 1995 and was memorably used in one of the iconic films of that decade in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet.
Da Funk by Daft Punk
The best song of the season comes at the opening of episode two, while a celebrity photographer explains his pivot to paparazzo and society work. If you forgot it was the Nineties for a second, the telltale sound of this French house duo will whisk you firmly back in time. It’s made even better when it abruptly cuts out, to be juxtaposed with a gentle score that soundtracks a royal photographer diligently explaining his life’s work.
Spinning The Wheel by George Michael
Another needledrop comes in the form of George Michael (again), who reappears on the soundtrack after the Queen asks what Diana is doing back in the South of France. George Michael’s filthy sax riff plays as Diana and Dodi get close on the private yacht, leaving no doubt about whether the pair have finally become “more than friends”.
Hush by Kula Shaker
The final Nineties bop comes in the form of Hush, by psychedelic rock band Kula Shaker. It can be heard when Diana is reunited with Harry and William in England after her time alone with Dodi on the yacht, the trio’s final time on screen together before her tragic death.
