School Spirits Soundtrack Guide – Every Song & When It Plays

The supernatural teen drama School Spirits has something for everyone, including a killer soundtrack full of incredible music. Based on Nate Trinrud’s graphic novel of the same name, School Spirits follows a teenage girl named Madison “Maddie” Nears (Peyton List), who finds herself stuck roaming the halls of her high school as a ghost after her mysterious disappearance. She meets a group of fellow teen spirits who died at Split River High and are unseen by the living. Maddie and her friends — in both the living and spirit realms — gradually put the pieces of her disappearance together to figure out what happened to her.

Just a few months after School Spirits‘ nail-biting season 1 finale was released in April 2023, Paramount+ renewed School Spirits for season 2. This news was a relief after the cliffhanger ending delivered more questions than answers. Hopefully, School Spirits season 2 will solve more mysteries and feature more great music in the process. In addition to the main theme song, “Long Gone” by Anna Waronker, School Spirits season 1 features a lot of great tracks across different genres.

School Spirits Season 1, Episode 1, “My So-Called Death”

“Dinosaur” by Fog Lake: In a flashback to the day Maddie dies, her then-boyfriend, Xavier (Spencer Macpherson), plays this melancholic indie track in his car while he skips gym class. Maddie approaches his car to ask where he’s going and assumes that he’s planning on getting high. The two of them share a moment before Maddie asks him to stop doing drugs. It is later revealed that Xavier actually leaves to cheat on Maddie with a cheerleader named Claire (Rainbow Wedell).

“Angelica” by Wet Leg: This song begins playing as Maddie storms off from the Split River High Afterlife Support Group, determined to escape the afterlife and return to the living realm. She tries to leave campus, but every time she steps over the property line, she ends up back in the boiler room. A ghost from the ’70s named Dawn (RaeAnne Boon) informs her that trying to “jump the fence,” or leave campus, won’t work.

“I Know the End” by Phoebe Bridgers: This apocalyptic anthem perfectly sets the tone for episode 1’s closing scenes. As students file out of the gym, Maddie follows her friends Simon (Kristian Ventura) and Nicole (Kiara Pichardo) down the hall. Simon talks to their teacher, Ms. Fields (Kalyn Miles), about Maddie’s disappearance. He insists that Maddie wouldn’t run away and that something must’ve happened. As Xavier’s dad, Sheriff Baxter (Ian Tracey), drives him away, Simon watches from the upstairs classroom window. He then turns to Maddie, who has been standing beside him all along, and says her name, implying he sees her.

School Spirits Season 1, Episode 2, “The Fault In Our Scars”

“Run Me Through” by Perfume Genius: This track plays as Xavier watches SpongeBob and ignores texts from Claire. She begs him to respond, so they can “figure out what to tell people.” The track fits the eerie tone of her message well.

“Never Want to Leave” by Ging: This needle drop accompanies a bit of a bomb drop. It plays as Xavier implies that he knows how Maddie was killed, as he tells Claire he’s afraid the police will find her body. Claire tells Xavier to talk to her if he needs to talk and to not “give into the demons.”

School Spirits Season 1, Episode 3, “Dead And Confused”

“Straight to Hell” by H6LLB6ND6R: This song kicks off as Simon heads back into the school building, leaving Maddie behind at the bus stop. When he looks back, he can’t see Maddie sitting there anymore, though her spirit continues to watch him. “Straight to Hell” stops abruptly as Maddie and Simon’s conversation from earlier prompts a flashback of Maddie talking to Mr. Anderson (Patrick Gilmore) about her essay.

“Pressed 2 Death” by illuminati hotties: This upbeat banger plays as Maddie rides around campus on a golf cart with an ’80s ghost named Wally (Milo Manheim). It helps set the playful tone of the scene. Wally encourages Maddie to drive recklessly and intentionally crash into stuff as part of “Field Day.”

School Spirits Season 1, Episode 4, “Ghoul Intentions”

“Crying All the Time” by Alexandra Savior: After asking Xavier to stay in the car, Nicole searches HorrorCon for Maddie as “Crying All the Time” plays, reflecting her somber mood. Nicole shows attendees a picture of Maddie on her phone, asking if anyone has seen her. At one point, Nicole thinks she’s spotted Maddie, but it turns out to be somebody else. The song fades after Xavier approaches Nicole in a Pennywise mask.

“I’m Ok” by The Ton-Ups: In Charley (Nick Pugliese)’s flashback to the ’90s, when he was still alive, a young Mr. Figueroa introduces himself as Emilio and asks if he can stay in Charley’s tent. A few bullies hear him and make homophobic remarks. Emilio tells Charley he can relate, informing him that he’s also gay.

“Crash Into Me” by Dave Matthews Band: Emilio listens to this ’90s soft rock classic on his Walkman while he and Charley get ready to go to sleep in Charley’s tent. Emilio asks Charley if he wants to “hear something incredible” and offers him a headphone. They listen to the song together as Emilio grazes Charley’s hand. Then the flashback ends.

“Unchained Melody From Ghost (Orchestral Version)” by Maurice Jarre: As the ghosts are watching Ghost on the projector in the gym, this orchestral version of “Unchained Melody” by Ghost’s composer, Maurice Jarre, plays in the background. After Maddie finds out that Dawn knows the passcodes to everybody’s phones, she tells Simon Mr. Anderson’s passcode so that he can check his call log. Maddie and Simon discover that Claire is the person Mr. Anderson was on the phone with when he mentioned giving Maddie money.

School Spirits Season 1, Episode 5, “The Twilight End Zone”

“Rosy Glasses” by Sarah Yarkin: This song plays as Charley works on his letter to Emilio on the bleachers. At the same time, Maddie and Wally sit together on the football field. Wally tells Maddie about his death 40 years earlier, which occurred on the five-yard line during his senior homecoming game.

“Castles in My Mind” by Miino: This needle drop is prompted by a whistle blowing, which Wally takes as his cue to get back on the field and “practice” for the homecoming game. The scene then cuts to Xavier entering the abandoned house owned by Claire’s stepfather. This is notably where Maddie’s backpack was found.

“PIRATE RADIO*” by Jean Dawson: This song plays as the scene cuts to the present from Wally’s ’80s flashback. Wally looks over at his mom cheering in the stands at the present-day homecoming game and takes his jersey off, signaling that he’s finally ready to stop trying to make his mom happy from beyond. Maddie comes face to face with her own mother, who can’t see Maddie’s ghost but appears to be looking for her.

School Spirits Season 1, Episode 6, “Grave The Last Dance”

“Second Chances” by Rocket Collectors: This is the first song to play at the homecoming dance. It can be heard as Simon and Nicole look at the photo of Maddie that Simon set up. His hope is that it will watch over everyone and serve as “psychological torture.”

“You Can Have Every Little Bit” by Skye Emanuel, Drew Dvorsky, James Howland, Twodot Sensei, and Linasko Licks: This song can be heard briefly playing in Claire’s car as she drives herself and Xavier to the homecoming dance. It plays until she cuts the engine to interrogate Xavier about spending so much time with Nicole.

“L.O.V.E.” by Extreme Music: Maddie and Wally dance to “L.O.V.E.” at homecoming. As they do, Maddie sees Xavier and Claire enter the dance. The song offers a nice break before everything else that unfolds.

“Dance with Me” by beabadoobee: This song drowns out the dialogue at the beginning of this slow-motion scene, as Maddie and Wally get in line behind Simon, Nicole, Xavier, and Claire to have their pictures taken. While Wally talks to Maddie, oblivious to her distracted focus, Maddie, Nicole, and Simon notice the hickey on Xavier’s neck. Claire stares at the photo of Maddie and asks Xavier if it was his idea. Right before they get their picture taken, Xavier tells Claire that the police found Maddie’s backpack in the house her step-dad owns.

“Steppin’ Out” by Joe Jackson: Wally declares “Steppin’ Out” is his song before taking to the dance floor. The scene cuts to Claire and Xavier discussing Maddie’s backpack. Maddie proceeds to follow Xavier, Nicole, and Simon to the punch bowl, where Xavier catches them up on his interrogation of Claire. Xavier and Simon argue about Xavier’s reluctance to ask Claire about Maddie’s phone. Simon and Nicole each get a call from Sandra, who thinks she heard Maddie in the backyard. Nicole leaves the dance to help Sandra.

“All Gone” by Kingsbury: This song plays as Simon gives Charley’s letter to Emilio, claiming he just “found it” in the library. Back at their table, Wally tells Maddie he won homecoming king his senior year but couldn’t be crowned because he was dead. Noticing Maddie staring at Xavier and Claire across the room, Wally tells Maddie that he thinks going to the dance together was a bad idea. “All Gone” drives home the fact that Maddie’s “not ready to be dead yet” because of her unfinished business with the living.

“AM I DREAMING” by Lil Nas X ft. Miley Cyrus: After Claire explains her involvement with Mr. Anderson to Xavier and insists she didn’t kill Maddie, the scene cuts to Emilio crying while reading Charley’s letter. “AM I DREAMING” plays while a teary-eyed Charley watches. Maddie catches Charley watching Emilio read the letter before hearing Xavier and Claire walk back upstairs. Claire gets crowned homecoming queen as Xavier applauds her from the crowd below.

“Real Good Thing” by 5 Alarm: Maddie and Charley sit onstage and watch Xavier and Claire slow-dance to “Real Good Thing.” Charley admits he’s ready to embrace his death after watching Emilio close old wounds. He recommends that Maddie try to do the same.

“Teenage Dream” by Stephen Dawes: This stripped-down, acoustic cover of Katy Perry’s megahit plays as Maddie and Wally kiss outside on the grass. Back inside the dance, Simon pops balloons. Maddie and Wally then walk down the dark halls together.

School Spirits Season 1, Episode 7, “Séance Anything”

“Mystery” by Jesse Jo Stark: This song plays as shots of liquor bottles littering Maddie’s house fill the screen. These indicate that Sandra (Maria Dizzia), who is sleeping on the couch, is drinking again. Sandra walks over to Maddie’s room and notices that the window is open, and the curtains are blowing in the wind.

“Stella Brown (Cover)” by Sarah Yarkin as Rhonda: The last song Maddie remembers hearing before her death is this Jelani Aryeh. It was playing from Simon’s earbuds. Rhonda sings it aloud to try to jog Maddie’s memory and fill in the blanks of how she died.

School Spirits Season 1, Episode 8, “Madison’s Body”

“The Wheel” by SOHN: The School Spirits season 1 finale opens with “The Wheel” as Maddie sits on the roof of the school. A voice-over of Maddie instructing Simon about where to look for the money Sandra hid plays over the song as Simon searches Maddie’s house.

“Concrete” by Barrie: Wally and Maddie sit in the hallway and hug as “Concrete” plays. Maddie tries to come to terms with the possibility that her mom is the one who killed her. The scene cuts to Ms. Fields asking Simon how his interview with Northwestern went.

“doomsday” by Lizzy McAlpine: A fitting choice to close out the season finale, this lyrically relevant track begins playing as Simon storms out of the school after showing Ghost Maddie the photo of her face in the rearview mirror of the truck that hit Xavier, revealing that Maddie was behind the wheel and must be alive. Ghost Maddie tries to follow Simon, but she ends up back in the boiler room. Maddie hears pleas from the fallout shelter connected to the boiler room, prompting a flashback to the day she “died.“

Lizzy McAlpine’s “doomsday” continues as it is revealed that a spirit named Janet never crossed over. Instead, after Maddie heard her arguing with Mr. Martin, Janet ran through Maddie’s body, which absorbed Janet’s spirit, causing Maddie’s to enter the spirit realm. School Spirits season 1 concludes with Maddie’s living body, possessed by Janet’s spirit, buying a bus ticket to get out of town.