THIS IS US: THESE ARE THE SONGS

One thing you'll notice in the below teaser for the smash NBC series This Is Us is the use of Blind Faith's classic "Can't Find My Way Home." That's just one striking cue; now the show's first soundtrack set is due on 9/15 on Bruce Resnikoff's UMe.

In addition to song selections by supe Jennifer Pyken, show creator Dan Fogelman and team, it features score composed by Siddhartha Khosla of the band Goldspot.

"The connection between the music and the characters on the show is an important part of the This Is Us story," Resnikoff points out, noting that Pyken, Khosla and Fogelman collaborate to "set a tone for the scene and characters or time frame. They are all longtime music fans and come with their own musical influences and favorites. They know that the music is intrinsic to the setting of the stories so they give special attention and focus to each song or music cue. These songs are both a way to connect back to those scenes or just enjoy a beautifully curated album of hits, lesser known tracks and scores."

The song selection here is a fascinating mix of boomer catnip (Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Cat Stevens, the aforementioned Blind Faith), cult classics (Nick Drake, Richard & Linda Thompson, Badfinger, Gene Clark, Labi Siffre) and eclectic acts of more recent vintage (Sufjan Stevens, Jim James, Wilco, Brian Tyree Henry). Oh, and some early Madonna, natch.

Like the show itself, the selections are both offbeat and emotionally deep. And we defy the stoutest-hearted rock critic or the most impeccably hip playlister to surpass this selection.

The series' Season 1 finale reached an audience of 12.8m+; the DVD arrives on 9/12, giving newcomers just enough time to binge-view it before Season 2 kicks off on 9/26.