Massive Attack recorded “Teardrop,” the song used as House M.D.’s opening theme in the United States.
“Teardrop” was released by the English trip-hop group Massive Attack in 1998. Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins provided the lead vocals, and the song became one of Massive Attack’s best-known recordings.
The House M.D. opening sequence used the song’s instrumental and vocal elements over images of medical anatomy and the principal cast. Some international broadcasts used different music, and the opening theme was also altered in certain episodes and versions, which can lead to confusion about the show’s definitive theme.
The song’s atmospheric sound suited the program’s mixture of clinical imagery, mystery, and emotional tension. Massive Attack formed in Bristol, a city strongly associated with the development of trip-hop during the 1990s.