Massive Attack recorded “Teardrop,” the song used as House M.D.’s opening theme in many broadcasts.
“Teardrop” was released by the English group Massive Attack in 1998 as part of the album Mezzanine. The song features vocals by Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins and is built around a distinctive harpsichord-like rhythmic figure. Its atmospheric sound became strongly associated with the series’ opening medical imagery.
The original U.S. opening sequence used an instrumental version of “Teardrop.” International broadcasts and some later versions used different music or edited arrangements because of licensing and regional broadcast choices. This explains why viewers do not always remember exactly the same opening track.
The sequence itself combines medical imagery with actor credits and imagery suggesting anatomy and diagnosis. Although “Teardrop” is the signature theme most commonly linked to House M.D., the song was not written specifically for the show; it predates the series by several years.