Massive Attack performed “Teardrop,” the song used as House M.D.’s main theme in its original opening.
“Teardrop” comes from Massive Attack’s 1998 album Mezzanine. Its distinctive vocal is performed by Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins. The song accompanied the show’s opening titles in many broadcasts and became closely associated with the series’ image of medical diagrams, hospital corridors, and Gregory House’s diagnostic world.
Theme-song usage varied by market and by version of the opening. Some international broadcasts used different music, and licensing arrangements affected what viewers heard. The U.S. opening nevertheless made “Teardrop” the recording most strongly identified with House M.D.
Massive Attack is a Bristol, England, musical group known for its role in the development of trip-hop. The group is sometimes confused with Portishead, another influential Bristol act, but “Teardrop” is specifically a Massive Attack song. The track was released years before the television series premiered.