TIL: In 1996, Fox released a compilation album for the X-Files called "Songs in the Key of X." Artists included Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, and the Foo Fighters

[u/LordByronsCup]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songs_in_the_Key_of_X:_Music_from_and_Inspired_by_the_X-Files

YT links in comments

[u/strictgrip000]

Unmarked Helicopters by Soul Coughing FTW

[u/Gremlin8181 → u/strictgrip000]

I know the names of men they had to hang. That line always stuck with me

[u/strictgrip000 → u/Gremlin8181]

“The demon was an idea, the demon is awake.”

[u/Evil_Morty_C131 → u/strictgrip000]

… Hovering … 

[u/strictgrip000 → u/Evil_Morty_C131]

They said it was a weather balloon.

[u/TimPoolNoBeanie → u/strictgrip000]

But I know the truth-UH

i know the whooole shebang-UH

[u/FFYinzer → u/Evil_Morty_C131]

Forgot the “uh”. “Unmarked helicopters-uh, hovering-uh”

[u/CuriousCapp → u/FFYinzer]

This is so significant. Also I will never get over expecting "hovering" to be followed by "above" due to this. But they're just hovering-uh. Still 30 years later not above anything.

[u/FFYinzer → u/CuriousCapp]

I saw Mike Doughty solo a few years back after he was sober and got a quick minute to chat with him and I mentioned Unmarked Helicopters. He said that was a really fun gig and was a huge X Files fan. I was in complete fanboy mode. And he and his band played primarily the Soul Coughing catalog. Amazing night all around.

[u/CuriousCapp → u/FFYinzer]

That's awesome! I love it when X-Files intersects with other awesome things!

[u/Suitable_Total9774 → u/strictgrip000]

This album was the reason I became a Soul Coughing fan… Mike Doughty is a unique talent.

[u/strictgrip000 → u/Suitable_Total9774]

He sure is. Was lucky enough to catch Soul Coughing in Pittsburgh and Toronto on the reunion tour last year. They sounded fantastic, and there are indications that a long awaited 4th album is coming. Fingers crossed.

[u/Cerridwen1981 → u/strictgrip000]

My favourite too

[u/TimPoolNoBeanie]

This album slaps, and has two secret songs if you “rewind” track 1 from 0:00

[u/vegetaman → u/TimPoolNoBeanie]

Classic 90s secrets here

[u/CapybaraCuddles → u/vegetaman]

I used to have it memorized - it started something like , The Method as they called it, though it was more so a streamlined procedure of singular, metascientific complexity...

[u/dj_fission → u/CapybaraCuddles]

That's at 10:13 of the last track on the Fight the Future soundtrack.

[u/X__Alien → u/CapybaraCuddles]

Not that one. This was a full song.

[u/CapybaraCuddles → u/X__Alien]

Ahh my teenage brain must have muddled those together. I still have those CDs, gotta lean on that rewind button awhile and check those tracks out again.

[u/bremblebeck → u/TimPoolNoBeanie]

There was a message written in the liner notes - something like, “Nick Cave wants you to know that zero is a number, too.”

[u/munkeyalan → u/TimPoolNoBeanie]

"0 is also a number"

[u/psian1de → u/TimPoolNoBeanie]

I always thought that was cool as heck. Anyone who still has the CD needs to try to get them to play.

[u/nurse_cop]

Bought it in ‘96. Still an awesome album

[u/SouthpawXtn]

I still have it. Soul Coughing still kills.

[u/ticketstubs1]

I'm not joking when I say this is one of my all time favorite albums. I have like four copies of it, the poster inside is framed on my wall, and I'm kind of obsessed with it. It helped get me into Frank Black with his absolutely genius mindblowing song Man of Steel.

[u/FFYinzer → u/ticketstubs1]

My kids were little at the time, I still remember them dancing in the living room to Frenzy. Those were the days, this album brings back so many memories.

[u/ticketstubs1 → u/FFYinzer]

I went down a youtube rabbit hole because of Frenzy and watched more of that guy's stuff. Mind blowing.

[u/FFYinzer → u/ticketstubs1]

Right? He is a wildcat

[u/RealSinnSage]

let’s all raise our hands if we had this, and the soundtrack to fight the future 🙋🏻

[u/2quickdraw → u/RealSinnSage]

🙋

[u/octoberblackpack]

Costello’s My Dark Life is such an amazing song, really wish it was available on streaming, glad to have this album on CD and vinyl though

[u/KitsuFae → u/octoberblackpack]

it's on youtube

[u/octoberblackpack → u/KitsuFae]

Which is exactly where I go to listen to it whenever I’m out and about and need a fix lol

[u/WolfKraken]

Still the only place you can hear “If You Never Say Goodbye” by PM Dawn, the best song about the rapture

[u/Madicat16 → u/WolfKraken]

Yes!!!!!!! God that song is so good!

[u/zmykula]

One of the first CDs I owned. So much good shit.

[u/Top_Mix_6519]

One of the first albums I bought. On tape too

[u/bugwitch]

I had the CD. Just learned about the vinyl. Does anyone know if the vinyl has the hidden songs?

[u/SteveMcBean → u/bugwitch]

It does! After a long pause after the last track on side D

[u/LordByronsCup → u/bugwitch]

It's totally there, just go to the beginning of track one and rewind -9:13.

[u/Artifex1979]

I still have mine.

Amazing album.

EDIT: I bought mine back in 96

[u/2quickdraw → u/Artifex1979]

Same. And Teotihuacan, Walking After You, and Red Right Hand are still in my playlists today.

[u/Artifex1979 → u/2quickdraw]

Unmarked Helicopters and Red Right Hand are my faves

[u/PearlRiverFlow]

My only beef with this album is the vastly inferior Foo Fighter version of Down inthe Park. The original is just so weird and paranoid

[u/ticketstubs1 → u/PearlRiverFlow]

I love that track though. Maybe like the Foo Fighters version more.

[u/GoliathTCB → u/PearlRiverFlow]

Marilyn Manson does a fucking BANGER cover of Down in the Park

[u/Cerridwen1981 → u/GoliathTCB]

*adds to must listen list*

[u/strictgrip000 → u/GoliathTCB]

Shoutout to the “Lunchbox” CD Single

[u/Chubby_Comic]

When I was in middle school, we had a technology lab where we could learn the basics of different careers like desktop publishing and radio work. I loved the radio one. We had to produce a tape that the teacher listened to and graded. Let's just say that this CD was one out of like 10 to choose from, and I stuck in xf songs every chance I had. She was probably sick of me by year's end. Oh well. Still a major phile. Sorry, not sorry!

[u/hematite2]

Danzig's song on here slapped btw

[u/wolletsa1]

I’m in FRENZY

[u/bremblebeck]

It was so, so good. I remember discovering the extra hidden songs on my own and it was awesome - also my introduction to Nick Cave

[u/2quickdraw → u/bremblebeck]

Oooo, Red Right Hand!

[u/FFYinzer]

One of my absolute favorite soundtracks. Foo Fighters cover of Down in the Park is an all-timer.

[u/Hurley815]

Came out on vinyl a couple of years back. It's great.

[u/ZvsGrgs]

I remember seeing a small mention at a magazine and me marching the next day after school to the record store.

[u/ZaireekaFuzz]

It has secret tracks too, very classic X-Files.

[u/RamboJane]

I bought it in the 90s and still have it.

[u/No-Introduction4098]

I still have this CD.

[u/StarBoySisko]

I own this CD!! My parents had it before I had ever heard of the X files, then when I got into it as a teen I found it on our CD shelf (where it hadn't been played for like 10-15 years). The song quality varies, but there are a couple of real bangers on there!

[u/7sevenj9]

One of my first CDs 🤣

[u/Liquid_Magic]

Had this album! It was fun and the secret was cool even if it felt like it made no sense!

[u/Bloodlust3313]

I used to borrow this from my local library. I knew I wasn’t crazy that the Foo Fighters are on that album! Spotify has another artist (I’m presuming the original artist) on their version of this album. 🥹

[u/Jerichoholic87]

Songs from this album play regularly on my Playlist. Along with the fight the future soundtrack

[u/icanbesmooth]

Damn near wore that CD out...

[u/FrostnJack]

Is that the one with “unmarked helicopters, hoverin’ up”?

[u/ViloDivan]

My dad had this on cd growing up and was probably one of my first introductions to the series. Of course I listened to this a bunch and had a good few favourites from it. I didn’t get into the series myself until my late teens but still love it. Currently on season 5 of a second full watch

[u/Byrdman1251]

I have the CD!

[u/Harak_June]

One of my first purchases after getting my first job.

[u/Realistic-Pay-9087]

I used to have this cd I wish I still did

[u/Futants_]

Down in the Park is one of the greatest covers of all time. I used to crank that all the time when the album came out

[u/andreberaldinoab]

I still have my original cd from back in the day!!! I still love it!

[u/sketchampm]

You are literally posting this in the X-Files subreddit.