The Better Sister soundtrack: A list of every song in the series

The Better Sister premiered on May 29, 2025, on Amazon Prime Video. Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks star in this limited series—a dark psychological thriller directed by Craig Gillespie. The show is based on Alafair Burke's 2019 novel of the same name and is about broken family ties, secrets, and a murder.

The story follows Chloe Taylor, a successful magazine editor, and Nicky Taylor, her estranged sister, who faces trouble with drugs and money. The sisters get back together when Chloe's husband, Adam, is found dead.

The Better Sister features 15 songs across eight episodes, totaling around 54 minutes of music. Will Bates composed the original score.

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The Better Sister: All songs in the series

The Better Sister's soundtrack is a carefully chosen group of songs that go well with the show's intense themes of betrayal, loss, and surviving on the inside. With a mix of old favorites, new alternative hits, and hidden gems, the music helps set the mood and convey the message of each scene.

Below is the complete list of every track featured in the series, sorted by episode.

Episode 1

• Dancing Barefoot – Patti Smith (sung by Patti Smith)
• Magic Man – Heart (sung by Heart)
• Sleep to Dream – Fiona Apple (sung by Fiona Apple)

Episode 2

• Gimme Shelter – Christina Apostolopoulos (sung by Christina Apostolopoulos)
• Only Happy When It Rains – Garbage (sung by Garbage)
• For a Dream – Tracy Chapman (sung by Tracy Chapman)

Episode 3

• Breezy – She Keeps Bees (sung by She Keeps Bees)

Episode 4

• Werewolves of London – Warren Zevon (sung by Warren Zevon)
• Crucify – Tori Amos (sung by Tori Amos)
• A Horse With No Name – America (sung by America)
• Solitude (Felsmann + Tiley Reinterpretation) – M83 (performed by M83)

Episode 5

• Whirlpool – Wanda Jackson (sung by Wanda Jackson)

Episode 6

• You Can’t Always Get What You Want – The Rolling Stones (sung by The Rolling Stones)

Episode 7

• A Thousand Knives – RY X (ending credits music) (sung by RY X)

Episode 8

• No new songs introduced, final scenes are scored with instrumental themes composed by Will Bates

The Better Sister soundtrack includes 15 songs, spread across all episodes, with approximately 54 minutes of licensed music. The soundtrack adds emotional weight to scenes of confrontation, confession, and catharsis.

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About the music composer

The Better Sister's original score was written by Will Bates. Bates has worked on well-known projects like The Magicians, Unbelievable, and The Looming Tower. He is known for creating music that is both moody and emotional. He started the music production company Fall On Your Sword.

For this show, he wrote haunting pieces that fit with the psychological depth and suspense of the show. His work brings out the emotional power of important scenes, intensifying the mystery.

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Plot of The Better Sister

In the series, Chloe Taylor and her sister Nicky Macintosh, who haven't seen each other in a long time, are thrown back into each other's lives after Chloe's husband, Adam, is suddenly killed.

Chloe is the editor of a prestigious magazine and lives a fancy life in East Hampton. Adam, a respected lawyer, is killed in mysterious circumstances, and her carefully put-together world starts to fall apart.

Nicky, Adam's ex-wife and the biological mother of Chloe's teenage son, Ethan, comes back into the family's life after being away for years due to the tragedy.

Nicky is no longer a drinker, but she has been through a lot of trouble in her personal and financial life. There is a lot of anger and betrayal in her past with Chloe, especially after Chloe married Adam and got custody of Ethan. But as the investigation into Adam's death continues, the two women need each other to help them deal with the dangerous truths that come to light.

Detectives Guidry and Bowen think Nicky did it, especially since she admits it. After finding out that Adam was abusing Chloe, she says she did it in self-defense to protect herself.

At the same time, Chloe finds out that Adam was working as a spy and had found damaging evidence against the powerful Gentry Group—a law firm involved in illegal labor and trafficking of people.

As the sisters look for hidden papers and try to avoid getting caught by the police, they become closer as they share a traumatic experience and feel like a family again. In a dynamic move, Chloe sets up Adam's coworker Bill by putting the murder weapon in his house. This makes Bill look guilty and stops the investigation into Nicky.

As the series comes to an end, Chloe and Nicky are no longer just sisters; they are also involved in a crime. They get back together not by getting better, but by staying alive and keeping secrets.

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The Better Sister is now streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.