Rivals series 2: Every song on the perfectly nostalgic 80s soundtrack from Sade to Bucks Fizz
It's another rousing visit to Rutshire in more ways than one!
Rivals returns to Disney+ with series 2 this May, and the soundtrack will transport viewers straight back to the 80s – we’re talking smooth love songs, iconic Bowie, and cheesy pop. What’s not to love?
The tongue-in-cheek drama is set in the mid-to-late 1980s. Margaret Thatcher was in power, Madonna and Michael Jackson were starting to dominate the charts, and everyone was listening to their music on Walkmans. Ghostbusters and ET were the blockbuster films of the era.
The 80s are fondly remembered as the “decade of decadence” marked by its booming pop culture, the launch of MTV, and synth-pop. And anyone who lived through the 80s will be partly responsible for the hole in the ozone layer. One layer of hairspray just wasn’t enough…
The cast and crew of Rivals series 2 painstakingly recreate the era, with its soundtrack, garish fashion, and attention to detail. Here’s a reminder of all the songs featured in the romp-fest.
What is the theme tune to Rivals series 2?
First of all, the brilliant theme tune to Rivals series 1 and 2 is by Natalie Holt and Jack Halama. Natalie Holt is a famous British composer who has worked on numerous film and television projects including Paddington and Loki. She was actually the first woman to score a live action Star Wars project.
She subsequently won Television Composer of the Year in 2024. You might also remember her as the violinist who threw eggs at Simon Cowell during the 2013 Britain’s Got Talent final. This was in protest against his “dreadful influence” on the music industry.
Meanwhile, Jack Halama is a BAFTA and Ivor Novello nominated multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer from Bristol. His music can be heard in Netflix’s Who Is Erin Carter?, BBC One’s Traces, and Marvel’s Loki.
Lastly, the stunning operatic vocals on the Disney+ Rivals soundtrack theme tune are performed by soprano Ellie Neate and tenor Ben Thapa.
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Rivals series 2 soundtrack: Episode 1
Yazoo’s Only You.
Sade’s Your Love is King (sung in the cocktail bar Declan and wife Maud visit after her theatre performance.)
David Bowie’s Let’s Dance (Flashback).
Demented Are Go’s Crazy Horses.
Episode 2
The Cavendish Orchestra’s Pop Goes Bach (Ski Sunday Theme).
The Go-Go’s We Got The Beat.
Bananarama’s Venus.
Music in episode 3
Bucks Fizz’s Making Your Mind Up.
The Chicken Song by Spitting Image.
Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart.
We’ll update you with more songs on the soundtrack as the series continues on Disney+.
Read more: Stars of Rivals return in series 2 on Disney+ with some inspired new casting
