Popular music faithful to the era in which this sitcom is set has always been a significant element of "That '70s Show", sometimes even playing a role in and guiding the plotlines. Fans who have watched the show from its beginning on Fox will notice that the daily syndicated reruns often feature generic music in place of notable tunes that originally aired in weekly first-run episodes. For example, the Big Star tunes "Thirteen" and "I'm In Love With A Girl" were featured in multiple episodes to punctuate poignant moments in Donna's and Eric's romance. When those shows air in syndication, those brilliant tunes have been replaced with bland filler music that detracts from the affecting nature of the scene (an even more puzzling occurence, in this case, when considering that the show's theme song is based on the Big Star tune "In The Street").

Before I purchase this DVD set, I would like to know if the producers were able to license the same musical selections as featured in the original airings, and not their syndicated counterparts. The show is about teenagers growing up in the hazy '70s and the music of that decade is as essential to their lives as the friendships they develop. As such, the show could not possibly have the same impact without it. So, can anyone who has seen or purchased this set offer any insight on this issue? Thanks in advance.

Bad news.

From That '70s Central:

Unfortunately, the DVD episodes will contain the music used in syndication, instead of the original music. This is probably due to the fact that buying the rights for the music would have been too expensive and and the set's price would have therefore been higher.

http://www.that70scentral.com/