All standards of decency and trashiness aside, Fox’s The O.C. has undisputedly become an American pop-culture icon. In the two years since the airing of its pilot episode, the characters of this deliciously tawdry, questionably-incestuous soap opera have dazzled viewers with their beauty, bank accounts, and choice of sexual partners. The O.C. glamorizes corporate-whoredom in all of its messy and enviable glory.

The O.C. is much more than just a silly soap opera, however. In terms of its influence on American pop culture, it is evident that viewers tune in for more than just their weekly formulaic dose of pop-angst. The music selection for the show’s soundtrack has helped to shape the musical tastes of many thousands of viewers. The booming number of CD sales of otherwise non-mainstream bands featured on the show strongly supports this fact.

In January 2004, the California rock band Rooney had sold only 150,000 copies of their debut album. Their album had been in stores for seven months already, and their CD sales were slipping dramatically. Then, in a television debut that, according to band manager Andy Gould, served as a “catalyst” for future success, Rooney was included into the plotline of episode 14, season 1 of The O.C. Rooney’s sales almost tripled in the week immediately following their O.C. appearance. They promptly waved goodbye to musical obscurity.

Rooney is not the only generally-unknown band to have benefited from an appearance on the show. Throughout the second season especially, The O.C. has showcased multiple cutting-edge bands in various episodes, such as Modest Mouse, The Walkmen, and the Killers. Each debut was met with viewer approval that resulted in a significant increase in radio play-time for each band immediately thereafter.

The show’s official Fox website explains that The O.C. producer Josh Schwartz, 27, “is passionate about music and has made the selection of artists featured on The O.C. one of his main areas of focus.” In an interview with Jane magazine, Schwartz explains that the music that appears on the show is usually music that he “has in his head” while preparing for the next week’s episode. Schwartz’s musical supervisor, Alexandra Patsavas, then coordinates Schwartz’s musical selections with the show’s plotline.

Certainly, critics can claim that Schwartz’s choice in musical talent is inspired, at least in part, by the comparatively cheap price tag attached to the lesser-known talents. At the same time, however, the success of The O.C. would suggest that for Schwartz, as with his characters, money is no object. Furthermore, Schwartz’s choice in indie music thus far has opened (pretty damn expensive) doors for him in terms of attracting better-known, similarly-experimental music artists. On the May 10 episode of The O.C., five songs from Beck’s then-unreleased album GUERO were played during the show. Beck, who normally does not allow television producers to use his music, defended his decision, explaining, “Usually I'm wary of TV shows or licensing songs. I didn't know much about the show, but there were all these bands whose music was on the show who I never thought would be on the show and apparently, the gentleman who puts the music together has excellent taste.”

Yes, The O.C. represents the most base and embarrassing aspects of American values—a fact acknowledged by such reputed sources as VH1, who awarded the show the “Guilty Pleasure of the Year Award.” But because of this, as unsettling as it may be, Schwartz and company are very much in tune to what the average American viewer wants to see—not to mention, to what she wants to hear, as well.