The Sopranos has one of the most perfect opening title sequences in television history. The opener follows protagonist Tony Soprano as he drives through the Lincoln Tunnel into New Jersey, past the various locales where he exerts his power as a mob boss, all the way to the McMansion where he experiences his existential crises. Even better, he’s accompanied by a perfect song, the soulful techno track “Woke Up This Morning” by English group Alabama 3.

But it almost wasn’t that way. Originally, The Sopranos creator David Chase wanted a different song to introduce Tony. This song was by an undisputed master of popular music, and it would have explicitly laid out the themes of the show. And it would have been a terrible.

According to the book Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Crea

See Full Page