Greetings fellow Space Cadets! Sorry I haven’t been posting for a while. Been playing Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for the past week and a half. Highly recommended. But anyhoo, that’s not what I’m here to talk about. Nope, this one’s going to be another list. But before I begin, I would like to discuss the importance of music in film. There’s a lot of things that go into making a movie: directing, acting, special effects(if it applies), sound design, camera-work, but one of the most important aspects of a film is its soundtrack, or music as it were. Music in a film serves many important functions. One: It keeps the movie from getting boring. Two: It adds the ambience and mood of a film. Action movies have a very bombastic, fast and hard-hitting music that really gets the adrenaline pumping. But the music isn’t always about the orchestral stuff, sometimes it’s the actual songs that are put into the soundtrack. So, today’s list is going to be about what I think are the best movie soundtracks. I’m leaving out the likes of Star Wars and Indiana Jones because those ones are too easy. Let’s begin, shall we? If you want to listen to a sample of these soundtracks just click on the title of the film.
Quentin Tarantino is notorious for having a hand in nearly every aspect of the production of his movies. That must be why they are so damned good. His use of music in his films is absolutely unique. Kill Bill is a movie(both parts included) that is heavily inspired by the kung-fu movies of the 60s and the soundtrack sounds very much like something that you would see out of a Shaw Brothers production. There’s a track called Battle Without Honor or Humanity which has been used in multiple movies and commercials. You may not have seen Kill Bill, but you would certainly recognize this particular tune. Composed by legendary rapper RZA, it’s a great soundtrack to a really good movie.
Randy Edelman is one of the most underrated film composers in my opinion. The music that he makes really has a way of evoking certain emotions at the right time. Dragonheart is probably my favorite soundtrack that he has made aside from The Last of the Mohicans. It’s an emotionally powerful soundtrack that can be very playful at times, but can really tug at the heart-strings at others. Like the film, it fills you with a sense of wonder and imagination. It’s an incredibly epic soundtrack that really captures the spirit of the film. I can’t recommend it enough. The link above really gives you the full range of the soundtrack. A film’s soundtrack can be just as spectacular as the film it’s enhancing.
The Terminator is an absolute classic of a film in every sense of the word. Released in 1984 to critical acclaim, Terminator not only made James Cameron a very bankable director, the film also cemented Arnold Schwarzenegger as a serious action star. The soundtrack to the original Terminator is quite the unsung hero as far as I’m concerned. It not only introduced the main theme that at least two of the sequel would use later, but it was also done in such a way that nobody had heard before. Instead of using an actual orchestra, film composer Brad Fiedel opted for a more industrial and techno sound which really helps give the film its unique flavor. Both the movie and soundtrack are very easy to recommend.
Hans Zimmer is by far one of my favorite music composers of all time. Why? He gives each and every movie that he composes for 150 percent. His music has a very epic and bombastic feel to it that really makes his movies interesting. The Rock is one of the best Michael Bay movies of all time, and the soundtrack really solidifies the film as a top-notch action flick. It’s epic, fast-paced and hard-hitting that really gives the movie a real sense of urgency.
While music is certainly important for a movie, rarely does it play an active role in a movie. Guardians of the Galaxy is one such movie where the music is vital to the story of the main character, Star-Lord. Yeah, the orchestral stuff by Tyler Bates is great, but it’s the music that Star-Lord listens to that really steals the show. The Blue Swede, Norman Greenbaum, The Runaways, David Bowie and Marvine Gaye round out one of the best soundtracks to be released. I bought the soundtrack on CD which came with both the orchestral score and the Awesome Mix, Vol. 1 CD. I haven’t listened to the orchestral stuff because the other CD is that damn good.
Ignore the sequels, the original Highlander had it all: Great acting, story, action, and music. It was one of the most unique and interesting movies released during the 80s. While it bombed locally, Highlander eventually found its audience on home video. But the soundtrack was one for the ages. Not only did the film have amazing orchestral movements by the late Michael Kamen, but it was also infused with the power of Queen. I think it’s safe to say that Highlander would have been a much different experience if Queen wasn’t involved. This is one of the most powerful soundtracks on this list.
That’s my list for what I think are the best movie soundtracks ever. It’s also important to remember that the music doesn’t always make the movie, but when the soundtrack really shines, it’s kind of hard not to notice the soundtrack.