Movies Wouldn’t Be Movies Without Music

MMusic plays a big role in movies. It stirs up emotions and connects you to characters, to their personalities and their struggles. It draws you into the movie, making you feel as if you’re a part of it. And brilliant soundtracks can leave a lasting impression on you.

To illustrate, check out these seven famous songs from seven famous movies:

• “Don’t You Forget About Me” was the theme to “The Breakfast Club.” A cult classic, it was a coming-of-age film about teenagers from different walks of life who were forced to serve detention together in high school. It sounds corny if you haven’t seen it, but by the time you get to the end, you’ll see why the song was so famous. It’s poignant, catchy and classic – it’s still famous almost 20 years later.
• “Duel of the Fates” from “Star Wars” is a recurring piece that plays throughout the entire series, including in some of their video games. Just hearing the first few notes strikes up nostalgia in Star Wars fans. You’ll be hard pressed to find one who doesn’t know every note, or one who doesn’t grin remembering the fight between Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jinn.


Skyfall by Adele

• Although “I Will Always Love You” was a remake (the original song was performed by Dolly Parton), Whitney Houston turned it into a smash hit when she sang it for “The Bodyguard.” It stayed on Billboard’s Hot 100 for 14 weeks straight. It is arguably one of the most beautiful love songs ever written, and it will bring tears to your eyes if you hear it during the movie.
• Can you honestly hear “Kiss From a Rose” by Seal and not think of “Batman Forever”? Forget the bat suit mishap for a moment; we know Nicole Kidman’s hair flying in the breeze as she stands outside in all black is a vision that is just burned into the back of your retinas for all eternity.
• “Skyfall,” the theme from the twenty-third James Bond film of the same name, captures you from the first line. According to ComingSoon.net, Adele sang her lyrics to music performed by a 77-piece orchestra. The swelling and falling of the sweet but eerie music accompanied by Adele’s soulful voice makes you remember every emotion James Bond went through in the movie.
• Wasn’t “Back to the Future” a great movie? It was hilarious, heart-warming and unforgettable. So was Huey Lewis and the News. “The Power of Love,” the theme song to the movie, was the band’s first number one hit. It also makes you dance, grin, and rock out loud every time you hear it.
• “The Raiders March” is the theme to Indiana Jones. Adventurous, witty and a little bit sly, he was a hero who flew by the seat of his pants. His theme song reflects all of that and more. If you love the movies, we know you’re grinning and quoting Indy right now.

Part of what made these movies so famous was the fact that their music packed quite a punch. It wasn’t just the theme songs that did it, although that is what most people remember. It was the way the entire soundtrack made you feel as you were watching your favorite scenes.

In movies, music is a marker. It leaves an impression. It helps to tell the story. Would the movie “Titanic” have been so famous if there was absolutely no music playing in it whatsoever? Probably not. Listen to the song that the band was playing as the ship went down. Tell us it doesn’t bring tears to your eyes.

The music doesn’t have to be innovative to leave an impression. The funny thing is, if you’re perceptive, you don’t consciously notice the music that is playing in the background if it doesn’t have words to it. Its message is subliminal, and perhaps that is what makes it so powerful. Think about your favorite scene from your favorite romantic movie. Chances are that scene had a dynamite score that went with it. And if you hear it without watching the movie, you’ll recall that same scene.

Even silent films relied heavily on music during a time when they couldn’t record sound onto the film. Now we’re leaps and bounds ahead of black and white pictures, but music is no less important to movies. There are countless movies that owe their success to their music. There will always be a place for the music industry in Hollywood.