There are scenes from certain films that will stay with you forever, whether because they were incredibly emotional, horrifying, funny or touched you in some significant way. Either way, nine times out of ten, those iconic scenes were probably paired with an iconic soundtrack.
What is a classic movie without an equally timeless soundtrack, anyway? We revisit some of the soundtracks that helped make a great film into an iconic one. In no particular order, here are some of our favourites.
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Romeo + Juliet(1996)
A timeless story needs a timeless soundtrack – something that is modern but not contained to one context. From Radiohead to Garbage and The Cardigans, the Romeo + Julietsoundtrack encapsulated that youthful, modern and rebellious sound Baz Luhrmann gave to the Shakespearean story of romance and conflict. It still sounds as good as it did 20 years ago.
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Blue Valentine(2010)
As far as ensuring a successful indie flick goes, getting Grizzly Bear to score your film is a pretty good way to do it. The melancholic, slow-burning film by Derek Cianfranceis made all the more so with Grizzly Bear’s eclectic and gentle indie sound. It’s the perfect pairing.
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A Clockwork Orange(1971)
The Stanley Kubrick film itself is iconic, but the soundtrack is also something to behold. Wendy Carlos, who scored the film, created an era-defining soundtrack and sound, transforming the music of Beethoven and Henry Purcell into an electronic production. The early use of a vocoder on a rendition of Beethoven’s Ninth still influences electropop culture today.
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Trainspotting(1996)
Director Danny Boyle compiled the music to this legendary British film, and listening to the soundtrack you can see the whole movie in your head. The music is chaotic and unforgettable, from Iggy Pop’s ‘Lust For Life’ in the opening chase scene to Lou Reed’s ‘Perfect Day’ for Renton’s not-so-perfect overdose. With the long-awaited sequel due to be released next year, we’re hoping the new soundtrack is just as defining as it was in 1996.
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Blade Runner(1982)
Vangelis will forever be immortalised for his score forBlade Runner.The largely impersonal film has made entrancing and intimate with the Greek composer’s synthesizer soundtrack. In a movie that is set way in the future, there needed to be a composer who could seemingly travel in time and give us what the future sounds like. Genius.
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The Graduate(1967)
The Graduateand ‘Mrs. Robinson’ are inextricablly linked, and always will be. The film is a touchstone for folk-pop music in a somewhat serious Hollywood blockbuster.
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Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
I could list all of Tarantino’s films on this collection – the man knows how to compile a seriously cool sountrack. This film features Nancy Sinatra, Isaac Hayes, RZA… and of course, Tomoyasu Hotei’s ‘Battle Without Honor Or Humanity’.
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The Virgin Suicides(1999)
Whatever your opinion is on Sofia Capolla, there isn’t much arguing when it comes to her choices of soundtracks. From Lost In Translation to Marie Antoinette (which in my opnion was basically just a feature-length music video for post-punk classics), like Tarantino, she knows a good soundtrack. But The Virgin Suicides is one of the best, and perhaps the most gorgeous soundtrack of them all. The image of the Lisbon sisters always plays in my mind when I hear ‘Playground Love’ – the two were made for each other.
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Dazed And Confused(1993)
Simply put, Dazed And Confused isthereference point for anyone in need of ’70s and ’80s guitar heroes – Deep Purple, Foghat, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ted Nugent, KISS, Alice Cooper, The Runaways, Black Sabbath.
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Ghostbusters(1984)
It’d be impossible to finish this list without mentioning the generation-defining movie and track of the same name, ‘Ghostbusters’by Ray Parker Jr., especially since the new adaptation of the film has come out. Apparently the soundtrack for the 2016 version is a flop, which is interesting considering soundtracks aren’t usually talking points these days. The original film also featured groovy and soulful tracks such as ‘Disco Inferno’ by Leroy Green and Ron Kersey, and ‘Hot Night’ by Diane Warren.
The wonderful thing about a good soundtrack is that it has the ability to become a cultural artefact of its era – a generation in a sound – whether because it features iconic artists of the time, or in the case ofBlade RunnerorA Clockwork Orange,it gives birth to a new sound entirely.
Did we miss any classic film soundtracks? Add your suggestions in the comments below.
