Music In Films

The Retro wave in Music and Entertainment 3

When you think of films, you won’t naturally dive into thoughts about the music that appears in them. But, the more you think about music in movies, the more you will begin to realise how important it is for many different reasons. And let’s not forget, some film soundtracks have become iconic over the years.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of why music is integral to films, it’s worth pointing out just popular some soundtracks have become, which has allowed everything to progress beyond the movie arena. Classic flicks such as Jaws, Jurassic Park and The Goonies all contain iconic sounds, and they have all made it as games, too, as a result. One of the most memorable would be the Goonies slot machine which pays homage to Cyndi Lauper, who makes a cameo appearance in the actual film singing her hit song Good Enough.

The importance of music in films cannot be overstated. Yes, many people will be more than happy just to watch the movie and see how things play out, ignorant of the role of sound in setting the scene. Music is also a component filmmakers turn to if they want to invoke specific emotions. All of this can happen subtly, but it doesn’t make it any less important to the end product on the big screen.

We have also seen many times how one track in particular that features in a movie can be catapulted into popular culture forever. A prime example of this is Celine Dion’s track My Heart Will Go On, which featured in the legendary film Titanic. It quickly became a song everyone knew the words to and was a number one hit in ten countries. So now, if you mention Titanic to anyone who has seen it before, the first thing they will probably do is start singing My Heart Will Go On.

We can’t talk about music in films and not give a nod to the James Bond franchise. Is there anything as iconic where Bond is concerned about the theme song and who is singing it? Over the years, musical megastars like Madonna, Alicia Keys, Tom Jones and Sam Smith have picked up the microphone in the recording studio and performed lead vocals on a Bond track. And there have been plenty of hits, such as Shirley Bassey’s Diamonds Are Forever in 1971 and Tina Turner’s rendition of GoldenEye, which hit the scene in 1995.

So, as you can see, music in films has an impact in multiple areas. It can very much make or break a movie and turn a decent flick into an excellent one, generating popularity along the way. Soundtracks can also be a driving force in making people want to watch a specific movie in the first place, as seen with the James Bond franchise, as mentioned above. And, let’s not forget a film with a decent song list can go further than the big screen, which is never a bad thing.

Xsnoize Author
Mark Millar is the founder of XS Noize and looks after the daily running of the website as well as hosting interviews for the weekly XS Noize Podcast. Mark's favourite album is Achtung Baby by U2.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*