A movie’s soundtrack is one of the many things that make a film worth watching. It matters because you could be seated in a dark theater, surrounded by strangers, and then suddenly all of you could be bopping your heads to a song you all know. It’s a collective experience when you hear a song you love in a movie you’re watching for the first time. Not just live-action movies but animated ones as well. A movie such as Tarzan had such a great soundtrack by Phil Collins, that it’s often made a meme that Collins put his entire soul into the Tarzan soundtrack.
Sometimes, a movie doesn’t call for a bumping soundtrack, and instead, has some solid orchestral pieces to accompany scenes, which you find in horror movies a lot. That being said, let’s take a look at how a good soundtrack can make or break a movie.
Makes the scene
There are so many scenes that have been made better by a great song choice. One of the best ending scenes to a movie that has a fantastic song choice is The Graduate. At the end of the film, Ben and Elaine are sitting at the back of the bus after running from Elaine’s wedding. The audience is forced to sit and watch as the two come to terms with what they just did as "Sounds of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel plays on around them. It’s awkward due to how long the scene is and how reality seems to hit both of them the longer they stare off into the camera and not speak a word to each other.
Other movies with great soundtrack moments often happen when an artist creates a song or an entire album for a specific movie. Such as Kendrick Lamar and the first Black Panther. Lamar could really tap into each scene he was writing songs for without it being overdone or tired, but completely in the moment and perfect. Not only did he write the songs, but he featured a handful of wickedly talented artists to lend their voices to each track. Some honorable mentions are "Old Time Rock and Roll" featured in Risky Business, "Stuck in the Middle with You" from a torture scene in Reservoir Dogs, "Hip to be Square" in American Psycho, and finally, "What’s Up Danger?" from Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse.
Makes the Movie More Memorable
Speaking of setting the scene, a great soundtrack can make a movie extremely memorable. It’s hard to rank all the movies that have solid soundtracks, but some remain supreme. Such as The Breakfast Club, which features the iconic end scene with Don’t You Forget About Me that leaves you feeling quite satisfied as the credits roll. But it also features "I’m the Dude" by Keith Forsey and "We Are Not Alone" by Karla DeVito, making the John Hughes classic that much more memorable.
Another special film that relies heavily on music is Top Gun, as well as Top Gun: Maverick. A movie that features strong military propaganda has to have some light moments, and they come in the form of songs. The top two songs that you most likely remember from Top Gun are "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins and "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin. Both are iconic songs that are featured in an iconic movie. In Top Gun: Maverick, songs such as "I Ain’t Worried" by OneRepublic and "Hold My Hand" by Lady Gaga made their debut, and they were well received. "Great Balls of Fire", performed entirely by Miles Teller, was also featured and became a classic, just as it was in the first movie.
Sets the Tone
The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy is a great example when it comes to setting the tone for a movie. The first one was released in 2014 and pleased audiences with the music it used throughout the film. The franchise quickly became known for having older music played throughout the films. They also utilized Peter’s backstory by making it a major part of the songs that are used for the movie. The first one was released in 2014 and pleased audiences with the music it used throughout the film. The franchise quickly became known for having older music played throughout the films.
They also utilized Peter's backstory by making it a major part of the songs that are used. Peter loves music because his mom made him mixtapes before she died, and in return, we value the music more because of it. It sets the tone for what you should expect whenever The Guardians appear in any Marvel movie, not just their own.
In the first scene where we meet Peter Quill, he slides in and is jamming out to "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone, and from that exact moment, the tone is set. Peter shows his age with the music he loves, and the audience either appreciates it or learns to love it through each film. Sometimes a film’s soundtrack, like every Guardians of the Galaxy movie, becomes so popular and beloved that it's sold as vinyl. Songs that are featured in huge movies like this iconic franchise are integral to the tone they set with the audience.