Now that major movies are starting to hit theaters again this month, I thought it might be fun to spend a week sharing some of my favorite movie soundtracks. As we all know, the right music can make all the difference in how a movie energizes our hearts and minds. Below are some of my favorite movie soundtracks:
Mark Mothersbaugh and Various Artists : Rushmore OST
Few, if any, directors excel at using music, both original composition and existing recorded music, to create mood and enhance characters in their films better than Wes Anderson. Perhaps the best example of this remains his breakout 1999 film Rushmore, starring Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman. Anderson enlisted former Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh to compose original music for the film to mix with brilliantly curated 60s and 70s British Invasion and American Rock songs. The result is a truly magical mix of perfectly scored original instrumental music with the repurposing of these decades old songs into nearly scene-stealing background music for some of the film’s most memorable moments.
Standout Tracks: Ooh La La; Oh Yoko; The Wind; Making Time; Here Comes My Baby; Hardest Geometry Problem In the World
Jonny Greenwood : Phantom Thread OST
Radiohead guitarist, keyboardist, arranger and all-around music genius Jonny Greenwood has now established himself as one of the premier composers of contemporary film scores. Jonny started introducing string elements to Radiohead albums The Bends and OK Computer in the 90s, but it was Kid A and Amnesiac in the very early 00s where he really began flexing his muscles as a multi-instrumentalist and cross-genre composer.
Greenwood is most famous for his score work on the films of Paul Thomas Anderson. His unsettling and unforgettable score of the 2007 film There Will Be Blood brought him wide appreciation. Jonny has been quoted as saying that he tries to compose to fit the music and instrumentation appropriate for the time setting of the movie he is scoring. For Phantom Thread, set in 1950s London, Greenwood opted for lush orchestral music primarily piano and string-focused. The gorgeous score, prominent throughout most of the film, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score (and it should have won!).
Standout Tracks: Sandalwood I; House of Woodcock; Sandalwood II; Alma; The Hem
Various Artists : Marie Antoinette OST
Another of my favorite film directors whose films always have brilliant soundtracks is Sofia Coppola. For her 2005 film Marie Antoinette, Coppola made several unorthodox, somewhat controversial stylistic choices, including using modern new wave and post punk music to soundtrack early 19th century France. Although that contrast is a bit jarring at first; ultimately the scenes of an angelic Kirsten Dunst as the free spirit Marie Antoinette frolicking juxtaposed by Siouxsie and the Banshees, New Order, and The Cure are just cool and nobody can convince me otherwise.
Standout Tracks: Hong Kong Garden; Ceremony; Plainsong; Whatever Happened; Pulling Our Weight
Randy Newman and Jerry Goldsmith : The Natural OST and Hoosiers OST
As a sports-obsessed boy growing up in the 1980s, two movies that made a huge impression on me were The Natural and Hoosiers. The Natural, starring Robert Redford and surely the best baseball film of all time, is about a nearly washed up player getting a second chance and leading an underdog team to the pennant. Hoosiers, starring Gene Hackman and undoubtedly the greatest basketball film ever, is the story of a nearly washed up coach getting a second chance and leading an underdog small high school team to a state championship.
Both movies are wonderful for many reasons; however, it is impossible to imagine either film being nearly as successful or thrilling without their respective Academy-nominated scores that feature prominently throughout both films. American treasure Randy Newman composed the score for The Natural, channeling Aaron Copland to create a sentimental and inspiring score that still moves me as an adult. The Hoosiers score was composed by accomplished American composer Jerry Goldsmith, using orchestra, synthesizers, and recorded basketball sounds to create his propulsive, stirring, and moving score.
Standout Tracks: The Natural–The Prologue 1915-1923; The Whammer Strikes Out; Knock The Cover Off The Ball; The End Title; Hoosiers—You Did Good; The Coach Stays; The Pivot; The Finals
John Williams: Raiders of the Lost Ark OST
No article about favorite movie soundtracks would be complete without reference to the greatest movie score composer of all time, John Williams. Can one even imagine a world without the scores to the Star Wars films, the Harry Potter films, Jurassic Park, Jaws, E.T., and so many more? It is impossible to adequately grasp and appreciate the genius of John Williams.
Recently, I rewatched Raiders of the Lost Ark to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its release. As I watched the classic film for the umpteenth time, it occurred to me that, as great as it is, the film likely would not have become the classic it has, and Indiana Jones the beloved character he is, without the iconic Williams score.
Standout Tracks: Flight From Peru; The Map Room: Dawn; Desert Chase; The Miracle of the Ark; Washington Ending/Raiders March
More Related Music You Should Also Check Out: Jonny Greenwood: There Will Be Blood OST; Jonny Greenwood and Various Artists: Inherent Vice OST; Various Artists: The Royal Tennenbaums; Various Artists: Lost In Translation OST
