Does A Movie Really Need A Soundtrack? Which Element Makes A Movie Better?
(Title image by DALL-E 3)
Hi WA Friends!
Soundtracks are super important for movies, but which part is the best?
Those who know me realize that I'm super interested in music and movies. I have over sixty guitars and a custom-built Dolby Atmos and DTS-X certified home theater with thousands of movies on disk.
I listen to and play music throughout the day. Most nights, I watch a movie with my wife, and luckily, our tastes in cinema match up pretty well. What a way to semi-retire, right? I can't wait to fully retire in 2025! Lol 😎
Anyway, each part of a soundtrack adds something unique. So, let's look at some of the soundtracks and sounds in movies to see what makes them great.
Original Score
An original score is like the heartbeat of a movie. It sets the mood, builds tension, and guides the emotions of the story. Famous composers like John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and Ennio Morricone have made unforgettable scores that are as iconic as the movies themselves. Think about the powerful music in Star Wars, the dramatic sounds in Inception, or the haunting theme in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. These scores are made specifically for each movie, making the scenes more powerful and memorable.
An original score can turn a good movie into a great one. The music is made to fit each scene perfectly, helping the story flow and making it more exciting and emotional.
Vocal Songs
Vocal songs have lyrics and add a personal touch to a movie's soundtrack. Unlike an original score, which is purely instrumental, vocal songs use words to tell a story or express emotions directly. Whether it’s a sad ballad or an upbeat pop tune, these songs add a lot to the movie's message. Think about My Heart Will Go On from Titanic - it became the movie's anthem, adding feelings of love and longing. Or Shallow from A Star is Born - it helped tell the story and became a hit on its own.
A vocal song can make a scene even more powerful by adding words that speak directly to the audience. The mix of lyrics and music can capture emotions that visuals alone can’t fully express, giving us something to sing along to long after we’ve watched the movie.
Classic Hits
Classic hits are like old friends - they make you feel something familiar right away. Directors like Quentin Tarantino and James Gunn are great at adding popular songs into their movies. Remember how Hooked on a Feeling made Guardians of the Galaxy so fun? Or how Stuck in the Middle with You added a memorable touch to Reservoir Dogs? These songs are more than just background music - they become part of the story.
A well-chosen song can make a scene unforgettable. Whether it's rock, pop, or soul, these songs add personality and make the audience feel more connected. They bring a sense of nostalgia and make scenes more relatable.
Ambient Sounds
Ambient sounds are the quiet heroes of movie soundtracks. They make the setting feel real, like we’re actually in the movie. Sounds like wind in the trees or city traffic make the movie world come alive. Directors use these noises to build tension, make us feel uneasy, or help us feel relaxed.
Horror movies are especially good at using ambient sounds. A creaking door or the wind blowing can make us scared even before anything actually happens. These sounds are key for setting the right mood - keeping us on edge or helping us feel at ease.
Tell Me What You Think
I personally love movies with music from famous songs, but ambient sounds really shine through the Atmos speakers of my home theater, adding an element of hyper-realism. Two movies that immediately come to mind with great music soundtracks are Battleship and Armageddon!
So, which soundtrack element do you think makes a movie better?
- Original Score
- Vocal Songs
- Classic Hits
- Ambient Sounds
- Other
Let me know in the comments, AND ...
Keep On Rockin' It! 🤘
(Pin by DALL-E 3)
Frank 🎸
~ 70% Human-written content.
Recent Comments
25
Well, of course it needs a soundtrack or there would be no voices OR music!
As for a music soundtrack, I think it adds a great deal. It's great when a movie has its own theme song, because it gives you something to remember it by. Ambient sounds lend depth and feeling, making the movie more real. Sounds that fit the theme of the movie are best, I believe.
Yup, I fully agree with you, Fran! 👍
I love movies with LOTS of sound and special effects (computer generated, animatronic, etc.). For me it makes the movie more entertaining. We also watch drama films, but they are usually less fun. 😎
Frank 🤘🎸
As Howard said below - John Williams is the GOAT (Greatest of all Time) - Me and my childhood friends were on a WHOLE other level of Nerdom, Frank!
Aside from collecting the toys and memorabilia to George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg's films, we also collected the albums! Everything from Star Wars to Jaws, Close Encounters of the third kind, Superman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, ET, etc.
It also gave me a little inspiration to compose someday - a dream I'm still aiming for!
Other personal favorites of mine?
The love theme from The Godfather, Chariots of Fire's theme, and the sorrowful theme from Schindler's list.
Appreciate the post, Frank! 🤘🎸
Isaiah 😊
Hi Isaiah
WOW, what an excellent childhood hobby!
Yup, some of the greatest modern day musical compositions and songs written for movies have come out of the cinema industry!
You mentioned a few of the best.
It’s amazing what even a few notes can do, like the ones in the attack scenes in the Jaws movies!
I’ve never written any serious musical compositions. I just try various melodic phrases over certain chord progressions to see how it will sound. Of course, there were the twenty-minute improvised guitar solos with my high school band in the ‘60s, after Eric Clapton made the power trio fashionable. Hahaha 😆
For me, playing the guitar is all about having fun and challenging myself to get better. 😎
Rock On! 🤘
Frank 🎸
Hi Frank!
Movie soundtracks are some of my favorite music, especially from John Williams. His great orchestrations have made so many movies even better!
Hi Howard
Yes, John did the soundtracks to so many amazing movies, especially in connection with Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas. 👍😎
Frank 🎸
Great post, Frank! It depends on the movie that the directors and producers will create and by using a soundtrack (with permission from the artist) or create their own theme will certainly help out a lot.
Myra ♥️
I fully agree with you, Myra. Each movie requires its own mix of specific elements to make certain parts stand out in the film. 😎
Frank 🎸
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The original score is my favorite, Frank. Elmer Bernstein's True Grit score takes me to the wide-open spaces of Colorado, Texas, etc. A few bars from John Barry's Dances With Wolves has me searching for buf-, buf-, buffalo on the plains. Trevor Jones' Last of The Mohicans finds me running through Adirondack forests with my short gray hair blowing in the wind created by my gazellelike speed, and, of course, John Williams throws me into battle with Benjamin Martin in The Patriot.
These scores are wonderfully evocative, taking the listener into the movie and blocking the rest of the world for at least an hour or two. I think songs detract from a movie as they try to force a point of view instead of allowing the viewer to go their own way.
Great post, Frank.
Thanks, Dave
Yes, I agree with you. Original scores are wonderful, and those are some great movies that you mentioned. 👍
I'm always pointing out to my wife how the name of a popular song playing in a movie fits what's going on in the scene. Usually, she can't hear me because the sound is too loud! Lol 😆
Still, I love movies with great songs in them, like School of Rock!
You seem like a more serious movie watcher than I am, Dave. I'm all in it for the fun! Lol 😎
Rock On! 🤘
Frank 🎸
Yes, fun is fun. Do you talk during a movie?
Hi Dave
We can talk when we watch a drama-type movie, and Stacy likes to do "research" on her phone at IMDB and tell me what other movies each character has been in, etc.
When we watch an action-adventure film, it's way too loud during most of the movie to talk and be heard, but she still does all her research. Lol 😎
If I'm not enjoying a movie, I'm outta there, but she usually suffers through the rest of it out of some strange "loyalty" to the film profession. ??? Actually, most of the movie is over by the time I get done eating all the movie snacks she makes! 🤣
We very seldom go to a movie cinema since our home theater video looks better and sounds as good (and almost as loud) as IMax.
I love idiot entertainment, and if I have to think during a movie, then I'd rather work and make money. Haha
Rock On! 🤘
Frank 🎸
lol, my mom used to google everything and do the same thing. It drove me crazy, she passed two years ago in December, I kinda miss it :-)
Now I have to do my own research and tell my cats all about it LOL, they have about as much interest as I did.
Nachos are the bomb!
Hi Kerri
Yeah, it can be a little annoying when I'm trying to chill out and watch the movie, but my wife is the best!, so no biggie. Haha 😎
Sorry about your mom. I miss my parents, too, and often!
Frank 🎸
Absolutely; a big damn plate of them with a margarita! Lol 🍹