Movie theme music
I’ve been hankering for good movie theme music again. And these sorts of hankerings usually lead to a list that quickly recedes into obscurity as my ADHD brain flits to something new.
So, the context of this list: Music without lyrics that’s a recurrent theme, or the opening or closing track for a movie which I have seen. Further: I’m looking for the kind of music that makes me want to go for a hard five mile run - the sort of music that functions as pre-endorphins to the real endorphins you get after you do something hard or achieve something important to you. For me that usually involves some combination of kettle drums, french horns, cellos, baritone voice, a trumpet volley, a 75 piece orchestra and/or full choir. I’m open to electric guitar, steel guitar, amped violin, giant Japanese drums, mass tap dancing, and the odd ethnic/world/non-standard instrument or vocalization. But whatever the instruments, the music - composition, melody, harmony, all the rest - has to grab your brain and heart and stomach and take them all for a ride. A.k.a. Knock Your Socks Off Music. KYSOM.
To begin, then:
Theme to Pirates of the Caribbean (I): The Black Pearl, Skull and Crossbones (oh yeah), He’s a Pirate
Robin Hood Prince of Theives: Overture and Prisoner of the Crusades
The Hunt for Red October: Hymn to Red October (did you know that there’s a track called ‘Putin’s Demise’?)
Jurassic Park (of course): Theme from Jurassic Park, End Credits
Indiana Jones: The Raider’s March
Run, Lola, Run: Running Two
Gladiator: Now We Are Free
ET: Adventures on Earth
Back to the Future: Theme
Star Trek: The Voyage Home: Hospital chase
Superman: Main Theme (man I miss this music!)
Star Wars: A New Hope: Main Theme
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: Prologue, Hedwig’s Theme,
Goldeneye: Goldeneye by Tina Turner (I’ll make an exception for lyrics)
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: Desert Capriccio, Night Flight,
The Thomas Crown Affair (1999): Black and White X5, Glider Pt 1, Glider Pt2
XXX (exception for lyrics): Rammstein’s Feuer Frei
Movies I haven’t seen but know the music to:
Excalibur and Glory: Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana: O Fortuna (this will rock your world, especially if you hear it live)
Apocolypse Now: Wagner’s Die Walkure (Ride of the Valkyries)
Brief Encounter: Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 (heaven on a stick)
2001: A Space Odyssey: Strauss’s Introduction from "Also Sprach Zarathustra"
Somewhere in Time: Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini
My Life: The William Tell Overture
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The theme to and the original “Rocky.”
Comment by Fido — October 10, 2007 @ 8:20 am
Conan the Barbarian - Anvil of Crom
Alexander Nevsky - Battle on the Ice
Comment by Fido — October 10, 2007 @ 8:36 am