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Ten soundtracks that made film history
The soundtrack is a fundamental element of films that is sometimes underestimated. In fact, music allows it to support the visual images that flow across the screen, highlighting moods and atmospheres of the moment, accentuating pathos certain key scenes, and becoming the protagonist itself.
The history of cinema is full of examples of great soundtracks that have become legends (think, to take the most classic example, of the soundtracks of the Italian Maestro Ennio Morricone) and that have often had a popularity beyond the film to which they are linked.
In this photostory we have selected some of the soundtracks that have made film history. How about you, which one are you most attached to?
Some of the most beloved soundtracks in the history of cinema
The soundtrack is a fundamental element of films that is sometimes underestimated. Music, in fact, allows it to support the images on the screen, highlighting moods and atmospheres of the moment, accentuating pathos certain key scenes and becoming the protagonist itself. The history of cinema is full of examples of soundtracks that have become legendary and have often enjoyed popularity beyond the film to which they are linked. We have pointed out a few, among the most famous, but the list would be much longer.
The Graduate (The Graduate), 1967
The movie "The Graduate," starring the very young Dustin Hoffman, is also very famous for its soundtrack. It was signed by the duo Simon & Garfunkel, who made, among others, the famous songs "Sound of Silence" and "Mrs. Robinson".
2001: A Space Odyssey (2001: A Space Odyssey), 1968
All of the director's films Stanley Kubrick have always been very soundtrack-oriented. These include 2001: A Space Odyssey with the leading theme "Also sprach Zarathustra" by Richard Strauss, but also tracks by Johann Strauss jr and Ligeti.
The Godfather (The Godfather), 1972
The famous soundtrack of "The Godfather," a film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, was signed by the Italian composer Nino Rota. The most famous song is Love theme. Nino Rota also signed the soundtracks of part II and III of this famous film saga.
Saturday Night Fever (Saturday Night Fever), 1977
Among the most famous soundtracks, we could not fail to mention that of "Saturday Night Fever," which remained on the charts for quite some time: among the most famous tracks are Stayin' Alive and How Deep Is Your Love of Bee Gees.
Grease, 1978
Among the soundtracks that have made film history we cannot fail to mention that of Grease, a 1978 film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Among the most famous tracks are You're the one that I want and Devoted to you, which was nominated for best song at the Oscars.
Once upon a time in America (Once Upon a Time in America), 1984
"Once Upon a Time in America" is one of the masterpieces of Italian director Sergio Leone. The soundtrack bears the signature of Ennio Morricone and among the most famous and popular songs appears Deborah's Theme.
Bodyguard (The Bodyguard), 1992
The film starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner is also beloved for its wonderful soundtrack, thanks above all to the wonderful voice of the unforgettable Whitney. The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album is the best-selling soundtrack of all time and has been certified a diamond record in the United States, while worldwide sales have exceeded 45 million copies.
The Gladiator (Gladiator), 2000
The Gladiator by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, is a film that has remained in the hearts of many viewers. Also contributing to the film's success was the soundtrack composed by Hans Zimmer, trainata dal song Now We Are Free, sung by Lisa Gerrard. This song is very special: the lyrics feature made-up words that cannot be traced back to any human or artificial language, as the goal was to trigger feelings solely through the sounds of the words and not through the meaning they contain.
Rankings
25/04/2024
The well-known US magazine Rolling Stone in 2021 has updated the list of the 500 most beautiful songs of all time.
The ranking was first published on December 11, 2003 and was compiled by a jury chosen by the editorial staff, composed of 172 musicians, music critics and experts in the recording industry. Subsequently, the ranking was changed twice: the first in 2010, the second in 2021, when 254 songs that were previously not present were added.
Obviously, there is nothing more subjective than music: these songs are considered the best according to the criteria defined by Rolling Stonemagazine, but each of us has his own personal ranking of the best songs ever. Here, however, is the Top 20 of Rolling Stone.
Rankings
23/04/2024
In 2008, 'Rolling Stone' compiled a list of the 100 best singers of all time.
This ranking was compiled 15 years ago by 180 people, including several musicians (e.g. Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Justin Timberlake, George Michael, Keith Richards), journalists and music experts.
On 1 January 2023, however, 'Rolling Stone' published an update of the ranking that revolutionised the list, especially with regard to the Top Ten. As the well-known US magazine was keen to point out, this ranking does not only take into account technical and vocal abilities (it is not a list of the best voices of all time), but also the originality of the vocal timbre, the record catalogue, the writing ability and the musical legacy of the singers in question. Here are the top 20 positions.