Morning all,

Since today is the first day in what seems like a lifetime that the sun is out and shining, and it’s nearly award season, I though I would post today about movie soundtracks.

It can’t just be me that’s influenced by movie soundtracks, we all have our favourites. I certainly find myself more inclined to watch a film that has a brilliant soundtrack as well as a solid plot and great reviews.

It’s easy to list the lates and greats that create beautiful film scores, John Williams, who created scores for Star Wars, E.T, Schindlers List, Jaws and Saving Private Ryan to name a few, and holds the most Oscar nominations for a living person, and John Barry who created themes and scores for 12 of the James Bond films, Midnight Cowboy, Zulu and Dances With Wolves. Both Williams and Barry have created some of the most memorable and incredible film scores and themes to date and have won countless awards for their creations.

We must not forget the Golden Age of cinema, and as a nod to the 40′s and 50′s I must mention Rodgers and Hammerstein. Together they created beautiful music and scores for some of the most influential musicals ever. We’ll forever remember Julie Andrews bursting into song on the Mountains in The Sound of Music, the dusty plains of Oklahoma! and ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ from Carousel which is now the anthem for Liverpool Football Club.

Then we have to pay tribute to the musicians. The many talents of the past, present and most definitely the future. We all know The Beatles, who created numerous soundtracks and some of my favourite musical moments in history, think A Hard Days Night, Help! and Magical Mystery Tour – all recently released and remastered on CD and DVD. The Bee Gee’s for the disco classic Saturday Night Fever, and who created space for a new and exciting era in the 70′s for all our favoured disco classics. I can’t not mention Simon & Garfunkel, who spawned one of the greatest movie soundtracks of all time for ‘The Graduate’ and possibly one of the greatest movie songs of all time with their hit Mrs Robinson, and more recently Air who penned a hauntingly beautiful and very diifferent soundtrack for ‘The Virgin Suicides’. Lastly ‘The Who’ boasting two great rock soundtracks in ‘Tommy’ and ‘Quadrophenia’.

But then there’s the directors, those who create unforgettable moments in films with a ‘needle drop’. When Martin Scorsese or Quentin Tarantino pick a piece of music and lay it down under a dramatic scene, it has huge results. We all remember Mr Blonde and his dance to Stealers Wheel before an unfortunate accident with an ear in ‘Resevoir Dogs’, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen in Waynes World and Perfect Day by Lou Reed in Trainspotting….Kenny Loggins – Top Gun… Need I say more?

My point here is that the perfect soundtrack can completely change a film, I could go on listing thousands of songs and themes that have ultimately ‘made’ a film even better but ultimately we probably know them already.

So let me know, what are your favourite film scores, songs and soundtracks?

Have a look below for a few of mine!