Listen to Music Soundtracks

People listen to music soundtracks for many reasons. They contain the music from our favorite movies and television shows and can often invoke feelings of nostalgia for a particularly beloved motion picture. They set a mood and allow us to immerse in the atmosphere of our favorite films and shows.

The term soundtrack refers to music featured in a motion picture or television show contained within an album for sale. Occasionally the soundtrack album will have portions of the score (the instrumental music created specifically to enhance the dramatic effect in the film or show). A great example of this would be the violin music that accompanied the infamous shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.

The success of soundtracks varies greatly depending on the popularity of the films they're associated with. When people really love a movie, they often run out and buy the soundtrack shortly after seeing it. Still, sometimes movies that fare poorly at the box office can produce a popular soundtrack.

The most successful soundtracks have traditionally been compilations that feature the music and lyrics of various artists. They tend to play like mix tapes, and can suit a number of occasions. Instrumental soundtracks rarely achieve the same success, but every now and then one comes along that exceeds expectations and becomes commercially successful. One example would be the soundtrack to the 1997 film Titanic. Despite it being primarily instrumental, it went on to become the best-selling mostly orchestral film score in history at the time, thanks in large part to the immense popularity of the film.

In many ways, a film or television show's soundtrack is every bit as important as the actors, the dialogue, the sets, and everything else that goes into it. In fact, music can make or break a film, and can make certain scenes unforgettable. Imagine John Travolta strutting his stuff to a song other than the Bee Gees hit "Stayin' Alive" in Saturday Night Fever. Surely the scene would have played differently.

Music soundtracks enhance drama and provide ambiance. They set the mood for films and television shows, and often the effect is so subtle and perfectly matched to what is going on on-screen, audiences don't even notice the music at the time. Other times, the music is so prominent that we can't imagine what the film would be without it. What would Chariots of Fire be without Vangelis's Academy Award winning score? Would people still be afraid to go in the water if the theme from Jaws hadn't been so spine tingling? What would Footloose have been without its trailblazing soundtrack? The music in these films is so important that we can't even imagine the films without them.

Soundtracks can help people relive the memories of a favorite film or television show. In fact, listening to a soundtrack can be a good substitute when you don't have time to watch the movie, or you're somewhere you can't watch, like in a car or airplane. Listening to particular songs can bring you right back into the world of the movie and remind you of favorite scenes.

A good soundtrack can create drama and suspense, get audiences worked up, and help tell the story, or just make you want to turn up the volume.

If you want to listen to music soundtracks there are plenty of ways to track them down.

• Search the Internet. The best way to track down a soundtrack is to do a quick online search. The Internet Movie Database is very useful as it lists all the songs featured in a film.
• There are plenty of sources if you want to listen to or buy music online. They include:
  • Amazon
  • Rhapsody
  • Soundtrack Collector
  • AOL Radio
  • Buy
• Head to the soundtrack section of your local music store. Most movies, even low budget and independent flicks produce a soundtrack, so it's likely you'll be able to find what you're looking for.

A quick Internet search will find you tons of websites dedicated to the "best" movie soundtracks. While everyone has a different opinion, here are some that have been the most popular and enduring.

• A Hard Day's Night (1964)

• The Sound of Music (1965)

• The Graduate (1967)

• Saturday Night Fever (1977)

• Grease (1978)

• The Big Chill (1983)

• Purple Rain (1984)

• Footloose (1984)

• Pulp Fiction (1994)

• Forest Gump (1994)

These are just a few of some of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed motion picture soundtracks. There are countless others, from the musicals of Hollywood's golden age, to modern indie flicks. Chances are if you have a favorite film, it has an accompanying soundtrack. If you want to listen to music soundtracks, there are thousands to choose from.

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