Jam on: How soundtracks are killing it in all things film and TV

Movie and TV viewers all have their favorite musical moments since the dawn of the moving image. Fans still dance to the theme from Footloose, get amped when 80s magic comes on during an episode of Stranger Things and cry like babies when that Titanic theme hits listeners to the core. Soundtracks are kind of the heartbeat of the story in film and TV.

That intense emotion tied into the scenes unfolding keeps viewers glued to their seats and eager to experience more. So, in the chaos of 2019, are soundtracks still making that magic happen? There is an easy answer, a resounding hell yes!

The recent success of Marvel’s Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War alongside the TV magic of Westworld and Game of Thrones has propelled every bit of music within to a broader audience who now crave it more than ever.

Right off the bat, viewers were feeling the adrenaline with Black Panther with the contemporary musical bits provided by Kendrick Lamar, SZA and The Weeknd. Tracks like All The Stars, King’s Dead and Pray For Me are now anthems set in stone for Wakandans all over the earth. Their ownership and hardcore dedication to the medium gives the heros in the story the punch they deserve as they prove their mettle.

It even carries over into Avengers: Infinity War when fans are re-introduced to the nostalgic main theme, The Avengers by Alan Silvestri, while each hero has his or her theme attached to them as the flow of the film progresses. Of course, the Guardians of the Galaxy are probably the most aptly introduced as The Spinner’s classic track The Rubberband Man thumps on in.

Smiles were sure to grow at this signature introduction to perhaps the most hilarious bunch of characters introduced to the MCU. Of course, when Wakanda enters the fray towards the end, cheers erupted in theaters nationwide as their common theme brought the intensity well on through for King T’Challa and his people as they kicked some serious alien ass.

As for TV, the energy is more focused on sudden bursts of action or the classic big reveal. In Westworld and Game of Thrones the composer Ramin Djawadi has somehow pulled some of the most influential tricks to make visual magic stay in the viewers mind long after watching.

In the first season of Westworld, the man was able to turn The Rolling Stones’ song, Paint It Black, into an instrumental western-opera as thieves shoot their way through for some easy money. It’s a scene that just builds with more excitement than anticipated and to this day remains a staple in the shows progression on HBO.

Viewers are now always excited to see and hear what cinematic glory will come next in season two, which started up again a few weeks ago. Of course, Mr. Djawadi is world renowned for creating the catchy Main Title for the epic fantasy world of Game of Thrones.

The theme in its full pomp and circumstance holds sway with fans of the show who sing it out loud as each new episode graces the screen. However, since there is only one more season left, set to premiere next year, season 7 had a spooky and foreboding touch of the main title.

Towards the end of the season, Winter Is Here is introduced and the snows appear across all of Westeros. Fans were left in awe as the main title had a forlorn shift as a hint of the impending doom that may come. Sadly, time will only tell.

Jam on!