Quintus 5,399 Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Bit of an unusual one, but bear with me... Does anybody else ever find themselves listening to some track from some other genre and inevitably find themselves thinking, damn - that would would have made a really great movie theme? I torment myself over this regularly throughout my life, it's almost a preoccupation of mine when casually listening out for newer music to enjoy and potentially really get into. Lately, I've been obsessively listening to Sia, whom I think is an absolutely amazing singer songwriter, and her 2015 song Chandelier, whilst being a spectacular electropop track to my ear, has a chorus melody that is so stirring and so breathlessly catchy - that I sometimes can't help but imagine it as the underscore for a soaring musical payoff in a fantastical film setting. The leaping structure in the scale and the precise execution of melody (including the verses) lend it the credentials that I recognise in really great film music themes; and it's this sort of thing which has gladly filled some of the void I've personally felt opening up in the actual genre of modern movie music - and more pertinently in regards to its struggle to find really great main themes which resonate. So then a quick search on YouTube revealed that I'm obviously not the first person to think along these lines: Granted, it's not an ideal arrangement by any stretch, but it's still an enthusiastic and spirited recording which taps quite well into the potential of the song as a musical theme. There's quite a few uploads like it. Speaking of the actual music, I think the original recording sans the lyric is an astounding production, one of the best I've ever heard (played very loud): So does anybody else do this sort of thing? Daydream about other, 'polar opposite genres', when listening to music? Sharkissimo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 I actually noticed Chandelier's melody. Though it didnt scream film theme to me. Arpy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted July 3, 2017 Author Share Posted July 3, 2017 As I said, it's something which has fairly recently developed into a bit of a preoccupation of mine. To spot strong, distinctly structured melodies in 'other' music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasey Kockroach 2,344 Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 https://youtu.be/NaDrcT3UxZw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not Mr. Big 4,639 Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 The theme song to "Reading Rainbow" sounds like a classic John Williams fantasy theme from the 80's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Still looking for a decent substitute for good old-fashioned film music I see, Lee? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnome in Plaid 219 Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbellamy 6,286 Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkissimo 1,973 Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Great idea for a thread. Not Mr. Big 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488 Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 This one would be great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo 3,709 Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 I think Lana Del Rey's debut album is full of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,504 Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Lots of them, especially in prog rock, art rock and symphonic rock. The Alan Parsons Project, for example, has dozens of "film music soundalikes". And about a million examples in electronica, but unless there are vocals (like, say, M83, Susanne Sundfør etc.), they wouldn't qualify as 'songs'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpy 4,145 Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 St Vincent's album, 'Actor' was inspired by movies she had seen, a few of the tracks seem like they would make good movie themes. In this case, with 'The Party', the chorus is an excellent theme. Another one: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkissimo 1,973 Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Most of Scott Walker's work has an expansive, cinematic quality, but the epitome of this (and also my favourite Walker album) is Climate of Hunter. Check out Sleepwalkers Woman. The modal i-IV interchange in the prechorus of Talk Talk's Time It's Time ('as bad as bad becomes') sounds very cinematic (Horner, Goldsmith), especially with that Newman-ish 1 > #7 / 5 > #4 ostinato above it. Combine that with Mark Hollis's near-inaudible words, and the chanting choir and gated snares that almost prefigure Zimmer's Lion King. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,363 Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 Dream Theater has some catchy melodies that could work as film themes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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