The piece of music you associate with outer space / space travel the most

[Fabulin 3,510]

I am curious about your associations. Mine might be a bit vanilla, but there it is:

 

[Jay 37,281]

 

[Bespin 8,475]

Well, last time I traveled into space, I listened to some of these scores and it was very nice:

 

- Tron: Legacy (Datf Punk)

- Blade Runner (Vangelis)

- Alien (Goldsmith)

- Total Recall (Goldsmith)

- Avatar (Hornier)

- Wrath of Khan (even Hornier)

- WALL-E (Newman)

- Contact (Silvestri)

- The Avengers: End Game (Silvestri)

- CE3K (Williams)

- Moon (Mansell)

[Edmilson 7,384]

Well, the music that pops on my head when I think about space travel is... well, pretty obvious and dull.

 

 

Yes, it's the Courage theme arranged by Gia.

[Marian Schedenig 8,172]

Thanks to Carl Sagan:

 

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

The Asteroild Field performed by the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra

 

But all the SW stuff works too, so do Goldsmith ST (plus Courage main Title), Williams' Superman, E.T., CE3K

[MikeH 768]

 

[Bespin 8,475]

15 minutes ago, MikeH said:

 

 

NO. This score represents a late 70s party on acid, not a space travel.

[Manakin Skywalker 4,890]

 

[karelm 2,903]

 

[SteveMc 2,674]

You know what's funny?  

I don't associate a lot of "space music" with Space. 

Like Star Wars I associate with heroism, CE3K with myth and human triumph, Star Trek with exploration and human progress, Moonraker with what Bespin said.

 

But The Planets, which is not really about space at all, I do associate with space!

[Datameister 2,037]

Seconding The Planets. Even though it's more "about" the astrological associations, I was exposed to the suite at a young age, probably right around when I started getting fascinated with space.

 

One of the most delightfully "spacey" bits from Star Wars is the very end of the battle of Hoth. Williams used some of the same sounds in the more developed passage as they leave Tatooine in the next film, and then much later when leaving Jakku in TFA.

 

And then there's the space episode of The Magic School Bus. Those twinkly 90s synths take me into orbit every time.

[Thor 7,463]

I actually did a podcast episode on this very topic in 2014. It's in Norwegian, but you can click the playlist to see some of my favourites within this "genre":

 

http://celluloidtunes.no/celluloid-tunes-24-musikk-fra-verdensrom-filmer/

[Bryant Burnette 654]

It's the Blue Danube Waltz for me.

[Chen G. 3,943]

The Transformation scene from Parsifal.

 

I always thought the Dresden Amen from that score could take Also Sparch Zarathustra's place in 2001: A Space Odyssey and sound just as momentous.

[Nick1Ø66 4,687]

 

 

[bored 306]

I second "The Asteroid Field", but if I had to pick another piece that I love listening to when the stars are out, I have to go with this:

 

[Nick1Ø66 4,687]

 

[Tom 4,633]

 

[ZenLogic101 4]

 

 

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

2 hours ago, Nick1Ø66 said:

 

 

The coloured hole, you mean.

[GerateWohl 4,326]

 

[Loert 2,510]

Outer space:

 

 

Travelling through space:

 

 

[Thor 7,463]

High brow.

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

 

[Loert 2,510]

 

[crocodile 7,983]

Saturn, the fifth movement from The Planets. It is probably because it created a certain harmonic language associated with outer space that then was incorporated into the very finest ST and SW epics in various ways. 

 

Karol

[rough cut 1,714]

 

[eitam 364]

I tend to think of space as a dark, cold, empty place, so something like this:

 

 

 

But it can also be awe-inspiring, in an out-of-time way, and I thought Max Richter's music in Ad Astra evokes that feeling quite well:

 

 

[toothless 963]

Says - Nils Frahm

[Datameister 2,037]

1 hour ago, crocodile said:

Saturn, the fifth movement from The Planets. It is probably because it created a certain harmonic language associated with outer space that then was incorporated into the very finest ST and SW epics in various ways. 

 

Karol

 

I get the most spacey vibes from Neptune. That one is a lonely, mysterious journey into the dark outer parts of the solar system. Love it.

[MedigoScan 324]

On 8/12/2021 at 10:24 PM, Fabulin said:

I am curious about your associations. Mine might be a bit vanilla, but there it is:

 

 

Goddamn it is is this.

Second place goes to the Star Wars Opening Crawl tho.

 

The soundtrack for Moon, Sunshine and Gattaca's ending also came to my mind

 

Space travel alternates between majestic and calmly terrifying to me.

[Marian Schedenig 8,172]

1 hour ago, Datameister said:

I get the most spacey vibes from Neptune. That one is a lonely, mysterious journey into the dark outer parts of the solar system. Love it.

 

Yes! Other parts have their spacey elements, but Neptune is the only one that really sounds like a "realistic" portrayal of the planet, as viewed from the Earth, to me. It used to be my least favourite movement, but it's become one of the most special, and also (paradoxically) one that feels more representative of the suite as a whole than some of the more immediately popular bits.

 

The opening chords of Richard Strauss' Aus Italien have always had something extremely spacey for me:

 

Much like the Largo from Dvorak's 9th symphony (even before I heard a very similar sequence used as the opening for a STTMP episode):

 

[MedigoScan 324]

Neptune is certainly the best way to end that whole suite

I myself have always liked the Uranus section, because I just love how whimsy and near-deranged it is... But it is also the least spacey.

[Datameister 2,037]

I honestly love every movement of that suite. Venus drags a little for me, and I wouldn't mind if Mercury were a little longer, but the writing is just perfection.

[Manakin Skywalker 4,890]

 

[Bespin 8,475]

Venus..... oh Venus....

 

[crocodile 7,983]

7 hours ago, Datameister said:

 

I get the most spacey vibes from Neptune. That one is a lonely, mysterious journey into the dark outer parts of the solar system. Love it.

Yes, that is also true.

 

Karol

[A24 4,326]

Ever since I watched Mr. Nobody, I associate Gabriel Faure's Pavane, Op. 50 with the planet Mars. It was also then that I started to wonder why classical music and space are such great match. And it's probably also the reason why I love the score to Star Wars (A New Hope for you newbies) more than the other Episodes. It's the closest Williams ever got to writing classical music (because that's what Lucas initially wanted?). 

 

[crocodile 7,983]

"Copying classical music", you mean?

 

Karol

[A24 4,326]

All composers copy, we just don't always know the sources.

[Arpy 4,145]

I think there's an aspect of adventure, discovery and danger, and a yearning to strive towards better ideals - Star Trek's music captures that, but here's a selection of tracks that I associate with space:

• Star Trek Voyager Main Theme
• Alien Main Theme
• Star Trek Beyond Yorktown Theme
• Wall-E: The Axiom
• Star Wars - Imperial Attack (Escape Pod section)
• Star Wars Princess Leia's Theme
• Star Wars The Force Awakens - Arrival on Takodana
• Cowboy Bebop : Space Lion

 

[karelm 2,903]

On 8/12/2021 at 3:49 PM, MikeH said:

 

Barry was always excellent in his space music and this one is a standout.  This one is also excellent and deep in the midst of the space age!

 

[TheUlyssesian 2,473]

On 8/13/2021 at 2:08 AM, Bryant Burnette said:

It's the Blue Danube Waltz for me.

 

This. You know why. 

 

If you've ever seen the movie in 70 mm on a giant screen, you will never be able to shake the association.

[Michael Scorefan 4]

It depends on what part of travel.  With respect to launching into space, I imagine the music for the launch sequence for Apollo 13 and the launch sequence for Armageddon.

 

For travel through space, mostly Star Trek music: the main theme from TMP, the music from Star Trek II when it leaves ship dock, Enterprising Young Men from Star Trek.  

 

As much as I love Star Wars, for the most part the music played during space travel comes after things have gone to hell and a ship is being chased, shot at, or trying to dodge asteroids and the music reflects that.  That said, when I think of traveling through space and arriving at the destination, I think of the music for when the Falcon arrives at Bespin and lands at Cloud City, or when Obi-Wan arrives at Kamino.  Both have a sense of wonder, mystery and danger, and the music accompanies that.

[Tallguy 3,361]

On 8/12/2021 at 11:08 PM, Bryant Burnette said:

It's the Blue Danube Waltz for me.

 

This has got to be the winner. My KIDS know that Blue Danube is space music and they have never seen 2001. But they have seen WALL-E, Phineas and Ferb, Captain Underpants the Series (IN SPACE), and probably half a dozen other things.

 

Well-- I'll throw in Gayane Ballet. But that doesn't have nearly the saturation that BD does.

 

Ok - As I am typing this I hear The Blue Danube from downstairs because my kids are watching 3Below: Tales of Arcadia and they are going to the moon!

[Jules 59]

I agree with Ad Astra! That score might not be my favourite space score ever, but it instantly springs to mind. Feels like loneliness, has that ethereal quality and the sense of beauty, all things I associate with space. 

 

Such a strange film too. I still don't know if I think it's good or not. Thematically I think it might be too tangled to be good, experientially I loved it. 

[eitam 364]

5 hours ago, Michael Scorefan said:

It depends on what part of travel.  With respect to launching into space, I imagine the music for the launch sequence for Apollo 13 and the launch sequence for Armageddon.

 

For the real-life, thrilling aspect of the space race, those two tracks from First Man are prime candidates:

 

 

 

Really one of the finest scores in recent years. 

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

Really?

[eitam 364]

Absolutely. Scientifically proven. This isn't debatable.