Ever since the invention of motion pictures, music has been used to convey emotion; especially in silent films. Comedies and horror movies had to envelope the viewer into a feeling. However, I wanted to bring your attention to music that wasn’t IN a movie but was utilized for credits or movie previews. Songs, that seem like either they wrote the movie or the movie wrote them.
Bumblebee - Back to Life
Recently, I watch the latest installment of the Transformers saga, Bumblebee. I was floored with this movie. The main character needed B as much is B needed her. From the moment they met, there was a family like connection. The point is, Back To Life by Hailee is a great song, but when you listen to it in the context of Bumblebee it has a whole new presence.
About Time
Take About Time for example; that movie was an absolute emotional roller coaster. The young man, with the inherited ability to time travel, used Wake Me Up by Avicii in its preview and was the perfect song to set the tone, despite it not being included in the movie itself. I cannot listen to that song without it bringing me back to the movie, not only because of the previews, but because the song emotionally connected the viewer to the story.
Nanny McPhee
In the Mid-2000s, the movieNanny McPhee debuted utilizingEvery Little Thing She Doesby The Police. Nanny McPhee, was a nanny of course, but with magical abilities. A great story teaching morals and values. The Police song, in combination with the preview, have the children and adults alike hyped about this movie. Spoiler alert……This song is also not in the movie, much to my disappointment, however again I cannot listen to that song without thinking of that movie.
Time Traveler’s Wife
Since the 1990s I have been a major fan of the band Lifehouse. I love all of their music, however their song Broken was brought to a whole new level when it was utilized in the advertisement forThe Time Travelers Wife. This movie was a different spin on time traveling from the above mentioned About Time, but we all knew the ending ever since the beginning. We just didn’t know or understand how or why the ending was going to happen. The song Broken was so perfectly matched for this movie that I cannot tell whether the song enhanced the movie or the movie enhanced the song.
Act of Valor
The last example I have for you isFor YoubyKeith Urbanwritten for the movie. This one is certainly different, because I know it was written specifically for the movie. However this song; perfectly displays the marriage between movies and music. Separately, the music and the movie could stand on their own, however their impact is exponentially enhanced when they are “married“.
Next time you watch a movie, pay attention to the music that is utilized. Some movies have fad music in them, but some bring it to a whole new level.