By Sadie York
There are many important components which make a film or television series good. However, one stand alone factor which always turns good to great is a well composed, intricately thought out and placed soundtrack. Below I’ve assembled a list of my personal favorite soundtracks, which have not only elevated the entertainment industry’s media, but make for great listening on their own.
- Big Little Lies (2017)
The things I could say about this soundtrack. Oh my gosh the list would go on and on. Never has a show’s music touched my soul quite like this one. Now, this may be a little biased as Big Little Lies is one of my favorite series of all time. However, it’s for good reason, one of them being its beautifully crafted soundtrack. I’d even argue “Cold Little Heart,” the show’s theme song, is one of the best in all of entertainment (might not top Succession’s, though). The moody, coastal energy of the show carries its way through its song selection, with a hearty blend of blues, soul, indie-rock, modern-pop, and folk. In the best way possible, the soundtrack is so melancholic, and that’s what I truly love about it. A few of my favorite, most notable tracks include:
“Cold Little Heart” – Michael Kiwanuka
“The Wind” – PJ Harvey
“Super Rich Kids” – Frank Ocean, Earl Sweatshirt
“September Song” – Agnes Obel
“Dreams” – Fleetwood Mac
“Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone” – The Temptations
“Cherish the Day” – Sade
“Clair de Lune, L. 32” – Claude Debussy, Martin Jones
“It’s My House” – Diana Ross
“Mystery of Love” – Sufjan Stevens
“Harvest Moon” – Neil Young
“Bluebird Of Happiness” – Mojave 3
“Baby” – Donnie & Joe Emerson
“You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No) – Dawn Penn
- Call Me By Your Name (2018)
Now this film here managed to curate the most heart-wrenching, beautifully tragic soundtrack of all time. Sufjan Stevens put his soul into the music of this project, and it manages to perfectly encapsulate the themes of loss, identity, and love within the film’s overarching story. The Call Me By Your Name soundtrack tells a narrative through sound. It’s a blend of Italian, 80s, and instrumental music, each song used to convey the emotional struggles belonging to each character. Intertwined with the alluring cinematography of Northern Italy, all of these songs have cemented permanent residence in my Spotify library:
“Mystery of Love” – Sufjan Stevens
“M.A.Y. In the Backyard” – Ryuichi Sakamoto
“Lady Lady Lady” – Giorgio Moroder & Joe Esposito
“Une Barque Sur L’océan” – André Laplante
“Futile Devices” – Sufjan Stevents
“Germination” – Ryuichi Sakamoto
“Love My Way” – The Psychedelic Furs
“Visions of Gideon” – Sufjan Stevens
- La La Land (2016)
I don’t think it’s much of a shock this film is on this list. I mean, this is one of the most infamous musical movies of all time, with a highly impressive award count—for good reason. Way back in 2021, there was a solid month in time where the La La Land soundtrack was all I listened to. On repeat. Every day. Largely revolving around jazz, the soundtrack includes many themes of modern jazz, hybrid jazz, and show tunes. Composed by Justin Hurwitz, the La La Land playlist blends a romantic orchestral score with 1950s jazz. While I genuinely believe this is a no-skip soundtrack, and every song deserves a mention, below I’ve compiled my very top favorites:
“Another Day Of Sun” – La La Land Cast
“Someone In The Crowd” – Emma Stone, Callie Hernandez, Sonoyo Mizuno, Jessica Rothe
“Mia & Sebastian’s Theme” – Justin Hurwitz
“A Lovely Night” – Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone
“City Of Stars” – Ryan Gosling
“Planetarium” – Justin Hurwitz
“Herman’s Habit” – Justin Hurwitz
“Epilogue” – Justin Hurwitz
- Palo Alto (2014)
Reflecting the film’s themes of teen boredom, longing, and the haze of youth, Devonte Hynes (aka Blood Orange), one of my favorite music artists of all time, dominates this dreamy, synth-pop, and ultimately melancholic soundtrack. Capturing the rawness of being a teenager, the Palo Alto soundtrack reflects the very atmospheric and nostalgic whirlwind of a carelessly wondrous youth. If there’s one word I’d used to describe the film’s music, I’d use ethereal. In fact, of all the soundtracks I’ve listed today, Palo Alto’s appears the most throughout my personal playlists. Tracks I’d certainly check out include:
“Palo Alto” – Devonte Hynes
“Champagne Coast” – Blood Orange
“5FT7” – Tonstartssbandht
“Futbol Americano” – Robert Schwartzman
“Graveyard” – Robert Schwartzman
“So Bad” – Robert Schwartzman
“April’s Daydream” – Devonte Hynes
“You’re Not Good Enough” – Blood Orange
“It’s You” – Robert Schwartzman
“Soccer Field” – Devonte Hynes
“T.M.” – Jack Kilmer