Throughout my life, I have always paid attention to the music used in movies, both the score and the soundtrack. When I am watching a movie, I notice the music and how it fits into the scene and movie as a whole. I often find myself considering how the music affects the movie and how it plays into the current scene. In this post, I discuss some of my favorite movie soundtracks and scores.
Before we dive in, I must admit that I never have been a huge movie person. Throughout my entire life, I have always preferred books over movies. I am that person who needs to read the book before I watch a movie or TV show. While some argue that it is better to read the book after watching, I personally do not agree but to each their own. Coincidentally, some of my favorite soundtracks are the soundtracks to the movies based on some of my favorite book series.
The Twilight Saga Soundtracks
In my opinion, the Twilight series has some of the best movie soundtracks. Not only do I love these soundtracks, but I also love the Twilight Saga itself. This series is one of my all-time favorite book and movie series and has been for years. Over the years these movies, books, and soundtracks have become my comfort watches, reads, and listens. I often return to them during the fall and winter months for the comfort and nostalgia they bring.
I feel that all of the songs featured on the Twilight soundtracks fit the aesthetic and vibe of the Twilight universe perfectly. Not only are these songs perfectly matched to the stories, but the music is also memorable. Anytime I hear any of the songs featured on the soundtracks, I think of Twilight instantly no matter where I am.
It is difficult for me to pick my favorite soundtrack out of the five movies in the Twilight Saga but, if I had to pick, it would be the soundtrack for 'Breaking Dawn - Part 1'. Out of all the soundtracks for this series, this soundtrack has some of my favorite songs from the entire Twilight Saga on it. For instance, the 'Breaking Dawn - Part 1' soundtrack has ‘Turning Page’ by Sleeping at Last, ‘Flightless Bird, American Mouth - Wedding Version’ by Iron & Wine, and ‘Cold’ by Aqualung and Lucy Schwartz.
In addition to the songs mentioned above, some of my favorite songs from the other soundtracks in the Twilight Saga are ‘Rosyln’ by Bon Ives and St. Vincent, ‘Decode’ by Paramore, and ‘Let Me Sign’ by Robert Pattinson.
The Hunger Games Series Soundtracks
The soundtracks from the now five Hunger Games movies are also, in my opinion, some of the best of the best. Like Twilight, I have loved the Hunger Games series for many years; it is another one of my favorite book and movie series of all time. Oddly enough, these are also some of my comfort reads, watches, and listens even though the plot is far from comfy and cozy.
I am currently back in my Hunger Games phase due to the release of the new movie based on the prequel novel: ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’. If you haven’t read the book or seen the movie yet, I highly suggest that you do. The book, movie, and soundtrack are all amazing.
While I enjoy all of the soundtracks from the Hunger Games series, the soundtrack for ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ is my personal favorite. This soundtrack is stacked with songs from amazing artists and bands including Charles Wesley Godwin, Flatland Cavalry, Sierra Ferrel, Bella White, and Billy Strings.
Additionally, if you have seen or read ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’, you already know that one of the main characters, Lucy Gray Baird is a singer-songwriter herself. Rachel Zegler, who portrays Lucy Gray and sings her songs, did an outstanding job with them. The movie adaptation of the songs from the book turned out better than I could have ever imagined. While I think all are great, my personal favorites are ‘Pure As The Driven Snow’ and ‘Nothing You Can Take From Me’.
Some of my other favorite songs from the Hunger Games series soundtracks include, but are not limited to, ‘Wool’ by Flatland Cavalry, ‘Safe & Sound’ by Taylor Swift, ‘Can’t Catch Me Now’ by Olivia Rodrigo, and ‘Gale Song’ by The Lumineers. ‘Wool’ is definitely my current favorite; recently I have been playing this song on loop for excessive amounts of time.
The Batman (2022) Score:
One lesser-known fact about me is that I love ‘The Batman’ (2022). You know, the one with Edward Cullen - I mean Robert Pattinson. Back when it was still in theaters, I saw this movie six times in theaters. Six times! That’s how much I like it.
Not only do I love this movie, but I also love the score that accompanies it as well. I find that it fits the movie perfectly. I feel that this score helps to set the appropriate ambiance and atmosphere for ‘The Batman’.
Just to illustrate how much I enjoy this score: last year, my sixth top-streamed album on Spotify was the movie score for The Batman. I have studied and fallen asleep listening to this score countless times.
A Star Is Born (2018):
I know this rendition of ‘A Star Is Born’ is sometimes met with mixed reviews but, personally, I love this movie and its accompanying soundtrack. I think it was beautifully done and that Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper were excellent choices for this film. Not only do they have on-screen chemistry, but their voices also beautifully complement each other.
My favorites from this soundtrack are ‘I’ll Never Love Again’, ‘Always Remember Us This Way’, and ‘Shallow’. I know, I know. Everyone loves ‘Shallow’, but there’s a reason for that: it’s a good song.
These are just some of my favorite movie soundtracks. If you would like to check them out, you can listen on Spotify (or wherever you get your music, but the links are to Spotify): Twilight / New Moon / Eclipse / Breaking Dawn - Part 1 / Breaking Dawn - Part 2 / The Hunger Games / Catching Fire / Mockingjay Part 1 / Mockingjay Part 2 / The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes / The Batman / A Star Is Born.
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