Movies When did movies sto having their own unique theme songs?

[Frode Falch]

I miss the times when most movies had their own theme melody. If it was a good movie, the theme would give you goosebumps when it played during a epic scene.

But i feel like this kinda disappeared around mid or late 2000. I remember being a bit disappointed in the Batman begins theme. Because that basically sound like a backing synth you would have in the background of a real tune.

The 80s and 90s where full of themes. In all types of movies: Beverly Hills cop, braveheart, Titanic, Jason Bourne, Burton Batman, Jurassic Park, crimson tide, ect ect

All very different types of movie. But everyone with a theme.

Is this a thing? Or am i just turning into a old bitter fart.

Maybe both

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

GOAT

 

[Other]

GOAT

I was in a car with three other Air Force dudes and we were going to the gate at Miramar blasting this song. We were all wearing aviators and I handed the marine my ID and asked, "How do we get to the danger zone?"

He handed my ID back and said, "It's not dangerous here"

He legit didn't get it.

 

[Thrawn33]

I was in a car with three other Air Force dudes and we were going to the gate at Miramar blasting this song. We were all wearing aviators and I handed the marine my ID and asked, "How do we get to the danger zone?"

He handed my ID back and said, "It's not dangerous here"

He legit didn't get it.

He was a Marine on gate duty, you were expecting too much....

 

[HereticBD]

I don't think they've stopped. Just nothing is very memorable. I did kind of notice movies start to copy and paste themes in the early 00's. There's a theme from "The Fountain" they used to promote so many blockbusters. Even LOTR borrowed it.

 

[Fuzzybabyducks]

I remember her Jurassic park, Indian Jones and back to future ones the most prolly

Yeah not sure the music hits that much anymore with new movies where you hear it and think of a movie

 

[mozfonky]

I miss the times when most movies had their own theme melody. If it was a good movie, the theme would give you goosebumps when it played during a epic scene.

But i feel like this kinda disappeared around mid or late 2000. I remember being a bit disappointed in the Batman begins theme. Because that basically sound like a backing synth you would have in the background of a real tune.

The 80s and 90s where full of themes. In all types of movies: Beverly Hills cop, braveheart, Titanic, Jason Bourne, Burton Batman, Jurassic Park, crimson tide, ect ect

All very different types of movie. But everyone with a theme.

Is this a thing? Or am i just turning into a old bitter fart.

Maybe both

I dunno, heard that before though, some people say that the latter composers like Hans Zimmerman and Danny Elfman just can't change their styles. The guys from old Hollywood, like the great Bernard Hermann, could tailor a soundtrack to fit the movie.

 

[moreorless87]

I miss the times when most movies had their own theme melody. If it was a good movie, the theme would give you goosebumps when it played during a epic scene.

But i feel like this kinda disappeared around mid or late 2000. I remember being a bit disappointed in the Batman begins theme. Because that basically sound like a backing synth you would have in the background of a real tune.

The 80s and 90s where full of themes. In all types of movies: Beverly Hills cop, braveheart, Titanic, Jason Bourne, Burton Batman, Jurassic Park, crimson tide, ect ect

All very different types of movie. But everyone with a theme.

Is this a thing? Or am i just turning into a old bitter fart.

Lots of those you mention didnt really have "songs" or soundtracks made up of a lot of songs from famous bands, they just have a memorable theme.

I do think it became a kind of "90's event" film, stuff like Batman Forever(which I think is the peak of it in terms of how successful it was), Men In Black, Godzilla, etc and when that kind of blockbuster dropped out of fashion when LOTR and the Matrix hit you saw a decline in the soundtracks as well.

 

[Pliny Pete]

Probably right around the same time movie soundtracks stopped selling

 

[Aegon Spengler]

Wonder Woman and Cap America had themes, they still sort of exist here and there. Jon Wick I think had a theme song?

 

[mjmj]

Probably worth mentioning, there haven’t been many original movies given any real push for quite some time. That and the fact soundtracks no longer sell, it just doesn’t make sense any more.

 

[Long Dark Blues]

As far as movie songs go:

1.) Star Wars Imperial March
2.) Ghostbusters
3.) Dirty Dancing Time of My Life
4.) Beverly Hills Cop theme
5.) Back to the Future The Power of Love
6.) The Muppet Movie Rainbow Connection
7.) Footloose

That's all I can remember off the top of my head.

 

[Pliny Pete]

As far as movie songs go:

1.) Star Wars Imperial March
2.) Ghostbusters
3.) Dirty Dancing Time of My Life
4.) Beverly Hills Cop theme
5.) Back to the Future The Power of Love
6.) The Muppet Movie Rainbow Connection
7.) Footloose

That's all I can remember off the top of my head.

How are you forgetting the hottest song of last year

 

[mjmj]

As far as movie songs go:

1.) Star Wars Imperial March
2.) Ghostbusters
3.) Dirty Dancing Time of My Life
4.) Beverly Hills Cop theme
5.) Back to the Future The Power of Love
6.) The Muppet Movie Rainbow Connection
7.) Footloose

That's all I can remember off the top of my head.

Forgot the best one.

 

[Madmick]

They are definitely more sparse. Hans Zimmer won't be around forever. Enjoy him while he lasts.

 

[cmw43]

I don't think they've stopped. Just nothing is very memorable. I did kind of notice movies start to copy and paste themes in the early 00's. There's a theme from "The Fountain" they used to promote so many blockbusters. Even LOTR borrowed it.

What's the theme? You talking about the Requiem for a Dream music?

 

[cmw43]

They are definitely more sparse. Hans Zimmer won't be around forever. Enjoy him while he lasts.

Ramin Djawadi is doing some great work.

He does GoT, House of the Dragon, Westworld and Fallout plus a bunch more film, TV and videogames.

 

[jx820]

Some people seem to be conflating the sound track and the score. Every movie still has a score unless it's consciously omitted (e.g. No Country for Old Men). Usually its an original score.

Original sound tracks with theme songs released as an album have become less common. The commercial OST faded out with physical media. It hasn't completely gone away. It's more common in certain genres and audiences than others. It seems like it's more common today to cobble together pre-existing music, or create new covers, than to create something original.

In the days of Saturday Night Fever and Footloose the soundtrack could make more money than the movie. It would take billions of Spotify streams to make up the same revenue that a gold record would have made and strategically its probably not the best ancillary any more.

 

[Foots]

The Forrest Gump score is awesome. We need more music like that in movies.

 

[Plissken]

Scores are just kind of boring now, there's nothing unique or interesting about them that help to make the movies themselves memorable, though there are some good ones that are pure ambient atmosphere driven (usually horror) that enhance the experience without needing to be too memorable.
Even the Avengers theme for the Marvel movies is pretty boring and that's at least an attempt at a unique theme. Maybe it's just that a lot of the old school composers have either passed away, are retired, or are past their primes and new composers just aren't as talented?

I think it's just part of a lot of films in general not being as well made all around; the film school generation of the late 60's to early 80's were influenced by the masters and pioneers from the first 50-60 years of the industry but now we have people influenced by that generation or the generation after and it just gets watered down so there's not as many unique voices since it becomes a copy of a copy of a copy, like watching a Youtube video or gif that gets degraded after every copy so you get potato quality images.
Then you have the more "unique" filmmakers that are making non-mainstream stuff but all seem to want to make weirdo sex pervert films shot like a serious art movie, so they aren't actually very unique either since they are all doing the same shit.

I think this also applies to composers who are unfortunately watered down versions of their influences instead of being unique voices. It could also be that the composers chosen do so as they do quick work or are chosen because they have a bland style that is safe and isn't potentially off-putting to producers who seem to control most Hollywood films more than directors do since so much of the Hollywood product seems to be made to be "safe" these days.