ICONIC MOVIE MUSIC AND THEME SONGS

Here's some fun for the day.......

TRIVIA:  ( Answer below)
What is the only Portuguese-speaking Latin American Country?

BRAIN TEASER:  (Answer below)
How much dirt is there in a hole that measures two feet by three feet by four feet?

JOKE:  
Q:  What do calendars eat?
A:  Dates.

QUOTE:
"Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid."
(John Wayne)

COMIC FUN:

TRICIA'S TWEET OF THE DAY:
To avoid being stung, stay away from the bees.


ICONIC MOVIE MUSIC AND THEME SONGS

Today I'm looking at those famous musical scores or songs that could be considered iconic.    To me, an iconic movie song or theme music practically makes the movie.   The movie is great on it's own, but when you add the music, it kicks it up a notch.    There's a couple of things I'm looking at on this one.   When you hear these songs or themes, you know right away what movie it's from and you can almost picture scenes from the movie.   Songs that add to the aura, make the movie scarier, make you want to stand up and cheer or make you feel emotion.   Before you look at the list, think of what songs you think may be on the list.   Write them down or jot them in your mind.   Odds are, when you check my list, we are bound to have lots of the same songs in mind.  That's what makes them iconic.  Enjoy.

HERE'S THE LIST:

1.  JAWS  
I think it's pretty hard to look at the picture at the top of this page and not have the theme music play in your head.   John Williams won an Academy Award for this score.  Basically, the music was heard more than the shark was seen.   When you hear the music, it implied that the shark was near.     The theme music was a pattern of 2 notes played by a Tuba.   I'd venture to guess many a person has hummed this tune to themselves or someone else when they venture into the ocean.   I'm not sure that I have  been back in the ocean  since seeing this movie.


2.  PYSCHO

The music from Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho' is definitely iconic.    The screeching of the violins during the shower scene are legendary and very recognizable.    Alfred Hitchcock felt the musical score in this movie was a large part of the success of the movie.    Bernard Herrmann was the composer and worked regularly with Alfred Hitchcock.   Hitchcock originally did not want music for the shower scene.  Hermann ignored Hitchcock's instruction not to score the shower sequence.   When Hitchcock   saw the completed scenes with Herrmann's shrieking violins, he gave his nod of approval.   "But Hitch,"  Herrmann asked...."I thought you didn't want any music during the shower sequence?"   To which Hitchcock replied...."Improper suggestion, my boy, improper suggestion."   





3.  ROCKY

Who can think of the movie Rocky without thinking of the song "Gonna Fly Now".  It gets me fired up every time I hear it and makes me want to grab a gray sweatsuit and run up and down the stairs of our house.   This song was composed by Bill Conti





4.  STAR WARS

Two things I'm thinking of here.   Not only the opening theme music which is incredible, but also the Darth Vader theme music that plays whenever Darth is approaching.   John Williams is the composer of this music.   Sound familiar?   That's because we just mentioned him in #1.   He also composed the "Jaws" theme.    The Darth Vader theme is actually called "March of the Empire" or "The Imperial March".  This particular music has moved beyond the movie and is often played randomly to imply imposing doom.   You'll hear it frequently played by the bands at sporting events.


5.  THE GODFATHER

There's 2 in here too.    The song people are most familiar with is probably "The Love Theme from The Godfather".   I think that's the more famous of the two.   The opening music is called "The Godfather Waltz'.    I think both pieces of music add to the movie and it really brings the emotion of the movie to fruition.    Whenever I hear this music I was to grab a cannoli and talk raspy like Marlon Brando.


6.   CASABLANCA

This music was composed by Max Steiner   You'll see his name in the next movie music I mention too.   The music from this movie instantly takes you to that era.   "As Time Goes By" is a classic.  My favorite version of this song is by Jimmy Durante.   In the movie, Humphrey Bogart never says "Play it again, Sam" although this quote if often attributed to him and the movie.    He just said "Play it!".    Well..... "Here's lookin' at you kid....."


7.  GONE WITH THE WIND

The score from this movie was also composed by Max Steiner.    It's hard not to get misty when "Tara's Theme" plays at the beginning and end of this movie.    Absolute classic and very recognizable.    Imagine Scarlet standing at the tree above at the end of the movie without that song playing.   Just wouldn't be the same.   I truly get chills every time I hear this song.

8.   THE EXORCIST

The eery repeating musical score in this movie is called "Tubular Bells".    Recognizable and enhances the movie.    Sets the mood of the movie.


9.  RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

Guess who composed this one?   John Williams.   He was quite the movie composer, wasn't he?    It makes my list because it is recognizable and enhances the movie.    Very uplifting tune and I think it captures who Indiana Jones is.   I feel adventurous every time I hear it.


10.   JAMES BOND: 007 (any of them)

This theme song uses a surf rock style guitar riff.    It's pretty much impossible to sit still at the beginning of any James Bond flick when this music begins.    I always want to turn my head in dramatic ways and hunch down like a secret agent.

(added later)
My friend Tracy H mentioned a few and one of them I had meant to put on here, so .....

11:  HALLOWEEN

This is truly some great music that adds to the scariness of the movie.   Wouldn't be the same without this music.    See Tracy H comment below on info for this music.
HONORABLE MENTION:

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

This one didn't make my top 10, but I give this one honorable mention.   It's a great theme song.   It didn't make my list only because I think a lot of people recognize it, but aren't sure right off which movie it's from.   Lots of  "I know this tune....it's some Western".     I may be wrong about that though.


FOREST GUMP

It's a great soundtrack, but most of the songs when you hear them were popular already, so you don't naturally attribute them to the movie.   However, "The Feather Theme" which is the Forest Gump theme is very recognizable and captures the personality of Forest Gump.



LOVE STORY

***added this one when I saw  Tracy H comment.   It's true.  The music was a big part of this classic film.    See Tracy H comment below for info on this music.


Well.....there's some of the music that comes to my mind when I think iconic theme music.   Quite possibly you thought of some of the same ones.



TRIVIA ANSWER:
Brazil 

BRAIN TEASER ANSWER:
There is no dirt in a hole

Until next time.......