Article written by Michelle Contarino (film) and Lauren Johnston (music).
The Sound of Music (1965)
The Sound of Music is a 1965 musical drama film starring Julie Andrews in her earlier acting years as she plays a young Austrian woman named Maria von Trapp who becomes the governess of a naval officer Captain's seven children. Many musical numbers are included, and the story-line captures the free-spirit of adulthood and the love of life and song in an all-out amazing film. The film grossed 286.2 million in the box office and remains, to this day, a timeless classic.
The Sound of Music soundtrack was originally released by RCA Victor, and since then it has become widely known as the most successful soundtrack album in history. Not only has this soundtrack sold over 20 million copies, but it has also released soundtracks in German, Spanish, Italian and French. The soundtrack reached the number one position on the Billboard 200 in 1965 and remained in the top ten for a record of 109 weeks.
Grease (1978)
Grease is a 1978 musical romantic comedy film that stars John Travolta as the leather jacket wearing bad boy Danny Zuko, and Olivia Newton-John as sweetheart Sandy Olsson. Stealing the show with his swagger and song numbers, John Travolta attempts to win the girl and a car race. The film grossed 395 million in the box office and is a film that'll ring a bell as soon as you hear the word 'lightning'.
The film, originally released by Polydor Records, is one of my favourite films and contains one of my favourite songs, "You're the One That I Want", a US and UK No. 1 for stars John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Having sold 28 million copies worldwide makes it one of the best-selling albums of all time, also ranking amongst the biggest selling soundtrack albums of all time such as The Sound of Music.
Footloose (1984)
Footloose is a 1984 musical drama film starring Kevin Bacon as he plays a teenager who moves to the town of Bomont from Chicago, only to discover that he's found himself in a place where rock music and dance is banned. Through the power of upbeat feet and charm, Kevin Bacon dances his way into our hearts as he attempts to bring back the groove. The film grossed 80 million dollars domestically when it was released and is still fairly well-known.
The original nine-track album was released in 1984 and reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart on April 21, 1984. It wasn’t until June 30, 1984 that the album was sadly dethroned because, like all good songs, over time it gets played too often and people stop listening. When it was released again in 1998, four extra tracks were added. In 2002, Sony International released the Australian Souvenir Edition (aka Australian Cast Special Edition). Two mega-mixes were added to the album, featuring the Australian cast of the Footloose musical. Ever since the original Footloose film was premiered, every artist or music company that could get their shot at remastering the soundtrack did exactly just that.
Dirty Dancing (1987)
Dirty Dancing is a 1987 romantic drama dance film that stars Patrick Swayze as the loyal and loveable Johnny, who teaches Frances "Baby" Houseman, played by Jennifer Grey, to dance. These two young adults face difficulties that come with being in love through a film that does everything to steal the spotlight. The film grossed 214 million in the box office and, if you remember the line, "Nobody puts baby in a corner", then you've probably seen or heard about this film.
Not only is the film itself amazing, but so is the soundtrack. The Dirty Dancing soundtrack album became a huge commercial success, selling 32 million copies worldwide, and is one of the best-selling albums of all time. In the United States, the album spent 18 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album sales charts and went multi-platinum.
Ghost (1990)
Ghost is a 1990 romantic fantasy thriller film starring Patrick Swayze as Sam Wheat, a man who is shot dead in a money-grabbing scam by his supposed best friend, becoming a ghost to save his partner Molly Jensen, played by Demi Moore, from the same fate. Although this film has less music than the other films in this list, its music scenes are iconic. The film grossed 505.7 million dollars in the box office and is still quite memorable for its romantic pottery scene.
Ghost is the official soundtrack, on the Milan Records label, of the 1990 Academy Award- and Golden Globe-winning film Ghost, starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. Not only does it have a very interesting mix of songs included, ranging from soft and sad loving music, to a little more intense, uplifting and thrilling music, it also went on to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score.
Mamma Mia! (2008)
Mamma Mia! is a 2008 jukebox musical romantic comedy that harnesses brilliant music and talented actors in a whirlwind story-line of "Who's the father?"… but not in the way you'd expect. The film grossed 615.7 million in the box office and is critically acclaimed as the fifth-highest grossing film in 2008. It's even in for a sequel, coming out later this year.
The soundtrack album for the 2008 Universal Pictures musical film Mamma Mia! based on the stage musical of the same name, is also one of my favourite movies. The recording was produced by Benny Andersson, who had also produced with Björn Ulvaeus, the original ABBA recordings. Many of the musicians from the original ABBA recordings participated in making the soundtrack album. The musical arrangements featured the use of traditional Greek instruments, most noticeably the bouzouki, which many people liked as it gave it a bit more authenticity.
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