Among the many playlists I have to choose from while studying, my favorite one is full of movie soundtracks that make me feel something — from wanting to quit everything and move to the countryside to wanting to work harder and savor this feeling for the rest of my life. Here are some of the best orchestral movie soundtracks you can listen to if you want to melt your everyday surroundings away:
- “Leaving Hogwarts” (John Williams, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone)
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This classic and well-known theme song of the beloved Harry Potter series itself will take you back to both your childhood and straight to the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Composed by John Williams, the iconic song is one of the most memorable parts of the entire franchise. Revealed in the first movie, this song returns in the epilogue scene of the eighth and final one, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2. As one of the closing tracks of the album, this song will make you wish you were on The Hogwarts Express instead, on the way there instead of leaving.
- “Test Drive” (John Powell, How to Train Your Dragon)
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After someone told me to listen to “Test Drive” the next time I was taking off on a plane, my life has never been the same. John Powell’s entire album designed for the Dreamworks trilogy, How to Train Your Dragon, is stunning, and the best of the songs is “Test Drive”. You hear it first when protagonist Hiccup has his first test flight with Toothless and his new tail. The beautiful piece paired with one of the best scenes in the movie strikes a chord within as we can feel the stakes at the moment, followed by the feeling of freedom. Versions of the song can also be heard throughout the other pieces in the movie. Listening to the entire album, really, will make you wish dragons as cute as Toothless were real.
- “Orchard House” (Thomas Newman, Little Women [1994])
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Little Women is a story that has been retold over and over again for a good reason. And as much as I adore Greta Gerwig’s take on the 2019version, one thing that can never be beat is Thomas Newman’s soundtrack from the 1994 version, directed by Gillian Armstrong and starring Winona Ryder. The entire soundtrack is beloved, but “Orchard House” is the main title that encapsulates the perfect sentiment of Christmas, friends, family, and growth that defines Louisa May Alcott’s timeless story. Listening to it while studying will make you feel as though snow is falling wherever you are.
- “How to Find the Good Ones” (Dan Romer, Luca)
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Pixar’s Luca was one of the defining movies of the summer, and Dan Romer’s soundtrack captures the freedom, happiness, and the bits of fear that are seen in Luca’s journey in Portorosso, hiding his true self but also finding a new part of himself along the way. “How to Find the Good Ones” is titled after a quote at the end of the movie, when Luca and Alberto have been revealed as sea monsters. Luca’s grandmother reassures her own daughter, saying, “Some people, they’ll never accept him, but some will and he seems to know how to find the good ones.” You can listen to this song anywhere, and it’ll simply just make you happy. (Maybe happier if you were in Italy).
- “Cornfield Chase” (Hans Zimmer, Interstellar)
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Listening to this track is like listening to the universe. I’ll personally never be able to forget the first time I watched Interstellar. In the mere 2 minutes and 7 seconds, Hans Zimmer gives us a buildup from nothing into a great crescendo, similar to the buildup of emotions when listening to this song. It’ll make you feel like moving through a time warp or a trance, will remind you of the limitless potential of humanity and the entire universe that is left to discover. There’s a sense of wonder, euphoria, and an inexplicable hint of despair. Zimmer and director Christopher Nolan bring alive a seemingly simple scene together in the genius movie that is Interstellar. Definitely listen to this song while studying. You might gain some superpowers.
These 5 songs are just part of my perfect background music to escape when I’m inside a dreary dorm or loud GSU. Whether it takes you to Hogwarts, Italy, or even space, music is the constant reminder that there is more to life than our screens and scores.
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