Does soundtrack music have a genre?

Potential-Monke

So I'm having a 'disagreement' with a colleague at work. He's of the opinion that music from films has a genre. He referenced 'Pure Imagination' stating he wanted to know what genre the music is. I'm of the opinion that it doesn't have a specific genre as it was written for the film to enhance it, similar to most films that don't have a genre for the music as it was written for the film (Inception soundtrack for example).

Am I correct, or do soundtracks have genres if they were written for the film (i'm not including actual songs used in a film, more the songs/soundtrack written for a specific film).

If i'm not right, what genre would Pure Imagination be?

UrbanSprawl

Id say it is a genre ..if you type indie music into youtube that what you get ,same for 'soundtrack music'...genres are like tags.

genre
a style or category of art, music, or literature.

Rothko

I wouldn't call it a genre. As for Pure Imagination, I think you could consider it a pop song. It's actually something that I could easily have imagined Sinatra singing.

Potential-Monke

See, I'd be of the opinion soundtrack is technically a genre, but it's broad. Like, Time from the Inception soundtrack. You can't put that into a specific genre, it was created to enhance what was happening in the film. Same as the LotR soundtrack, they could be classified as classical to a degree, but that would be unfair to the tracks, as again, they're designed for the films. I guess we'll continue to agree to disagree.

Anesthetize

UrbanSprawl wrote: »

Id say it is a genre ..if you type indie music into youtube that what you get ,same for 'soundtrack music'...genres are like tags.

genre
a style or category of art, music, or literature.

Indie music isn't a genre though. That's like saying major label music is a genre.

Potential-Monke

I suppose 'score' would be the more appropriate genre?

UrbanSprawl

Anesthetize wrote: »

Indie music isn't a genre though. That's like saying major label music is a genre.

Indie music isn't a genre though? Is it not?
Ok if you are talking about independent record labels well then no,that definition is a bit defunct in 2018.

Indie rock is a genre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1970s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produced and was initially used interchangeably with "alternative rock"

Anesthetize

UrbanSprawl wrote: »

Indie music isn't a genre though? Is it not?
Ok if you are talking about independent record labels well then no,that definition is a bit defunct in 2018.

Indie rock is a genre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1970s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produced and was initially used interchangeably with "alternative rock"

Indie rock in contrast to indie music would be closer to being a genre. Same goes for indie pop, indie folk, indietronica, etc.

The term 'indie music' is not defunct, just misused. There will always continue to be musical artists with a D.I.Y. approach to music trying to survive outside of the major label system.

UrbanSprawl

Anesthetize wrote: »

Indie rock in contrast to indie music would be closer to being a genre. Same goes for indie pop, indie folk, indietronica, etc.

The term 'indie music' is not defunct, just misused. There will always continue to be musical artists with a D.I.Y. approach to music trying to survive outside of the major label system.

Splitting hairs now ok indie music is like one big umbrella term ,soundtrack music is also an umbrella term under which endless specific genres of music will be applicable depending on the album itself.

NewbridgeIR

It was hilarious when PWL clogged the indie charts in the late 80s. Erasure too as they were on Mute but deemed uncool by the music snobs.

Here's an Irish indie chart from 1989.

Anesthetize

That's a damn tootin' good-looking chart right there son.

NewbridgeIR

Anesthetize wrote: »

That's a damn tootin' good-looking chart right there son.

Hot Press published them. Usually taken from Freebird or Comet sales. You had instances of Dead Can Dance's Aion and Ultra Vivid Scene's Joy 1967-1990 topping the chart during the summer of 1990.
Comet seemed to sell more industrial stuff - My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Consolidated, Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, Tackhead all featured. I also recall The Wedding Present's Bizarro (released October 1989 on RCA) making the cut - so both shops exercised common sense.

After The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays appeared on the same TOTP, they were numbers 1 (S/T) and 2 (Bummed) on the Freebird chart for a couple of issues.

UrbanSprawl

why are a-house an import? Is this not Irish charts?
Anyway never heard of that a-house song but is the same as kick me again Jesus ?

NewbridgeIR

UrbanSprawl wrote: »

why are a-house an import? Is this not Irish charts?
Anyway never heard of that a-house song but is the same as kick me again Jesus ?

The A House record is the 12" with the first two singles on it - five songs in total - https://www.discogs.com/A-House-Kick-Me-Again-Jesus-Snowball-Down/release/2950052

Not sure why Comet considered it an import. It was a UK release (not Irish) but so were all the others in the chart - unless A House's domestic status meant that anything other than Irish pressings of their records were deemed to be imports.

Back then, slapping "import" on a release gave it an exotic and exclusive feel. Also meant that you could whack up the price.

Anesthetize

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

Hot Press published them. Usually taken from Freebird or Comet sales. You had instances of Dead Can Dance's Aion and Ultra Vivid Scene's Joy 1967-1990 topping the chart during the summer of 1990.
Comet seemed to sell more industrial stuff - My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Consolidated, Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, Tackhead all featured. I also recall The Wedding Present's Bizarro (released October 1989 on RCA) making the cut - so both shops exercised common sense.

After The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays appeared on the same TOTP, they were numbers 1 (S/T) and 2 (Bummed) on the Freebird chart for a couple of issues.

I managed to catch the tail end of Comet Records (pun intended). As a teenage bogman going up to the sticks in the 00s I was always blown away by the choice they and the likes of Tower and Freebird had.

NewbridgeIR

Yeah, I was making the same trips up from Wexford in the late 1980s. Freebird and Comet were my first port of call. Never a fan of Tower though - expensive and desperately snobby staff. Flakey too.

Badly Drunk Boy

Yer man from Comet ended up working in Tower. But yeah, 'score' would be a better description than 'soundtrack'.

And already said, PWL had the 'indie' charts sown up in the late 80s. 'I Should Be So Lucky' and 'The Locomotion' by Kylie were number one for ages.

blastman

Score isn't really a genre either as there are different types of score (electronic, classical, etc.) but it's probably the best label for film soundtracks, although this is further complicated by the fact that some movies release a soundtrack album (songs used in the movie) and a score album (the incidental music composed for the movie). Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy are examples of this.

NewbridgeIR

blastman wrote: »

Score isn't really a genre either as there are different types of score (electronic, classical, etc.) but it's probably the best label for film soundtracks, although this is further complicated by the fact that some movies release a soundtrack album (songs used in the movie) and a score album (the incidental music composed for the movie). Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy are examples of this.

Zodiac
The Virgin Suicides


also