Let’s face it, everyone loves a list. We at The Record Album are no different. So, to mark the coming of the annual celebration of the film industry this weekend that is the Oscars, Pitchfork, the American online music magazine known for its ‘best of’ compilations, has put us in the mood by publishing its all-time 50 Best Movie Soundtracks and 50 Best Movie Scores this week.
For the nominees in the 2019 Academy Award for Best Original Music Score, there is so much more at stake than Andy Warhol’s proverbial 15 minutes of fame (more on that particular score later). The five in contention – Black Panther (Ludwig Goransson), Mary Poppins Returns (Marc Shaiman), If Beale Street Could Talk (Nicholas Britell), Black KkKlansman (Terence Blanchard) and Isle of Dogs (Alexandre Desplat) – all have the chance to leave an indelible mark on film music history. Just look at the gems in Pitchfork’s rankings, many of which have stood the test of time over several decades.
Lovely copies of many you can find here at The Record Album today. Among the original scores picked out by Pitchfork this week we have Trouble Man, The Pink Panther, Koyaanisqatsi, Jaws, Casino Royale, Eraserhead, Halloween, Shaft, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly to name a few. And from their choice of soundtracks, a selection sitting in our racks now includes Clueless, Trainspotting, Marie Antoinette, Midnight Cowboy, Withnail and I, The Graduate, Lost in Translation and O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Of course, all lists are subjective and we have a multitude of excellent soundtracks and original scores by a plethora of fine composers not included in Pitchfork’s rankings gracing our bins. To check out their lists visit www.pitchfork.com and look in the features section. Or to see and feel the albums, come to Brighton and visit us.
And so to our 15 minutes of fame this week. On Friday night, The Record Album features on 107 Meridian FM radio after Guy Bellamy, of Great Music Stories, paid us a visit recently to talk music shops and their future. It’s the first in a new monthly spotlight on the future of music retail, says Guy. “We all know the hipster arguments on the digital future, but does something die when there are no shops left?” He will be discussing the latest trends and their consequences. Tune in between 5 and 8.30pm to listen to ‘Fight From The Inside’ and comment live on Twitter during the show @GuyB_rockshow