Movies to Listen to

An expansive study of the first 100 years of film music, this book listens composer by composer, film by film, to scoring trends, innovation, and technological developments that have helped to shape film music over the decades. Focusing predominantly on English language, live-action films released in the United States, it celebrates the contributions of film composers from the silent era through to the 21st century.

Covering as diverse a group of composers as possible, the text includes sections featuring famous films and composers, as well as sections introducing brand new sounds and stories. Entries include facts, stories, and trivia that further contextualize when and how that music was written. From the brilliant composers of the Golden Age, to ingenious songwriters, to jazz masters, to electronic music pioneers, the book guides you through the development of the music that brings the movies we watch to life.