Piaf’s French Anthem “La Vie en Rose”

Location-based songs for visual media has been an ongoing thing for quite some time. Such as Lynyrd Skynyrd’s song of the south “Sweet Home Alabama”, these songs have become the unofficial anthem of the setting or location in which the theme is taking place. Some have also been used to represent a whole country or particular city, such as Édith Piaf’s signature song “La Vie en Rose”.  

The Crown’s Royal Use of Classical Music

Four seasons in, and we still don’t have enough of the award-winning show, The Crown. The Netflix original show has garnered a huge audience of period and historical drama fans everywhere. However, they are not the only group of fans that the show has caught the attention of. Classical music fans have also jumped on this show due to its smooth blend of originally-written soundtrack music, early pop music, and as well-known classical pieces by famous musicians of history.

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Controversial “Sweet Home Alabama”

Every now and then, we get a song that becomes visual media’s theme for a certain setting or location. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole for Hawaii or tropical locations, “LaVie en Rose” by Edith Piaf for many scenes in France, or even “Sprach Zarathustra” by Richard Strauss for space settings. But none of them have been used as much as representing the south with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama”.

Boccherini’s Elegant “Minuet”

Classical music is often used in film and tv, as the theme for the upper-class. What says money more than strings, right? Well that is what many directors think so too, and so does much of the audience due its constant use in this context. However, while there are classical pieces used to evoke rather different themes, there are certain classical pieces that are purposely and especially chosen to portray a sense of higher class. One great example of this is Luigi Boccherini’s “Minuet” from his String Quintet Op.11 No.5. 

Squid Game's Brilliant Use of Classical Music

Netflix’s new hit show Squid Game has taken the world by storm, quickly becoming the service’s biggest and most watched show ever. Program creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk kept millions of viewers on the edge of their seats, by not only the brutal and violent visuals, but also the bleak reality the narrative represents. 

Three Original Netflix Shows to Watch or Re-watch for Their Use of Classical Music

Netflix has always been at the forefront of the streaming game, especially when they first started releasing their original shows in 2012. Since then, some of their original shows have become critically acclaimed award winners. Being original content, many of them have their own incredible soundtracks to use, but often times we need other music to complement that soundtrack or the narrative. One genre of music that is often used to fill in that empty space is classical music.

Hammer's Comedic "U Can't Touch This"

There are countless musical hits that have often found new life on the big screen, or a television screen. Especially when talking about hits from the 90s. However, according to a recent study, none have been used as often as MC Hammer’s 1990 hit song, “U Can’t Touch This”. The song has become a sort of pop-culture reference classic, often finding new life in film, tv, and advertisements. To this day, we find references to not only the song itself but also the iconic music video of Hammer, the dance, and the parachute pants. 

Wagner's Heroic "Ride of the Valkyries"

For decades, we have been using classical pieces to enhance scenes in film and television, but none has been used as much as Richard Wagner’s, “Ride of the Valkyries”. This triumphant battle song is one of the most recognized orchestral pieces of all time due to its association with a large amount of visual media. 

The piece is best known from Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 film Apocalypse Now, in the iconic scene where the American helicopters are on their way to bombard a Vietnamese village. A scene so iconic, that it has been referred to in other forms of media, such as the 2005 film Jarhead by Sam Mendes, as well as a flashback scene in 2009 film Watchmen by Zach Snyder. The piece evokes a sense of confidence and power leading into a one-sided battle, which is along the lines or what Richard Wagner intended.