No discussion of Baz Luhrmann’s films – and his maximalist, hyper-sensory style – is complete without mentioning their equally more-is-more approach to music. With the help of his longtime music supervisor Anton Monsted (who started out as his assistant on 1996’s “Romeo + Juliet”), the Australian director has become synonymous with era-defying, genre-compounding pop soundtracks that infuse his films’ historical settings with contemporary sensibilities.
That trademark first emerged in the 90’s-grunge soundtrack of “Romeo + Juliet” and eventually evolved into the mash-up mania of this year’s “Elvis.”Like “The Great Gatsby”And “Moulin Rouge!” before it, the box office hit blends the King’s classic tunes with reimaginedAnd original songs by some of today’s biggest artists.
In honor of Luhrmann’s latest, presents a ranking of his films by soundtrack. (Note: “Australia” and “Strictly Ballroom”Do not have enough music to warrant inclusion.
5. Elvis (2022).
This soundtrack of all soundtracks honors The King of Rock and Roll himself — and many of his influences — in Baz Luhrman’s signature dazzling style. Austin Butler’s vocals do justice to Elvis’ — as they should after his three-year immersion into the King’s persona and his life. Classics like “Elvis” are available. “Craw-Fever,” “I’m Coming Home,” “Summer Kisses/In My Body,” “‘68 Comeback Special (Medley),” “If I Can Dream,” “Burning Love” and more, and then there are the Austin Butler versions of The King’s discography like “Hound Dog,” “Baby, Let’s Play House”And “Trouble.” Shonka Dukureh’s “Hound Dog” packs so much power. Yola’s “Strange Things Are Happening Every Day”Echoes “The Godmother of Rock and Roll”Sister Rosetta Tharpe is the character she plays in the film.
As if Elvis weren’t already an icon himself, other major artists came together to reimagine his discography or sample it in new songs altogether. Doja Cat made a banger with “Vegas” which samples Shonka Dukureh’s “Hound Dog.”CeeLo, Eminem, and CeeLo open the door to “Jailhouse Rock”Their new song is for the movie. “The King and I.”Swae Lee and Diplo samples “That’s All Right”In their song “Tupelo Shuffle.” Kacey Musgraves’ rendition of “Can’t Help Falling in Love”It is paired with the scene backing it evokes all kinds emotions. Stevie Nicks sheds light on the less-known “Cotton Candy Land,” and Måneskin rocks out to “If I Can Dream.”
Luhrman accomplished a feat of greatness by creating a soundtrack that is representative of a particular musical figure. Layers of culture, American history and a touch of more modern sounds spice up Elvis’ biopic.
– Dessi Gomez
4. The Get Down (2016)
Luhrmann and playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis’ two-season Netflix series chronicles the rise of hip-hop from its underground origins in the Bronx to its eventual transformation as a tentpole musical genre, as told by a group of teens living in New York City in the ‘70s. So, it’s only fitting that the soundtrack would reflect the times, with funk and disco inflections from artists like Donna Summer, Miguel, Janelle Monáe, Leon Bridges, 6LACK, Christina Aguilera and Jaden Smith (who also stars in the show). Hip-hop forefather Grandmaster Flash — the DJ who invented the “back-spinning” technique that was able to transform records’ drum beat sections into beats for rapping — helped advise on the series alongside notable MC Nas, who Write all of the raps for Justice Smith’s wordsmith character Ezekiel.
“If your collection was limited, you [weren’t] gonna get no real audience,”Flash was an associate producer for the series. ABC NewsIn 2017, he spoke out about the different genres of records that he would look for in order to find the best. “get down.” “It was a constant digging and going into the record shops and trying to find that drum break. And it never was necessarily about Black music or white music or foreign music. It was just music.”
– Natalie Oganesyan
3. Romeo + Juliet (1996)
While “Strictly Ballroom”This was a small art-house hit. “William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet”Luhrmann’s international fame was established. This also cement his status as a master in movie music, something he would continue enhancing throughout his (still ongoing!) career.
Marius de Vries, who had previously worked for Madonna, was smartly hired by Luhrmann as a music producer. He won a Grammy nomination in the Album of the year category. “Ray of Light”) and Nellee Hooper (then something of a soundtrack icon, having produced Smashing Pumpkins’ “The End Is the Beginning Is the End” and Tina Turner’s “GoldenEye”Craig Armstrong, his regular composer. The score was given a contemporary trip-hop sound that complimented Craig Armstrong’s post-production work.“Pulp Fiction”It was a great way for Hooper to take over the source material.
They gave birth together “#1 Crush,”Initially, the B-side of their debut single was a B. “Vow,” a slinky overhaul and a distorted Madonna sample, and helped select songs like Des’ree’s “Kissing You” (which Hooper had produced) and produce new songs like Butthole Surfer’s “Whatever (I Had a Dream)”The Dust Brothers co-produced the mixtape. They ultimately ended up curating a grungy, electronically embellished mixtape that was a part of everybody’s CD collection (the disc itself was a distinct, neon orange color with silhouettes of palm trees). Radiohead? Check. Everclear explicitly referencing the play? Double-check. Indistinguishable ‘90s alt-rock bands that you would be hard-pressed to remember today? Yes, please.
But if the soundtrack is remembered for anything, it’s introducing the world to “Lovefool,”The Cardigans released this super-catchy single. The single, which was released just a few months prior to the soundtrack’s release, was the first single taken from their third album. “First Band on the Moon.”It exploded upon its inclusion on the “Romeo + Juliet”The band achieved worldwide fame thanks to their soundtrack. It wouldn’t be their only soundtrack jam, either. “Erase/Rewind,”From their 1998 great album “Gran Turismo,”would be featured on the soundtrack to the boring techno-thriller “The Thirteenth Floor.”The soundtracks would also feature other songs “The X-Files: Fight the Future,” “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery”And “10 Things I Hate About You.”It is right.
“Romeo + Juliet’s”The original motion picture soundtrack would chart worldwide. The album reached 4x platinum status in America after selling more than 3,000,000 copies. The soundtrack’s second volume was released with more songs and a stronger emphasis on the orchestral score (and the dialogue from the movie, which is a hallmark of the album). ‘90s soundtrack albums) and a new Butthole Surfers/Dust Brothers jam. It did reasonably well too. A 10th-anniversary edition of the original “Romeo + Juliet” soundtrack was released in 2007 with bonus tracks, including two of Craig Armstrong’s killer orchestral cues.
Drew Taylor
2. The Great Gatsby (2012)
While not the first film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel, “The Great Gatsby,” Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation might reign supreme. In classic Luhrmann direction, his camp approach elevates the extravagance of Jay Gatsby’s world and the roaring twenties. Luhrmann and Anton Monsted, long-time music supervisors, created a tracklist to combine traditional jazz from the 1920s with modern-day hip hop from the 2010s. Monsted spoke with The Hollywood Reporter. “Baz and I call it the ‘sliding doors’ between music that is very true to the period of the movie’s setting in 1922 and the music of today.” The soundtrack features a crafty mixture of original singles from Fergie’s “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody” to haunting covers — including Beyonce and Andre 3000’s rendition of Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black” – as well as the film’s first single, “Young and Beautiful”By Lana Del Rey. Monsted and Lana Del Rey worked alongside composer Craig Armstrong, to incorporate the film’s theme as a musical motif by mixing the song within the score as well.
Nearly a decade later, audiences still recognize and replay Lana Del Rey’s “Young and Beautiful.” Accompanying Lana Del Rey’s theme, the album also includes tracks from Jay Z, The xx, Florence + the Machine, Jack White, Kanye West, Sia, and famed crooner Bryan Ferry and The Bryan Ferry Orchestra. Armstrong and Monsted perfectly crafted the pairing soundtrack and score, making the music’s presence one of the Most recognizable elements in film. “The Great Gatsby” soundtrack became the second best-selling soundtrack album of 2013 and has remained a pillar of Luhrmann and Monsted’s legacy.
– Charna Flam
1. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
The cinematic extravaganza is inseparable “Moulin Rouge!”Its multi-platinum and Grammy-winning soundtrack. Luhrmann’s first musical proper tells the tale of a poet named Christian (Ewan McGregor) who flocks to Bohemian Paris in pursuit of truth, beauty, freedom, and above all, love. He finds everything his heart desires in Satine (Nicole Kidman), the Moulin Rouge’s star courtesan and cabaret performer. The showmanship and soaring emotions at the core of the film required a musical masterpiece to match – and 20 years after its release, it’s clear that Luhrmann and Co. delivered. As co-writer Craig Pearce told EW, “Moulin Rouge!” was intended as a celebration of the 20th century’s greatest pop songs. Madonna is featured on the soundtrack.“Material Girl”), The Beatles (“All You Need Is Love”), The Police (“Roxanne”), Elton John (“Your Song”), David Bowie (“Heroes”) and Dolly Parton (“I Will Always Love You”) and many more.
The majority of the tracks aren’t mere covers, but mash-ups of songs from various genres and original composition, tied together with touches of burlesque jazz. While the soundtrack boasts megawatt stars Bowie, Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Pink, Bono, and Beck among others, Kidman and McGregor’s voices never take a back seat. In fact, the music and narrative are so seamlessly interwoven that it’s easy to miss samples if you’re not looking out for them: “Elephant Love Medley”One person can pull from 10 songs. “Lady Marmalade”? Even the soundtrack’s only original number, “Come What May,”It fits right in.
The music of “Moulin Rouge!”It became so popular that there was a second soundtrack, featuring originals and remixes taken from the film. There is also a Tony Award-winning musical. Beyond its enduring popularity, the soundtrack deserves the top spot for showcasing Luhrmann and Monsted’s singular talent for synthesizing contemporary pop and period storytelling.
– Harper Lambert