#10 – Ice Dance – Danny Elfman

I’ve decided to do a little miniseries here: I’m listing the 10 saddest movie scores I have on my iTunes. These songs are sad, but they are devastatingly beautiful.  Next time I’ll probably do happy songs, then perhaps mad songs, and so on.  I will display the title of the song and provide a Youtube video of it. Any comments of mine will follow.

I hope you enjoy!

This is from the film Edward Scissorhands, starring Johnny Depp. Danny Elfman is a musical genius – and this film score is particularly saddening, since it takes place near Christmas and there is a wistful sound of a ruined happy Christmas in the score. You might hear it yourself. Danny Elfman often uses large choirs which sing sweeping melodies (like at 2:13).  Most of his music is very tender, and at times dramatic – just what this film needed.  One of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard – if only it didn’t make me nearly cry every time I heard it. This one never gets old.

#9 – Mayan Bowl Breaks – Rachel Portman

If you thought this song was sad at the beginning, just wait until you reach 1:03. This song is from Chocolat.  I don’t know much about this composer yet, but I think I’m going to like more of her stuff as I find it over time. Again, very beautiful. Very tender.

#8 – Long, Long Time Ago – Javier Navarette

This song mixes sad with creepy. It’s from Pan’s Labyrinth, one of the finest foreign films I’ve ever seen. Great film, great soundtrack. It’s a mix of a lullaby, a bad dream, and grief.

#7 – I See Dead People In Boats – Hans Zimmer

Ah, Pirates of the Caribbean. Great movie series, in my opinion – with a fantastic composer. You thought that pirates were only about swashbuckling, getting drunk, and having fun? This track will prove you different. Death, the supernatural, the spirit, and general anguish take over this song from start to finish.0:42 – 1:20 absolutely kills me. . .

#6 – Edward Leaves – Alexandre Desplat

The ultimate breakup song. This song, which I discovered approximately one week ago, is at the top of my list at the moment. I love the Twilight films, but this song, just standing alone, is fantastic. Edward leaves Bella, for reasons that we later find out are just saddening – “I just wanted you to have a chance at a normal, happy life.”  It’s the ultimate in sadness… you can nearly hear a heart breaking from the beginning to 0:45, and then grief and disbelief begins taking over. Desplat is a musical genius, being able to get such emotion across so succinctly. Do you agree?

#5 – Evenstar – Howard Shore

“He will come to death. . . But you, my daughter… you will linger on, in darkness and in doubt; like nightfall in winter without a star. Arwen, there is nothing for you here. . . only death.”  This song of tragedy only begins to explain the grief felt by an immortal whose mortal soulmate finally dies, and is laid to eternal rest.

#4 – Truman Sets Sail – Burkhard Dallwitz

The saddest part about this song? It sounds so helplessly hopeful, when hope seems nowhere near.

#3 – Fairytale – Harry Gregson-Williams

Although Shrek is a comedy, there lies a beautiful soundtrack written by a great composer.  It’s a simple tune, but very beautiful with a touch of sadness. Though #4 sounded like hope with hope nowhere near, this song sounds hopeful with a touch of melancholy or doubtful feeling.

#2 – Casper’s Lullaby – James Horner

James Horner is one of my favorites. This is a lullaby, and like most lullabyes, this one sounds a touch sad. Quite pretty.

And finally, the number one – my FAVORITE sad, epic soundtrack song of ALL TIME – and I think it will always be this way…

#1 – The Launch – James Horner

This song gives me chills. Apollo 13′s liftoff soundtrack… the most haunting song I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing.  The first notes can make me sob outright. It is so devastatingly epic, beautiful, faithful, and grieving. It’s a beautiful song in and of itself, and I love NASA, so these are all contributing factors. I am deeply devoted to space travel. Also, the morning I downloaded this song – in December 2006 – I downloaded the song and loaded it onto my iPod and went off to high school, not knowing that less than 30 minutes after I had left the house my grandmother suffered an aneurysm and went into a coma. She was taken off of life support after I grieved, angsted, and sobbed for four days straight, all the while listening to this soundtrack. I would turn the volume all the way up and just absorb the music and try not to cry any more, since I’d pretty much run the wells of my eyes dry.

To get back to the music… it’s a gorgeous song. I hope you’d agree. Definitely the saddest – the SADDEST – I’ve ever heard. And whenever somebody asks me that question, “If you had only one song you could listen to for the rest of your life, what would it be?” The answer would be this. This. But whenever I say, “Oh, for the rest of my life? The Launch for Apollo 13, by James Horner,” they look at me like I’m some kind of alien.

So that’s the list! Tell me what you think. Tell me what your saddest song is, and why – I’ll be sure to look it up. Anything you think shouldn’t have been on the list? Tell me why.

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