Lots of students have a study playlist, a solid list of songs that they can put on and listen to when they need to seriously focus on school work. But there’s a handful of people who say they’d love to listen to music while they study, but they can’t because they get too distracted. I used to fall into that category, until I came across my study playlist secret weapon: film soundtracks. Film soundtracks can make great inclusions to your study playlist. Most film soundtracks run for at least an hour or so, so it’s the perfect way to get yourself focused to sit down and study for a long block of time. And lots of these film soundtracks are comprised mostly of the score featured in the movie, so in many cases there’s no lyrics to pull your attention. Plus, film soundtracks are epic. Music is part of what makes movies so interesting and engaging, so listening to a film soundtrack while you study can help you feel energized, determined, and focused. Here are eight film soundtracks that you should consider adding to your study playlist.
John Williams is arguably one of the most well known composers of film scores for this generation. His work for the Star Wars saga in particular has cemented itself into pop culture. Even if you’re not a Star Wars fan, you’re probably familiar with at least some of the iconic music from the franchise.
Williams’s work for all nine of the movies is outstanding, but recently I’ve been listening to the soundtrack for Episode VII, Star Wars: The Force Awakens pretty religiously.
If you’re a Star Wars fan, you’ll be excited by all of the nods to the musical motifs from the original films that appear in The Force Awakens‘s soundtrack. There’s also opportunity for new motifs to become classics in their own right with the addition of the sequel trilogy’s new band of characters. My favorites are “Rey’s Theme” and “I Can Fly Anything,” which is Poe’s motif.
If you’re a Star Wars fan, you should definitely consider adding this to your study playlist.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise are known for their film soundtracks. After all, you’re superheroes need some super music to go with them, don’t they?
Captain Marvel has one of my favorite film soundtracks out of all of the MCU films. It has everything you’d expect from the score from a superhero film with a few added touches to make it unique.
There are some really cool synthesized and electronic elements that are prevalent on Captain Marvel‘s soundtrack. It fits the film perfectly and also gives you something a little different if you’re not the kind of person who’s into a strictly orchestral soundtrack.
And as a cherry on top, the Captain Marvel soundtrack was composed by Pinar Toprak, a female composer who writes music for films, television, and video games. What could be better for a girl power-centric movie than music composed by an awesome female composer?
The Captain Marvel film soundtrack will have you feeling empowered to tackle whatever studying you have to do.
Disney movies, especially from the 1990s period colloquially known as the “Disney Renaissance,” have some outstanding music. And Alan Menken is responsible for a lot of these songs and film soundtracks that are part of many people’s childhoods.
One of these films that Menken composed music for is the 1992 Disney film Aladdin. This film soundtrack features iconic songs like “A Whole New World” and “Arabian Nights” as well as some beautiful pieces of score.
Sometimes what you need to help you study is some music from your favorite childhood animated movie, and that’s exactly what the soundtrack of Aladdin can provide you.
If you’re the type of person who watched Nightmare Before Christmas religiously while growing up, then the Beetlejuice film soundtrack is a must-add for your study playlist. Danny Elfman is a film score veteran, and some of his best works are for films that have some odd or unusual vibes to them, like Edward Scissorhands and Corpse Bride.
The Beetlejuice soundtrack is no different. It’s the perfect mix of mysterious and whimsical, and it’s the perfect music to listen to while you study if Tim Burton movies are your thing.
Many people know of Alan Silvestri for his work on The Avengers and other MCU films. But he’s also composed music for a ton of other famous movies as well, like the Back To The Future trilogy.
The film soundtrack for Back To The Future is the perfect background for the time travel epic that is the Back To The Future trilogy. It’s a good pick for your study playlist if you’re the type of person who finds it hard to get motivated to study. It’s hard not to feel energized when you’re listening to this exciting soundtrack.
If you’re the kind of person who prefers ambient music to study to, that doesn’t mean you need to rule out film soundtracks as study music. Take the soundtrack for Ex Machina, for example.
The music for the 2014 sci-fi psychological thriller has an electronic and almost chill vibe to it. It’s synthesized sound will provide you a perfect backdrop for your studying. The soundtrack for Ex Machina is a perfect middle ground between the other film scores on this list and ambient music playlists that you’d usually find on Spotify to study to.
This one’s for any anime fans looking for new music for their study playlist. Weathering With You has a great soundtrack that’s become characteristic for films like this one.
Composed by the Japanese rock band Radwimps, the soundtrack for Weathering With You is full of gentle piano and orchestral tracks that are perfect for keeping you calm and focused while you study. You can feel all of the fantasy and the whimsy that’s present in the film without having to watch the film itself.
There are also a handful of more fast-paced and rock infused tracks scattered throughout the soundtrack, which can offer a nice change of pace to keep you focused and energized while you study.
Just about everyone knows the theme from The Pink Panther, even if they’ve never watched it in any form. But what some people don’t know is that there’s a whole film score after this iconic theme that can be a great addition to your study playlist.
The 1963 film with music composed by Henry Mancini is full of smooth jazz tracks that are good for keeping you focused while you study. It’s a good pick if you’re looking to broaden your musical horizons and add something a little different into your study music rotation.
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