With the release of Deadpool & Wolverine in theaters, the music “Bye Bye Bye” – from the boyband ‘NSYNC, famous in the 2000s – became a trend. Maybe this fame came because of the bubblegum chorus or the fun choreography, but the fact is everyone is listening to this song right now.
It’s not new that, movies that feature old songs to compose their soundtrack, end up going viral. Another film that had the same phenomenon was Anyone But You, in which the song “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield – released in 2004 – entered the UK Top 10 for the first time in 19 years, following the success of the romantic comedy.
The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy has also done this since the first film. The production became a reference in cinema because of the excellent choice of music to compose the heroic and alien universe, typical of the MCU, mixing retro aspects with it.
Old songs, new movies
However, people wonder why the choice of bringing music from past decades into new films was made.
One of the reasons for it is directly linked to nostalgia. In an article for the magazine Esquinas, the composer and producer, Felipe Vassão, states that each generation has a musical taste and style that they identify with since childhood. As adults, people tend to pass on their tastes to new generations, reproducing the styles that marked them in their youth.
Another possible reason to answer this question is the timeless quality of old music. This factor justifies the impact of bands such as The Beatles or Queen: in the past, the music industry was concerned with creating deep music with striking and unique melodies.
When compared to the current music scenario, the market aims to make a profit by focusing on instant hits, giving a feeling of “empty” to songs that didn’t exist. It’s difficult to name current songs that are remarkable, as they are all fleeting and forgettable after a few months of their release. Furthermore, this “emptiness” does not generate a connection with listeners to the point of marking moments in their lives.
So, putting old songs on film soundtracks means that they will also be remembered for a long time, becoming iconic and timeless in the future. Hollywood has found a magic formula to effectively promote new films without requiring much effort.
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The article above was edited by Isabelle Bignardi and translated by Julia Tortoriello
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