Ranking All The Songs from the Ghost Soundtrack
“Ghost” is a film that is well remembered by a lot of individuals, despite the fact that it came out in 1990. The film stars the likes of Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. Serving as both a heartwarming and tear-jerking love story as well as a story about survival, passion and being open-minded enough to believe beyond what you can see with the naked eye, it’s a story that resonates well with a lot of individuals for different reasons. In addition, an original score was composed for the film. The film’s soundtrack consisted of 11 different tracks, provided you got the version that had the two bonus songs as well as the interview with the composer, Maurice Jarre. Here are all of those tracks, ranked from worst to best. They all have YouTube links, so if you haven’t heard them before, now is your chance.
11. Molly (Maurice Jarre)
The notes in this song reflect the gentleness of the character, Molly. As such, all of the notes in the music are somewhat soft. They reflect the personality of the female lead character, someone who is both soft and extremely resilient. Even in the softness of the notes, there is a certain strength throughout the song, as it must reflect that side of the character as well.
10. Carl (Maurice Jarre)
Many of the songs in the film were written to reflect certain character traits about the specific individual named in the song. As such, the music in this particular song is somewhat off-putting. There are a number of minor notes which are designed to make you feel ill-at-ease. Even if you’ve never seen the movie, you know right away that something is going on with this character just by listening to the music.
9. Oda Mae & Carl (Maurice Jarre) (bonus track)
Since this is a bonus track, it was not included on the original soundtrack. However, it quickly became a track that many people fell in love with. It’s quite suspenseful, putting you on the edge of your seat. There is a great deal at stake in the scene that is accompanied by this song, and those emotions are easily reflected in the tempo and sound of the track.
8. Maurice Jarre Interview (Maurice Jarre) (bonus track)
Just as the title of the track implies, this is not music, but an interview with the composer. It isn’t terribly lengthy, but there are several minutes of information available here. Anyone who genuinely enjoys the instrumental music on this soundtrack will undoubtedly enjoy the interview as well. It doesn’t appear on the original soundtrack, but is instead included as a special bonus track.
7. Sam (Maurice Jarre)
Just as you might have imagined, the song here reflects the character traits of the main male character. There are elements of strength, as the character is quite protective of those he loves. However, there are also some elements of sadness. As a result, many parts of the song are rather melancholy before the song resolves with a brighter sound toward the end.
6. Fire Escape (Maurice Jarre) (bonus track)
Here is another song that wasn’t featured on the original soundtrack. However, it is included on later releases as a bonus track. It may not be a fan favorite in most cases, but it still serves as an interesting piece of music in its own right.
5. Ghost (Maurice Jarre)
This is the main title theme. Jarre was tasked with creating something that would convey all of the main theories of the film while simultaneously reflecting the archetypes of the three main characters. The song starts out rather softly and then builds gradually, culminating in a crescendo of music that tends to evoke a number of emotions.
4. End Credits (Maurice Jarre)
At this point, you’ve seen the film in its entirety. You’ve probably experienced a roller coaster of emotions. That is precisely what this song reflects. It captures the joy and the sorrow experienced throughout the film, as well as the suspense that runs right the way through it.
3. Ditto (Maurice Jarre)
This song has one of the simplest titles you’re ever likely to see. That said, it is one of the most powerful selections in the entire soundtrack. It’s designed to take you on a journey by building in intensity as your emotions do the same.
2. Unchained Melody (Maurice Jarre) (orchestral version)
Here, you have the orchestral version of the only licensed song in the film. It’s used to drive home certain elements of the story and also serves nicely as the piece of beautifully elegant music that it is.
1. Unchained Melody (The Righteous Brothers)
As far as the single licensed song in the bunch is concerned, it moves the plot forward at a particular point where anything less would have been a mistake. For the few people who haven’t seen the film, it’s important not to give anything away. Suffice it to say that this is a song that stands out from everything else on the soundtrack because it was meant to stand out in the film. There’s a reason that this is the only song that you recognize the moment you hear it. There’s also a reason this is the only song with lyrics. It’s because the moment in the film is so important that it warrants these differences so that you are pulled into the story even more. In short, they’re asking you to pay closer attention without doing so in so many words. In fact, the music pulls you into the story so naturally that you don’t even realize what’s happening until it’s already over.