Films have the power to make us laugh and cry, as we buy into the story and create affinity with the characters and the situations they find themselves in. A lot of the time, it’s the music that helps us feel this connection, and makes us really feel the story and buy into the movie. 2011 was a particularly good year for film soundtracks as four really pushed the boundaries by recruiting high profile music producers and encouraging some of the best cinematic musical accompaniment in history! Here are the four stand out films and what made their music so great:

The Social Network – This highly acclaimed film followed the story of Facebook, and how one man’s idea (well debatably) became reality before becoming the world’s biggest and most popular website. Mark Zuckerberg was just an average student who set up the website to become more popular. It helped people on the campus come together and share their social life online, and it wasn’t long before this rolled out around the world.

The music was composed by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails fame, and is dark and rich but not too much for the film to handle. The quirky industrial and electronic vibes to the music help build atmosphere around the story and really help you become immersed. A great film with an equally great soundtrack.

Tron: Legacy – Tron was an 80s classic starring Jeff Bridges, but got reborn recently with a Disney vision that was a sensory explosion featuring some of the best digital effects in cinema history. The stock music was equally impressive and won much appraise from critics and viewers alike.

Daft Punk were kind enough to write an original score for this soundtrack, which was then performed by a real orchestra. Some of the more upbeat numbers were produced by the French dance duo themselves which gave it a very special feel. The music perfectly matched the themes of film and was extremely accomplished. Daft Punk have a winner here, and the beautifully composed music is a treat to listen to on its own, even without the film, which is a testament to the quality.

Inception – Inception was one of many masterpieces written and directed by Christopher Nolan. It was a brilliant film that spent a lot of time at the drawing board just trying to piece together the complicated story. Inception centres around a reality were a dream sharing program was developed to train soldiers in virtual surroundings. This has since been abused and people were using the technology for their own gain. When DiCaprio sees an opportunity to run a scheme through dream sharing that would allow him to once again see his family, a complicated story emerges with brilliant visual outcomes.

The music was written by Hans Zimmer, one of cinema’s greatest composers. He has been responsible for a number of high profile films and even The Simpsons! Inception is arguably some of the finest work that Zimmer has played his part in, as the emotional and deep music for the film really helps accentuate the struggle faced by the characters and tension of the scenes and confusion.

Hanna  - This film follows the story of a man and his daughter who had escaped the realms of the normal world for a life in the wilderness as the life the girl would experience in the modern world would have torn the family apart. This is a tail of corruption and power, and when the girl finally comes of age she is thrown into the real world where she battles government corporations and tries to discover who she really is.

The music was provided by The Chemical Brothers, a couple of legendary dance music producers from the UK, and the explosive energy of their compositions brought out the action scenes in an explosive manner which was great to see. The music helped the action scenes create tension and genuine energy.

If you’re interested in your own film project then check out royalty free music to make sure that you are not breaking any licensing agreements for commercial music.