''Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture'' is the soundtrack to the
film of the same name composed, orchestrated, and conducted by
James Horner
James Roy Horner (August 14, 1953 – June 22, 2015) was an American composer. He was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements, and for his frequent use of motifs associated with Celtic music.
Horner's first film score was i ...
. The soundtrack was released by
Sony Classical
Sony Classical is an American record label founded in 1924 as Columbia Masterworks Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Records. In 1980, the Columbia Masterworks label was renamed as CBS Masterworks Records. The CBS Records Group was acquired by S ...
/Sony Music Soundtrax on November 18, 1997.
Riding the wave of the film's immense success, the soundtrack shot to the top of the charts in nearly two-dozen territories, selling over 27 million copies, making it one of the
top 100 best-selling albums in the United States. It is one of the
best-selling albums of all time, and the highest-selling primarily orchestral soundtrack ever.
In 2012, the album, along with its successor ''
Back to Titanic
''Back to Titanic'' is the second soundtrack album released for the film, which contains a mixture of previously unreleased recordings and newly recorded performances of some of the songs heard in the film.
After the success of the first sound ...
'' (1998), was re-issued as part of the ''Collector's Anniversary Edition'' set for the 3D re-release of the film. In 2017, La-La Land Records released the ''20th Anniversary Edition'' in a limited edition 4-disc release.
In 2022, on the film's 25th anniversary, the album was released on LP in a limited edition of 7,500 copies. The set included 2 LPs in a gatefold sleeve, an 8-page booklet, an XL poster, and a print replica of the historical ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' frontpage.
Album information
Director
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post-New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability w ...
originally intended
Enya
Enya Patricia Brennan (; ga, Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin; born 17 May 1961), known professionally by the mononym Enya, is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician known for modern Celtic music. She is the best-selling Irish solo arti ...
to compose the music, and in fact put together a rough edit of the film using her music as a temporary soundtrack. After she declined, he approached
James Horner
James Roy Horner (August 14, 1953 – June 22, 2015) was an American composer. He was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements, and for his frequent use of motifs associated with Celtic music.
Horner's first film score was i ...
. Their relationship was strained after their first collaboration in ''
Aliens
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrate ...
'', but the soundtrack of ''
Braveheart
''Braveheart'' is a 1995 American historical drama film directed and produced by, and starring Mel Gibson. Gibson portrays Sir William Wallace, a late-13th century Scottish warrior who led the Scots in the First War of Scottish Independence ag ...
'' made Cameron overlook it. Horner composed the soundtrack having in mind Enya's style;
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
singer
Sissel Kyrkjebø
Sissel Kyrkjebø (; born 24 June 1969), also simply known as Sissel, is a Norwegian soprano.
Sissel is considered one of the world's top crossover sopranos. Her musical style ranges from pop recordings and folk songs, to classical vocals and op ...
performed the wordless vocals on the soundtrack.
Horner knew Sissel from the album ''
Innerst i sjelen
"Innerst i sjelen" (Norwegian for "deep within my soul") is a famous Norwegian song by Norwegian artist and troubadour Ole Paus, with music by Örjan Englund and Lars Børke.
The song was released on the Kirkelig Kulturverksted record label and ...
'' and he particularly liked how she sang the song ''Eg Veit I Himmerik Ei Borg'' ("I Know in Heaven There Is a Castle"). Horner had tried 25 or 30 singers and, in the end, he chose Sissel to sing the wordless tune.
Céline Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...
, who was no stranger to movie songs in the 1990s, since her contribution to Walt Disney's
Beauty and the Beast
''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' ( ...
, sang "
My Heart Will Go On
"My Heart Will Go On" is a 1997 song recorded by Canadian singer Celine Dion. The song serves as the main theme to James Cameron's blockbuster film ''Titanic'', based on an account of the transatlantic ocean liner of the same name which san ...
", the film's
signature song
A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a Handwriting, handwritten (and often Stylization, stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and ...
written by James Horner and
Will Jennings
Wilbur H. "Will" Jennings (born June 27, 1944) is an American lyricist. He is popularly known for writing the lyrics for the songs "Tears in Heaven" and "My Heart Will Go On". He has been inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame and has won s ...
. At first, Cameron did not want a song sung over the film's ending credits, but Horner disagreed. Without telling Cameron, he went ahead and wrote the song anyway, and recorded Dion singing it. Cameron changed his mind when Horner presented the song to him. "My Heart Will Go On" became a worldwide smash hit, going to the top of the music charts around the world. "My Heart Will Go On" also ended up winning the 1997
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for
Best Original Song
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
as well as the
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
for
Best Original Song
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
in 1998.
Other artists were invited to submit songs for the movie including contemporary Christian artist
Michael W. Smith
Michael Whitaker Smith (born October 7, 1957) is an American musician who has charted in both contemporary Christian and mainstream charts. His biggest success in mainstream music was in 1991 when " Place in This World" hit No. 6 on the '' ...
. He mentions in the liner notes to the song "In My Arms Again" from his 1998 album ''Live the Life''; "Inspired and written for the movie ''Titanic'', grateful for the opportunity to send them a song; grateful it landed on this record."
For the choral background of certain tracks, Horner made use of a digital choir instead of a real one; after the orchestral music was recorded, Horner personally performed the synthesized choir over a playback of the recording. The idea behind using electronics, rather than a real choir, stemmed from Horner wanting to avoid a 'church'-like sound.
Principal leitmotifs
Throughout the film, the composer created themes for particular characters, events, locations, and ideas.
*"Hymn to the Sea" — A sorrowful, melancholic theme which expresses the tragic side of the ''
Titanic
RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...
''. It's also featured prominently in "Never An Absolution". This theme contains
uilleann pipes
The uilleann pipes ( or , ) are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland. Earlier known in English as "union pipes", their current name is a partial translation of the Irish language terms (literally, "pipes of the elbow"), from their ...
and vocals by
Sissel Kyrkjebø
Sissel Kyrkjebø (; born 24 June 1969), also simply known as Sissel, is a Norwegian soprano.
Sissel is considered one of the world's top crossover sopranos. Her musical style ranges from pop recordings and folk songs, to classical vocals and op ...
. An alternate version is first heard in the film's opening sequence. Furthermore, the track contains a menacing, descending, three-note motif which signifies the wreck of the ship and is first featured when ''Titanic''s wreck site comes in view at the beginning of the film.
*"Southampton" — Uplifting, adventurous and rather heroic-sounding theme which signifies the spectacle of the ''Titanic''. This melody features an electronic choir and
snare drum
The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...
clumps.
*"Distant Memories" — This leitmotif contains synth choir vocals and an aquatic,
chiming tone. This piece is first heard when old Rose is taken aboard the "Keldysh".
*"Rose" — The sentimental theme of the film that is associated with the romance between Jack and Rose. Whilst in the
major key
In music theory, the key of a piece is the group of pitches, or scale, that forms the basis of a musical composition in classical, Western art, and Western pop music.
The group features a '' tonic note'' and its corresponding ''chords'', al ...
for the most parts, this leitmotif's rousing chorus modulates to the relative
minor key
In Western music, the adjectives major and minor may describe a chord, scale, or key. As such, composition, movement, section, or phrase may be referred to by its key, including whether that key is major or minor.
Intervals
Some intervals ...
. The theme features
orchestral
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ...
violin, strings and piano. Electronic choir intrudes at times.
Sissel Kyrkjebø
Sissel Kyrkjebø (; born 24 June 1969), also simply known as Sissel, is a Norwegian soprano.
Sissel is considered one of the world's top crossover sopranos. Her musical style ranges from pop recordings and folk songs, to classical vocals and op ...
performs the wordless vocals of this theme. This theme is first heard when Jack sees Rose for the first time on the deck and it would usually interpose during sequences when other music is playing, such as in "Hard to Starboard" and "Death of the Titanic".
*"Hard to Starboard" — This piece contains the ominous leitmotif associated with the iceberg (i.e. "Iceberg Theme"), which is first heard when the iceberg is spotted. It also contains a percussion-heavy, pulsating motif that corresponds to the peril and danger the characters endure during the sinking.
Anvil
An anvil is a metalworking tool consisting of a large block of metal (usually forged or cast steel), with a flattened top surface, upon which another object is struck (or "worked").
Anvils are as massive as practical, because the higher th ...
s are extensively used in this track.
*"Death of Titanic" — This track contains a descending, tumid and foreboding motif that also corresponds to peril and danger. It is played during the scene where the ship slowly starts to submerge into the ocean. To note, the descending cue is also heard in other tracks (i.e. "Unable to Stay, Unwilling to Leave"), such as when Jack and Rose are chased by Cal, although it sounds slightly altered.
*"2 1/2 Miles Down" — Although this track is mostly
incidental,
ambient music
Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes tone and atmosphere over traditional musical structure or rhythm. It may lack net composition, beat, or structured melody.The Ambient Century by Mark Prendergast, Bloomsbury, London, 2003. It u ...
with droning synth voices and eerie strings, it features the menacing, descending, three-note motif which signifies the wreck of the ship and is first featured when ''Titanic''s wreck site comes in view at the beginning of the film, which is also heard in "Hymn to the Sea".
Commercial performance
''Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture'' became the highest-selling primarily orchestral film score in history, with worldwide sales surpassing 30 million copies. The soundtrack quickly moved up the US
''Billboard'' 200, going from number eleven to number one on the chart in January 1998, keeping Shania Twain's ''
Come On Over
''Come On Over'' is the third studio album by Canadian country music singer Shania Twain. It was released on November 4, 1997, by Mercury Records. Produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, the album became the best-selling country album, the best ...
'' and Madonna's ''
Ray of Light
''Ray of Light'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released in early 1998 by Maverick Records. A stylistic and aesthetical departure from her previous work, ''Ray of Light'' is an electronica and techno-pop reco ...
'' from reaching the top spot. It remained at the top for sixteen straight weeks until it was replaced by the
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band (also known by the initials DMB) is an American rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1991. The band's founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer and bac ...
album ''
Before These Crowded Streets''. No album would spend at least ten consecutive weeks at number-one until
Adele
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (, ; born 5 May 1988), professionally known by the mononym Adele, is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a reco ...
's ''
21'' in the winter of 2012. The soundtrack has been certified 11× Platinum for 11 million copies shipped in the United States, becoming the best-selling album of 1998, and the fastest-certified soundtrack album ever.
The soundtrack also hit number-one in at least 14 other countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. The soundtrack was certified 5× Platinum by the
ARIA
In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...
in Australia for 350,000 copies shipped. It was certified 3× Platinum in the United Kingdom for over 900,000 copies shipped;
[Certified Awards Search](_blank)
/ref> and was certified diamond by the CRIA
A ''cria'' (pronounced ) is a juvenile llama, alpaca, vicuña, or guanaco.
Etymology
The term comes from the Spanish word cría, meaning "baby". Its false cognate in English, ''crya'' (pronounced ), was coined by British sailors who explored C ...
in Canada for 1 million copies shipped. The soundtrack is the best-selling non-Chinese CD album in Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
, selling 1.1 million copies.
The soundtrack's success led to the release of a second volume, called ''Back to Titanic
''Back to Titanic'' is the second soundtrack album released for the film, which contains a mixture of previously unreleased recordings and newly recorded performances of some of the songs heard in the film.
After the success of the first sound ...
'' which contained a mixture of previously unreleased soundtrack recordings and newly recorded performances of some of the songs in the film, including one track recorded by Clannad
Clannad () is an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history, including ...
(of which Enya
Enya Patricia Brennan (; ga, Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin; born 17 May 1961), known professionally by the mononym Enya, is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician known for modern Celtic music. She is the best-selling Irish solo arti ...
is an ex-member) singer, Máire Brennan
Moya Brennan (born Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin on 4 August 1952), also known as Máire Brennan, is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist. She is the sister of the musical artist known as Enya. She began performing pr ...
. ''Back to Titanic'' was certified platinum by the RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
.
Track listing
Standard edition
Two-Disc Anniversary Edition
All tracks performed by I Salonisti.
Four-Disc Collector's Anniversary Edition
All tracks performed by I Salonisti.
20th Anniversary Edition
Personnel
Adapted from AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
.
* Andy Bass – assistant engineer
* Bob Bornstein – music preparation
* James Cameron
James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post-New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability w ...
– liner notes
* Sandy De Crescent – orchestra contractor
* Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...
– primary artist, vocals
* Simon Franglen
Simon Franglen (born Westminster, London, England) is an English composer of classical and film music. He is also a record producer and former musician. His credits include four of the list of top grossing films and six of the list of best-sell ...
– producer, keyboards
* Marc Gebauer – scoring engineer
* Frank Harkins – art direction, design
* Jim Henrikson – supervising music editor
* Anthony Hinnigan – tin whistle
* James Horner
James Roy Horner (August 14, 1953 – June 22, 2015) was an American composer. He was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements, and for his frequent use of motifs associated with Celtic music.
Horner's first film score was i ...
– composer, conductor, primary artist, producer, keyboards
* Will Jennings
Wilbur H. "Will" Jennings (born June 27, 1944) is an American lyricist. He is popularly known for writing the lyrics for the songs "Tears in Heaven" and "My Heart Will Go On". He has been inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame and has won s ...
– lyricist
* Randy Kerber
Randy Kerber (born September 25, 1958) is an American composer, orchestrator and keyboard player, who has had a prolific career in the world of cinema.SeRandy Kerberat the IMDb
Kerber was born in Encino, California. He began his first national t ...
– keyboards
* Lesley Langs – assistant music editor
* David Marquette – assistant engineer
* Shawn Murphy – engineer, mixing, recording
* Joe E. Rand – music editor
* Eric Rigler
Eric Rigler is an American player of the Uilleann pipes, Great Highland Bagpipes, and tin whistle. He performs as a solo artist and with the band Bad Haggis, and has been featured on a number of movie soundtracks. He has been described as "the m ...
– Uilleann pipes
* Jay Selvester – scoring engineer
* Sissel – vocals
* Kirsten Smith – scoring engineer
* Pat Sullivan – mastering
* Ian Underwood
Ian Robertson Underwood (born May 22, 1939) is a woodwind and keyboards player, known for his work with Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention.
Biography
Underwood graduated from The Choate School in 1957 and Yale University with a bachelor' ...
– keyboards, woodwinds
Charts
Weekly charts
Monthly charts
Year-end charts
End-of-decade charts
Best of all time charts (Top 200)
Certifications and sales
See also
* List of best-selling albums
This is a list of the world's best-selling albums of recorded music. To appear on the list, the figure must have been published by a reliable source and the album must have sold at least 20 million copies. This list can contain any types of al ...
* List of best-selling albums in Brazil
The following is an independently list of best-selling albums in Brazil. This list can contain any types of album, including studio albums, extended plays, greatest hits, compilations, various artists, soundtracks and remixes. The list is divid ...
* List of best-selling albums in China
This is a list of the best-selling albums in China.
As of 2021, China was the world's 6th largest music market, an increase from being 14th in 2015 and 27th in 2005.
Best-selling albums in China
This is a list of Top 10 Best Selling Albums in ...
* List of best-selling albums in Europe
* List of best-selling albums in France
This is a list of the best-selling albums in France that have been certified by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique
The National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing (french: Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique; SNEP) ...
* List of best-selling albums in Germany
Germany is the third largest music market in the world, and the largest in Europe. This is a list of the best-selling albums in Germany that have been certified by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI). Since January 1, 2003, BVMI certifies an a ...
* List of best-selling albums in Italy
The following is an independently list of the best-selling albums in Italy. Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (FIMI) or related publishers does not provide an official list but news and mainstream media usually have provided albums sales cla ...
* List of best-selling albums in Japan
Japan is the second-largest music market in the world and the following lists cover the top-selling albums in the country of Japan, based on information provided by the Recording Industry Association of Japan and Oricon Inc.
Best-selling physica ...
* List of best-selling albums in the Philippines
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
* List of best-selling albums in Taiwan
This is the list of best-selling albums in Taiwan. Seven domestic albums and one international album have shipped over a million copies in Taiwan. Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung is the best-selling artist in Taiwan, with three albums sold over one ...
* List of best-selling albums in the United States
This is a list of the best-selling albums in the United States based on RIAA certification and Nielsen SoundScan sales tracking. The criteria are that the album must have been published (including self-publishing by the artist), and the album mus ...
* List of diamond-certified albums in Canada
The following diamond-certified albums in Canada have sold at least one million units (individual CDs, tapes or LPs) as determined by Canadian Recording Industry Association, the national music recording sales certification agency.
The first ...
References
External links
* (via Sony BMG Masterworks)
{{Authority control
James Horner albums
1997 soundtrack albums
Titanic (1997 film)
Sony Classical Records soundtracks
Scores that won the Best Original Score Academy Award