The Soundtrack Craze

This is part of my Pop Music in the ‘80s series.

Music in Film and Television

As MTV reshaped the music industry, its influence didn’t stop at pop charts and radio stations—it extended directly into Hollywood. By the mid-1980s, film and television producers realized that hit songs not only complemented their projects; they could drive ticket sales, boost ratings, and even define entire eras of entertainment. What followed was a golden age of movie soundtracks, where music wasn’t just a background element—it was a central character.

MTV Changes Everything

The rise of music videos in the early ‘80s taught American audiences to expect visuals to accompany their favorite songs. As a result, Hollywood quickly realized that film and TV soundtracks had the potential to be marketing goldmines. Leveraging MTV’s immense promotional power, studios knew that po…