Like perhaps no other era, the Italian Soundtracks of the 1970s were something truly special. Although their sounds included different genres and were not a distinct genre per se, they represent something that has its own unique and highly recognizable atmosphere. If you are interested in digging into vintage movie soundtracks, 70s Italian Soundtracks might be the place that can offer the most.

One of the greatest examples is The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) by the legend of the genre Ennio Morricone. Although there are countless soundtracks to choose from him, this one perfectly highlights the sound experimentation and ability to seamlessly fuse genres, skills that the great Italian composers had. Another great recommendation is La Dama Rossa Uccide Sette Volte (1972) by Bruno Nicolai. Although the film was not recognized as blockbuster, the soundtrack has great longevity and has aged very well. In a different sound direction, the Profondo Rosso (1975) by Goblin and Giorgio Gaslini is a great horror soundtrack. By fusing progressive rock influences, classical composition techniques and lots of synthesizers it created a new sound for the 70s that was used boldly.

Most of these soundtracks were not just made to accompany the films, often they were composed already before the films were even made. Film directors sometimes played these soundtracks on set to create the right vibe and influence the performance of the actors. This shows the artistry that these soundtracks have in themselves – a musical niche that is deeper and richer than one might think. The newsletter will showcase more of these, particularly the rarer, lesser known soundtracks that can be found in this Golden Age of Italian film.