History Main / PopStarComposer

* DaftPunk did the soundtrack for ''{{Tron}} 2.0.''

* Nelson Riddle, responsible for the jazzy ''{{Route 66}}'' theme, moved into television and film scores but rose to fame as a popular band leader and arrangement artist for the likes of Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and Nat King Cole.

This particular practice has been somewhat all-over-the-place since it first began. Earlier, [[TropeMaker Trope Making]] examples sprouted up in TheEighties with examples such as David Bowie doing the songs for ''{{Labyrinth}}'' and Queen doing the music for movies such as ''FlashGordon'' and ''{{Highlander}}.'' But animated movies in TheNineties really [[TropeCodifier codified]] this trope, with examples such as EltonJohn doing the songs for ''TheLionKing.'' In particular, animated movies with this kind of musical casting are prone to {{Award Bait Song}}s and composers/performers who [[Main/IUsedToBeKindOfCool used to be kind of cool once]].

This particular practice has been somewhat all-over-the-place since it first began. Earlier, [[TropeMaker Trope Making]] examples sprouted up in the 80's, with examples such as David Bowie doing the songs for ''{{Labyrinth}}'' and Queen doing the music for movies such as ''FlashGordon'' and ''{{Highlander}}.'' But animated movies in the 90's really [[TropeCodifier codified]] this trope, with examples such as EltonJohn doing the songs for ''TheLionKing.'' In particular, animated movies with this kind of musical casting are prone to {{Award Bait Song}}s.

** From Bowie, there is also ''Christiane F.'', the soundtrack for a German movie (in which he appears) that consists of songs written by him in the seventies.

** Speaking of Stewart, he also did most of TheEqualizer.

* Yuki Kajiura, maker of many CrowningMusicOfAwesome for various anime series, is one of the two members of famous Japanese pop duo See-Saw (currently on hiatus), and regularly contributes to Japanese music through the solo project FictionJunction and the band Kalafina.
** In case you were wondering, yes, this is why ''GundamSEED'' and its sequel have insert songs by FictionJunction, and this is also why ''KaraNoKyoukai'' has at least two EDs by Kalafina. Both groups are just as awesome as her instrumental compositions, if not better.

* Partial example. ''StrangerThanFiction'' featured instrumental versions of pre-existing Spoon songs as almost the entirety of its score.

** He'd actually done another soundtrack before then -- the smaller film "Birdy". And since then he's also done the score for "Rabbit Proof Fence." He may be a subversion on the basis that he seems to kind of know what he's doing with soundtracks.

* Paramount and {{Disney}}'s [[SoBadItsGood ill-fated]] ''{{Popeye}}'' LiveActionAdaptation was a musical with songs written by Harry Nilsson.
* DaftPunk is doing the music for ''[[{{Tron}} Tron Legacy]]''.
** They also did ''{{Interstella 5555}}'' (though that is basically an anime adaptation of the album).

** In a partial example, their established hits "Shoot to Thrill" and "Highway to Hell" bookend ''[[Film/IronMan Iron Man 2]]'', following on from the use of "Back in Black" to kick off the first film. A [=CD=] collection of the group's hits tied in to the sequel. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kD8sxIjVuc Here's a sample.]]

** [[NoNameGiven Man In Chair]] from ''The Drowsy Chaperone'' is not a fan.
-->You know there was a time when people sat in darkened theaters and thought to themselves, ‘What have George and Ira got for me tonight?’ or ‘Can Cole Porter pull it off again?’ Can you imagine? Now it’s ‘Please, Elton John, must we continue this charade?’

** Marty Friedman from the Thrash Metal band Megadeth did the guitar work for the final boss theme in Sonic and The Black Knight.
** Jun Senoue and his band Crush40 have composed music for several 3-D games, including ''SonicAdventure'', ''Sonic Adventure 2'', and ''SonicHeroes''.
*** Though while Crush 40 have had music released outside of their work for Sega, the band was actually formed specifically for the purpose of making music for some of Sega's video games.

* Before EltonJohn came along, Roger Miller wrote "Oo-de-lally", "Not In Nottingham", and "Whistle-Stop" for Disney's ''Disney/RobinHood''.
* EltonJohn also wrote and sang most of the songs in ''TheRoadToElDorado'', though unlike ''TheLionKing,'' that [[AllAnimationIsDisney wasn't a Disney movie.]]
* [[{{Genesis}} Phil Collins]] wrote the songs for ''Disney/{{Tarzan}}.''
** A few years later, he also did the music for ''BrotherBear'', which then is lampshaded in the DVDCommentary:
-->'''Rutt:''' Phil Collins, Phil Collins, Phil Collins... He's everywhere.
-->'''Tuke:''' Doesn't he take a break?
* DonBluth movie ''{{Thumbelina}}'' featured songs by Barry Manilow. Manilow actually managed to snag himself a Razzie for one of them, "Marry the Mole!"
* Barry Manilow also wrote the songs for ''ThePebbleAndThePenguin.''
* The short-lived cult classic ''CloneHigh'' features music by singer-songwriter Tommy Walter, performed by his alternative rock band Abandoned Pools, including several songs that would later appear on the band's first album.
* ''TheEmperorsNewGroove'' was originally set to feature a whole arsenal of songs by {{Sting}}, but due to the movie undergoing a massive plot-shift in development, only two songs remain in the movie: Kuzco's facetiously-used theme song, and the end credits AwardBaitSong, "My Funny Friend and Me." The rest of the songs can still be heard on the soundtrack album.
* [[OlderThanTheyThink A surprisingly early example]]: Peggy Lee wrote (with Sonny Burke) the songs for ''LadyAndTheTramp'' and sang most of them.
* Originally, ''{{Coraline}}'' was set to have a whole arsenal of songs by TheyMightBeGiants. However, they ended up not fitting with the tone of the film, and mostly getting cut. One short song, sung by Other Father, does remain in the film.
* Plan on watching ''SpiritStallionOfTheCimarron''? Hope you like Bryan Adams!
* The animated ''CuriousGeorge'' movie has songs by Jack Johnson.
* ''{{Animalympics}}'' has songs written and performed by Graham Gouldman of 10cc.
* Jimmy Webb, best known for "[=MacArthur=] Park", wrote the music and song scores for ''TheLastUnicorn''; the group America performed some of the songs.

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* Prog Metal band Mastodon composed the score for the 2010 film JonahHex.

* Prog Metal band Mastodon composed the score for the 2010 film "Jonah Hex".

* {{ACDC}} made the soundtrack of StephenKing's ''MaximumOverdrive''.

* ''{{Labyrinth}}'' featured a soundtrack by DavidBowie, who also played the main antagonist, the Goblin King. The fact that some of the songs [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment didn't really seem to fit in with the movie]] prompted the page quote above.
** From Bowie, there is also ''Christiane F.'', the soundtrack for a German movie (in which he appears) that consists of songs wrote by him in the seventies.

* Elton John wrote two extra songs for the ScreenToStageAdaptation of ''TheLionKing'', and went on from thoreere to write songs for Disney's ''Aida'' and the ScreenToStageAdaptation of ''BillyElliot''. Less successful was ''Lestat'', a musical adaptation of ''The Vampire Chronicles''.

* EltonJohn also wrote and sung most of the songs in ''TheRoadToElDorado'', though unlike ''TheLionKing,'' that [[AllAnimationIsDisney wasn't a Disney movie.]]

* The first three ''SpyroTheDragon'' games had their soundtrack composed by StewartCopeland of the famous 80s band ThePolice.

* Peter Gabriel of 'In Your Eyes' and 'Solsbury Hill' fame composed the music for ''TheLastTemptationOfChrist''.

* Shudder To Think released two soundtracks in 1998 that were notable for being SomethingCompletelyDifferent from their normal alternative/art-punk sound: the score to ''High Art'' was a mixture of ambient music and instrumental trip-hop, while ''First Love Last Rites'' was a {{retraux}} 50's and early 60's pastiche with loads and loads of guest vocalists such as [[TheSmashingPumpkins Billy Corgan]], [[CheapTrick Robin Zander]], Liz Phair, and JeffBuckley. Members Nathan Larson and Craig Wedren now both do soundtrack work from time to time.

* ''TheProposition'' had a soundtrack by NickCave as well as a script.

* {{Queen}} provided the music for [[FlashGordon FLASH! AH-AAAH--]] ...er, we mean ''FlashGordon.'' [[VerbalTic Sorry about that.]]

* Freddie Mercury (of Queen) was involved in the re-scoring of ''{{Metropolis}}'''s 1984 release.

* Cameron Crowe's film ''{{Singles}}'' features songs from bands in the Seattle grunge scene, which had just started to explode. Pearl Jam wrote two original songs, "Breath" and "State of Love and Trust," for the film. {{Soundgarden}} created an acoustic track for use in the background ambience of a scene. The song was "Spoonman," which was later re-recorded and became Soundgarden's breakout single.

** They also did ''{{Interstella5555}}''

* R.E.M. wrote the underscore for ''Man on the Moon'', which was titled after their hit song about the movie's subject, AndyKaufman. They also contributed a new song in "The Great Beyond".

** And the first {{Twilight}} movie.

* Utada Hikaru, a Japanese-American singer, writes the theme music for the ''KingdomHearts'' series.

* [[{{Ghostbusters}} Ray Parker Jr.]] did the music to ''TheAdventuresOfTintin''.

--> -- '''[[ThatGuyWithTheGlasses Nostalgia Chick]]''' on ''{{Labyrinth}}''

* [[{{Genesis}} Phil Collins]] wrote the songs for ''Film/{{Tarzan}}.''

* Yo La Tengo scored ''{{Adventureland}}''.