History Main / RealityHasNoSoundtrack

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SisterTrope of SilenceIsGolden, DeliberatelyMonochrome and RealityHasNoSubtitles.

Contrast LeftTheBackGroundMusicOn and MusicVideoSyndrome.

* Creator/TheMarxBrothers first film ''Film/TheCocoanuts'' is a perfect example of that. The brothers figured that the audience wouldn't care where the music came from but the executives insisted that film audiences wouldn't suspend their disbelief, so they hired an orchestra to sit on the set in order to justify the musical numbers (even though they were using prerecorded music) - but the director forgot to shoot them and almost all the musical numbers were cut anyway, so the studio wasted that money.

* ''Film/OneOfOurAircraftIsMissing'' contains no musical score. Director Michael Powell strove for "naturalism" and only used diegetic sounds.

* ''One Of Our Aircraft is Missing'' contains no musical score. Director Michael Powell strove for "naturalism" and only used diegetic sounds.

* ''Series/{{MASH}}'' started out using musical scores throughout each episode, like most sitcoms of the era, but starting in the second season on it was gradually phased out, reserved for lengthy comedic sequences and before and after commercial breaks. By season eight, the background music was gone entirely. According to Burt Metcalf, it was removed to be "just like the actual Korean War". Likewise, the CannedLaughter forced by the network was scaled back as the series wore on, ultimately being absent in the finale.

* ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonAWonderfulLife'', arguably the darkest but certainly the most realistic ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' title, lacks background music for the most part. Other games in the franchise have background music however unless your disc player is on there's little music aside from cutscenes, Lumima's piano, and the local bar.

--> '''WebVideo/TheCinemaSnob:''' ''The director definitely shows the scene in about the most realistic fashion as he can. There's no soundtrack playing, other than the character in the movie playing the harmonic which kinda adds to the atmosphere. Almost nothing about it feels like you're watching a movie. It was one of the most raw sequences put on film at the time.''

* ''Film/{{Underground}}'': All music is performed live or played on a recording. However, this also includes the brass band that seems to follow the two main characters wherever they go and provide a jaunty soundtrack to whatever is happening.

Early sound films tended to have no music tracks unless there was an on-scene source (a radio or a stage orchestra). This was partially due to the limitations of early film sound recording technology, as well as a desire for greater realism (and a belief that [[ViewersAreMorons audiences would be asking where the music was coming from]]). In the early years of sound cinema, there was a debate over whether film sound should be naturalistic, corresponding only with the on-screen action; or serve as an artistic counterpoint to the images, with music and sound effects providing a kind of commentary on the action. Eventually the solution was to TakeAThirdOption and strike a happy medium, with dialogue recorded on set complemented with a music score and augmented sound effects.

* Creator/MichaelHaneke's ''Film/CodeUnknown'' features no soundtrack apart from flute music and drums being played in-universe.

* Haneke's ''Film/CodeUnknown'' features no soundtrack apart from flute music and drums being played in-universe.

* The ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' season 5 episode "The Body" [[spoiler:({{the one where}} Joyce dies)]] there is absolutely no music, apart from the theme tune during the opening credits. However, the rest of the series has music like normal, making this episode really stand out.

* ''Getting On'' (a similar tv show to ''The Thick Of It'', set in a hospital rather than Westminster) has no background music, but it does have title music.

* The Peter Bogdonovich thriller ''Film/{{Targets}}'' has no music soundtrack, except for a diegetic tune heard on a car radio. The opening credits are played over music-free footage from one of star Creator/BorisKarloff's previous films.
* Jan Svankmajer's ''Alice'' lacks any background music, aside from a piece of music played over the end credits. If anything, the sound effects (such as Alice sucking her finger or scraping knives) are exaggerated and sound quite loud.

-->'''WebVideo/TheCinemaSnob:''' The director definitely shows the scene in about the most realistic fashion as he can. There's no soundtrack playing, other than the character in the movie playing the harmonic which kinda adds to the atmosphere. Almost nothing about it feels like you're watching a movie. It was one of the most raw sequences put on film at the time.

* The movie ''The Lunchbox'', which presents a bittersweet picture of the depressing nature of modern-day life in India, has no background music, and only once or twice any music playing due to onscreen sources. This is particularly notable in contrast to the most common kind of Indian movie the West sees, the {{Bollywood}} musical, which naturally uses music a great deal.

* ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonAWonderfulLife'', arguably the darkest but certainly the most realistic ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' title, lacks background music for the most part.

* ThePianist has no music unless the main character is playing a piano or hearing someone else play an instrument.

SisterTrope of SilenceIsGolden, DeliberatelyMonochrome and RealityHasNoSubtitles. Compare QuieterThanSilence and SilentCredits. Contrast LeftTheBackGroundMusicOn and MusicVideoSyndrome.