A Brief History of Science Fiction Film Music

The 1960s - early 1970s

The experimental atmosphere of the Cold War era carried over to the 1960s and 1970s, where it continued to move further away from a recognizable, orchestral music base as developed during the 1930s. During this time lyrical music with identifiable musical components (themes, melodic development, harmonic progression, etc) gave away to the use of realistic sound signifiers, or music used only to evoke emotion without serving as a cohesive, independent whole. Science fiction film music was now evocative and edgy, utilizing abrasive rhythmic scoring, atmospheric textural cues, sustained treble passages, blurred distinction between music and sound effects, atonal orchestral passages, complex layering and dissonances, and exotic orchestra styles along with jazz-rock grooves and European art music (Hayward 13-14). This movement was heavily influenced by the development of the popular music styles of psychedelia, progressive rock, and jazz during this time. Components of these styles bled into the music of science fiction films, especially with the inclusion of synthesizers and other music technologies into modern musical styles, the heavy use of echo and sound effects, and the development of “space whispers” (wordless vocal parts) and “pothead pixies” (unintelligible lyrics) (Hayward 17). Such tense musical styles can be seen in science fiction films such as Wild, Wild Planet (1965), A Clockwork Orange (1971), and Solaris (1972).

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