The Best Theme Park Soundtrack
The title pretty much sums it up.
Hi, it’s me again.
Since I have nothing much to report, I decided to do another one of these Best/Worst of theme parks topics. This is just for fun, so don’t expect a trip report or anything like that. Today, the topic is ‘Best Theme Park Soundtrack’. If you ever been to a theme park and you end up stuck in a queue, or if you end up sitting down on a piece of scenery waiting for the rest of your party, you sometimes find yourself having nothing to do other than eat doughnuts or drink coke. Now if you’re a TPI who isn’t just there for the rides, a good thing to do to pass the time would be to take in your surroundings. This includes looking at scenery, watching rides or (of course) listening to theme music. I’ve listed (and even downloaded) theme park music for some parks I’ve been too and of picked out some of the best ones.
Islands Of Adventure
Port Of Entry
Banner Lab
Doctor Doom’s Fear Fall
Spider-man (rock version)
Marvel Main Street
Popeye (Pirate theme)
Jurassic Park (Main theme(s)
Merlinwood (all four themes)
Lost City
Seuss Landing
Universal Studios
E.T
Revenge ot Mummy (victory theme)
Twister theme
Jaws theme
Back tt Future
MIB
Sea World
Shark Encounter
Pirate Mime
Alton Towers
Alton Towers Main Theme
Air
Nemesis
Duel
Spinball Whizzer (80’s classics)
The Flume
Katanga Canyon
Hex
Thorpe Park
Colossus
Slammer
Ribena Rumba Rapids
Nemesis Inferno
There are more parks and other tracks I might have missed out, but if I keep going I’ll be here all day. Now all you have to do is vote your favourite. It can be any track from any theme park and you can even vote for more than one track (but not twice or more for the same track). See you later!
Note: Recent evidence suggests that if you vote for ‘It’s A Small World’ then your login password will be changed to: Loser.
Good discussion thread idea.
My two British pounds.
IOA has the best theme music of all the theme parks with Alton Towers coming in at a close second. My favourite theme park music track would probably be either the Spiderman theme (located at the exit of the attraction and the single riders line) and the Duel soundtrack at Alton Towers.
From steve lee
Posted January 3, 2007 at 4:02 PM
When Islands opened, I thought it was the only park that had had all of the incidental music composed specifically for it (the notable exception being when they bust out the real Jurassic Park music in that area).
Anyways, I want to put in a note for the soundtrack to Illuminations. If you can't listen to that and visualize the show, you're clearly not trying hard enough.
Oh, and there's one track in Islands that is slightly remixed from what was on the soundtrack CD - it's played in Lost Continent, and it's a variation on "The Lost City." The inpark version has a much more majestic feel to it, and I wish I could find a copy of it.
I love all of the music played in Busch Gardens WIlliamsburg, especially in the Banbury Cross section and on Escape from Pompei.
Ocean Market Trader (on the IOA CD) is what plays when you enter IOA....however its slowed down and cut a bit different. I've been searching, and cant find that version anywhere. IOA really did a good job with all of its music.
Yea, even I have the music from IOA and its really great! IOA is great with their mixing of the music when you go from each land. They greatly phase out one music and go into another one or some kind of "center music" between lands.
Now that I gave IOA its due,I am shocked that nobody will even give Disney World some of its due. I guess thats my job :)
Has anybody heard the Animal Kingdom CD? Its really great. Very similar some of IOA's. Also, Disney has some great attraction songs (and you know it!
Some of my favorites
Its a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow
Yo Ho Yo HO
The Universe of Energy
Mission Space
Fantasmic
Canada
Golden Dreams
Grim Grinning Ghosts
And the list can go on!
I really enjoy the soundtrack for IOA. I do have a few questions. Didn't IOA used to sell their soundtrack on cd? And if they did/still do, can you purchase it online?
I forgot about Fantasmic!!! Fantasmic really does have an amazing soundtrack.
From steve lee
Posted January 4, 2007 at 10:19 AM
Anthony, I totally gave props to Illuminations above. It was stuck in the middle of me talking about IOA, so I guess it'd be easy to miss.
As for the IOA CD, I know it WAS sold, but I haven't seen it in the shops lately (I look just in case they put out another version with the different arrangements). It's listed on Wikipedia as still being for sale, though I can't say where you'd find it.
I found it at the big store at the front of IOA. However, that was more of a year ago!
Another hard Theme Park CD to find is DCA! It had some great music on that too!
I did some looking around online, and that IOA soundtrack can't be found. IOA is probably the only place where it's sold. Oh well...
From steve lee
Posted January 6, 2007 at 3:43 PM
Shane, I don't know why Erik hasn't pimped IOACentral on this, but it appears that they have the CD for sale there. Course, it's 25 bucks which is a heckuva mark-up, but that may be the only option unless someone can verify if the parks are still selling it.
From Bruce Lane
Posted January 7, 2007 at 11:52 PM
However unimpressed I am with Sea World in general, and Sea World Orlando in particular, I have to give them credit for picking out some pretty decent background music for the speaker systems along the park's walkways. Very nice instrumental/New Age (sometimes known as "acoustic") stuff.
Granted, this was several years ago. No idea what they're doing with it these days. However, at the time, I was so impressed with what I heard that I bugged the Audio department for a playlist. Fortunately, 99% of it was off-the-shelf CD's, older but readily available from various used-music sources.
Did I mention that the subject of this thread is pretty subjective? I'm sure that there are folks who would find the stuff I just mentioned to be the equal of nails on a blackboard, just as I found much of the alleged music for the whale show to be.
Keep the peace(es).
From steve lee
Posted January 8, 2007 at 10:13 AM
I remember hearing "Fish Heads" by Barnes and Barnes playing about 10 minutes before Sea World opened. That was unexpected, hysterical surprise.
Steve, I dont know why I didnt pimp out IOA on it either...I think I just forgot.
http://www.adventuremercantile.com/product_categories/music/p1.htm
There's the link to buy it....which is not really a mark up...it sold for that much in the parks..if not more.
You can try ebay, they have a copy every once in a while, for both that and the DCA CD. The song that I always try to find is the one they used to play at the aquarium outside of Journey To Atlantis at SWO, that and the greek music is just awesome. The funny song I heard that struck me as wierd was the Pirates Who Dont Do Anything, by Reliant K outside of Clyde and Seamore. And I love fish heads....rolly poly fish heads...eat em up yum.
From steve lee
Posted January 8, 2007 at 7:41 PM
I dunno, Erik. I seem to recall getting mine for like 18 bucks, and I don't even think I had an Annual Pass at that point.
But hey, it's a seller's market. If the park is too dumb to keep the CD in stock, their loss is your gain. It really is a good CD though, so I do recommend picking it up.
IOA has the best theme music hands down. Certain Disney themes are great, but most of them come from instrumental versions of walk-thrus in the parks or line queues. I would say EPCOT has great music all in all. They have tracks not offered on any Disney CD as you walk around Future world and between the Land and Seas. Less we forget the closing music to Spaceship Earth, one of the most underrated tracks ever put together. AK has quality stuff as well. Magic Kingdom is great for ride tracks.
Years ago, Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe (the big restaurant with the animatronic singing dino in Tomorrowland) had music not offered in any other part of Tomorrowland and never available on their CDs. It was far from the singing dino, almost near the restroom. They were instrumental, futuristic tunes with a big of a somber tone in the case of some (a track called "Inside the Sky"- and a more upbeat pace in terms of others "Bubble Shuffle" and "Generation 2". If anyone knows what I'm talking about, please share as to how one can officially get their hands on these tunes, which they have since removed as the restaurant changed music. I considered that the best theme park music until removed in 2000, so IOA has won over the theme park music war, in my book.
Does IOA still sell their soundtrack? I'm just curious, I tried to look at the Port of Entry gift shop, but I did not see it. Anyone know?
Disney still sells Sonny Eclipse's "Bright Little Star", but thats about it!
One of the best little eating areas in my opinion and he is an alien (thus tomorowland),but I could see how he looks like a dino now that you say it!
As of The 29th...no IOA does not have any soundtracks for sale. Steve, prices change I'm sure.. I think Kevin (the guy who owns adventure mercantile not ioacentral) sells them pretty much for what he buys them for...I think....has something to do with the licensing agreement for Universal I guess..not sure.
As for Disney soundtracks...their original music is great...but they dont do original music. In the entrance for Soarin you can hear some Apollo 13 music, along with some ET music..not the big crecendo...but it is in the soundtrack... And on the exit you disntinctly hear The Last StarFighter. And I know that I've heard some other movies, and even some Universal music, sprinkled throughout Epcot.
Really? I never noticed!
Anyway, I think the difference between Disney and Universal music is that Universal puts more music in the background while walking around while Disney puts more music on the ride. Think about it. How many attractions at Universal has its own theme songs. Disney? Universe of Energy, One Little Spark, Its a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow, etc. I think it makes it a little to compare them. I think the only "background" music Disney has is in Animal Kingdom which is comparable to IOA's
From Erik Yates
Posted January 10, 2007 at 3:35 PM
If you are talking about songs with lyrics...then none...but if you are talking about theme music...then all of them. Spiderman, well....its really the only ride with original music...the rest either dont have music or are movie/cartoon scores. But still...there's more original music at IOA.
There is music all over Epcot for background, but like I said..its all pretty much borrowed.
Are you certain?
I hear alot of background music at EPCOT and it is all EPCOT works that can be purchased on a CD. I mean you might be right, but I have heard much of unique tunes!
Just to quickly explain my absence. Ever had one of those days when your computer crashes and eveything you had saved (such as Florida photos and roller coaster designs, in my case) gets lost? Well that's what happened to me and I've only just got back on. Now I guess I'am going to have to get up to date on everything.
Illuminations has got to be the best themed music ever...followed closely by Spectormagic...it always takes me back to sitting in the smoking area at across from the train station at the entrance in MK on a warm evening in shorts watching the parade...aww how romantic......cant wait to go back in April, I am getting all wistful
I love Spectromagic for the same reason!
Anyway, I heard a legend about the creation of Spectromagic. I hear that the music was created by a college student who won an award or something like that.
Also, as an aside from earlier about Disney using other music, I just realized that the Million Dreams song that you see on the commericals is actually Flying from the live action movie Peter Pan. Its a great song too!
I was getting so wistful I just went and downloaded loads of disney stuff from l/wire......excellent...now reliving the past and getting more excited by the day
the wishes music is a bit too "disney" for me....I like the Epcot entry music, and Haunted Mansion
From Jay R
Posted February 3, 2007 at 12:23 PM
you losers have no life
charming !!
Now that the computer is working, I can finally check out on what sensible discussion I,ve been missing.
Hang on...what's this?
Jay R
"you losers have no life"
Hahahahaha!!! Thanks Jay R, you have provided my comic relief for the day!
Your immature comments show that you must have been angered in life recently and you felt like letting of some steam. Well this isn't the place to do it so I strongly suggest you calm down and think about posting something constructive or their will be serious problems...for you.
If you have problems in life, deal with them!
Sorry to poke the troll but jeez. Why?
Go'an yersel big man!!
You're the one bashing people for having no lives because they frequent theme park websites and yet you create accounts on theme park websites soley for the purpose of mocking others. And you say we have no lives?
Yeah, so what if we visit this web site?
I honestly believe that this is the premium forum for theme park talk. I hope that theme park companies are reading the things on this site because it is some of the most insightful dialouge on their product. I also believe that this site gives very spirited and intelligent debates about the issues of the day.
From Jay R
Posted February 4, 2007 at 7:49 PM
LMFAO, wow. I'm don't care about comments onto disneyland, or whatever. I am not saying you guys have no lives in this website, persoanlly i come here to track down which theme park is good or not, and by the ways, I'm not in an anger dude. I'm saying THEME PARK SOUNDTRACK? THEME PARK SOUNDTRACK!!!???!!! Have you guys liste to Red Hot Chili Peppers, or Nirvana? Or how about Tupac, Ice Cube, or even Yung Joc? Listen, my friends, when you make a post about theme park soundtracks or Theme park tickets how they look like and if their nice or not....please don't make a discussion about that. We Discuss about Theme parks and ther news in the future...not soundtracks.
Well Jay, if you can read, you would see that we have talked about every park to no end. Just look at the discussion boards! Secondly, look under browse parks and find hotels and you will see insightful information. Believe me, we have talked about all kinds of helpful theme park information. If you had a question, you could have just asked!
Jay R
If I heard Red Hot Chilli Peppers or the other songs you've listed in theme parks, then that would count as a theme park track. But c*** like that doesn't get put in theme parks.
That out the way, I would just like to add that I've been making topics like these since I first got on this site (some 3 or 4 years ago) and if you didn't complain then, why now? Anthony suggests you explore this site a bit more and that's the best idea I've heard today. So why don't you do yourself a favor and do so, and come back when you want to put something constructive down!
Oh, and saying we have no lives and then putting down that's not what you said is ignorant.
Well then Jay R this is about talking about theme parks,so don'y worry about if we have lives or not,but if your looking for things about theme parks,ow about going on the sites.
And IOA does have really good soundtracks.
I would just like to point out that right now, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers actually are on a theme park soundtrack on Space Mountain in Disneyland and California Screamin' in California Adventure.
Does that bother you? :)
Anyway, at MGM we have Aerosmith blasting in your ears, but I guess its expected since they are supposed to be on the ride!
It will probably pass!
No, Anthony, it really doesn't bother me at all. I just thought it was rather humorous that one of the bands he used as an example happens to be on a theme park soundtrack.
Marshall Stannage:
Go'an yersel big man!!
Couldn’t quite depict what was meant by that response, nor could I tell who that was directed to so for now, I won’t comment.
Jay R:
Listen, my friends, when you make a post about theme park soundtracks or Theme park tickets how they look like and if their nice or not....please don't make a discussion about that. We Discuss about Theme parks and ther news in the future...not soundtracks.
But we do make discussion on subjects such as these. Theme park enthusiasts are able to discuss about ALL the different aspects about parks, not just how thrilling a certain ride is. As theme park enthusiasts, we discuss many things such as soundtrack, scenery, ride intensity, ride nausea, staff helpfulness and many other aspects, not just how tall this coaster is or how fast this goes.
ALL the above characteristics determine the overall quality of theme park and therefore how good it is.
From Jay R
Posted February 6, 2007 at 8:45 PM
What Kirby said about "I would just like to point out that right now, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers actually are on a theme park soundtrack on Space Mountain in Disneyland and California Screamin' in California Adventure." That's what I'm saying, also my friends...types of singers/bands are going to be on theme park rides not victory themes or Movie theme songs, because by the ways, what Kirby just said about Red hot chili Peppers doing a soundtrack on Disneyland's "Space Mountain" that's what I'm confirming. Sorry about all this nonsense lmao but listen man a rap sensation of 3 six Mafia is performing for Universal soon. YESSS!!!! Don't know when, but a RUMOR it is. Universal Hollywood, not florida. All I know about music in Florida is Blues Man Group. And in the future, it might replace for a Beatle show called "Love" or something.
Right...
Moving on with the topic... I just like to quickly add that I downloaded all the original IOA soundtracks from Limewire 2 years ago (Of course when the computer crashed I had to get them all back again) but just a couple of days ago I downloaded a calypso version of the secondary Jurassic Park theme. I hear it play continuosly next to the Discovery trail but I'm certain you couldn't get off the CD, let alone Limewire. Just one of those random things in life I guess...
From Erik Yates
Posted February 22, 2007 at 4:03 AM
Well this is on topic....This week on IOACentral Radio the parks are alive, with the sound of.......yeah you know. We talk about the music in the parks, and how they enhance your theme park experience. We also talk about our favorite theme park music, what rides would be like without the music, and how the experience is complete. And to help us along we bring in someone who really knows music, Nick Hutson from the UK's only musical theater podcast Musical Talk. We also take a trip "Across the Universe" with Matt for all the latest news.
http://myspace.com/ioacentralradio
Hmm...I actually might check that out.
I Have to say Fantasmic Spectromagic and Yo Ho ( a Pirate's Life for Me ) and It's a great Big beautiful Tomorrow are the best.
I like Fantasmic and Wishes, the fireworks show that was at Disneyland when I went there. I also think the Space Mountain Soundtrack is fantastic.
Sorry Erik, forgot to check it out in the end.
Mark:
http://ioacentralradio.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=184830
Its still there ;)
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