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The Rings Of Power's Soundtrack Is Just Incredible
The soundtrack for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is absolutely incredible. It's impossible to overstate how important the soundtrack was to the success of The Lord of the Rings. Composer Howard Shore won four Grammy Awards, three Oscars, and two Golden Globes for his work on Peter Jackson's films.
Amazon Studios' The Rings of Power has a $1 billion budget, officially making it the most expensive TV series ever made. According to Business Insider, this is something of a moment of truth for Amazon. "If it doesn't succeed, there's going to be a big question from Andy Jassy and the board," one insider reportedly observed. "If we can't take this piece of IP and make it successful, why is Amazon Studios even here?" Recognizing the importance of an iconic soundtrack, Amazon brought Shore on board for the theme music, and then hired American composer Bear McCreary for the rest of the soundtrack. McCreary composed nine hours of music in eight months, and just under 2 and a half hours of the soundtrack are now available on Spotify. Most viewers, of course, will have experienced this music - along with The Rings of Power's opening credits - when the first two episodes released on Amazon's Prime Video.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power soundtrack to date is absolutely stunning, perfectly complementing the lavish cinematography and remarkable special effects. Shore's theme is stylistically evocative of Peter Jackson's classic The Lord of the Rings movies (likely the reason he was hired in the first place). McCreary, meanwhile, is a skilled composer whose own personal style has been heavily influenced by Shore's work, making him a perfect thematic match. At the same time, though, his music is subtly different - in keeping with the Second Age setting of The Rings of Power, which deals with a very different version of Middle-earth. "Khazad-dûm" is one of the most striking themes, with thunderous drums and deep chants to present the Mines of Moria before the Dwarven kingdom's downfall. "Nori Brandyfoot" is evocative of the Hobbits, but with (appropriately enough) a far more adventurous feel.
How The Rings Of Power Music Captures LOTR's Classic Feel
The musical themes in The Rings of Power don't contain any direct references to The Lord of the Rings, likely because of legal issues. This actually works in the TV show's favor, because it prevents the prequel TV series from easily feeling derivative. This may be a glimpse into the past of Middle-earth, but there's something fresh and new to The Rings of Power, drawing viewers into a world that is at once strikingly familiar and enchantingly different, and this is perfectly demonstrated through the music. Still, for all this is the case, there are striking and deliberate parallels in terms of style and tone. The most impressive track is "Galadriel," a bridge between The Lord of the Rings and the Amazon TV show. It's uplifting and optimistic, building towards a triumphant note that positions Galadriel as the show's primary hero.
McCreary's score doesn't quite live up to Shore's, but frankly it was never going to. Still, it is remarkably impressive and serves as a testimony to the composer's real skill and talent. At time of writing, the main theme to The Rings of Power has been listened to on Spotify over 117,000 times, while "Galadriel" and "Khazad-dûm" - the most impressive tracks - have both been listened to over 100,000 times. The popularity of these tracks demonstrates the sheer quality of McCreary's work, indicating just how well he has created a consistent tone and style in The Rings of Power.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues Thursday/Friday on Prime Video.
