Remembering David Lynch's musical legacy: 10 songs to go beyond the films
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The loss of singular talent and visionary filmmaker David Lynch is not only felt in the world of cinema, but music, where he had inextricable influence on multiple generations of artists. Lynch, whose death was announced Thursday, composed music for many of his films, collaborated with others, directed music videos, released albums and inspired legions of creatives.
You know his films, now, learn about his musical legacy. (You can hear all of the tracks on our Spotify playlist.). “In Heaven” from “Eraserhead”. Lynch composed much of the soundtrack to the clangorous “Eraserhead,” his 1978 debut movie. It foreshadows both a long career in film and an enduring interest in using music to establish a surrealist ambience in his work. “In Heaven" holds particular resonance in the film. It's performed by a woman who lives in protagonist Henry Spencer's radiator, for one thing. It has been embraced by legions of indie rock fans. The Pixies have covered it and it is interpolated into Modest Mouse’s "Workin’ on Leavin’ the Livin’.".
Chris Isaak, “Wicked Game”. Chris Isaak’s 1989 desert ballad “Wicked Game” did not become a hit until it was included in Lynch’s 1990 romantic crime drama “Wild at Heart" starring Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern. And that, my friends, is Lynch's musical power.
Angelo Badalamenti, “Twin Peaks” theme. It would be a challenge to name a music and film collaboration stronger and more ideal than the one between Badalamenti and Lynch. They first worked together on 1986's “Blue Velvet," leading to a long partnership (and, no doubt, armies of new Roy Orbison fans, given his placement in the film). But it's Badalamenti's theme for “Twin Peaks” that fans no doubt think of first when their names appear.
