Released in 2008, Twilight was more than massive. A downright global phenomenon, the series of films achieved just as much success as the Stephanie Meyer novels they were based on, grossing over $3.36 billion worldwide. Twilight served as a major stepping stone for the caliber of actor we now know Robert Pattinson to be, initiated a thriving era of vampire eroticism, and still maintains the ravenous fandom that showed up to every merch drop and midnight premiere all those years ago.
However, there is one thing that may very well be more iconic than the movie: its soundtrack. The best-selling theatrical movie soundtrack in the US since Chicago, both the album and its lead single, “Decode” by Paramore, were nominated for the 2010 Grammy Awards. While some argue that the film has aged poorly with time, the soundtrack has somehow only gotten better. Featuring original songs from Radiohead, Bon Iver, Passion Pit, Death Cab For Cutie, and Ok Go, among many more, it encapsulates a distinct and palpable time for indie rock. Twilight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, and the subsequent soundtracks in the Twilight series that followed, serve as a moody time capsule that will forever tell a story about the late 2000s.
The Music Behind the 'Twilight' Phenomenon
A film following a high school girl who unknowingly falls in love with a vampire in the rainy and bleak town of Forks, Washington, there’s a distinct tone that’s carried throughout the story. Something grainy and atmospheric, a deafening absence of the sun. That haunting feeling is transferred sonically on Twilight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, a moody, alt-indie portal that recruits efforts from some of the biggest names in the genre. Muse, Linkin Park, Radiohead, Paramore, and O.A.R. are just a few of the acts to outline the project, with Pattinson himself contributing two songs: ”Never Think" and "Let Me Sign.” Carter Burwell’s “Bella’s Lullaby” is also a defining piece of the entire franchise, an emotional orchestra that’s threaded through multiple movies.
The project was met with much critical praise, being graded entirely separately from the film itself. While many found Twilight to be vapid and prepubescent, it was understood that its soundtrack held much more weight. Earning its fair share of Grammy nominations, it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, the first soundtrack to do so before the film's release since 8 Mile in 2002. Selling 165,000 copies in its first week and later certified double platinum, Twilight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack appealed to music fans first, Twilight fans second.
The subsequent movies and soundtracks to follow, including The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), and both parts of Breaking Dawn, enlisted even more impressive track lists. This includes names like Lykke Li, Death Cab for Cutie, Bon Iver, Florence + The Machine, Vampire Weekend, The Killers, and Green Day, maintaining the integrity of Twilight’s curated atmosphere. The soundtrack for New Moon also reached number one on the Billboard 200, making it the first time a soundtrack and its sequel both earned the coveted spot.
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Why the 'Twilight' Soundtracks Still Matter
There are several stand-out tracks that help build out the Twilight sonic universe. “15 Step” by Radiohead plays through the credits of the first film, an unimpaired sonic odyssey that earned its own slot on In Rainbows.
Twilight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack’s lead single “Decode” by Paramore took on a life completely its own. Not only did it help cement Paramore’s flag on the moon, but it also went certified Platinum, selling over 1,000,000 copies. Alongside the entire soundtrack’s nomination, it was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2010 for Best Song Written for a Movie. “Eyes on Fire” by Blue Foundation, “Supermassive Black Hole” by Muse, “Possibility” by Lykke Li, and “Roslyn” by Bon Iver have each individually garnered hundreds of millions of streams and built devoted fandoms in their own right. “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri also stands as one of the most successful songs to emerge from the franchise, with nearly two billion streams on Spotify alone.
What’s most special about these albums is their ability to encapsulate a golden age for indie rock. We’ve strayed far from the undertones of this time, the grit and grayscale that made the late 2000s and early 2010s feel so particularly offline. It’s angsty and nostalgic, breathing a sweet relief of simpler times.
It’s a commonly practiced tradition to revisit these bodies of work every time the fall season rolls around, as many crave to be immersed in its emotive landscape. While the argument surrounding whether Twilight deserved its Razzie Awards more than its MTV Movie Awards is ultimately a valid one, one thing cannot be disputed: its roster of soundtracks are incomparably iconic and have earned a cemented space in indie rock history.
