John Carpenter once named his favourite songs of all time
John Carpenter has made many memorable contributions to cinema over the course of a career that has brought him acclaim as well as criticism. While Halloween became a commercial success, many of his other works such as The Thing and They Live were only recognised as masterpieces in later years.
In addition to his work as a filmmaker, Carpenter has also garnered praise for his skills as a fantastic composer. His father was a music teacher and he was inspired to experiment with the art-form due to his father’s passion for music. Carpenter’s soundtracks have inspired other film composers as well as electronic artists who have sought inspiration from his work.
In an interview, Carpenter was asked to name some of his favourite songs that have informed his soundtracks and he went on to trace the trajectory of his life through music. Starting from his childhood memories of being forced to play the violin to more recent picks, Carpenter’s selection is a highly eclectic one.
While recalling the impact of the ‘Dragnet Theme’, Carpenter said: “I heard this theme on the radio, and the scene was very dramatic. I knew it was a theme for a television show, but we did not have a television. I wanted a TV so badly. That’s why it stuck out in my head. It was a wish fulfilment, like: Why can’t I have a television set to watch these shows?”
Carpenter also named ‘Hey Jude’ by The Beatles among his top preferences because the way it influenced his political and philosophical views. Although the South hated John Lennon for his comments on Jesus Christ, Carpenter realised the importance of the band during his time at USC which ended up influencing the messaging of his films as well.
He added: “The place was full. The Beatles were hated back home in the South, because John Lennon had put down Christ, but not out where I was going to school. I had to hide everything I did in the South, just because it was the Jim Crow South—it still is. I knew what was going on back then, it was everywhere. But now? Oh my god. That’s a wake-up call.”
Carpenter’s selection represents various periods of his life where a particular kind of music played a big part in his artistic output. In his later years, he admitted to liking an extremely popular hit by Katy Perry which became a global sensation.
While justifying his choice, Carpenter said: “She’s a cool girl, a great performer, and she knows how to deliver a song. She just has an innate talent. It’s a girl empowerment song, and I appreciate that. I like that song. There you have it. You got it out of me.”
Check out the full list below.
John Carpenter’s favourite songs:
- Ray Anthony & His Orchestra – ‘Dragnet Theme’
- Domenico Modugno – ‘Volare’
- Skeeter Davis – ‘The End of the World’
- The Beatles – ‘Hey Jude’
- The O’Jays – ‘Love Train’
- Warren Zevon – ‘Werewolves of London’
- Toto – ‘Africa’
- Belinda Carlisle – ‘Heaven Is a Place on Earth’
- Boyz II Men – ‘In the Still of the Nite (I’ll Remember)’
- Elton John – ‘Candle in the Wind 1997’
- Dixie Chicks – ‘Not Ready to Make Nice’
- Alicia Keys – ‘No One’
- Katy Perry – ‘Roar’
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