Everyone from Run-DMC to Bing Crosby can be heard in the soundtrack.
Whenever December comes around, there are a couple of films that are simply must-watches – and although there continues to be some debate as to whether it technically counts as a Christmas movie or not, Die Hard is undoubtedly one of those films.
The action classic was released in 1988, and was the first film to star Bruce Willis as police detective John McClane – a role he would go on to reprise in four sequels – following him as he takes on a group of German terrorists led by one of the all-time great movie villains in Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber.
One of the arguments often put forward in favour of its status as a Christmas film is the fact that it includes a number of seasonal songs – from offbeat picks like Run-DMC’s Christmas in Hollis to more traditional festive fare such as Winter Wonderland as sung by Bing Crosby.
Meanwhile, the film also includes a couple of well-known pieces of classical music, and an original score written by prolific film composer Michael Kamen.
Read on for everything you need to know about the music heard in Die Hard.
Die Hard soundtrack
The following pieces of music can all be heard in the Die Hard soundtrack:
- Brandenburg Concerto No.3 in G Major (Allegro Moderato) composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
- Christmas In Hollis performed by Run-DMC
- Skeletons performed by Stevie Wonder
- Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! performed by Reginald VelJohnson (humming)
- Jingle Bells performed by Bruce Willis (whistling)
- Ode to Joy from Symphony No.9 in D- Choral, Op. 125 composed by Ludwig Van Beethoven
- Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! performed by Vaughn Monroe
- Singin’ In The Rain performed by Gene Kelly
- Winter Wonderland performed by Bing Crosby
- We’ve Got Each Other performed by John Scott
Die Hard score
Die Hard also features an original score composed by Michael Kamen – which won him a BMI TV/Film Music Award. You can find the list of tracks included below:
- The Nakatomi Plaza
- Gruber’s Arrival
- John’s Escape/You Want Money?
- The Tower
- The Roof
- The Fight
- He Won’t Be Joining Us
- And If He Alters It?
- Going After John Again
- Have a Few Laughs
- Welcome to the Party
- TV Station/His Bag is Missing
- Assault on the Tower
- John is Found Out
- Attention Police
- Bill Clay
- I Had an Accident
- Ode to Joy
- The Battle
- Gruber’s Departure
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