Despite the extraordinary \u2013 and highly unlikely \u2013 success of the Michael Andrews and Gary Jules cover, there\u2019s far, far more to the Donnie Darko soundtrack, which makes great use of its 1980s setting to play around with some of the decade\u2019s best rock songs.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a clear trend of cult films having great music \u2013 the Pulp Fiction soundtrack<\/a> similarly caused a resurgence of interest in classic songs from decades past, while the work of Vangelis<\/a> on Blade Runner has provided a synth score quite unlike any other.<\/p>\n Donnie Darko is no different, avoiding the usual nostalgia tracks that feature in 1980s-set projects (such as Stranger Things<\/a>) and instead opting for a mix of rock and alternative pop songs that capture the era with an underlying sense of dread.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a soundtrack that nearly never got released \u2013 the film struggled to receive financing until Drew Barrymore stepped in, and after flopping at the box office there was little interest in a soundtrack album for quite some time.<\/p>\n Thankfully, the film later became a word-of-mouth success on DVD and the film\u2019s unique soundtrack finally got a deserved release, which we\u2019ll break down below track by track.<\/p> While the film\u2019s score was released in 2002, this track listing below is based on the 2004 re-release for the director\u2019s cut, which incorporated the many 1980s classics that featured in the psychological thriller.<\/p>\n The director\u2019s cut is infamous for altering the soundtrack by controversially removing and replacing a few songs, but thankfully the music from both cuts is included \u2013 we\u2019ll go through the music in both versions below.<\/p>\n A controversial one here \u2013 director Richard Kelly had originally planned to use Never Tear Us Apart by INXS in the opening scene where Donnie wakes up on the mountain and cycles home, but financial constraints led him to use The Killing Moon by Echo & the Bunnymen instead.<\/p>\n Following the film\u2019s surprise later success and cult following, Kelly was able to secure the rights to Never Tear Us Apart and use it in the opening for the director\u2019s cut, though fan reaction has remained mixed ever since. However, the INXS track does have lyrical significance to the plot of Donnie Darko \u2013 one line in particular refers to \u201ctwo worlds colliding\u201d, a hint towards the two alternate universes within the film, and if you watch closely as that line plays in the movie you can see Frank\u2019s red car drive past Donnie.<\/p>\n Listen on Tidal<\/a><\/p>\n Tears for Fears of course sang the original version of Mad World, which is famously covered at the end of the film, but the English pop-rock band can still be heard in both cuts with another one of their \u201980s hits. Head Over Heels plays during the lengthy \u2013 but very stylish \u2013 sequence where Donnie first arrives at school, and Richard Kelly has stated on the DVD commentary that the scene was written and choreographed with the song in mind \u2013 despite not having the rights yet.<\/p>\n Kelly has revealed that filming the scene took most of a day, which angered the production and line managers. \u201cThey saw it as an indulgent music video sequence that had no dialogue and didn\u2019t advance the story,\u201d Kelly told The Guardian<\/a>. \u201cBut when they saw the finished sequence, they said, \u2018OK, we were wrong.’\u201d<\/p>\n Listen on Tidal<\/a><\/p>\n Australian rock band The Church\u2019s 1988 hit Under the Milky Way plays at the party after Donnie and Gretchen return from his bedroom, in a trippy sequence where Donnie sees people travelling through time through those transparent tube blobs. However this song was replaced by The Killing Moon by Echo & the Bunnymen in the director\u2019s cut, and Under the Milky Way was moved to the scene where Donnie is driven home by his father.<\/p>\n Listen on Tidal<\/a><\/p>\n Not actually a classic \u201980s song this one, but an instrumental that plays during Jim Cunningham\u2019s promotional video.<\/p>\n Listen on YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n Again, this is a brief instrumental heard during Jim Cunningham\u2019s seminar on fear.<\/p>\n Listen on YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n A change of pace from the 1980s rock, Ave Maria is a classical piece first composed by Vladimir Vavilov in 1970. This rendition of the aria plays during a rather hypnotic scene where the time travelling transparent tubes guide Donnie to the gun in his parents\u2019 room.<\/p>\n Listen on YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n This haunting track plays during one of the most iconic parts of Donnie Darko \u2013 and all of film \u2013 when Donnie and Gretchen are watching The Evil Dead in the cinema and Frank appears. It plays as Frank removes his mask for the first time and again during the end credits \u2013 causing many to associate the song with the theme of death.<\/p>\n Listen on YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n Another departure from the soundtrack\u2019s \u201980s rock theme, Show Me (Part 1) is the song Cherita is dancing to at the talent show while being heckled. However it won\u2019t be long before the \u201980s nostalgia returns \u2013 the next act at the talent show, Sparkle Motion, are dancing to a Duran Duran classic.<\/p>\n Listen on YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n Don\u2019t doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion by not knowing their backing tracks \u2013 Duran Duran\u2019s 1986 hit Notorious is the song playing while Donnie\u2019s sister Samantha performs with her dance troupe. However, it was not Kelly\u2019s first choice for the scene \u2013 he originally planned to use Pet Shop Boys\u2019 number one hit West End Girls before having to reconsider due to financial constraints.<\/p>\n Listen on Tidal<\/a><\/p>\n Donnie\u2019s party gives the film the opportunity to showcase many rock and new wave songs from the era, beginning with this 1988 track from American band Oingo Boingo. Oingo Boingo was formed by film composer Danny Elfman \u2013 who is best known for scoring the themes of the likes of The Simpsons, Spider-Man and The Nightmare Before Christmas.<\/p>\n Listen on Tidal<\/a><\/p>\n One of the most iconic tracks of the \u201980s and often named as one of the best songs of all time, Love Will Tear Us Apart plays when Gretchen arrives at the party and talks with Donnie in his room \u2013 a fitting choice given the end of the film and how their love story will conclude. Gretchen says the famously sad line \u201cI guess some people are just born with tragedy in their blood\u201d while this song is playing \u2013 particularly pertinent given Donnie\u2019s situation and the end of the film.<\/p>\n Listen on Tidal<\/a><\/p>\n Other than Mad World,\u00a0 the mysterious, haunting The Killing Moon \u2013 fittingly sung by Echo & the Bunny<\/em>men \u2013 is probably the song most associated with Donnie Darko. In the theatrical cut the song memorably features in the opening sequence when Donnie cycles home, but was controversially replaced in the director\u2019s cut and instead moved to the party scene when Donnie leaves his bedroom with Gretchen.<\/p>\n Listen on Tidal<\/a><\/p>\nDonnie Darko soundtrack<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Never Tear Us Apart by INXS<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>2. Head Over Heels by Tears for Fears<\/strong><\/h2>\n
3. Under the Milky Way by The Church<\/strong><\/h2>\n
4. Lucid Memory by Sam Bauer and Gerard Bauer<\/strong><\/h2>\n
5. Lucid Assembly by by Gerard Bauer and Mike Bauer<\/strong><\/h2>\n
6. Ave Maria by Vladimir Vavilov and Paul Pritchard<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>7. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Steve Baker and Carmen Daye<\/strong><\/h2>\n
8. Show Me (Part 1) by Quito Colayco and Tony Hertz<\/strong><\/h2>\n
9. Notorious by Duran Duran<\/strong><\/h2>\n
10. Stay by Oingo Boingo<\/strong><\/h2>\n
11. Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division<\/strong><\/h2>\n
12. The Killing Moon by Echo & the Bunnymen<\/strong><\/h2>\n
13. Mad World by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules<\/strong><\/h2>\n