Westerns (and the people who watch them) demand authenticity \u2014 and authenticity can get expensive. You’re going to need some hats, bandanas, holsters, boots, and six-shooters. You’ll need to figure out where to get a horse or two. And if you’re going to skimp on your wealthy land baron’s costume, you might as well just rewrite the villain.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, the music in western films is a trope unto itself, and some of the most famous western scores are even more iconic than the films in which they feature. If you’re looking for authenticity, using a few solid royalty-free western songs (like those featured in the playlist<\/a> at the bottom of this post) is a much more affordable approach than staging a cattle drive in the parking lot behind the mall. Let’s take a look at \u2014 and a listen to \u2014 three eras of western film.<\/p>\n The western genre goes back more than 100 years, to a time before talkies existed. Pop culture has trained us to associate silent films with jaunty piano melodies and dramatic organ arrangements played live by a mustachioed man wearing a bowler hat.<\/p>\n 1903’s The Great Train Robbery<\/em><\/a>, directed by Edwin S. Porter<\/a> and widely accepted as the first western narrative presented on film, was silent, and most versions of the film online do indeed feature the kind of soundtrack mentioned above. See for yourself.<\/p>\n
\nThe Great Silent Westerns<\/span><\/h3>\n