Basic Trope: A music is heard in the background, whether is has in-universe justification or not.
- Straight: In a movie, an orchestral score is heard. The orchestra is nowhere seen in a movie.
- Exaggerated: It's a Silent Movie but background music is still heard. No in-universe justifications appear.
- Downplayed:
- Some simple tunes play in the background, there to give some emotion to the environment.
- Background music is heard only a few parts of the movie.
- Justified: Any music that plays in the movie has in-universe justification (such as played in a radio or by a band).
- Inverted:
- Music Video
- Something is seen in the background, whether or not it is justified.
- Subverted: Opening Credits credit someone for musical score. The music never appears in the movie.
- Double Subverted: Opening Credits credit someone for musical score. Most of the movie does not have a background music. However, background music starts to play at the ending of the movie.
- Parodied:
- Left the Background Music On
- A character starts humming to the background music
- Zig Zagged:
- Someone is credited for musical score, the background music plays at the ending of the movie, but the wrong person was credited, but the name used in the credits was a nickname, but still for the wrong person.
- It's a musical adaptation of a music video where background music plays alongside some songs referring to the source material.
- Averted: The movie has no music playing in the background.
- Enforced: The background music gets added because executives think the movie feels empty without it.
- Lampshaded: "Where is this music coming from anyway?"
- Invoked:
- A background character turns on a radio that is only seen once.
- Character breaks the fourth wall, turning on background music.
- Exploited: Our hero distracts the Big Bad by making him listen to the music.
- Defied: The background music stops because a character is tired of hearing it.
- Discussed: "Have you ever wondered why this movie has music playing in the background?"
- Conversed: "Now there's the music that nobody notices... except for us."*
- Implied: Someone mentions that a bunch of instruments helped our hero, even if he can't hear them.
- Deconstructed: If you can hear the background music for real, it might make you go crazy.
- Reconstructed: When the song fits the scene, it could encourage you to keep going, like how music can do in Real Life when you're working.
- Played for Laughs: A goofy track plays in a funny scene.
- Played for Drama: Dramatic music plays in a serious scene.
- Played for Horror: Disturbing music plays in a scary scene.
Back to Background Music
