The soundtrack is a dark combination of classic composition and vintage/modern pop songs, which mirrors the film's un-stated timeless setting envisioned by director David Lynch and unsettling neo-noir atmosphere.
Thus, the film has become noted for its diverse musical selections. Seen as a prominent stylistic feature in the film is also the unconventional use of vintage pop songs, such as Bobby Vinton’s "Blue Velvet" and Roy Orbison’s "In Dreams", juxtaposed with an orchestral score.[2]
Badalamenti's score alludes to Shostakovich's 15th Symphony, which Lynch had been listening to regularly while writing the screenplay.[2]
Background and music
Lynch worked with Badalamenti for the first time in this film and asked him to write a score that had to be “like Shostakovich, be very Russian, but make it the most beautiful thing but make it dark and a little bit scary.”[3] Badalamenti would later go on to contribute to all of Lynch's future full-length films except for Inland Empire (2006).
Entertainment Weekly ranked Blue Velvet at #100 on their list of the 100 Greatest Film Soundtracks: "The haunting soundtrack accompanies the title credits, then weaves through the narrative, accentuating the noir mood of the film." — Critic John Alexander[7]
The first official release (on LP, tape and CD) was released in late 1986. The following release was on an audio CD on October 15, 1990, by Varèse Sarabande. It, however, did not feature the original rendition title song as many times as it was used in the movie.
