Forbes: 2018 Was An Incredible Year For The Soundtrack
"On the charts and in our headphones, the musical soundtrack dominated 2018.
“Shallow.” “This Is Me.” “All the Stars.” Songs transcended the big screen into radio rotation and streaming playlists, becoming as popular as, well, pop music. Just how consumed were the tracks composed for the silver screen? A quick look …
The dominance of The Greatest Showman can’t be understated. The Hugh Jackman-led P.T. Barnum musical biopic snowballed the success of a late 2017 theatrical release into consistent sales and streaming dominance throughout the year. The Greatest Showman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack wasn’t only the biggest soundtrack of last year, it was one 2018’s biggest albums … period.
It became the first album of 2018 to sell 1 million copies, per Nielsen, reaching that landmark in June. The album slotted at No. 4 on the Billboard year-end chart, ahead of Ed Sheeran, Cardi B, Travis Scott and Post Malone. It reached at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in Jan. 2018, nearly a month after release — the first album in a year to hit No. 1 without debuting in the top slot. BuzzAngle Music year-end report ranks the album as the fourth-most consumed in the United States last year, citing physical sales at 1.2 million and online streams at 195 million.
The pop culture momentum behind The Greatest Showman led to a covers album release last fall. Coined The Greatest Showman: Reimagined, Panic! At The Disco, Kelly Clarkson and more led talent for new takes on the tracks. The legend of Showman continues to grow in 2019 as Jackman plans to take the songs on a global arena tour.
Heading into the upcoming Grammy and Academy Award ceremonies, the Black Panther soundtrack continues to snag award season buzz. Curated by Kendrick Lamar and led by SZA collaboration “All The Stars,” Lamar and company earned a leading eight Grammy nominations — including album, song and record of the year. “All The Stars” competes with A Star Is Born anthem “Shallow” (more on that later) for the best original song at the Oscar next month."
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