Summary

• Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs changed the game for movie soundtracks, being the first film to release a soundtrack album alongside the movie, setting a trend that continues today.
• The influential music of Snow White, with songs like "Heigh-Ho" and "Someday My Prince Will Come," became instant classics and were sold alongside the movie, becoming U.S. Top 10 hits.
• Snow White's success paved the way for studios to release soundtracks before the movie's release, setting a marketing trend seen in the modern film industry, where blockbuster soundtracks dominate the music charts.

The strategy behind studio movie releases has changed over the decades, but one standard set by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in the 1930s still holds up today. Disney's first animated feature film, Snow White has stood the test of time and is one of the most influential movies ever made, judging by its place in the Library of Congress's National Film Registry. While it certainly broke new ground for animation, it also had a tremendous influence on how movies were promoted before, during, and after their release.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the ultimate dice roll for Disney given the time and resources that went into its creation, but the gamble paid off in several ways. Perhaps most importantly, it showed Disney — and the rest of the film industry — how important the music in a movie could be in its widespread appeal. The music of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was so significant, in fact, it started a new trend that is going as strong as ever more than 85 years later.

Disney's Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs Was The First Movie To Release A Soundtrack

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs bears the distinction of being the first movie to commercially release a soundtrack album alongside the movie. The notion of a feature-length animated film was already a risk, as it had not been attempted up to that point. Part of the reason that Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was successful was its fun and upbeat approach to a classic story, and the soundtrack played a major role in that.

Some of Disney's most memorable songs can be found on the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs soundtrack. "Heigh-Ho", "Whistle While You Work" and "Someday My Prince Will Come" all became instant classics as the movie grew into a box office smash. Per UDiscoverMusic, the songs were so influential that the soundtrack was sold alongside the movie's wide release as a collection of three singles, and each song became a U.S. Top 10 hit at the same time.

How Disney & Snow White Became A Game Changer For Movie Soundtracks

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs broke new ground for soundtracks way back in the 1930s, but the long-term effects are still represented in the modern film industry. Studios began the habit of releasing soundtracks before the movie was even released as a way to market the movie, mimicking Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' successful merchandise stunt. The practice began in earnest in the 1950s thanks to musicals and Elvis Presley movies, with songs from movies commonly topping the charts alongside radio releases. That concept has evolved with the advent of streaming, and now the musical charts are frequently dominated by music from the latest blockbuster.

Disney in particular has placed an emphasis on soundtracks for the majority of its existence, taking the proper lesson away from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Many of Disney's latest releases are entirely built around the soundtrack, with Frozen, Moana, and Encanto all infiltrating not only the top music charts but pop culture as well. While Lin-Manuel Miranda may have helped Disney perfect the marriage of a soundtrack to a movie, the groundwork was laid with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs way back in 1938.

Source: UDiscoverMusic