Apollo 13

Label: MCA Records
Barcode:008811124120
Release Year: 1995
Country: Europe
Product Type: CD (Used)
Score or Soundtrack: Hybrid
Composer: James Horner

The Apollo 13 soundtrack, released in 1995 to accompany Ron Howard’s gripping space drama starring Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, and Ed Harris, is anchored by a stirring original score from James Horner. Coming off his success with Legends of the Fall and anticipating Titanic, Horner crafted a sweeping, heroic, and deeply human score that balances patriotic grandeur with intimate emotional depth. His main theme—full of soaring strings, noble brass, and restrained choir—underscores both the astronauts’ peril and the resilience of the NASA team on the ground, much like John Williams’ Saving Private Ryan or Jerry Goldsmith’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture celebrated courage under pressure.

The soundtrack also features period-specific popular music, including Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love,” The Who’s “I Can See for Miles,” and Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze,” grounding the story in its late 1960s cultural context. Additionally, authentic NASA audio clips, including dialogue from Mission Control in Houston, are woven into the album, enhancing its documentary-like realism.

Widely praised, the Apollo 13 score earned Horner an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score and remains one of his most admired works, often performed in concert as a showcase of his gift for fusing Americana spirit with cinematic storytelling.

Track Listing

Main Title
James Horner

One Small Step
Walter Cronkite & Neil Armstrong

Night Train
James Brown

Groovin’
The Young Rascals

Somebody to Love
Jefferson Airplane

I Can See for Miles
The Who

Purple Haze
Jimi Hendrix

Launch Control
James Horner

All Systems Go – The Launch
James Horner

Welcome to Apollo 13
Tom Hanks

Spirit in the Sky
Norman Greenbaum

House Cleaning
Kevin Bacon, Tom Hanks & Gary Sinise

Houston, We Have a Problem
Tom Hanks & Brett Cullen

Master Alarm
James Horner

What’s Going On?
Tom Hanks & Gary Sinise

Into the LEM
James Horner

Out of Time
Tom Hanks, Ed Harris & Kevin Bacon

Shut Her Down
Kevin Bacon & Brett Cullen

Darkside of the Moon
James Horner

Failure Is Not an Option
Ed Harris

Honky Tonkin’
Hank Williams

Blue Moon
The Mavericks

Waiting for Disaster
Ed Harris & Gary Sinise

A Privilege
Tom Hanks

Re-entry and Splashdown
James Horner

End Titles
James Horner

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