Inside Out
Michael Giacchino · 2015
65 min · 25 tracks · film score
A whimsical orchestral journey that captures the emotional landscape of childhood through playful melodies and intricate arrangements.
Top tracks — play these first
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Joy Turns to Sadness / A Growing Personality — This track masterfully encapsulates the film’s emotional pivot, blending joyful motifs with poignant tones as it reflects character development and emotional complexity.
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Lava — Serving as both a standalone short film's theme and part of the score, this piece uses rich melodies to convey a heartfelt story of love and longing.
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Tears of Joy — This track effectively combines uplifting orchestration with a touch of melancholy, mirroring the film's exploration of joy intertwined with sadness.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
InstrumentalThe score blends whimsical orchestration with evolving motifs, reflecting emotional themes effectively.
What we noticed
- The pacing varies significantly, with some tracks maintaining a brisk tempo while others slow down to evoke introspection, particularly in the second half.
- Composition 25% of the score
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8/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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9/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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7/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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8/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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6/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- whimsical emotional exploration
- dynamic journey with peaks
- short bursts of joy
- playful motifs for imagination
- reflective moments of nostalgia
Maybe skip if you
- seeking straightforward song structures
- prefer longer, cohesive tracks
Where this album fits
- In the catalog
- Breakthrough — Established Giacchino's reputation with an acclaimed score for a major animated film.
- Career context
- Released in 2015, Inside Out is the soundtrack for Pixar's animated film of the same name, showcasing Michael Giacchino's established reputation as a leading film composer. This release followed his Academy Award win for Best Original Score for Up in 2010, further solidifying his impact on animated storytelling through music.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Hans Zimmer· John Williams· Thomas Newman
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Bundle of Joy 2:48
- 2 Team Building 2:18
- 3 Nomanisone Island / National Movers 4:20
- 4 Overcoming Sadness 0:51
- 5 Free Skating 0:59
- 6 First Day of School 2:02
- 7 Riled Up 1:02
- 8 Goofball No Longer 1:11
- 9 Memory Lanes 1:22
- 10 The Forgetters 0:50
- 11 Chasing the Pink Elephant 1:55
- 12 Abstract Thought 1:47
- 13 Imagination Land 1:25
- 14 Down in the Dumps 1:47
- 15 Dream Productions 1:43
- 16 Dream a Little Nightmare 1:50
- 17 The Subconscious Basement 2:01
- 18 Escaping the Subconscious 2:09
- 19 We Can Still Stop Her 2:54
- 20 Tears of Joy 3:39
- 21 Rainbow Flyer 2:58
- 22 Chasing Down Sadness 1:45
- 23 Joy Turns to Sadness / A Growing Personality 7:49
- 24 The Joy of Credits 8:18
- 25 Lava 5:46
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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