By Rob LeDonne
From its premiere, High School Musical has been a smash success. It quickly became the highest rating program in Disney Channel history, and its companion soundtrack album has shot up the billboard charts, even hitting number one, the first soundtrack album to do so since Miami Vice’s in 1986. The most shocking thing about this success story is that all of this was achieved with no radio play and a cast of unknown actors.
Sung primarily by the two main characters, Troy Bolton, the all-American jock with a secret passion for music (Zac Efron) and Gabrielle (Vanessa Anne Hudgens), the shy preppy girl who shares his passion.
The songs communicate the gist of the story without help from the film. The boy meets girl story is entirely cookie-cutter, but the songs aren’t as unoriginal as the actual film. “Breaking Free,” a poppy, love ballad sung by the two main players, and “What I’ve Been Looking For” are both highlights. Also notable are “Bop to the Top” sung by the villains Sharpay and Ryan (Ashley Tisdale and Lucas Gabreel) and “Getcha Head In The Game,” a hip-hop track, sung by the basketball team about, well, playing basketball.
The soundtrack not only has the movie tracks, but also a song not featured, two karaoke versions of previous tracks and a remix of “Getcha Head In The Game.” All in all, the High School Musical soundtrack is a great companion to the film, and with a DVD on the way and a sequel in the works, this isn’t the last you’ve heard of the little movie that could.
By Rob LeDonne
STAFF WRITER
From its premiere High School Musical has been a smash success. It quickly became the highest rating program in Disney Channel history, and its companion soundtrack album has shot up the billboard charts, even hitting number one, the first soundtrack album to do so since Miami Vice’s in 1986. The most shocking thing about this success story is that all of this was achieved with no radio play and a cast of unknown actors.
Sung primarily by the two main characters, Troy Bolton, the all-American jock with a secret passion for music (Zac Efron) and Gabrielle (Vanessa Anne Hudgens), the shy preppy girl who shares his passion.
The songs communicate the gist of the story without help from the film. The boy meets girl story is entirely cookie-cutter, but the songs aren’t as unoriginal as the actual film. “Breaking Free,” a poppy, love ballad sung by the two main players, and “What I’ve Been Looking For” are both highlights. Also notable are “Bop to the Top” sung by the villains Sharpay and Ryan (Ashley Tisdale and Lucas Gabreel) and “Getcha Head In The Game,” a hip-hop track, sung by the basketball team about, well, playing basketball.
The soundtrack not only has the movie tracks, but also a song not featured, two karaoke versions of previous tracks and a remix of “Getcha Head In The Game.” All in all, the High School Musical soundtrack is a great companion to the film, and with a DVD on the way and a sequel in the works, this isn’t the last you’ve heard of the little movie that could.