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Oppenheimer (soundtrack)

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Oppenheimer (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by
Ludwig Göransson
ReleasedJuly 21, 2023 (2023-07-21)
StudioEastwood Scoring Stage, Burbank, California
Genre
Length94:42
LabelBack Lot
ProducerLudwig Göransson
Ludwig Göransson film score chronology
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Original Score)
(2022) 		Oppenheimer (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(2023)
Christopher Nolan film score chronology
Tenet (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(2020) 		Oppenheimer (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(2023)

Oppenheimer (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album composed by Ludwig Göransson for the 2023 film Oppenheimer by Christopher Nolan. It was digitally released by Back Lot Music on July 21, 2023, the same day as the film's theatrical release in the United States. At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, it won Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media. At the 96th Academy Awards, it won Best Original Score.

Background

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On October 8, 2021, Universal Pictures announced production on Oppenheimer and confirmed that composer Ludwig Göransson would be scoring the film.[1][2] Göransson had previously worked with director Christopher Nolan, scoring Nolan's 2020 film Tenet.[3][4]

Göransson's score was featured in a trailer for the film on May 8, 2023.[5] It was also featured in the Universal Pictures exclusive five-minute Opening Look on July 13.[6][7]

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

When approached to score Oppenheimer, Göransson was initially intimidated by the scope and magnitude of the project.[8] In the film's early stages of production, Nolan shared the script with his visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson as he needed to convey phenomena such as quantum mechanics and nuclear reactions onscreen.[9][10] The visual effects team began creating experimental footage of particles, waves, and chain reactions. Nolan then showed this footage to Göransson, who used it to draw inspiration for his score.[11][12]

Scoring Oppenheimer proved to be a unique challenge for Göransson as he had never composed a soundtrack that only represented one character's inner workings and point of view.[8][11] He later explained, "The movie is about [J. Robert] Oppenheimer's perspective; the audience is meant to feel what he's feeling, to see what he's seeing, to be inside of him. That’s what the music needed to do — it needed to get the audience to feel all of his feelings as you see on screen."[13]

Nolan did not give specific direction on how he wanted the score to sound; the only suggestion he gave Göransson was to represent Oppenheimer's character and the film's main theme with a solo violin.[8][11] Nolan explained, "There's a tension to the sound in a way that I think fits the highly-strung intellect and emotion of Robert Oppenheimer very well."[14] Using the violin as a starting point, Göransson and his wife Serena, a violinist, began experimenting with vibratos and microtonal glissandos;[15][16] they aimed to convey the anxiety of Oppenheimer through the violin's ability to instantly switch from a romantic and sentimental sound to something "neurotic" and "horrifying."[14][17]

For the "Can You Hear the Music" sequence, Nolan wanted a piece that would emulate Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, which he called "one of the best pieces of music ever written." Early in production, Nolan and Göransson attended a performance of The Rite of Spring by the Los Angeles Philharmonic.[18]

Composition

[edit]

Göransson's score comprises three overarching movements: Oppenheimer's background in physics, the Manhattan Project, and the Atomic Energy Commission hearing. The score begins with lush melodies by strings, harps, and piano as Oppenheimer explores theory and begins his career as a physicist.[15][17] The core of Oppenheimer's theme is a hexatonic scale that can be heard as a leitmotif throughout the film, beginning in the piece "Can You Hear the Music".[19] As the score transitions into the second movement, the tone shifts as the atomic bomb is being built, with the increased stakes being amplified by thumping bass and metallic ticking sounds.[16][20] Göransson was careful not to veer his score toward sounding "booming," especially in the film's second act, as he believed that if the score was too explosive, the detonations in the film wouldn't have as much of an impact on the audience.[21]

Before [the second act], it's just theories, it's just scribble-downs, it's just ideas. But then when there's an actual physical bomb, you take a crazy big tonal shift and just channel that with those synths, with the impending doom. You have that thumping bass and then there's this metallic ticking sound, and that ode is up until the bomb goes off, and then you have these moments of silence, which I think is very effective.

— Ludwig Göransson[22]

While the film is a period piece and Göransson did use instrumentation that fit with the times, he also wanted the score to feel "timeless," choosing to infuse the traditional orchestra with synthesizers and mono-production.[20] He and Nolan also chose not to include drums in the score at the risk of it feeling militaristic, instead incorporating percussive elements such as foot stomping, ticking, and Geiger counter static.[12][15] During the nuclear reactor sequence, Göransson had the cellists play col legno, striking the strings with the stick of their bow to create a percussive sound.[23]

In addition to its instrumentation, Göransson conveyed the energy of the film through the score's tempo. In the piece "Can You Hear the Music", he employed 21 tempo changes—a large feat for a live orchestra.[15] Originally, Göransson called it "unplayable" and planned to record the song bar-by-bar, but his wife encouraged him to record the song in one take.[17] After much experimentation, the music team achieved this by playing a click into the musicians' headphones before every tempo change.[22][23] This piece alone took three days to record.[15][24]

In the end, we recorded music that surpassed what I believed to be humanly possible. The perplexing visuals of spinning atoms drove forty violins into a breathtaking frenzy, while courtroom scenes were scored with the intensity of a battlefield. The music’s extreme dynamic shifts, travelling from the depths of an intimately personal journey to the brink of utter destruction, are drastic, disorientating, and jarring.

— Ludwig Göransson[8]

Recording

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Unlike most cases when scoring begins in post-production, Göransson began attending weekly meetings three months before filming began, writing 10 minutes of music a week for Nolan.[12][24] Göransson described the process as very "collaborative and open."[8] Nolan was then able to begin filming with two to three hours of music that he could reference. Additionally, when editing began in post-production, Nolan and editor Jennifer Lame were able to use Göransson's preliminary work for the first cut of the film without the need for a temp score.[12][15] Every Friday during the editing process, Göransson would screen the film with Nolan and Lame, and then tweak his score accordingly.[18][25] The score took Göransson approximately nine months to complete.[26]

The final score was performed by the Hollywood Studio Orchestra and recorded over five days at the scoring stage at Warner Bros. Studios. At its peak, the orchestra included 40 string players, eight horns, three trombones, three trumpets, one tuba, and one harp.[23]

Release and commercial reception

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The soundtrack was released for streaming and digital download on July 21, 2023.[27] By January 2024, the soundtrack garnered over 200 million streams. In particular, the track "Can You Hear the Music" went viral on TikTok, earning 2.1 billion impressions on the app and over 60 million streams across all music streaming platforms.[28]

The soundtrack was released in both CD and LP formats by Mondo in September 2023.[29]

Critical reception

[edit]

Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times called the score "magnificent",[30] while Robbie Collin of The Telegraph called it "gorgeously relentless".[31] Wendy Ide of The Observer called Göransson's score "masterful and mercurial, surely one of the finest of the year."[32] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Aiding immeasurably in Nolan’s unfaltering control of tone and tension is ... Ludwig Göransson’s extraordinarily forceful, almost wall-to-wall score."[33]

Ross Bonaime of Collider extended great praise to Göransson, stating that "Oppenheimer's ever-present score by Ludwig Göransson accompanies nearly every moment of the film, knowing exactly when to pull back, or when to provoke the audience with the sounds of a ticking clock or static underneath the onslaught of an orchestra fully enveloping the viewer in sound. Nolan and [Hoyte] van Hoytema's visuals are always impressive, but it's Göransson's score that takes Oppenheimer to another level, and continues to prove that he's one of the most exciting composers working in film today."[34]

On the contrary, some film critics felt that the score was overbearing. Odie Henderson of The Boston Globe called the score "grating" and stated that "[Nolan's] penchant for drowning out necessary dialogue [became] intolerable" when the score was used.[35] Fred Topel of UPI wrote that "Ludwig Göransson wrote a good score, but the constant use of it is exhausting."[36] Oli Welsh of Polygon echoed these sentiments, noting that the score was "overused."[37]

Live performances

[edit]

To promote the soundtrack ahead of the 2024 awards season, Universal and Syncopy Inc. presented Oppenheimer: Live in Concert, a live-to-film concert experience featuring a 55-piece orchestra under the direction of Göransson, and conducted by Anthony Parnther. The concert was held at the University of California, Los Angeles's Royce Hall on January 10, 2024, and included an introduction by Nolan and actor Cillian Murphy. The concert was attended by 1,000 people.[28][38]

Accolades

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Oppenheimer (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) awards and nominations
Award Year[a] Category Recipients Result Ref.
Hollywood Music in Media Awards 2023 Best Original Score in a Feature Film Ludwig Göransson Nominated [39]
St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards 2023 Best Score Won [40]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards 2023 Best Score Won [41]
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2023 Best Original Score Nominated [42]
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards 2023 Best Musical Score Runner-up [43]
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards 2023 Best Score Nominated [44]
Astra Film Awards 2024 Best Score Won [45]
Golden Globe Awards 2024 Best Original Score Won [46]
Critics' Choice Movie Awards 2024 Best Score Won [47]
Online Film Critics Society Awards 2024 Best Original Score Won [48]
Grammy Awards 2024 Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media Won [49]
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella "Can You Hear the Music" (Ludwig Göransson) Nominated
Best Instrumental Composition Nominated
Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards 2024 Outstanding Original Score for a Studio Film Ludwig Göransson Won [50]
British Academy Film Awards 2024 Best Original Score Won [51]
Satellite Awards 2024 Best Original Score Nominated [52]
Academy Awards 2024 Best Original Score Won [53]

Track listing

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Oppenheimer (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Fission"4:38
2."Can You Hear the Music"1:50
3."A Lowly Shoe Salesman"3:34
4."Quantum Mechanics"3:00
5."Gravity Swallows Light"3:30
6."Meeting Kitty"5:47
7."Groves"3:03
8."Manhattan Project"3:01
9."American Prometheus"2:37
10."Atmospheric Ignition"3:28
11."Los Alamos"2:38
12."Fusion"3:55
13."Colonel Pash"4:57
14."Theorists"3:14
15."Ground Zero"4:21
16."Trinity"7:52
17."What We Have Done"5:45
18."Power Stays in the Shadows"4:10
19."The Trial"5:32
20."Dr. Hill"4:23
21."Kitty Comes to Testify"4:52
22."Something More Important"3:25
23."Destroyer of Worlds"2:54
24."Oppenheimer"2:16
Total length:94:42

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from LP liner notes.[54]

All music composed by Ludwig Göransson
  • Ludwig Göransson – producer
  • Christopher Nolan – executive producer
  • Colby Donaldson – assistant mix engineer
  • Max Sandler – score technical engineer
  • Patricia Sullivan – mastering
  • Amanda Goodpaster – editing
  • Thomas Kotcheff – additional writing (16, 22), orchestration
  • Anthony Parnther – conductor
  • Chris Fogel – recording, mixing
  • Ngawang C. Samphel – arranging
  • Cara Bateman – transcription
  • Monica Sonand – supervisor
  • Eric Wegener – score editor
  • Daniel Gold – music librarian
  • Mo Shafeek – art direction

Charts

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Chart performance for Oppenheimer (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[55] 156
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[56] 141
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[57] 53
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[58] 42
UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC)[59] 5

Release history

[edit]
Release history and formats for Oppenheimer (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Various July 21, 2023
Back Lot Music [27]
United States September 2023
[3]

Notes

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  1. ^ Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.

References

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  1. ^ Kroll, Justin (October 8, 2021). "Cillian Murphy Confirmed to Star As J. Robert Oppenheimer In Christopher Nolan's Next Film At Universal, Film Will Bow in July 2023". Deadline. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  2. ^ Mendelson, Scott (October 8, 2021). "Universal's Oppenheimer To Open Summer 2023 On Chris Nolan's Lucky Release Date". Forbes. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Everything to Know About Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer'". A.frame. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. July 12, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  4. ^ "Ludwig Göransson – Tenet [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]". AllMusic. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  5. ^ Reul, Katie (May 8, 2023). "New 'Oppenheimer' Trailer Reveals a Sad Albert Einstein, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr. and More in Christopher Nolan's Star-Studded Movie". Variety. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  6. ^ @OppenheimerFilm (July 13, 2023). "The exclusive five-minute Opening Look, edited by the film's editor Jennifer Lame, reveals new scenes, images and sounds from the IMAX®-shot epic thriller and features the film's breathtaking score by Academy Award® winner Ludwig Göransson" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ^ Remley, Hilary (July 13, 2023). "'Oppenheimer': 5-Minute Video Highlights the IMAX-Shot Epic & Ludwig Göransson's Score". Collider. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d e Stern, Marlow (July 18, 2023). "Composer: 'Oppenheimer' Score Goes Beyond What's 'Humanly Possible'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  9. ^ Collis, Clark (July 18, 2023). "How Christopher Nolan created 'Oppenheimer' atomic bomb explosion". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  10. ^ Christopher Nolan Interview: Oppenheimer, IMAX, and Editing. Collider Interviews. July 10, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023 – via YouTube.
  11. ^ a b c Ebiri, Bilge (July 17, 2023). "How Christopher Nolan Crafted the World of Oppenheimer". Vulture. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c d "Composer Ludwig Göransson On 'Oppenheimer'". NPR. July 20, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  13. ^ Fernandes, Marriska (November 28, 2023). "'Oppenheimer' Composer Ludwig Göransson Says He Turned Emotions Into Music". Sharp Magazine. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  14. ^ a b Oppenheimer: The Score. Universal Pictures. July 18, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023 – via YouTube.
  15. ^ a b c d e f "Ludwig Göransson on Scoring 'Oppenheimer'". WNYC. July 24, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  16. ^ a b Douglas, Edward (July 21, 2023). "Oppenheimer Composer Ludwig Göransson On Scoring Christopher Nolan's Tragic Opera". Below the Line. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  17. ^ a b c Tangcay, Jazz (July 20, 2023). "'Oppenheimer' Composer Ludwig Göransson Recorded the Explosive Score in Five Days". Variety. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  18. ^ a b Schiller, Griffin (November 21, 2023). "Interview: Composer Ludwig Göransson Breaks Down the Score of 'Oppenheimer' and Christopher Nolan's Taste in Music". AwardsWatch. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  19. ^ Bamigboye, Baz (January 11, 2024). "Breaking Baz: 'Oppenheimer's Christopher Nolan Says That Ludwig Göransson's Score Is The Film's "Secret Sauce," While Cillian Murphy Confirms That He Wants To Work With 'Anatomy Of A Fall's Justine Triet". Deadline. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Neglia, Matt (July 20, 2023). "Interview With "Oppenheimer" Composer Ludwig Göransson". The Next Big Picture Podcast (Podcast). Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  21. ^ Betancourt, David (July 21, 2023). "Ludwig Göransson on what inspired his music for 'Oppenheimer' and more". Washington Post. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  22. ^ a b Taylor, Drew (July 25, 2023). "How 'Oppenheimer' Composer Ludwig Goransson Channeled Impending Doom". TheWrap. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  23. ^ a b c Hart, Hugh (July 27, 2023). ""Oppenheimer" Composer Ludwig Göransson Creates a New Kind of Atomic Scale". Motion Picture Association. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  24. ^ a b Flood, Alex (July 21, 2023). ""It was unplayable": inside Christopher Nolan's toughest score yet". NME. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  25. ^ Greiving, Tim (November 14, 2023). "How composer Ludwig Göransson channels J. Robert Oppenheimer and Christopher Nolan too". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  26. ^ Verhoeven, Beatrice (November 30, 2023). "'Oppenheimer' Composer Ludwig Göransson on Crafting the Music of a Scientist's Mind". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  27. ^ a b Starkey, Adam (July 21, 2023). "Listen to the 'Oppenheimer' soundtrack here". NME. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  28. ^ a b Davids, Brian (January 11, 2024). ""Can You Hear the Music?" UCLA's Royce Hall Sure Did at Ludwig Göransson's 'Oppenheimer: Live in Concert' Experience". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  29. ^ @OppenheimerFilm (July 21, 2023). "The soundtrack for #ChristopherNolan's @OppenheimerFilm by @LudwigGoransson is now available. Listen now on all digital streaming platforms including the #DolbyAtmos version on @applemusic, and pre-order the deluxe three-disc vinyl & double CD from @mondonews today!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  30. ^ Chang, Justin (July 19, 2023). "Review: Christopher Nolan's gripping, despairing 'Oppenheimer' ponders history and the future". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  31. ^ Collin, Robbie (July 19, 2023). "Oppenheimer, review: Cillian Murphy dazzles as the destroyer of worlds". The Telegraph. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  32. ^ Ide, Wendy (July 22, 2023). "Oppenheimer review – Christopher Nolan's volatile biopic is a towering achievement". The Observer. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  33. ^ Rooney, David (July 19, 2023). "'Oppenheimer' Review: Christopher Nolan's Epic Is a Scorching Depiction of America's Ability to Create and Destroy Its Heroes". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  34. ^ Bonaime, Ross (July 19, 2023). "'Oppenheimer' Review: Christopher Nolan Delivers His Most Colossal and Mature Film Yet". Collider. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  35. ^ Henderson, Odie (July 19, 2023). "'Oppenheimer' brings out the best and worst in Christopher Nolan". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  36. ^ Topel, Fred (July 19, 2023). "Movie review: Singular 'Oppenheimer' can be disconcerting". UPI. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  37. ^ Welsh, Oli (July 19, 2023). "Oppenheimer is Christopher Nolan at his most complex, powerful, and human". Polygon. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  38. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (December 14, 2023). "'Oppenheimer' Live in Concert Coming to UCLA's Royce Hall". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  39. ^ "2023 HMMA WINNERS AND NOMINEES". Hollywood Music In Media Awards. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  40. ^ "Annual StLFCA Awards". St. Louis Film Critics Association. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  41. ^ Gordon, Tim (December 10, 2023). "2023 WAFCA Award Winner - The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA)". Washington DC Area Film Critics Association. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  42. ^ Anderson, Erik (December 8, 2023). "Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) Nominations: 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' 'Oppenheimer,' 'Poor Things' Lead with 10 Each". AwardsWatch. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  43. ^ Jorgenson, Todd (December 18, 2023). "DFW FILM CRITICS NAME "THE HOLDOVERS" BEST PICTURE OF 2023". Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  44. ^ Neglia, Matt (December 21, 2023). "The 2023 Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  45. ^ Feinberg, Scott (January 7, 2024). "Astra Film Awards: 'Barbie' Wins Eight Awards, Including Best Picture". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  46. ^ Lang, Brent; Moreau, Jordan (January 8, 2024). "Golden Globes: 'Oppenheimer' Leads With Five Wins, 'Succession' Tops TV With Four (Complete Winners List)". Variety. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  47. ^ Shanfeld, Ethan (January 15, 2024). "'Oppenheimer' Leads Critics Choice Awards With 8 Wins, 'Barbie' Scores 6 — Full Winners List". Variety. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  48. ^ Anderson, Erik (January 22, 2024). "Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) Awards: 'Oppenheimer' Takes 8". AwardsWatch. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  49. ^ Enos, Morgan (November 10, 2023). "2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List". GRAMMY.com. The Recording Academy. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  50. ^ Pedersen, Erik (February 14, 2024). "SCL Awards: Music From 'Oppenheimer' & 'Barbie' Among Society Of Composers & Lyricists Winners". Deadline. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  51. ^ Yossman, K. J.; Shafer, Ellise (February 18, 2024). "BAFTA Awards: 'Oppenheimer' and 'Poor Things' Win Big as 'Barbie' and 'Maestro' Are Shut Out — Full Winners List". Variety. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  52. ^ Neglia, Matt (March 4, 2024). "The 2023 Satellite Award (IPA) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  53. ^ Moreau, Jordan (January 23, 2024). "Oscar Nominations 2024: The Complete List". Variety. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  54. ^ "Ludwig Göransson – Oppenheimer (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Discogs. September 15, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  55. ^ "Ultratop.be – Soundtrack / Ludwig Göransson – Oppenheimer" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  56. ^ "Ultratop.be – Soundtrack / Ludwig Göransson – Oppenheimer" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  57. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Soundtrack / Ludwig Göransson – Oppenheimer". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  58. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  59. ^ "Official Soundtrack Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
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