Music has had the ability to evoke sensations in a variety of circumstances. One of the most important places that this takes place is within cinema. Without the presence of a sweet harmony, or an upbeat tempo, films wouldn’t be able to evoke quite the same emotional response from an audience. When the hero rises and the villain falls, when the first kiss steals the scene, or when there is an outstanding triumph between two opposing forces in a film, the soundtrack is there to create the mood.

Take the rich and brassy jazz tunes from composer Henry Mancini’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and how when heard, images of an elegant Hepburn spring to mind — along with romantic whims. Or, think of how the first few seconds of John Williams’s “Jaws” score sparks a heart-fluttering feeling of adrenaline and a swift rush of fear. The emotion is in the music.

This fall, there are several promising films we’ve got our eye on, but also those our ears are especially keen to meet. Tops on the list is TIFF’s very own Can a Song Save Your Life? With Maroon Five’s crooner Adam Levine and Cee Lo Green staring alongside Kiera Knightly in this modern musical romance, we think odds are, there will be at least one or two catchy tracks in there — perhaps even one worthy of a little golden man.

In honour of the 38^th annual Toronto International Film Festival, we asked contributors to share their favourite song from a motion picture soundtrack. Below, a sample playlist of tracks to sing you though this year’s TIFF.

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