Popular songs and insert tracks from the Mission: Impossible series

Mission: Impossible ThemeTomoyasu Hotei

Mission: Impossible Theme

For any musician, the theme from Mission: Impossible is one of those pieces you’d want to try arranging at least once.

But precisely because it’s such a famous classic, it can make you hesitate.

The one who took on the mission of arranging this masterpiece was Japan’s renowned guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei.

To commemorate the Japanese release of the fourth film in the series, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, in 2011, Hotei—who, as it happens, is the same age as the film’s star Tom Cruise—was selected for the task, which is a rather nice story in itself.

His arrangement, which puts Hotei’s signature guitar front and center while still showing respect for the original, was used in promotional materials at the time.

These days, some people might not know the background, so take this opportunity to check it out.

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The PlotLalo Schifrin

The Plot

If you’re not aware that the Mission: Impossible film series originally remade the TV show “Mission: Impossible” (known in Japan as “Spy Daisakusen”), you might not know that the iconic main theme was originally composed by Lalo Schifrin.

An Argentine composer and jazz pianist, Schifrin created numerous classics in both the jazz scene and film music, and he scored the TV series “Mission: Impossible,” including its aforementioned main theme.

Several pieces from Schifrin’s score for the TV series were also used in the Mission: Impossible films, and The Plot is one of them.

It appears multiple times in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and its big band–style sound—complete with a stylish, distinctly ’60s brass section—is incredibly cool.

Although it’s not included on the official soundtrack, it’s worth noting that there are several cues in the film inspired by this piece.

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The ExchangeLorne Balfe

The Exchange

It’s a really large-scale piece, as if it’s depicting the flashy scenes of this movie.

Music like this always shows up in action films, but this track incorporates a memorable theme, doesn’t it? That makes it even cooler, don’t you think? The part where the low end undulates in the middle is awesome, too.

It’s fascinating to wonder how a track this cool is made, isn’t it?

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Mission: Impossible ThemeMIYAVI

Mission: Impossible Theme

Following Tomoyasu Hotei—who arranged the theme when Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol was released in 2011—the honor of taking on this prestigious mission for a musician next fell to MIYAVI, the “Samurai Guitarist.” When the fifth film in the series, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, was released in 2015, MIYAVI handled the arrangement for the official theme song in Japan.

Although it was initially a digital-only release, strong demand later led to a CD version.

MIYAVI’s signature percussive guitar intertwines with thrilling strings, creating a uniquely personal world that bursts with character.

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Light The FuseMichael Giacchino

Light The Fuse

The main phrase of that ultra-famous theme from the Mission: Impossible series is so insanely catchy and hooky that it’s become symbolic of the franchise itself.

That’s why it appears frequently, in various forms, across the scores of every installment.

“Light The Fuse” is another track that cleverly weaves in that signature phrase while giving it a stylish, badass arrangement.

The title alone might ring a bell: it’s the piece that plays with the staff credits in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, right after the opening scene where Ethan escapes from the Moscow prison and says, “Light the fuse.” No two ways about it—pure, unadulterated cool.

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Consequences of LoveDeath In Vegas

Consequences of Love

Anyone who has seen the sixth installment in the series, Mission: Impossible – Fallout (released in 2018), will likely recognize the track that plays while the protagonist Ethan and the key character Walker are searching for someone in a club.

Since the scene is set in a Paris nightclub, you’d want the music to be stylish and cool, with a hint of intrigue.

Perfectly fitting that moment is “Consequences Of Love,” released in 2016 by the British mavericks Death in Vegas.

Its minimally unfolding, distinctively psychedelic electro sound is irresistible.

If you recently watched the film and were curious about the track, be sure to check out not only the soundtrack that features it, but also Death in Vegas’s album Transmission.

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Morocco PursuitJoe Kraemer

Morocco Pursuit

This piece is a track titled “Morocco Pursuit,” used in the film Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.

The composer is Joe Kraemer, an American film score composer.

Before this work, he and Tom Cruise had also collaborated in the film Jack Reacher as composer and actor.

He is still relatively young, but he is one of the composers whose future work I’m excited to see.

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Yoimachi Jēn

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