| The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond | |
| Type: | Soundtrack |
| Artist: | Various artists |
| Cover: | The Hunger Games soundtrack cover.png |
| Released: | March 20, 2012 |
| Recorded: | 2011–2012 |
| Length: | 58:10 |
| Chronology: | The Hunger Games soundtrack |
| Next Title: | The Hunger Games (Original Motion Picture Score) |
| Next Year: | 2012 |
The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond is the soundtrack album to the 2012 film The Hunger Games. The score for the film was composed by James Newton Howard, but the companion album consists primarily of songs by various artists inspired by, but not heard in, the film. "Safe & Sound", by Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars, was released as a promotional single for the soundtrack and is one of the three songs on the album used in the film, alongside "Abraham's Daughter" by Arcade Fire and "Kingdom Come", also by The Civil Wars. On February 13, 2012, "One Engine" by The Decemberists, was made available for download on iTunes. "Eyes Open", also by Swift, was released as the soundtrack's first official single on March 27, 2012. Swift performed the song live in Auckland, New Zealand on her Speak Now World Tour. The album debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, and has also charted in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland.
The soundtrack was released on March 20, 2012.[1] The soundtrack track listing was revealed on iTunes on February 13, 2012. Jennifer Lawrence singing "Rue's Lullaby" is not included in the soundtrack. "One Engine" by The Decemberists was released as the first promotional single by iTunes on the same day.[2] A bonus song, "Deep in the Meadow (Lullaby)", by Sting, was included as a bonus download with purchase of the soundtrack.[3]
The soundtrack debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 with 175,000 copies sold on its first week. It sold 100K digital copies the next week, making it the highest one-week total for a theatrically released movie soundtrack in digital history.[4] It has been certified as Gold by the RIAA since April 27, 2012.[5] It sold 463,000 copies in 2012 in the US and was the best-selling soundtrack album of the year.[6] As of November 22, 2013, the album has sold 481,000 copies in the US.[7]
A digital version of the album, available for purchase on iTunes, includes a digital booklet with artwork and images from The Hunger Games.
The songs "Abraham's Daughter" and "Safe & Sound" were nominated for the 2013 Grammy Awards; the first for Best Song Written for Visual Media, and the second for Best Country Duo/Group Performance and also for Best Song Written for Visual Media, the latter of which ended up winning. "Safe & Sound" was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song at the 2013 ceremony.[8]
| Chart (2012) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[10] | 57 | |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[11] | 16 | |
| US Soundtrack Albums (Billboard)[12] | 1 |