The climactic track playing as the plane finally leaves danger.
Desplat incorporated authentic instruments such as the ney flute , the kemenche (a bowed upright instrument), the oud (a lute-like instrument), and various Middle Eastern drums like the tonbak .
Desplat’s score, which earned an Academy Award nomination, blends traditional Middle Eastern instrumentation with orchestral arrangements. The official album release from WaterTower Music includes the following tracks: A Spy in Tehran Scent of Death The Mission Hotel Messages Held Up By Guards The Business Card Breaking Through the Gates Tony Grills the Six The Six Are Missing Drive to the Airport Missing Home Istanbul - The Blue Mosque Cleared Iranian Airspace Hace Tuto Guagua – Performed by argo movie songs
: The main theme that sets the haunting, drone-like tone.
To understand the "songs" of Argo , one must first appreciate the score. Renowned French composer Alexandre Desplat was tasked with scoring the film, and his approach was anything but standard. Desplat understood that Argo was not a typical action movie; it was a caper film disguised as a historical drama. The climactic track playing as the plane finally
: A more traditional, stirring melody that provides an American heroic flair.
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Desplat’s score acts as the unifying "song" of the movie. It utilizes Middle Eastern instrumentation—santurs, ouds, and rhythmic percussion—blended with Western orchestral tension. The main theme is minimalistic yet haunting, reflecting the "Silent" nature of the CIA operatives involved.
This article explores the musical choices of Argo , breaking down the score by Alexandre Desplat and the diegetic songs that give the film its soul. The official album release from WaterTower Music includes
Argo won the Oscar for Best Picture, but its sound design and music supervision deserve equal praise. The songs are not wallpaper. They are characters—ironic, threatening, and ultimately cathartic. By weaving together the swagger of Van Halen, the doom of Led Zeppelin, the dreaminess of Fleetwood Mac, and the local texture of Kourosh Yaghmaei, the film creates a layered auditory map of 1979. It reminds us that sometimes, the best way to tell a story of political reality is through the unreal, glossy, and deeply human power of pop music.