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In Solo, there is a moment when Han sees an imperial recruiting station,
which he joins later,
where the imperial march is played on speakers outside the station. While a fun Easter egg out-of-universe, the presence of this music in-universe implies that more of the music may exist in-universe.
Is this the case, and if so, what other examples are there?
There are a few examples of in-universe music in the films and the Rebels tv show (unsure if there are examples in Clone Wars but I would suspect there are)
Cantina Band
The band in the Mos Eisley cantina plays at least two songs that are heard on screen:
- Cantina Band (in-universe title "Mad About Me") - Cantina Band #2 (out of universe title)In Return of the Jedi, from a purely current - Disney canon perspective, there are a few in-universe bits of music played:
Jabba's Baroque Recital
Listed as "source music" (i.e. in-universe) on the 1997 remastered soundtrack. Heard playing upon Jabba the Hutt's introduction. Intended as 'courtly' music for his palace
Jedi Rocks
Performed by the Max Rebo band
Ewok Celebration We see the Ewoks playing various instruments and celebrating. One can thus assume that the music heard is largely in-universe
Star Wars Rebels (TV Series)
In the episode: The Mystery of Chopper Base, Zeb and Ezra are seen listening to what we would call a stereo and listening to music
https://www.starwars.com/video/star-wars-rebels-leaving-soon
(track titled "Zeb Rock" by Kevin Kiner)
Squid Lake *
Mon Calamari ballet seen in Episode III being performed at the Galaxies Opera House, attended by Anakin and Palpatine. Uncertain if the music in the scene is diegetic or non-diegetic, but, given that the performance is in an opera house and is a pun on "Swan Lake", it may be a given that there is indeed music in the production:
https://www.starwars.com/video/the-legend-of-darth-plagueis
Dex's Diner
Seen in Episode II, there appears to be background source music playing in Dex's Diner that, to my ear, sounds similar to, yet distinct, from the Cantina Band music. This music has of yet remained officially unreleased and unnamed
(fan extracted from film)Jabba Flow
Heard in Maz Kanata's on Takodana in Episode VII, this piece is source music written by Lin-Manuel Miranda of "Hamilton" fame in collaboration w/ JJ Abrams.
(LMM performing w/ JJ Abrahms)(the original Return of the Jedi had two different pieces of music instead of the modern Jedi Rocks and Ewok Celebration, called "Lapti Nek" and "Yub Nub" respectively)
Lapti Nek
Sung by Sny Snootles
Yub Nub
Ewoks are shown playing drums and a makeshift xylophone of stormtropper helmets
*hat tip to @PlutoThePlanet for the prequels reminder
The Star Wars Holiday Special, for all of its faults, has a ton of in-universe music. In fact, almost as much as the entire rest of the canon combined:
You have an acrobatic hologram scene with accompanying music:
You have Trader Saun Dann introducing a groomer that can, among other things, syncopate rhythms. You don't get to hear it, and it's a little nebulous whether that's explicitly music, but if it can do all of that stuff anyway it might as well do music too:
Evidently, you haven't read the instructions, the warranty, and the guarantee. ... besides shaving and hair trimming. It's guaranteed to lift stains off clothing, faces, and hands. Cleans teeth, fingers, and toenails. Washes eyes, pierces ears, calculates, modulates, and syncopates like rhythms and can repeat the entire Imperial Code, all 17 volumes, in half the time of the old XP-21. Just the thing to keep you squeaky clean.
Then there's the Mermeia Holographic, which has accompanying trance music:
The holographic band played by Jefferson Starship:
An in-universe cartoon with a full soundtrack:
Life On Tatooine, with a full sing-a-long at the end of it, featuring the cantina band from Episode IV!
And, of course, the Life Day Anthem, delivered by Princess Leah herself.
