The title song is performed jointly by America and the London Symphony Orchestra, and plays in the film's opening credits against scenes based on The Unicorn Tapestries. The song serves as a leitmotif for other portions of the film score.
Critical reception
In his review for AllMusic, James Christopher Monger gave the album 4/5 stars, writing:
"The score itself, an appropriately somber and sentimental blend of fairy talemotifs and dark, Wagneriancues, reflects the story's achingly beautiful tale of a unicorn who attempts to overthrow a maniacal king determined to rid the world of the magical creatures, while the songs are far more creative, daring, and eloquent than all of the cookie-cutter balladry that would eventually replace their type in future animated films. Like Watership Down, The Hobbit, and even Robert Altman's live action, Harry Nilsson-scored Popeye, this hard to find soundtrack is a gem from another age."
Kyle Anderson of the website Nerdist wrote that Jimmy Webb and America were among the "many great people [who] were involved" with the 1982 film, and that the album's "songs work pretty well".[3]
Singer Dan Avidan has stated on numerous occasions that the story was his favorite as a child.[4]
The band Groove Coverage released a dance version of "The Last Unicorn" on their album Covergirl in 2002.
In 2015, Ninja Sex Party covered "The Last Unicorn" to promote a U.S. screening tour for the film hosted by the book's author Peter S. Beagle, later releasing it on their album Under the Covers.[7]
