It's interesting to note that many 'foreign' films don't use background music in the same way as American or British productions do. They have a completely different feel, far more natural and, in my opinion, more enjoyable. I've seen French, Hungarian, even Japanese films which use this approach and I think US & UK producers could learn a lot from these sort of films.   Of course I'm not suggesting that it's suitable for every occasion, but I agree that the background music/soundtrack can often be detrimental and intrusive.

cheers
Ged