16 minute read
Top 100 Movie Soundtracks of All Time
from redunradar_2023
by aquiaqui33
featured in the movie represent a who’s who of rock music, spanning ’70s rock (Iggy Pop and Lou Reed), ’90s Britpop from Blur and Pulp, and British dance music (Underworld and Primal Scream). All of these tracks color a different aspect of drug culture in Britain: the characters would actually listen to these tracks. Some songs—tonal and aesthetic infuences for director Danny Boyle—were even omitted from the fnal cut of the flm and offcial soundtrack, and were included in a second offcial soundtrack. The flm’s great musical moment is in the fnal scene, when, over Underworld’s “Born Slippy (Nuxx),” Renton (Ewan McGregor) slips out of the hotel room with thousands of pounds and decides to turn his life around, once and for all. The song, about an alcoholic, matches perfectly with the scene’s movements, mood, and escalation. Legend has it that Boyle approached Noel Gallagher about contributing an Oasis song to the soundtrack, but Gallagher refused, thinking the movie was actually about trainspotters. By Ben Jardine
3. Pulp Fiction (1994)
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Driven largely by surf rock, Pulp Fiction’s soundtrack opens with Dick Dale’s cover of the Mediterranean folk song “Misirlou.” The Tornadoes, Link Wray, and The Lively Ones help round out the surf rock sound, which writer/director Quentin Tarantino apparently chose to emulate Ennio Morricone’s spaghetti western soundtracks. Tarantino chooses classic rock and R&B cuts for these iconic character driven moments. We get Chuck Berry’s “You Never Can Tell” (played over the infamous twist contest scene between John Travolta’s Vincent Vega and Uma Thurman’s Mia Wallace), and of course, Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” which plays over Marsellus Wallace’s (Ving Rhames) monologue to Butch (Bruce Willis). By Ben Jardine
4. Almost Famous (2000)
Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical homage to ’70s rock ‘n’ roll excess is perfectly captured on its essential soundtrack. Featuring legendary but carefully curated tracks from The Who, Led Zeppelin, Rod Stewart, and indeed from the makeshift fctional band at the center of the flm, Stillwater, Crowe’s beloved flm is nothing without its music. Following its use in the flm’s most memorable scene, no viewer could possibly hear Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” again without being reminded of its darkly comic magic. A box set of the complete soundtrack was recently released and is well worth seeking out. By Michael James Hall
5. Jackie Brown (1997)
Accompanying writer/director Quentin Tarantino’s third and arguably best flm, this soulful sojourn boasted some of the most powerful music of the 1970s. Bobby Womack’s iconic “Across 110th Street” (itself drawn from the soundtrack to the 1973 flm of the same name) and the irresistible “Street Life” by Randy Crawford stand out. It’s bound closely to the movie via the inclusion of some killer dialogue, a Tarantino trademark (“I didn’t know you liked The Delfonics”). It also offers another meta layer by including cuts from 1973’s Coffy, which helped inspire Tarantino’s flm and also starred leading lady Pam Grier. An undeniable, evocative exercise in sweet soul and soundtrack smarts. By Michael James Hall
6. About a Boy (2002)
About a Boy was a tall order for Damon Gough (aka Badly Drawn Boy). Partially because he was coming off the critical and commercial success of his Mercury Prize-winning debut album, The Hour of the Bewilderbeast, and partially because the album is the soundtrack to the high-profle movie of the same name. Created wholly for About a Boy, the flm, Gough’s poignant songs provide a compassionate component to the narrative that Hugh Grant’s man-child main character lacks. And when the songs center around the titular boy, an adorable Nicholas Hoult, the heartstring tugs are palpable. By Lily Moayeri
7. High Fidelity (2000)
A movie ostensibly about music appreciation, High Fidelity needed to have a soundtrack that featured unanimously “good” music. And the tracklist doesn’t disappoint. Songs from classic rock bands, such as The Kinks, 13th Floor Elevators, and The Velvet Underground, mix nicely with tracks from more contemporary underground artists, like Smog and The Beta Band. Music in High Fidelity acts to punctuate the flm’s emotive moments, but it also works as a character in and of itself: serving to deepen our understanding of the flm’s characters. The musical crescendo of the flm is when Jack Black’s character performs Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On,” uniting the characters and wrapping up the flm. By Ben Jardine
8. Reality Bites (1994)
Ben Stiller’s divisive delve into the lives of Texan Gen Xers had, at the very least, some choice cuts to accompany the drama. It not only includes belters from Dinosaur Jr., The Posies, and The Juliana Hatfeld Three, but also genre-hops to hits from the mainstream such as U2’s “All I Want Is You” and Lisa Loeb’s huge “Stay (I Missed You),” which ended up in the flm because co-star Ethan Hawke was neighbors with Loeb (who was fairly unknown at the time). Classics from The Knack and Squeeze round things out, and you’d be a fool to miss Hawke’s bizarre cover of Violent Femmes’ “Add It Up” on the 10th anniversary reissue. By Michael James Hall John Hughes’ Brat Pack rom-com may have been as formulaic and trite as it was endearing and adored, but its soundtrack is an unmitigated triumph. Psychedlic Furs’ majestic, melancholic title track apart, Echo & The Bunnymen’s brilliant “Bring on the Dancing Horses” made its debut here, alongside OMD’s hit “If You Leave.” It represents the mid-’80s alternative scene with further classics from Nik Kershaw, The Smiths, New Order, and INXS. Sadly, Otis Redding’s ‘Try a Little Tenderness’, famously lip-synched by Duckie (Jon Cryer) in the flm’s most iconic scene, is omitted. By Michael James Hall
10. Superfly (1972)
Even without the soundtrack to the 1972 Blaxploitation flm Superfy, Curtis Mayfeld would be a legend for his work with The Impressions, his songwriting and production work, and his other incredible solo records as well. However, Superfy asserted his place in the cultural pantheon, in the process becoming more memorable than the flm itself as well as his most famous work. The title track has also been misinterpreted constantly as a pro-gangster song, when in reality the entire soundtrack album is an antidrug concept album detailing the perils of a life on the streets. Tracks such as “Freddie’s Dead’ (memorably covered by Fishbone), “No Thing on Me (Cocaine Song),” and others are among his best work as well. By Matthew Berlyant
11. Singles (1992)
The soundtrack to the movie that defned a movement, this is an almost perfect snapshot of the burgeoning early ’90s Seattle grunge scene. Though there is, famously, no Nirvana, and the key duo of songs written and performed for the flm were by Minneapolis native Paul Westerberg (The Replacements), this introduced a generation to bands such as Smashing Pumpkins, Alice In Chains, Mudhoney, Screaming Trees, and Pearl Jam, whose contribution here, “State of Love and Trust,” is arguably the best song of their early career. It’s hard to listen to this and think of a more representative document of such a vital musical era. By Michael James Hall
12. Drive (2011)
Nicolas Winding Refn hand-picked Chromatics’ Johnny Jewel to score his dreamlike 2011 thriller. While the studio pulled a last-minute audible and hired Cliff Martinez to compose a more traditional score instead, Jewel’s infuence can certainly be heard throughout the flm and its soundtrack album—not just in the spotlighted tracks from his own bands, Chromatics and Desire. The additional songs chosen were not only perfect matches for the flm’s ethereal vibe, but utilized fawlessly, with Kavinsky’s “Nightcall” setting the movie’s opening tone and College’s “A Real Hero” perfectly closing it out. By Austin Trunick
13. Until the End of the World (1991)
People will have varying degrees of patience for Wim Wenders’ 158minute (or 287minute for the director’s cut) dystopian vision, but most would agree on the excellence of the post-modern musical melting pot that accompanied it. Wenders asked contributors to anticipate what their music would sound like in 1999, when the flm was set. Bleak, doomstricken offerings from Wenders regulars Nick Cave, Crime & the City Solution, and CAN nestle alongside R.E.M.’s stunning “Fretless” and U2’s title track. With almost all the tracks being originals commissioned by Wenders, Elvis Costello’s gorgeous take on The Kinks’ “Days” and Julee Cruise’s cover of Elvis Presley’s hit “Summer Kisses, Winter Tears” add nostalgic texture to this shadowy, downbeat beauty. By Michael James Hall
14. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
The soundtrack of Reservoir Dogs is seamlessly woven into the flm’s narrative, albeit in a peculiar way: through a fctional radio show called “KBilly’s Super Sounds of the ’70s,” where we intermittently hear pop songs from the late 1960s and 1970s. The opening scene, which foreshadows the fates of the flm’s characters, is punctuated by the bassline of “Little Green Bag” by George Baker Selection. Stealers Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle with You” is also the perfect choice of track for a terrifying torture scene in the safehouse, where the surviving characters are in a kind of metaphorical purgatory. Throughout, the feel-good music of the ’60s and ’70s acts as a gripping contrast to the intensity of the flm. By Ben Jardine
15. Pump Up the Volume (1990)
This post-Heathers Christian Slater vehicle is as iconic as they come for a certain kind of ’90s kid. During its angsty, rebellious runtime Slater’s pirate radio DJ Hard Harry (aka Happy Harry Hard-on) delights us with tunes from Descendents, Soundgarden, Pixies, and other bands that formed the foundations of a million musical tastes. While this soundtrack doesn’t include all of the key tunes as featured, it does offer an exciting snapshot of where alternative music had its roots (Concrete Blonde’s triumphal cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows,” Henry Rollins and Bad Brains’ take on MC5’s “Kick
Out the Jams”) and where it stood in 1990 (Pixies’ “Wave of Mutilation,” Sonic Youth’s “Titanium Expose”). By Michael James Hall
16. Baby Driver (2017)
In Baby Driver, we hear what Baby (Ansel Elgort) hears. The flm opens with a bank robbery and car chase, all timed perfectly to music (The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion’s “Bellbottoms”), which Baby is playing through a pair of headphones. Music is a way for Baby to connect with the world and with his fellow criminals: “Egyptian Reggae” (Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers) plays during a confrontation with Jon Berntal’s character, and Queen’s “Brighton Rock” serves as a way for Baby to connect with Jon Hamm’s character. Baby even makes music, using dialogue he’s recorded on his various heists. And there’s even music in the conversations Baby and Debora (Lily James) have about who has more songs named after them. Baby has more. By Ben Jardine
17. Labyrinth (1986)
For his second foray into fantasy flmmaking, Jim Henson sought a performer whose persona and musical style could help shape the movie, and considered names like Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson, and Sting before arriving on David Bowie. Luckily the superstar had writing songs for a children’s flm on his career to-do list, and was especially attracted to the freedom that Henson and crew provided him. This yielded what are arguably several classic Bowie tracks, including “Magic Dance” (you can sing the intro, go ahead), “Underground,” and “As the World Falls Down,” and birthed an all-new generation of Bowie fans. Trevor Jones’ score, too, interspersed throughout the pop songs, helps bring the flm’s fairy tale-like quality to its soundtrack album. By Austin Trunick
18. Back to the Future (1985)
Back to the Future’s soundtrack is brief, but it’s a cultural landmark. The flm’s theme by Alan Silvestri is instantly recognizable. Two tracks from Huey Lewis and the News (“The Power of Love” and “Back in Time”), both written for the flm, became charttopping hits. But perhaps the most classic musical moment of the movie is when Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) busts out an early rendition of “Johnny B. Goode” before an unsuspecting audience of teenagers in 1955, three years before Chuck Berry’s version (the original) appeared. The scene appears in the flm’s emotional (and musical) crescendo: McFly has just saved his own future and this rendition is clearly a catharsis. By Ben Jardine 19. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
The soundtrack to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a thrilling, vibrant collection of hip-hop and pop that perfectly complemented the progressive, crowd-pleasing delights of the movie. It would have been tough in 2018 to select songs from a more appealing set of superstars who, like the flm itself, combined such cool with commercial appeal. Originals from artists such as Blackway and Black Caviar, Post Malone and Swae Lee, Duckwrth, and Lil’ Wayne captured the imagination in a way that’s rare for the soundtrack to, of all things, a Marvel movie. It’s a special creation indeed; a soundtrack that captures the zeitgeist as perfectly and unexpectedly as the movie it partners. By Michael James Hall
20. Velvet Goldmine (1998)
Todd Haynes’ crazed, erratic glam rock cult favorite didn’t score the David Bowie back catalogue he initially requested, so instead he got creative. Teenage Fanclub (with Elastica’s Donna Matthews) do New York Dolls, Placebo do T. Rex, and an all-star Brit band—The Venus In Furs, including members of Radiohead, Suede, and Roxy Music—lock eyes with the equally luminous Wyld Rattz, featuring Sonic Youth, Mudhoney, and Minutemen alumni. Co-stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Ewan McGregor get in on the action too. It’s bizarre and ambitious, a wild ride, offering reinterpretations that excellently mirror the fctionalized Iggy Pop/Bowie relationship depicted in the flm. By Michael James Hall
21. Good Will Hunting (1997)
Gus Van Zandt’s beloved flm, whose funny, moving script won an Oscar for screenwriters Matt Damon and Ben Affeck and a best Supporting Actor nod for the greatly missed Robin Williams, also brought the equally lamented Elliott Smith to mainstream attention. His material makes up most of this record, with tracks largely drawn from his classic album Either/Or, creating a melancholic, claustrophobic listening experience. “Say Yes,” “Between the Bars,” and “Angeles” back up Smith’s marvelous “Miss Misery” for which he himself was Academy Award nominated. Seek out his Oscars night performance for a profoundly strange, beautiful pop culture moment. By Michael James Hall
22. The Virgin Suicides (1999)
Air used director Sofa Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides as an opportunity to shift away from Moon Safari’s Space Age fever dream, the duo opting instead to become stuck, much like that glob of Lux Lisbon’s chewing gum in the “Playground Love” video, to each piece of paisley print polyester, each twilit corsage and billowing funeral gown to be found across the haunted 1970s Midwest. Air’s soundtrack remains a solid pop recording, playing a central role in Coppola’s flm. One cannot imagine the flm’s existence without the melancholy keys of “High School Lover,” which punctuate some of its most devastating moments. By Austin Saalman
23. The Breakfast Club (1985)
While this writer would argue that there are soundtracks to other John Hughes/Brat Pack ficks— especially Pretty in Pink and Some Kind of Wonderful—that work better as albums, none of them bring to mind memorable scenes from the movie quite like The Breakfast Club’s soundtrack. It’s hard not to picture each and every one of the mismatched teens’ ridiculous dance moves as you’re listening to Karla DeVito’s “We Are Not Alone”—and it’s downright impossible not to raise a fst in the air like Bender when you hear Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me).” Go ahead, try it! You won’t make it to the chorus without feeling an upward pull in your shoulder muscles. By Austin Trunick
24. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Home to Sean Penn’s breakthrough performance as stoner Jeff Spicoli, Amy Heckerling’s teen romp is a total, near mindless joy. It’s mirrored by the songs that adjoin it. An all-time classic from Jackson Browne with the shimmering yacht rock of hit single “Somebody’s Baby” rubs shoulders with Don Henley’s overblown ballad “Love Rules” and Sammy Hagar’s anthemic, borderline ridiculous title track to create an imperfect snapshot of more innocent times. Add Donna Summer, The Go-Go’s, and Oingo Boingo to the mix and you have a glorious grab bag of early ’80s rock and pop. By Michael James Hall
25. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
With a star-studded production team, including Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, Beck, Metric, Broken Social Scene, and Dan the Automater, the soundtrack to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is dynamic, diverse, and jam-packed. The flm follows Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) and his fctional band, Sex Bob-Omb, as they compete in a battle of the bands competition, with Pilgrim having to defeat the seven evil exes of his love interest, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). The flm’s fctional bands were all inspired by real bands: Sex Bob-Omb take after Beck, who wrote all of the band’s music, The Clash at Demonhead was based on Metric, and Crash and the Boys was based on Broken Social Scene. By Ben Jardine
