THE MOST ICONIC SOUNDTRACKS IN CINEMATIC HISTORY

“Roald Dahl hated that Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory featured musical numbers so much that he disowned it completely.”

Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)

Fun fact: Roald Dahl hated that this film featured musical numbers so much that he disowned it completely. That was a silly move, because the film is arguably the world’s main introduction to the wild, weird world of Dahl, and it’s the buoyant, psychedelic music that glues the entire thing together.

From the giddy ‘I’ve Got A Golden Ticket’ through to the dreamy ‘Pure Imagination’ – not to mention the legitimately scary/creepy ‘The Wondrous Boat Ride’ – this lush soundtrack stands alone as a piece of art in its own right, but really soars when coupled to the film’s technicoloured visuals.

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

With 45 million copies of ’em out in the world, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack is the highest selling in history.”

With 45 million copies of ‘em out in the world, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack is the second highest-selling in history. Hell, it sat at number one in America for 24 straight weeks, won six Grammys, and has been added to the National Recording Registry in the Library of Congress for being “culturally significant.”

It’s surprising to learn then that this soundtrack almost didn’t happen at all, with The Bee Gees first turning down the opportunity to write songs for “this little film, low budget, called Tribal Rites Of A Saturday Night.” They soon acquiesced, and bashed out most of the songs in a single weekend, long after the film had wrapped shooting. “The Bee Gees weren’t even involved in the movie in the beginning”, star John Travolta explained. “I was dancing to Stevie Wonder and Boz Scaggs.”

Grease (1978)

It’s fairly clear that Travolta was in the middle of a purple patch during the late ’70s. While the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack sold bundles more, it was the Grease soundtrack that captured the hearts of multiple generations, despite the movie itself having a less-than-ideal message.

The songs are so full of life, from the tune the heartsick Sandy Olsen croons about her hopeless devotion, to the sexual thrust of ‘Greased Lightnin’, to the primal joy of ‘You’re The One That I Want’, to the ebullient title track (which breaks with the film’s ’50s bend by sounding positively disco, thanks to writers The Bee Gees).

The soundtrack has been remastered many times throughout the following four decades, sounding crisper, sharper and even more full of life each time. For the full experience, go big screen, big speakers – and big hair.

Paris, Texas (1984)

The soundtrack to the cult Harry Dean Stanton road movie, Paris, Texas, is one of the most evocative of all time: you can feel the heat, see the empty landscape, and feel the wind howling through your bones.

Legendary slide guitarist Ry Cooder performed the entire thing, and modern technology (Dolby 5.1; surround; whatever your bag is) only adds to the impact. Dave Grohl recently announced that this sparse, striking creation was his favourite album: “It sort of paints this barren desert landscape, but he does it with a slide guitar. It’s just so simple and emotive, and amazing.”

Romeo And Juliet (1996)

While it’s the second of the two separate soundtrack CDs that features the film’s impressive score (also definitely worth a listen on high-quality gear), it was disc one that garnered the undying love of an entire generation upon release in 1996. It was the perfect storm of cool acts – Garbage, Everclear, and Radiohead all make appearances – breezy camp anthems, and artsy tunes, all soundtracking the romantic exploits of peak cool Leo and post-My So Called Life Claire. Shakespearean tragedies were suddenly so cutting-edge.

Almost Famous (2000)

“Music, you know, true music – not just rock ‘n’ roll – it chooses you”, opines Lester Bangs in this tender love letter to rock and roll. Nonetheless, as true as that statement might well be, sometimes it’s nice to have writer/ director Cameron Crowe choose the music for you.

The originals in this film – actually written by Crowe and his wife, Nancy Wilson of Heart, while on their honeymoon – are outstanding, swinging rock songs in their own right, but it’s the era-specific soundtrack that really slays. Included are cuts from Simon and Garfunkel, The Who, David Bowie, Rod Stewart and, of course, Elton John: the film helped popularise ‘Tiny Dancer’ some three decades after it was written, and thrust it right back into John’s setlist. All of that musical joy gives this film its heart. As Penny Lane memorably says: “You are home.”

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)

Regardless of what you feel about the Twilight movies themselves, you cannot deny the power of the songs.”

Although it is the previous film that houses ‘Flightless Bird, American Mouth’ – the tender Iron and Wine tune that has been inextricably linked to the Twilight franchise ever since, it was the second film in the saga that saw the soundtrack move from FM radio-friendly tunes to an impossibly cool indie soundtrack, featuring Death Cab For Cutie, Thom Yorke, Grizzly Bear, St. Vincent, OK Go and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, many of whom contributed original songs to the cause.

The soundtrack was desperately romantic, young and vital – much like the films. Regardless of what you feel about the movies themselves, you cannot deny the power of the songs – and as a 2009 time capsule, it is pretty perfect, too.