30 Stellar Movie Soundtracks to Play on Repeat
30 Stellar Movie Soundtracks to Play on Repeat
Great music and great film go better together than popcorn and butter. And though not every movie on our soundtrack list is plucked from the critically acclaimed film canon, each and every one of the following soundtracks is something to be admired, enjoyed, and celebrated. Because there’s nothing like an epic soundtrack to transport a viewer to another time, bring a theater full of strangers to tears, or complement a narrative so well that one simply cannot exist without the other. Ahead, we’re doling out 30 times sight and sound made sweet, sweet music together.
Dirty Dancing
The musical team behind the naughty little romance drama that rocked the Bible Belt back in the ’80s had a good understanding that the only way to truly get your freak on is to do so as a silky soundtrack sets the mood. Featuring a discography ranging from soulful hits (Otis Redding’s “These Arms of Mine”) to a Patrick Swayze original (“She’s Like the Wind”), the album set up shop at the number one spot on Billboard’s chart for months—and remains a heap topper for anyone who can’t get enough of Johnny and Baby having the time of their lives.
The Bodyguard
Yes, the on-screen romance between Bodyguard
leads Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner is palpable. And, sure, the film, though choking on melodramatic goo at times, is a nostalgic and fun re-watch. But the soundtrack is pure honey. Heavily featuring the vocal gymnastics of one of the greatest singers of all time, Miss Houston (“I Will Always Love You,” “I Have Nothing,” “Run to You”), and a few others (Joe Cocker’s “Trust in Me,” Lisa Stanfield’s “Someday (I’m Coming Back)”), The Bodyguard soundtrack is the biggest reason to hit play on this 1992 romantic thriller.
A Star Is Born
Director and star of the contemporary remake of the enduring musical, A Star Is Born, Bradley Cooper had never sung before he took the stage as heartland singer Jackson Maine. Luckily, he recruited some very talented musicians to curate the film’s soundtrack, a mash of blues, country, folk rock, pop, and now an Oscar hit (“Shallow”). Not only did Cooper share the mic with mega pop star Lady Gaga, who wrote and performed much of the soundtrack, but also Americana artist Jason Isbell supplied lyrics for one of Jackson’s greatest hits, “Maybe It’s Time.”
Waiting to Exhale
Babyface (real name: Kenneth Edmonds) took the lead on the soundtrack for the 1995 film starring a foursome who will forever define the era: Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon. A songwriter whose lyrics have been sung by industry greats including Beyoncé and Luther Vandross, Babyface used this opportunity to merge decades of legendary tonsils into one standout listening experience: Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Toni Braxton, Brandy, and, of course, Whitney herself all share the mic for this “shooping” 16-track album.
Selena
The soundtrack for 1997’s Selena only flirts with the true essence of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, the Queen of Tejano Music and the beloved 23-year-old singer who was tragically ripped from this earth beyond way too soon. Played by Jennifer Lopez on the big screen, Selena crossed over into pop with mega hits including “Dreaming of You” and “I Could Fall in Love.” Those nostalgic gems are here, and more, but the only way to truly appreciate the superstar is to follow this English language-heavy soundtrack with hits from Selena’s solid-gold Latin discography.
Purple Rain
Dearly beloved, give us Prince and make it rain. The artist’s Purple Rain album, the first compilation to feature his band, The Revolution, was also the soundtrack to the same-name 1984 film and solidified the late Prince as the musical genius we continue to celebrate today. Hits here include “Let’s Go Crazy,” “I Would Die 4 U,” “When Doves Cry,” and, of course, the Princè de résistance, “Purple Rain.” An eight-minute opus, “Purple Rain” is one of the “most affecting blues soul laments ever recorded.”
The Graduate
Mike Nichols enlisted Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft to tell his story about a recent grad falling in lust with his girlfriend’s mom. But also on the roll call were New York folk-pop duo Simon & Garfunkel, whose well-known interludes worked in perfect symbiosis with Nichols’s affecting narrative. From “Mrs. Robinson” to “The Sound of Silence,” it’s simply impossible to think of The Graduate without at least getting wistful over the film’s melancholic sound that defined ’60s youth.
Black Panther
Ryan Coogler’s record-breaking Marvel feat, Black Panther, was just as stacked behind the scenes as it was on the screen. Blasting star power through the speakers, its soundtrack was coproduced by multi-Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar, who curated a list of tracks that blends comic book politics with those of the real world to seamless effect. Featuring socially motivated hip-hop from Lamar himself, as well as rap heavyweights SZA, 2 Chainz, Future, and others, the album is balanced out by pop’s Khalid and R&B’s Jorja Smith, giving Wakanda the epic soundscape it deserves.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Ethereal, brilliant, even cryptic, the original soundtrack for the reimagined Spider-Man installment is the perfect complement to the film’s multidimensional narrative. Compiled with hip-hop, reggaeton, and low-key rap from well-established artists including Post Malone and Swae Lee (“Sunflower”), Nicki Minaj (“Familia”), DJ Khalil (“Elevate”), and Blackway & Black Caviar (“What’s Up Danger”), the hits—like the film’s jolts of white-knuckle action—just keep comin’.
Marie Antoinette
If a film’s essence could be summed up in a playlist, Sofia Coppola’s historically reimagined Marie Antoinette, which juxtaposes a punk attitude with a palette of millennial pinks and pretty pastels, would be a new-wave rock-and-roll punk dream. By infusing her period-piece narrative with tracks like Bow Wow Wow’s “Aphrodisiac,” The Strokes’ “What Ever Happened?” and Siouxsie and The Banshees’ “Hong Kong Garden,” there’s a rebellious streak running through this 2006 gem that teens from any time period can relate to. History be damned when the music is this good.
High Fidelity
It’s takes truly refined skill to take a completely unrelated score of various artists, load them all onto the same record, and then watch decades later as their musical contributions write a legacy of their own. And that’s just what Stephen Frears and his team behind the High Fidelity mixtape have done. Bouncing from one genre to the next, blending decades into a seamless, timeless escape, The Velvet Underground (“Oh! Sweet Nuthin’”), Bob Dylan (“Most of the Time”), and even Jack Black (“Let’s Get It On”) make hella-good use of a 15-song soundtrack.
Death Proof
An expertly curated hodgepodge of obscure tunes just waiting to become your new go-to jams, the soundtrack for Quentin Tarantino’s cult-favorite grindhouse thriller is better than Zoe the Cat clinging to the hood of a hurling Dodge Challenger in the third act of the film (watch this if you don’t know what we’re referencing). Look, we understand that some read this and swear by the music in Pulp Fiction, while others will tout the tunes in Reservoir Dogs. But for us, it’s Death Proof’s “Chick Habit” and “Down in Mexico” until we die.
Reality Bites
Ben Stiller made his directorial debut with an off-genre romantic comedy that perfectly captured Gen X in all its grunge-slacker gloriousness. About a group of friends grappling with adulthood post-college, it’s the ’90s time capsule we want to be buried in. Just as the cast’s wardrobe of florals and flannels are in tune with the decade, so, too, is the film’s alt-rock, contemporary soundtrack brimming with favorites both forgotten (Dinosaur Jr.’s “Turnip Farm,” The Juliana Hatfield Three’s “Spin the Bottle”) and forever treasured (Lisa Loeb’s “Stay,” Big Mountain’s “Baby I Love Your Way.”
Call Me by Your Name
While you wait for the CMBYN sequel, relive the heartbreak that is young Elio (Timothée Chalamet) and his forbidden first love, Oliver (Armie Hammer), one beautiful, sorrowful track at a time. From singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens’s contributions, including his Oscar- and Grammy-nominated “Mystery of Love,” to The Psychedelic Furs’ anthem “Love My Way,” to several classical pieces from the likes of John Adams, Erik Satie, and Maurice Ravel, you’ll feel more cultured just having hit play. Peach not included.
Moana
Lin Manuel-Miranda stepped off the stage of Hamilton and into the world of Disney when he signed on to produce the music for what many call the House of Mouse’s “most perfect film.” We have to assume that superlative is referring not only to the animated gem’s fitting female Polynesian voyager and her empowering journey to save her family’s generational island, but also to the brilliant soundtrack featuring tracks including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s chill rap-pop number, “You’re Welcome,” and Auli'i Cravalho’s belted anthem, “How Far I’ll Go.”
Hustle & Flow
Terrence Howard was nominated for an Oscar for his leading role as DJay in Craig Brewer’s 2005 film Hustle & Flow, a musically inclined tale about a Memphis pimp whose rap skills just might be his ticket out of poverty. And though there’s no doubt his time behind the mic played a part in that nomination, it’s actually one of the songs he drops, “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp,” that brought the Oscar home—albeit for someone else. Or rather, three someone elses, as Three 6 Mafia won the Oscar for Best Original Song. In addition to the Memphis trio, Juvenile, T.I., and Taraji P. Henson all contribute to the soundtrack.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
It does happen: Sequels do outshine their predecessors on occasion. Now, we’re not saying the second volume of James Gunn’s planet-hopping Marvel adventure is superior in narrative. But we are saying it is the decided winner when it comes to the awesome retro mixtape-inspired soundtrack. A joyous and nostalgic mix of oldies and goodies—think Electric Light Orchestra’s “Mr. Blue Sky,” Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain,” and Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home to Me”—these tracks are basically the first-rate contents of your dad’s cassette collection.
Drive
If there’s one literary device filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn has masterfully decoded, it’s juxtaposition. See exhibit A: Drive, a violent action film soundtracked by a collection of shimmery, romantic, ’80s-inspired pop tracks. Ryan Gosling stars as a stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver and gets tangled up with some small-time West Coast gangsters. But don’t expect him to tell you that—there’s very little dialogue from his no-name character. Luckily, we have The Chromatics, Lovefoxxx, College, and Desire to fill in the uncomfortable silence with dreamy tunes.
Malcolm X
When the film isn’t bolstered by Terence Blanchard’s orchestral feat of a score or titular actor Denzel Washington’s tour-de-force performance, helmer Spike Lee is treating us to an outstanding compilation of period R&B hits (Junior Walker’s “Shotgun”), old soul classics (Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come”), and jazzy pop gems (Billie Holiday’s “Big Stuff”). And just as all Lee’s movies are more than just films, they’re Spike Lee Joints; this album is more than a bunch of really great songs, it’s a moving sonic experience.
Tangerine
Unless you’re truly plugged into the indie soundscape of West Hollywood or have delved deep into the fold of SoundCloud, a lot of the deejay tracks and trap dance tunes on the thumping soundtrack for Sean Baker’s vibrant holiday odyssey that belongs to a pair of transgender sex workers will be first-time listens. But just consider hitting play on Tangerine’s soundtrack Christmas come early. Capturing the hyper energy and nervous tension of an underground scene through his musical talent, Baker enlisted acts including DJ Lightup & DJ Heemie, White Night Ghosts, Okko, and more to tell one of the best stories of 2015.
Crazy Heart
Scott Cooper’s Oscar-winning honky-tonk drama with T Bone Burnett on board as music producer stars Jeff Bridges as a washed-up country singer, Maggie Gyllenhaal as his single-mom love interest, and Colin Farrell as Nashville’s current flavor of the month. The performances are rich, the critical acclaim is copious, but neither beats the quality of the film’s soundtrack. Especially T Bone’s lyrical collaboration with real-life country star Ryan Bingham, “The Weary Kind,” performed in the film by Bridges. It’s responsible for one of the film’s Oscars after all.
A Hard Day’s Night
A movie about The Beatles, starring The Beatles, soundtracked by The Beatles—why not? The Fab Four do what they do on-screen—including making women swoon, faint, scream, and become obsessive superfan messes of their former selves. It’s a flurry of black-and-white footage and lighthearted comedy, but the music is the obvious draw here. In addition to the eponymous title song, the boys also perform “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Tell Me Why,” “If I Fell,” and more. For something less literal yet also entertaining, try Danny Boyle’s Yesterday for a Beatles boost.
Wild Rose
Jessie Buckley, who you may know from roles in Judy, Beast, or Chernobyl, scored the lead in Wild Rose, an underappreciated 2018 independent film about a Glaswegian single mom who dreams of becoming a Nashville star. And, yes, that is Buckley really singing. Flexing her twangy, velvety vocals, she helps shine a light on the underground country scene in Scotland (which even houses its own Grand Ole Opry). And though the entire soundtrack is worthy of playing on repeat, might we first direct your attention to Buckley’s cover of Patty Griffin’s “Crying Over” and her character’s redemption song, “Glasgow,” written by Mary Steenburgen.
Can’t Hardly Wait
Navigating the horn-ball minefield that is adolescence are the cast of Can’t Hardly Wait: Ethan Embry and Jennifer Love Hewitt, among many others. Pummeled by critics yet adored by Gen Xers, the raunch teen comedy is now a cult classic—and to borrow slang from Seth Green’s Kenny “Special K” Fisher, it’s still got flava. Just look to the film’s robust soundtrack, a time capsule spilling over with ’80s and ’90s hits including “Graduate” by Third Eye Blind, “Dammit” by Blink-182, and “It’s Tricky” by Run DMC. And of course, you can’t have a movie about the ’90s without the occasional Smash Mouth hit.
Before I Fall
A 2017 film you may have missed, Ry Russo-Young’s sublimely understated Before I Fall stars Zoey Deutch in a Groundhog Day-type thriller about a high school teenager at the mercy of the butterfly effect, freed only once she solves the mystery of her own death. Its emotional punch will sneak up on you, but its soundtrack, you’ll praise from its first note. Fueled by empowerment ballads and obscure synth-pop dance tracks, the entire set of songs from Caribbean’s “Astro” to Empress Of’s “Water Water” to Grimes’s “Genesis” is just begging for a download.
The Lion King: The Gift
Beyoncé’s companion album to the “live-action” release of the The Lion King isn’t exactly a movie soundtrack. There is no “Hakuna Matata,” nor is there a rendition of “Circle of Life.” What you will unearth, however, is an African-inspired treasure featuring a lineup of talented artists and producers hailing from countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, and South Africa. With an “emphasis on West African Afropop and South African house,” per Pitchfork, artists like Shatta Wale and Major Lazer, Tierra Whack and Nija, as well as Burna Boy and even Blue Ivy Carter, pay homage to the motherland.
Donnie Darko
It doesn’t matter if you still don’t fully understand the puzzling teen drama that is Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko. A brain scrambler about tangent and primary universes hinging on the philosophy of time travel, it’s one of those films that requires multiple viewings (and deep-thread Reddit searches) to unspool. But, hey, that just means you get to listen to the angsty, ’80s-heavy soundtrack again and again. As Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, along with Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, and Seth Rogen steer the story, you’ll be treated to “Head over Heels” by Tears for Fears, “Mad World” by Gary Jules, and so much more.
Pitch Perfect
What happens when Rihanna, Ace of Base, David Guetta, and Simple Minds make music together? They create a pitch-perfect soundtrack. If it’s modern pop-rock mash-ups you’re after, the Anna Kendrick-led Bellas are your girls. A film that taps into female friendship and empowerment while somehow turning the art of a cappella into a super-cool after-school gig, the film employs a soundtrack that was timely for its 2012 release. No longer number one hits but not yet vintage favorites, the songs and mashes featured on the massive soundtrack make for one aca-awesome listen.
Sing Street
Sing Street is the name a group of eclectic high schoolers give their Irish rock band in John Carney’s other musically inclined hit film. Once is probably the auteur’s greatest hit, but operating under the assumption that you may already be hip to “Falling Slowly” and the others brilliant songs from that film, we’re highlighting this Dublin charmer. Capturing the film’s rebellious, angsty, and free spirit, the song list plays with vintage hits and original compositions—from Duran Duran’s “Rio” and The Cure’s “In Between Days” to Sing Street’s “To Find You” and “A Beautiful Sea.” There’s even a lesser-known track from Adam Levine called “Go Now” that you’ll instantly love.
American Graffiti
Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, the Beach Boys: George Lucas’s American Graffiti is tagged with some of the country’s greatest golden oldies sung by some of the nation’s greatest treasures. Blasted through car radios and speakers throughout the film by Wolman Jack, the DJ icon who hosts the radio show the film’s characters adore, the tunes, expertly curated by Lucas and his music producer, added an extra layer of dramatic sentimentality. As The Dissolve put it, this one is nostalgic for nostalgia.
Don’t just watch it, sing it!