50 Greatest Movie Soundtracks; part 1

From Apocalypse Now to Lost In Translation, from The Wicker Man to Control, we count down 50 movie soundtracks of all time -  see who makes number one!

50. 8 Mile - It was inevitable that the soundtrack to Eminem’s movie debut would go down well with the record buying public. Debuting at number one on America’s Billboard, the soundtrack shifted 702,000 copies in its first week alone. Consisting of five songs that feature Eminem, including his massive smash ‘Lose Yourself’, it accompanied the film perfectly. The soundtrack has so far sold 9million copies around the world – proof that Em’s move onto the big screen was a lucrative step worth taking.

49. Juno – The surprise hit movie of 2007, also features a surprisingly brilliant soundtrack. Embellishing the story of a teenager suffering an unplanned pregnancy to a goofy loser are songs by The Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, Mott The Hoople, The Kinks, Belle & Sebastien, Kimya Dawson and Buddy Holly. The original soundtrack was so received that a second one – ‘Juno B-Sides: Almost Adopted Songs – got a digital release in March 2008.

 

48. Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels – The ultimate cockney wideboy gangster film naturally featured an extremely laddish, fast-tempo soundtrack. Ocean Colour Scene’s greatest moment ‘Hundred Mile High City’ was the signature tune of an enviable collection of songs including a spattering of funk (James Brown), golden classics (Dusty Springfield) and plenty of cocky rock n’ roll (Iggy Pop).

47. The Wedding Singer - While you might expect the soundtrack to The Wedding Singer to be a load of goofy nonsense like the movie’s star Adam Sandler, it’s actually a fantastic record of some cult classics. From Culture Club’s ‘Do You Really Want To Hurt Me’ (ok, that’s quite goofy) to the pioneering ‘Blue Monday’ by New Order it has almost everything an MTV generation could hope for. We’ll ignore Sandler’s own ‘Somebody Kill Me’.

46. Rushmore - Originally director Wes Anderson wanted the soundtrack to Rushmore to feature songs entirely by The Kinks. When the movie was released in 1998, however, it featured just one Kinks song – ‘Nothin' in the World Can Stop Me Worryin' 'Bout That Girl’. As well as a number of compositions from Mark Mothersbaugh, the soundtrack included songs by The Who, John Lennon and Cat Stevens – all of which went perfectly with the story about eccentric teenager Max Fischer, played by Jason Schwartzman.

45. The Jackal - When you’re jumping off the seat while watching The Jackal, it’s due in part to the suspense-packed soundtrack. Songs like Primal Scream’s fantastic ‘Star’, Massive Attack’s ‘Superpredators’ and ‘Shining’ by Moby, all fit perfectly with Michael Caton- Jones’ film about the death of the young brother of a Russian gangster. It’s not a surprise to learn that a number of the songs were written with the film in mind.

44. One From The Heart – The 1982 musical directed by the legendary Francis Ford Coppola featured a completely original soundtrack written and performed by Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle. The film was a commercial flop grossing less than $1million from the US box office, despite costing $26million to make (amazing considering he made Apocalypse Now just three years earlier), however this didn’t stop Waits from notching up an Academy Award nomination.

 

43. Pump Up The Volume - Telling the story of a radio DJ, the film's music drew from a hugely diverse range of genres. As a result, the soundtrack is a truly captivating listen – featuring such songs as Bad Brains’ ‘Kick Out The Jams’ and ‘Everybody Knows’ by Concrete Blond. If there’s one criticism, then it’s with the producers, who chose to omit Leonard Cohen’s original version of ‘Everybody Knows’ which features so prominently in the movie.

42. American Graffiti - While the 1973 movie will always be regarded as the film that launched the career of producer George Lucas and the actors Harrison Ford and Richard Dreyfuss, it’s important not to overlook the soundtrack. Comprised of 41 songs from the film, it beautifully represents the period of time that the movie is set in. It features the classic Rock Around The Clock’ by Bill Haley and the Comets, as well as a song from the Beach Boys.

 

41. Kill Bill – Quentin Tarantino, the undisputed master of the movie soundtrack, came up trumps once again with both parts of Kill Bill. A perfect balance of songs to reflect the shifting scenes and moods of the films, the director picked classics by the likes of Nancy Sinatra, Johnny Cash and Isaac Hayes to appear alongside more traditional tracks (such as the panpipe classic The Good Shepherd) and even a song by cast member Lucy Liu.

 

40. Layer Cake - Before Daniel Craig transformed himself into the not-so-secret agent 007, he found himself in Layer Cake - a film about the drugs underworld. It’s another one of those films that has made our countdown because of the way the music seamlessly moulds itself to the story. From the way ‘You Got The Love’ by The Source soundtracks Sienna Miller’s courting dance to the elaborate use of The Cult’s ‘She Sells Sanctuary’ as Mr Craig drives to meet his mentor, this is a true classic.

39. Good Will Hunting – The soundtrack to the 1997 movie is dominated by songs by the late-great Elliott Smith, including some of the songsmith’s standout songs in the shape of ‘Between The Bars’ and ‘Miss Misery.’ Augmenting Smith’s songs are tracks like The Dandy Warhols’ ‘Boys Better’, Al Green’s ‘How Can You Mend A Broken Heart’ and The Waterboys’ ‘Fisherman Blues’, making for an enviable track-listing.

 

38. The Lost Boys – Composer Thomas Newman crafted the score to the fondly remembered teenager horror flick from 1987, a score that was augmented by a strong soundtrack. It features a number of rare cover version’s including Roger Daltrey’s take on Elton John’s ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’ and Echo & The Bunnymen’s version of The Doors classic ‘People Are Strange’ – the latter of which earns this soundtrack a place on the list alone.

 

37. Shaft - You don’t have to have seen the film to recognise the unforgettable voice of Isaac Hayes – who wrote the soundtrack to ‘Shaft’. The soul legend’s voice and sultry instrumental compositions help give the movie its timeless distinction. Although the entire soundtrack is a worthy listen, it’s Hayes’ ‘Theme From Shaft’ which drew the most acclaim, picking up awards for Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical and Best Instrumental Arrangement.

 
34. Pat Garret and Billy The Kid - Rudy Wurlitzer approached Bob Dylan in 1972 about whether he'd like to contribute the music to Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid. The legend goes that Dylan decided to embark on the project because he had nothing else to do. It proved to be a good decision. Not only did the timeless singer-songwriter make a special appearance in the movie, but he also created a soundtrack that spawned one of his greatest and most memorable hits to date - 'Knockin On Heavens Door'.

35. Fight Club – Aside from the dark, brooding electronic soundscape that The Dust Brothers concocted, the real reason for Fight Club’s place on this list is the Pixies’ ‘Where Is My Mind.’ At the exact moment when Tyler Durden hits the detonator switch and the skyscrapers start collapsing, Kim Deal’s shrill vocals sound almost euphoric before the guitars kick in. It’s almost as if this song was written for the scene.

 

34. About A Boy – Fresh from scooping the Mercury Music Prize with his debut album ‘The Hour Of The Bewilderbeast’, Badly Drawn Boy (Damon Gough) was approached to make the soundtrack by the film’s directors Chris and Paul Weitz. Gough wrote and performed every single song for the movie which appeared on an album of the same name. The author of ‘About A Boy’, Nick Hornby, listed the Badly Drawn Boy track ‘A Minor Incident’ from the soundtrack as one of the songs that has changed his life. 

33. Wayne’s World - Like the film itself, the soundtrack to Wayne’s World was a huge hit in the charts. Not only did it top the Billboard Top-200 album chart, but it also propelled Queen’s ‘Boheminan Rhapsody’ – one of the songs from the film – to number two in the singles countdown almost 20 years after it was first released. Music is an irresistible presence throughout the movie as Mike Myers and Dana Carvey serve up one of the 90s most culturally impacting spectacles.

32. Moonwalker - A fantastic example of Michael Jackson's talent in the 80s. Not content with simply making music, he was determined to find new and elaborate ways to showcase it. The movie, which comprised of the singer's extended music videos, borrowed most of its songs from Jackson's 1987 album Bad. There was nothing bad about the film, however, which to this day shows why Jackson should still be regarded as one of the world's greatest entertainers of all time.

31. Blade Runner – Okay, we’re bending the rules a bit by including a score in our list, but Bladerunner’s score is so breathtakingly brilliant we just couldn’t bring ourselves to omit it. Like A Clockwork Orange, the Vangelis score melds classical arrangements with futuristic synthesisers to take us directly into the dystopian Los Angeles in 2019.

 

30. Reservoir Dogs - Director Quentin Tarantino crafted his familiar approach to soundtracks with Reservoir Dogs in 1992. As well as featuring the songs from the film, Tarantino chose to include actor’s dialogue on the official soundtrack. Most of the excerpts on the soundtrack come from the fictional radio station in the film, K-Billy's Super Sound of the Seventies, which is hosted by deadpan comedian Steven Wright. A fantastic reminder of an era-defining moment in cinematography.

 

29. The Virgin Suicides – Like all films that have a soundtrack crafted especially for the movie, The Virgin Suicide’s music, scored by French dance giants Air, was something pretty special. Spearheaded by ‘Playground Love’, which featured the vocals of Phoenix singer Thomas Mars, it’s a mesmerising listen.

28. That Summer! – Starring a relatively fresh-faced Ray Winstone, 1979’s That Summer! is widely perceived as a strange film that was bolstered heavily by its searing soundtrack. The Undertones’ ‘Teenage Kicks’, The Ramones’ ‘Rockaway Beach’, Elvis Costello’s ‘Watching The Detectives’ and Ian Dury’s ‘Sex & Drugs & Rock n Roll’ are just some of the zeitgeist defining songs on display.

 

 

27. Garden State – The Grammy Award winning soundtrack to 2004’s Garden State is the brainchild of director Zach Braff who wanted a collection of songs reflecting the time he wrote the screenplay. Featuring tracks from artists including Coldplay, The Shins, Simon & Garfunkel, Nick Drake, Iron & Wine and Zero 7, it’s a soundtrack worthy of all its plaudits.

26. Boogie Nights – The soundtrack to 1997’s Boogie Nights was so damn good, they decided to release another one a year later. Together they encompass almost every song that was included in the sleazetastic movie, from Melanie’s memorable ‘Brand New Key’ to Electric Light Orchestra’s ‘Livin Thing.’ Sadly for Heatwave, they refused the film makers to use their song ‘Boogie Nights’ as they were worried about the connotations of it being attached to a movie about pornography. Doh!

 

25. 2001: A Space Odyssey - Notorious for its minimal dialogue, Kubrick’s soundtrack is instrumental in establishing the mood and texture of the film. Originally destined to feature a soundtrack by composer Alex North, the film’s score eventually consisted of existing classical recordings selected by Kubrick. When asked why he had decided not to use North’s work, Kubrick said why should he use music that is “less good” compared to that of established names like Beethoven.

 
to be continued....