24. High Fidelity – The screenwriter’s biggest problem when choosing the music for High Fidelity was deciding just where, and what, arrangements should go in the film. After listening to over 2,000 songs, writers eventually settled for songs by artists such as Bob Dylan, The Kinks and The Beta Band. The soundtrack that was eventually released to the public included just 15 of the 70 songs that actually made it into the 2000 film.
23. Goodfellas – Just like the Wiseguys in the movie, the soundtrack to Goodfellas is slick as hell. Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Dean Martin, Burt Bacharach and The Crystals provided the smooth, while The Rolling Stones, The Who and Sid Vicious (who performed his version of Frank Sinatra’s My Way) provided a bit of raucous energy.
22. Stand By Me – Based on Stephen King’s book ‘The Body’, Rob Reiner’s coming of age film took its name from the Ben E King song of the same title – a track that was synonymous with the film. Importantly the movie didn’t just rely on its signature tune to carry us through a rollercoaster of emotions; it also boasted classic 1950’s tracks by Jerry Lee Lewis, The Courdettes and Buddy Holly and more.
21. Jailhouse Rock – After the success of his acting lead ‘Loving You’, for which he sang on an accompanying album of the same name, Elvis Presley reprised the role of dual actor and soundtrack performer for 1957’s ‘Jailhouse Rock.’ Although a full album was never released, the five-track EP is regarded as a mini-masterpiece featuring such nuggets as the title track, ‘Don’t Leave Me Know’ and ‘I Want To Be Free.’
20. Forrest Gump - Like the film’s famous “box of chocolates” phrase, Forrest Gump’s soundtrack is a mixed selection, containing music by everyone from Elvis Presley to the Beach Boys. In a film that relies so heavily on the dialogue of Tom Hanks’ character, it’s perhaps easy to overlook the role that music plays in the film. That shouldn’t be the case, however; so next time you watch it, make sure you keep an ear out for just how clever the musical selection is.
19. Donnie Darko – From the opening credits soundtracked by Echo & The Bunnymen’s ‘Killing Moon’, Donnie Darko is packed with gloomy Eighties classics. We get Duran Duran’s ‘Notorious’, the Tears for Fears epic ‘Head Over Heals’ and Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ and a slew of other gems. However, it was Gary Jules who really profited from the soundtrack – his Tears for Fears cover ‘Mad World’ reached number 1 in the UK singles chart.
18. Lost In Translation – My Bloody Valentine, Death In Vegas, Kevin Shields, The Jesus & Mary Chain and Phoenix; you can’t exactly go wrong when you have a roster as strong as this. Just like her Dad Francis, Sofia Coppola knows that there can be more to a film than just actors, good shots and a great script – sometimes you need a damn fine soundtrack too.
17. Labyrinth - The soundtrack to 1986’s Labyrinth was a joint collaboration between David Bowie and orchestral composer Trevor Jones. As Jones scored the music, Bowie’s idiosyncratic voice matched George Lucas’s fantasy film, which followed a young girls bid to rescue her little brother from the Goblin King, seamlessly. A musical tour-de-force.
16. Trouble Man – What do you get when you draft in soul legend Marvin Gaye to do a soundtrack for your movie? The answer is simple; a gem of a record. Unlike the blaxploitation movie itself - about a tough detective who takes the law into his own hands - which was a commercial failure, Gaye’s soundtrack positively excelled and overshadowed the film it soundtracks. The title track ‘Trouble Man’, the film’s only song with lyrics on, was a top ten hit for Gaye.
15. Tommy - The first of The Who's two rock operas,Tommy was composed almost entirely by guitarist Pete Townshend. When it was released in 1969 many critics heralded it as the start of a new genre. We love it, not only because it was pioneering, but because the complex arrangements, constructed of everything from organs to guitars, compliment the films dark themes perfectly. While the soundtrack peaked at number two in the UK charts, it's the numerous inspirational spins offs it has inspired that show its true impact.
14. Saturday Night Fever - Few can deny the sheer brilliance of 1977’s Saturday Night Fever. The film’s place in history is sealed thanks to its soundtrack – which boasts songs by the Bee Gees, David Shire and Kool and the Kang. As Travolta waltzed and jived his way around the dancefloor, it was songs by these artists that gave him the groove. It’s no surprise that the soundtrack is the biggest selling of all time and has gone fifteen times platinum in the US alone.
13. Wild Style – There is no underestimating the importance of Wild Style and the soundtrack of the same name it spawned. Featuring the likes of Grandmaster Flash, The Cold Crush Brothers and the Rock Steady Crew, the self-released 1982 movie is regarded as the first hip hop motion picture and despite limited success at the time of its release, it has garnered a cult status. Many of the stars of the film – most notably The Cold Crush Brothers – contributed to the soundtrack.
12. Dancer In The Dark – Bjork played the lead role of Selma Jezkova, a Czech immigrant who came to Washington State in the 1960’s, who faces a series of tragic hurdles in this bleak yet poignant tale. Naturally, Bjork soundtrack-ed the album in the shape of the radiant album ‘Selmasongs’, which has sold over 200,000 copies in the States to date. The stunning song ‘I’ve Seen It All’ earned Bjork a well deserved Oscar nomination in 2000.
11. Easy Rider - There was only one type of music that could have suited Dennis Hopper and Terry Southern’s bike journey through the American southwest and deep south in Easy Rider: rock music. As the actors delve into the unknown, it’s songs like Jimi Hendrix’s ‘If 6 Was 9’ and classic like ‘The Weight’ that amplify the sheer scale of their journey. Thanks to the film’s phenomenal success, the official release of the soundtrack peaked at number six on the Billboard chart in 1969.
10. The Graduate - Released in 1968, the soundtrack to The Graduate – featuring a memorable performance from a young Dustin Hoffman - was produced by Teo Macero. One of the album’s standout tracks was Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Mrs Robinson’ – in fact Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel contributed eight of the 14 songs on the soundtrack.
9. Purple Rain - When the motion picture, based on the singer, was released in 1984 it was inevitable that the purple one would construct the soundtrack. Classed as Prince’s sixth album, the record opens with the formidable combination of ‘Let’s Go Crazy’, ‘Take Me With You’ and ‘The Beautiful Ones’. While the film took over $100million at the box office, the album has grown to become one of Prince’s greatest of all time. A rather useful combination.
8. Control – The Ian Curtis biopic naturally had a searing soundtrack. The Joy Division songs perfectly complemented the script – most notably ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ when Curtis’ relationship was breaking down with his wife Deborah. Yet, it’s not just the Joy Division tracks that earn Control such a high standing on the list, there’s also the likes of Bowie’s ‘Drive In Saturday’, Kraftwerk’s ‘Autobahn’ and The Killers’ cover of ‘Shadowplay.’
7. A Hard Day’s Night - One of the most influential films of the 60s, The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night is a cult classic both on screen and on LP. To this date the album is still the only Beatles record comprised entirely of McCartney and Lennon compositions. Featuring such favourites as ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ and ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, like the film itself, it provides a fantastic snapshot of rock’n’roll life in the 60s.
6. The Wicker Man – Matching the eerie movie, the soundtrack to 1973 cult classic is rightly heralded as a classic. Composed by Paul Giovanni and Magnet, the folk songs have a primeval and sinister underbelly most notably ‘Sumer Is Icumen In’ sung in Middle English fervently by the islanders at the film’s climax. Yet it’s ‘Willow’s Song’ (mimed by Britt Ekeland) that perfectly captures the spirit of the film – a curious song that has been covered by a host of acts since.
5. Superfly – At around the same time Marvin Gaye was soundtracking Trouble Man, his contemporary Curtis Mayfield was drafted in for the movie Superfly. The resulting record of the same name was recently voted the 69th best album of all time by Rolling Stone magazine and is one of the rare examples of a soundtrack that out-grosses the movie that spawned it. Whereas the film is widely regarded as quite a naïve look at life in the gangster underworld, Mayfield’s vision was far more gritty and real.
4. Apocalypse Now – One of the greatest movies of all time has also got one of the greatest soundtracks. The Rolling Stones’ ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ and The Beach Boys’ ‘Surfin Safari’ are two highpoints, yet it’s ‘The End’ by The Doors and Richard Wagner’s iconic ‘The Ride Of The Valkyries’ that echo the bleak plot perfectly. Once you’ve seen this movie you never listen to these songs in the same light again.
3. A Clockwork Orange – Scored and predominately written by Walter Carlos (who later became Wendy), the film merged classical music with moog synthesisers to devastating effect. The stark chimes of Carlos’ original music (most notably the haunting title music), Edward Elgar and Beethoven compositions and playful re-workings of classics add an unnerving edge to the ultra-violence and in-out, in-outs we experience throughout the film. Gene Kelly’s ‘Singing In The Rain’ is a notable addition too.
2. Pulp Fiction - Like the 1994 film, the soundtrack is certainly not conventional. As well as featuring a mix of American rock, pop and soul – including songs by Kool & The Gang and Dusty Springfield – it also included spoken exerts. As a result, the listener could truly experience Pulp Fiction in all its gory glory. While Boyd Rice was influential in selecting the films songs, it was Tarantino who interjected the dialogue to make the soundtrack feel like an audible extension of the film. Epic.
1. Trainspotting - When the soundtrack was released it was so popular that it prompted the films bosses to release a second one. While both are brilliant, it’s the first one that we’re talking about. “Choose life…” Sure, we all know the words but without music Trainspotting would feel empty. Armed with dance classics as Underworld’s ‘Born Slippy’ and Leftfields ‘A Final Hit’ alongside Britpop tracks and classics from the likes of Iggy Pop and Lou Reed, it's a perfect soundtrack.
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