In many ways, a film's soundtrack is every bit as important as the actors, dialog and everything else that go into making a movie. Imagine if, instead of "Stayin' Alive," John Travolta strutted through the opening sequence of Saturday Night Fever to the sounds of "Anarchy In the UK." OK, bad example, because that would have been pretty awesome also, but still, totally different movie if that happens. Here is a look at 25 of the greatest film soundtracks of all time.
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25. The Dark Knight - Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard
From one of the greatest superhero movies of all time comes the greatest superhero movie soundtrack of all time. Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard's The Dark Knight soundtrack is a brooding, menacing masterpiece. Much like in the movie itself, The Joker steals the show on this soundtrack. "Why So Serious?," the album opener, is the perfect opening track for a score that does as great of a job of familiarizing the listener with the characters as the film itself.
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24. Above The Rim - Various Artists
There was a time in the late 90's when it seemed as if the sole purpose of some movies was to provide a reason to release an awesome hip hop soundtrack. It started with New Jack City, it peaked with Above the Rim. You remember that movie, right? Of course you don't. But there's a pretty solid chance that Warren G's Michael McDonald sampling hip hop classic "Regulate" has been stuck in your head for the better part of 10 years or so.
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23. The Virgin Suicides - Air
Sophia Coppola was so taken with French electronica duo Air's debut album Moon Safari that she asked them to write the score for her directorial debut The Virgin Suicides. Fans eagerly awaiting a proper follow up from the duo were not disappointed. The soundtrack featured 50% less vocals than Moon Safari, but that just means instead of two songs with vocals there was only one. Nobody comes to an Air party to hear people sing anyway.
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22. Parade (Music From "The Motion Picture Under The Cherry Moon") - Prince
Some soundtracks are just a little bit better than their respective movies. And then, there is Parade. The soundtrack was recorded in the midst of Prince's phenomenal run of 1980's albums and includes some of his greatest work ever ("Kiss", "Girls and Boys", "Sometimes It Snow In April"). The movie. Well, that's a different story.
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21. Trainspotting - Various Artists
With the type of subject matter that was tackled in the movie Trainspotting, it was going to take a special collection of songs to put together a soundtrack that made any kind of sense. The people responsible for the Trainspotting soundtrack pulled it off excellently. Mixing 90's britpop with classics from Lou Reed, New Order and, most memorably, Iggy Pop, works as a great listen even outside the context of the film.
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20. One From The Heart - Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle
One of the last releases from Tom Waits' early-career jazz period, One From the Heart is a tremendous soundtrack that went unjustly ignored thanks to the controversy surrounding its accompanying movie. At the time of its release, the film was met with a torrential wave of critical disdain, and deservedly so. But it's a shame that some of Tom Waits most beautifully penned tunes of all time had to suffer as a result.
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19. Star Wars - John Williams
You know who doesn't like the Star Wars theme? Jerks. That's who. Jerks and dead people. It's like the Rocky theme for geeks. This soundtrack could be that one track (which is awesomely called "Rebel Blockade Runner" by the way) repeated fifteen times and it would still be worth owning. Luckily for us, this soundtrack is packed with goodness from front to back. Bonus points for the death metal sounding song titles ("Imperial Attack," "Burning Homestead," "Detention Block Ambush").
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18. The Graduate - Simon and Garfunkel/Dave Grusin
Despite what the song titles may suggest, this isn't really an essential Simon and Garfunkel album. Many of the classics here appear as alternate versions and can be found in better form elsewhere. But what makes this soundtrack work is the juxtaposition of Simon and Garfunkel tunes and lounge music songs. A great time capsule of the widening generation gap at the time that made The Graduate such a great film.
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17. Garden State - Various Artists
Contrary to what Natalie Portman would have you believe, The Shins most likely will not change your life. If you've hit rock bottom and you're looking for a way out, "New Slang" isn't going to help. Try Jesus (or booze). With that said, if you're looking for a fantastic introduction to some bands you may very well still not have heard of (and Coldplay), this is a good place to look. The fact that it includes a Nick Drake tune makes this infinitely better than most soundtracks you will ever hear.
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16. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut - Various Artists
When the talk turns to the biggest Academy Award snubs of all time, you wouldn't expect South Park to come into the discussion. But when Phil Collins beat out "Blame Canada," that was a travesty. The original songs from the film take up less than 30 minutes of the soundtrack. To make up for it several bonus tracks are added. They didn't need to bother though, those original songs come together to make for the most hilarious 30 minutes of listening imaginable.
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15. The Magical Mystery Tour - The Beatles
It's almost like cheating, isn't it? Well get used to it, this isn't the last time The Beatles will show up on this list. The movie was a trainwreck, but that wasn't completely The Beatles' fault. The BBC inexplicably broadcast the movie, which was intended as an explosion of vision and color, in black and white. The soundtrack, on the other hand, is, well, magical. Not only does it include some of the bands' most underrated classics ever ("Bluejay Way," "Fool On the Hill," "I Am the Walrus"), but it also rights the heinous wrong committed on "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." It includes "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane."
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14. Singles - Various Artists
If you're looking for a good introduction to the Seattle invasion of the early 90's, there are definitely worst places to start than this soundtrack. With tracks from scene founders (Mudhoney, Mother Love Bone, Screaming Trees) and outsiders (Smashing Pumpkins), it's a fantastic timecapsule of a scene just starting to blossom. No Nirvana though. That's nonsense. Singles is also notable for tricking the music buying public into thinking Paul Westerberg's solo career wasn't going to be a sad shadow of his Replacements years. His two contributions here alone, his first since the band disbanded, are worth the price of the soundtrack.
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13. Beat Street - Various Artists
If you can find it, there is some great old school hip-hop to be found on the Beat Street soundtrack. Afrika Bambaataa, Jazzy Jay, Melle Mel, The Treacherous Three. It's like a who's who of rap's founding fathers. Sadly, it's now out of print.
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12. Shaft - Isaac Hayes
"Who's the black private dick that's a sex machine to all the chicks?" You don't need me to tell you. You know it's Shaft. Sure you're right. Aside from the ridiculously epic and legendary "Theme From Shaft," there really isn't too much else of note on this soundtrack. But really, what else do you need?
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11. Easy Rider - Various Artists
Just like the Singles soundtrack works as a soundtrack of the 90's, the Easy Rider soundtrack might as well be the soundtrack of the 60's. It even excludes the most important bands, just like Singles! Missing Beatles and Stones aside, there is greatness aplenty to be found here. Bob Dylan, The Byrds, Jimi Hendrix and The Band all make appearances. But the star of this show is Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild." You can't hear that song without picturing Peter Fonda on a Harley. Even if you weren't born when the movie came out.
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10. Pulp Fiction - Various Artists
No matter what you think about his movies, you have to admit, Quentin Tarantino has exquisite taste in music. When he releases a film, there is always a soundtrack with tons of great songs you've never heard on it to go along with it. My personal favorite is the Death Proof soundtrack. April March's "Chick Habit" over the closing credits was gold. But the Pulp Fiction soundtrack is where it all started. Al Green, Kool & The Gang, Dusty Springfield, an indie rock Neil Diamond cover. It's all pretty damn great.
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9. Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid - Bob Dylan
On paper, the idea of Bob Dylan helming a mostly instrumental western movie score doesn't sound too great. Amazingly, Dylan and his assembled bunch of studio guns pull it off in grand style. Even if they didn't, this is the album that gave the world "Knockin' On Heaven's Door." Much like the Shaft soundtrack, it just takes that one amazing song to make this a worthwhile purchase.
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8. O Brother, Where Art Thou? - Various Artists
Gloriously, bluegrass music experienced a bit of a renaissance in the new millennium. This soundtrack had everything to do with it. Featuring tracks from bluegrass vets like Ralph Stanley, newcomers like Alison Krauss, and a killer rendition of "Man of Constant Sorrow" from Dan Tyminski, this soundtrack does a stellar job of giving the novice listener a great introduction to the up-to-that-point overlooked bluegrass genre. An excellent collection of songs that will leave you wanting to hear more.
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7. The Last Waltz -The Band w/various artists
The soundtrack to the greatest rock documentary ever. Put a camera in a room with a band on the verge of a breakup and normally you can expect total chaos (see Let It Be, for example). Not so with The Last Waltz. Live performances from The Band and heavyweights like Eric Clapton and his faulty guitar strap, Neil Young and his digitally removed cocaine booger and Neil Diamond and his chest hair are mixed with interviews with the band members reminiscing on better days. This soundtrack collects all of the performances from the documentary. You should own it.
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6. The Harder They Come - Jimmy Cliff w/various artists
Bob Marley is often credited with bringing reggae music to the masses. And rightly so. But this compilation had a lot to do with it also. Jimmy Cliff starred in the film and stars on the soundtrack as well with five songs, including the stone classic title track. Cuts from Toots and the Maytals, Desmond Dekker and others round things out and make this a great introduction to one of reggae music's greatest periods.
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5. Superfly - Curtis Mayfield
Isaac Hayes may have pulled off the most memorable song from the blaxploitation era, but Curtis Mayfield's Superfly soundtrack is the more superior album by a million miles. If this album was released today, it would probably still be a hit. In short, if you don't own this, you should be ashamed. The movie is worth checking out as well, if for no other reason than to hear this hilariously dated quote..."You're gonna give all this up? Eight Track Stereo, color T.V. in every room, and can snort a half a piece of dope everyday? That's the American Dream, ni**a!"
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4. Grease - Various Artists
More than anything else on this list, the Grease soundtrack is the one that damn near everybody has heard. Released thirty years ago, the movie, for reasons I've never been able to comprehend, still resonates with new fans every year. As a result, we will probably never know a world devoid of Olivia Newton-John's "Hopelessly Devoted To You." Whether we like it or not. The disco-riffic title track sticks out like a sore thumb in this sea of 50's parodies, but it's still kind of awesome.
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3. Saturday Night Fever - The Bee Gees w/Various Artists
Disco music in general may have died a slow, ugly death, but this soundtrack is still as essential today as it was back when your parents were sporting butterfly collars and leisure suits. It sold over 30 million copies worldwide, which makes it the crowning achievement of the disco era by leaps and bounds. The Bee Gees turn in eight tunes on the soundtrack, and they're all deadly. "How Deep Is Your Love," "You Should Be Dancin'," "More Than a Woman." It plays like a greatest hits album. Oh, and there is that "Stayin' Alive" song too. Some people seem to dig it.
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2. Purple Rain - Prince
Purple Rain is that rare album where, without exception, every song could have been released as a single. For the most part, the songs don't really have a damn thing to do with the movie, but who cares? He did perform most of them live in the film, that's good enough. Easily Prince's most popular album ever, some of his most enduring tunes can be found here. The title track, "I Would Die 4 U" and "When Doves Cry" by themselves make this an essential purchase. Sadly, thanks to his newfound religion, he doesn't perform "Darling Nikki" live anymore. Come back, Nikki indeed. Most of the other songs are still staples in his live show to this day.
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1. A Hard Day's Night - The Beatles
The Beatles' first album of all original material opens with, quite possibly, the most instantly recognizable guitar chord in rock history. The sound, courtesy of George Harrison's 12-string Rickenbacker, would go on to inspire countless artists. John Lennon dominates, singing lead on nine of the thirteen tracks. You know what else dominates? The entire damn album. It still sounds incredible, over forty years after its release.
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User Comments
( ADD YOURS )Andy Sowards October 23rd
Great list! I like Garden State.
Still upset that Cruel Intentions didn’t make the cut. O well!
( )Jordan October 23rd
Would’ve included any Ennio Morricone album like ‘Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo’, any Angelo Badalamenti soundtrack and Clint Mansell’s soundtrack for ‘The Fountain’.
The biggest exclusion though is the Wendy Carlos’s Clockwork Orange just because of it’s influential impact on the electronic scene.
( )matti October 23rd
Oh come on! Where’s Eddie Vedder’s into the wild soundtrack?
( )Khro October 23rd
Matti, I’m with you on this one. “Into the Wild” soundtrack is awesome… The best of Eddie Vedder.
( )Mark Bowen October 23rd
Whilst I agree with some of the above choices this is definitely a very personal taste subject as what one person may see as a great soundtrack another may indeed find dire.
I’m a musician myself and have been ever since I was 4 and simply love film scores and my all time favourite has to be The Rock although Han Zimmer always gets the credit for that one he didn’t actually write it.
Just my two penneth worth though
Mark
( )West October 23rd
Interesting list. I think I would have liked to have seen this split into ’soundtrack’ and ’score’ lists. As a general rule, compilation soundtracks don’t do much for me, but to put South Park in there and leave out any number of great original scores - someone already mentioned Morricone - just doesn’t seem like a comprehensive study to me. Interesting nonetheless…
( )Daniel October 23rd
whoa. No mention of anything Ennio Morricone, particularly The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Also, you miss out on so many extremely strong current stuff, like Clint Mansell, whose scores for The Fountain and Requiem For A Dream are some of the best movie music ever written. But double shame for excluding Kubrick’s music selection for 2001. The selections which include Ligeti and Strauss are some of the most compelling and intense pieces to score movie sequences ever. It seems your list is really focused on pop music. Though, props for including The Dark Knight, which I really do think is a brilliant and amazing score.
( )Guido October 24th
http://www.rickenbacker.com/forum_view_thread.asp?thread_id=2878&forum=General_Forum&thread_name=A%20Hard%20Days%20Night%20opening%20chord
Some interesting stuff about the most famous chord in rock history.
( )mr. tunes October 24th
oceans 11
( )the lion king
Jay October 24th
I figured you were just doing soundtracks and not actual scores, but then Dark Knight and Star Wars are on there. So where are Ennio Morricone and Bernard Hermann, Jerry Goldsmith, and the greatest film score of all time: Jonny Greenwood’s score for There Will Be Blood? It’s better when you listen to it without the film.
( )revy October 24th
Some of my favorites are the soundtracks to Killing Zoe, Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind, Lord of the Rings and Indian Jones! Great list!
( )Rene Alexis October 24th
Nope. Compilations don’t do it for me either. I was expecting the number one to be Vangelis for Blade Runner. It seems like an excuse nowadays to release soundtracks with a bunch of bands thrown in to cash on the unsuspecting viewer…
( )Shagrake October 24th
I love the Singles OST with one glaring exception, the Paul Westerberg track. Among what I consider to be some of the worst lyrics ever put to music. “Dyslexic Heart”? Really? REALLY?
( )The excellent Pumpkins track “Drown” is worth the price of admission with it’s lengthy and indulgent feedback outro. Even the Heart cover of “Battle of Evermore”. One of the better Zep covers.
el pueblo October 24th
I agree with West
Star Wars & Dark Night are scores, not exactly a soundtrack
But if it is a Soundtrack list then How could you NOT ad The Crow Soundtrack !! ?
: )
el pueblo
( )ted October 24th
ok, no forrest gump soundtrack?
( )JC October 24th
It’s safe to say this was not an intense study of soundtrack/scoring history, but, the very words in the title of the post illicit strong feelings in soundtrack lovers like myself (…bet money I was the only kid in Chicago who bought Jodeci “Forever My Lady” and the Original Score to Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country in the same record store visit).
For example, as brilliant as the “Dark Knight” was - especially at it most minimal - it wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the genius of Bernard Herrmann’s “Psycho” or his work on “Vertigo”. And definitely Wendy (Walter) Carlos work on “A Clockwork Orange” or Vangelis “Chariot’s of Fire” deserve a mention for their great artistry and influence on the art form.
Then, there’s the “…of All Times” bit. I mean, that’s a lot of greatness to consider. “Westside Story”, “The King and I”, “Singing in the Rain”…a whole generation of soundtracks for movies that have proven to be eternal in their artistry.
Oh…and from an “urban” perspective…the Juice soundtrack kicks “Above the Rim”’s booty quite royally :).
I’m not trippin’…this is a good post to spark the discussion on a subject I LOVE…I appreciate the opportunity to run my mouth…
Peace.
( )Andrew October 24th
Great list, I would have added ‘Dead Man’, ‘Gladiator’, ‘Sunshine’ and ‘The Royal Tennenbaums’.
( )Critic October 24th
No Godfather? Fail.
Another obvious oversight is Ennio Morricone’s classic work on “The Mission”.
( )Derp October 24th
The soundtrack for The Royal Tenenbaums is great. Also About a Boy and Shrek.
( )Get Real October 24th
Flashdance? Dirty Dancing? This list needs improvement. It skipped the 80s.
( )Thomas Kiefner October 24th
You got 1 out of 25 right, Star Wars. Congratulations!
( )bichkin October 24th
i agree with most of the list and am impressed with the variety of music. i would also consider forest gump, empire records, braveheart, good morning vietnam, and either disney’s aladdin or the lion king.
( )Andy October 24th
Armageddon
Pirates of the Caribbean, Curse of the Black Pearl
Transformers (new version)
I think are all great movie scores
( )Ruddiger October 24th
The Crow Soundtrack!
( )pahool October 24th
No Ennio Morricone? Fail! What about The Mission (1986)?
( )Theobald October 24th
No Blues Brothers? Seriously?
( )James October 24th
they’re all great soundtracks, but i was surprised not to see the “tommy” soundtrack by the who (or for that matter quadrophenia, or any of pete townshend’s other works) or eddie vedder’s “into the wild” soundtrack.
( )Jimmy October 24th
You missed “Almost Famous” — how in the hell do you miss that movie?
( )Nathan October 24th
No love for the Oceans 11/12/13 soundtracks? I love those, and I think they are really one of the driving forces behind those films. Great list.
( )Jay October 24th
Ahem. Lost in Translation.
( )Satchmo October 24th
You could make two of this lists only with soundtracks by Ennio Morricone. I give you only two titles: “The Mission” and “Once upon a time in America”. Film music doesn’t get better than that.
Also, if you throw in John Williams, you _have_ to mention at least Schindler’s List, Indiana Jones, Seven years in Tibet, Hook… and two huge musical icons: the themes from Superman and Jaws.
( )Soliloquy October 24th
No pulp fiction=non-legitimate list.
( )jbach October 24th
I’d like to See Harold and Maude on this list.
( )Dinger October 24th
Dazed and Confused is conspicuously absent.
( )notquiteanewbie October 24th
How do you not include Top Gun?! Think what you want about Tom cruise now, the movie and the sound track were Epic at the time.
( )Big T October 24th
O.K. where is the Eddie and the Cruisers soundtrack?
( )Ben October 24th
I’m not a fan of the movie and the soundtrack isn’t in my taste, but I have to state that Bodyguard (greatest selling soundtrack of all time) should have made the list somewhere.
( )alec October 24th
“Singles” and “One From the Heart”? Are you serious? “One from the Heart” was the most embarrassing moment of Tom Waits’s career. How can one compile a list like this and omit the “Twin Peaks” soundtrack…or any film score by Ennio Morricone? I feel ill.
( )Graham October 24th
any one know how good the Watchmen soundtrack is? The graphic novel was excellent, so i hope the movie and soundtrack are phenomenal.
( )Clive October 24th
Don’t laugh, but Conan The Barbarian has always stood out to me as one of the most incredible movie soundtracks.
( )Jake Adams October 24th
What happened to Snatch? I like the Garden State soundtrack but the Snatch soundtrack trumps it and many others listed above.
( )Brian October 24th
no Forrest Gump?
( )Jordan October 24th
This is a good list but as noted, missing The Rock, also The Hunt for Red October…and…
CONAN THE BARBARIAN.
Regardless of your opinion of the movie, one of the best classical soundtracks of all time.
( )Guywiththebike October 24th
I know that this may sound weird, but I would love to have seen Dumb and Dumber up there as well.
( )It actually is a darn-good album from end to end…and I will put the stamp down that says that I think it is THE best roadtrip CD ever.
Guerrilla Billionaire™ October 24th
Bladerunner?
Before the Rain?
Thief?
You missed a few.
( )Tennyson October 24th
Add my vote for “The Crow”. And I would also include the score for “American Beauty”, imho one of the most evocative scores ever penned. It added immeasurably to the film and is one of the most recongnisable and referenced scores in recent memory. Thomas Newman is brilliant.
( )Joe Mamma October 24th
C’mon man! Half of these are various artist soundtracks! Also, what about the soundtrack to The Thin Red Line? That was emotional and versatile as any of the various artist soundtracks you listed!
( )muze October 24th
I would have included ‘Into the Wild’ music by Eddie Vedder
( )http://www.amuze.me/news/cine/eddie-vedder-album-of-my-year/
peter October 24th
I can’t believe the Transformers (animated movie from the 80s) soundtrack didn’t make the cut!
( )tony October 24th
great list, but i’m surprised at a few not making the cut;
clint mansell’s work on ‘requiem for a dream’ was a critical piece of the movie and probably one of the best jobs of capturing and heightening the mood…
i’m fond of event horizon’s soundtrack; orbital & a orchestra working together made for some great mix ups.
and, Lost Highway; though it reads like a compilation work, the music itself is tightly woven to the scenes, no poor choices of pace or the like.
( )SmokeMonkey October 24th
The Last Temptation of Christ, Peter Gabriel - Get the flac version.
( )Brandon October 24th
ummmm……Top Gun soundtrack?
( )Slick Willy G October 24th
I’m shock at the lack of any soundtracks from a Wes Anderson film.
( )Jim Beam October 24th
The Dark Knight was one of the best movies I have EVER seen.
Jiff
( )http://www.Privacy-center.net
mr. tunes October 24th
jay, i found the there will be blood score to be a bit of a cop-out. it was very similar to kubrick’s 2001, using lots of atmospherics and silence, but if you think about it there is no theme(whereas 2001 has actual music in it as well).
if you say the name of that movie(TWBB) you will just think about creepy sound effects and not actual music.
( )Irokaz October 24th
Thanks you for giving “Above the Rim” the credit that it deserves!!!
props on “Garden State” too!!!
Surprisingly… “Wicker Park” has a pretty good soundtrack too….look into it
( )Rory Walker October 24th
Mhmmm
( )No “Snatch or Juno” Soundtrack…Booooo
enrico gomez October 24th
How about the Magnolia soundtrack? Aimee Mann is awesome!!!
( )al October 24th
umm, where is judgement night, best soundtrack album ever and its not on this list?
( )Warren Buchanan October 24th
The best soundtrack of all time is the Forrest Gump soundtrack. I can understand why you left out some of the other crap people here have mentioned, but there is no bad song on the Forrest Gump soundtrack. Not one.
( )Matt October 24th
Seriously?! What the hell, Top Gun isnt on here? Are you serious?
( )Kdean October 24th
FOOTLOOSE ANYONE?!?!?!?!?!?
at least a top 10
( )Nowayjose October 24th
The Last of the Mohicans soundtrack is far better than most on your list.
( )Chad October 24th
Kids in the Hall brain Candy.. that is a great sound track.!! look it up. Minds will be blown.
( )DuMbGuM October 24th
What about Edward Shearmaur’s work for the movie “K-Pax” , The original score for American Beauty by Thomas Newman, or even Requiem For a Dream, Mulholland Drive and The Truman Show? I would place these masterpieces above most of whats listed here.
( )G-Money October 24th
Fast Times at Ridgemont High???
( )osc October 24th
Amelie ….
( )ted October 24th
im not a big fan of this list due to the fact forrest gump isnt here. i just cant believe it. the music was a huge part of the movie. it wasnt just thrown in for a soundtrack. it was part of the story.
( )The Ace October 24th
Space Jam
Spawn
Blade
The Matrix
all 90’s…all classic soundtracks
( )reno October 24th
No High Fidelity? One of the best soundtracks for sure!
( )Scott October 24th
I thought the same as most: didn’t see Forrest Gump, Eddie and the Cruisers, Top Gun, Blues Brothers..the one’s I thought were a given.
But not even a comment mentioning The Committments or Apocolypse Now?
( )mike October 24th
How the fuck is Moulin Rouge not on this list.
( )Goose129 October 24th
Performance 1970 (Turner’s Song: Memo From T - Mick Jagger)
( )Eric October 24th
The Thin Red Line score by Hans Zimmer is the best I have heard.
( )Gary Barey October 24th
Missing Vangelis’ Blade Runner work
( )Missing Gladiator Soundtrack
too much conflation of (very popular group) or (one very popular song) with (great movie soundtrack). The former is NOT equivalent to the latter. Try again.
Max Howell October 24th
Epically poor list man.
( )alex October 24th
wheres the juno soundtrack?
( )Alan October 24th
I’m assuming that you’re too young to know any better but probably the most popular soundtrack of all time is Sound Of Music. Julie Andrews delivers an album full of memorable music. Yeah, I’m an old fart but good music is good music.
( )Rod Costa October 24th
“umm, where is judgement night, best soundtrack album ever and its not on this list?”
that’s the understatement of the century!!!
( )matt October 24th
Garden State soundtrack was a pile of shit
missing from list: The Crow, Hackers (all three volumes), The Crow: City of Angels, Angus, Less than Zero, Rules of Attraction, Seven, Nightmare before Christmas (and the revisited album)
( )ivor October 24th
Nothing on this list by Goblin, who like Morricone and Badalamenti have made some of the more remarkable scores in film history. Suspiria anyone?
( )BPJ October 24th
I think this list is unfair, because you are putting original soundtracks and compilation soundtracks in the same boat. Personally, when I think soundtrack, I think original score, but obviously that’s just me.
( )TimBo October 24th
I liked the Judgement Night Soundtrack.
The movie sucked but the tunes were all Rap/Metal duets
Like: IceT/Slayer, Onyx/Biohazard, Sonic youth/Cyprus hill
Was all New & Awesome for its time! Check it out!
( )GarF October 24th
Giorgio Moroder’s 1984 re-hash of Metropolis should have rated a mention, if only to fuel the debate.
( )Erik October 24th
Fun start to a list like this. So many good ones. My favorites not in the list are Requiem for a Dream, Twister, Once, Shrek, Donnie Darko, some Randy Newman ones (Toy Story, Major League, etc), Maximum Overdrive, Gladiator, Say Anything, dang, tons now that I think of it.
( )Trav October 24th
forrest gump!?!
( )Josh October 24th
Just a few thoughts.
I love love love the Romeo+Juliet soundtrack. Garbage singing about #1 Crush totally encapsulates what the crush to end all crushes feels like. Des’ree’s “Kissing You” while the two young namesakes exchange shy glances during their first introduction - such a sweet and tender moment and an antithesis of things to come.
forrest gump the score soundtrack or forrest gump the compliation soundtrack? both are great.
i agree - the bodyguard sucked, but that soundtrack, even if for just THE SONG, has to be mentioned. An obscure 1974 country song reformatted and contemporized by one of the greatest pop singers of all time. Just think if they had been able to get the original song they wanted (What Becomes of the Broken Hearted) instead of I Will Always Love You.
i loved the Children of Men score.
Conversely, there should be a worse movie soundtrack list… LOL
( )coyo7e October 24th
Natural Born Killers soundtrack.
( )John October 24th
I agree with Dinger…where’s Dazed and Confused
( )Chris October 24th
The soundtrack of Win Wenders’ “Until the End of the World” is near the top of my list… I can’t believe it’s not been mentioned yet.
( )Chris October 24th
“Wim”. I’m a dork.
( )charlief October 24th
Um, haven’t you skipped about 5 decades, given the “of all time” qualifier?
( )Dan October 24th
Sorry, but some of the best scores are orchestral and this list falls flat. When you look at a movie soundtrack you aren’t supposed to pick the sountrack with one song that hit the nail on the head. All of the work has to be mesmerizing and a lot of these simply do not apply. I am glad Star Wars is on there as it is John Williams at his finest. But what about Harry Potter, Last of the Mohicans, Black Hawk Down, Gladiator, AMADEUS, and the Lord of The Rings to name a few. I think you ought to rethink one hit wonders like Shaft and make this list accurate.
-Dan
( )Jim October 24th
Kudos for including the Easy Rider soundtrack but you missed a great opportunity to point out that it was the very first soundtrack that was a compilation of popular music instead of a specifically composed score.
( )rchop October 24th
how was this compiled? how about Flashdance?
( )divineElectric October 24th
It’s already been said a few times, but I’ll cast another vote for Conan the Barbarian and submit Altered States, John Carpenter’s Halloween, Pirogov, and Edward Scissorhands.
( )Marjan October 24th
Conan should be here.
( )ivan October 24th
Waiting To Exhale!!
( )Steve October 24th
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels!
( )SB October 24th
Good list, but it’s missing the “City of Angels” soundtrack, which features perfect music from several artists such as Peter Gabriel, Alanis Morisette, Goo Goo Dolls, Sarah McLachlan, U2, Eric Clapton etc. It’s a brilliant soundtrack which diserves recognition.
Also, “the Crow” sountrack is brilliant.
( )SB October 24th
Yeah, and what Timbo said. The “Judgement Night” OST is one of the most brilliant and groundbreaking soundtracks of all time. But unfortunatly, very few knows about it….
( )Andy Slatter October 24th
Why is everyone bitching about what has been missed off the list? it is just an opinion! just write your own list if it bothers you!……………..(that said, if it were my list, I would have included Morricone’s Cinema Paradiso work)
( )James October 24th
there are 3 soundtracks i dont see (o:
LOST BOYS!
BREAKIN
and
SCARFACE (o:
big ups the great site
( )Emmett Cooke October 24th
Hmmm…interesting list, but totally based on personal taste…
Emmett
http://www.filmandgamecomposers.com
( )Dean October 24th
The Neverending Story (minus Limahl), and The Wicker man (original) would definitely be on my list.
( )Damon October 24th
Another prod to Judgment Night. That movie had about the best soundtrack of all times.
PS - I liked the movie, too.
( )Otis October 24th
The omission of Rushmore from this list is disturbing. Any Wes Anderson film for that matter.
( )Gene October 25th
I second “Killing Zoe” and you can’t forget “Run Lola Run”
( )aliotsy October 25th
OK … if you’re going to include scores by having The Dark Knight and Star Wars, then your list is missing scores by following names:
Ennio Morricone
James Horner
Danny Elfman
Alan Silvestri
Thomas Newman
Trevor Jones
… and many others.
( )aliotsy October 25th
… and Basil Pouledoris. Can’t believe I missed him.
( )jt93 October 25th
heavy metal - best soundtrack EVER
( )croutonboy October 25th
That’s actually a pretty solid list. I could quibble about leaving off Magnolia & High Fidelity (and putting Prince on twice) but that’s mostly what I’d pick, too.
One exception soundtrack that never seems to get mentioned–and should–is About a Boy. Written and performed by Badly Drawn Boy. Really excellent album that stands on its own.
( )patrick G October 25th
where is THE BIG CHILL?
( )paul October 25th
Judgment Night, horrible movie but amazing soundtrack!
Cypress Hill and Pearl Jam
Sir Mixalot and Mudhoney
House of Pain and Helmet
just to name a few…
should be on this list.
( )Noir October 25th
I second The Crow soundtrack, along with BladeRunner and I have to say The Lost Boys was one of the best soundtracks to emerge from all that 80’s hoo ha. Alas, there’s no Jon Waters stuff her, either. I can’t think of going through high school without music from Pretty In Pink, or The Breakfast Club.
And even though I HATED the movie, the soundtrack from Top Gun was quintessential 80’s and huge for its time.
Oh, and I forgot Spawn, and the soundtrack that virtually invented a new genre of music (Hiptronic - a combination of hip hop and electronica) Blade II.
( )rick October 25th
Casino (1995) should be in there.
( )Patrick October 25th
“The Harder They Come” may be the more well known ska/roots reggae soundtrack but it is a distant second to the greatest reggae soundtrack of all time “ROCKERS.” Don’t get me wrong, THTC is awesome, but ROCKERS is holy!
( )kool-kyle October 25th
wheres the crow at?
( )Dave October 25th
What the hell? Why isn’t “Xanadu” on this list. Half ELO, Half OLJ (Olivia Newton John). It’s a masterpiece.
( )Ian October 25th
Some very interesting selections there, although I definitely would have squeezed Vangelis’ score for Blade Runner in there. Definitely some good choices to add to my collection though.
( )procsilas October 26th
I miss the following:
1) “The straight story” by Angelo Badalamenti
2) “Gods and monsters” by Carter Burwell
3) “Dune” by Toto
( )dillinjaxx October 26th
It is very difficult to make a list of best soundtracks of all time. Try by decade or so. Anyway I would like to see some Ennio Morricone and the Pi soundtrack.
( )Jennifer October 26th
Good list. I love Greese, Saturday Night Fever, and Pulp Fiction the most.
( )I would have added Dirty Dancing. Every song in that movie I sing too! lol
Jackie Brown’s an old but good one. They have some great songs I’ve never
heard before until I watched that movie. Goodfella’s if your looking for some
old school Italian songs. .. I guess you could just go on and on right.. Great
article and webiste… !
RayRay October 26th
I love “The Last Waltz” and I love The Band but that’s not really a soundtrack. It’s more just a Band album or a live record.
( )golfchance October 27th
Not a bad list, I suppose. I really would like to have seen The Shining (Kubrick version, of course) on the list, though. Talk about music enhancing the visuals!
The Twin Peaks music is pretty amazing, too (both for the TV show and the movie).
( )Martin Harp October 27th
I agree with more of the soundtracks/scores in the comments than in the original post haha!
but missing from either one are Fight Club and The Highlander (though the movie was a bit cheesy)…
also anything by Bryan Tyler (BT) is good if you’re a fan of electronic type of stuff.
( )VJ October 27th
Clint Mansell’s work for “Requiem for a Dream” and “The Fountain” MUST be recognized.
( )jeremy metal October 27th
i have been reading the comments section of many blogs and there are the following types of comments posters:
1. the “thanks for this great list” guy
( )2. the “that’s a great list but where is…” guy
3. the “oh come on…I do not think that should be on the list” guy
Ankit October 27th
No mention of Kill Bill and Lord of the Rings? I would have thought those would be near the top of the list.. Especially Lord of the Rings, Howard Shore was amazing in all three movies.
( )OziloZ October 27th
I think Kill Bill must be in the list.
( )awx October 27th
Some more good soundtracks:
Clint Mansell’s - The Fountain
Iain Ballamy’s - Mirrormask
Mark Isham’s - Crash
and by various artists - Lost In Translation.
( )Vic October 27th
You forgot highlanders, sountrack by queen.
( )ThomasP October 27th
2 titles I think should be mentioned:
clubbed to death (matrix)
he’s a pirate (pirates of the caribbean)
still, great list!
( )henry hey October 27th
WOW. . . this is an article written with very little historical reference. Where is Bernard Hermann? Psycho? All of the Hitchcock soundtracks? How about the Wizard of Oz? How about Cole Porter? I can think of many older movies that have had decades of influence on not only all of cinema but on much of the American popular music spectrum.
If you are only looking at the past 20 years or so, and you have a list that includes ‘Trainspotting’ and such then you MUST include Ocean’s 11. I dare say that one way to rank a score is by it’s influence on other film scores and pop culture. Few scores have affected film music and even advertising music in recent years the way that Oceans 11 has.
I like the film music on this list but a well measured top 25? I don’t think so.
my 2cents
-henry hey
( )MC October 28th
C’mon Garden State? Bleh.
Last of the Mohicans should have been on there. Everyone recognizes the score from that film.
( )Stepaan October 28th
Nice thread
Well, my 5 cents, what I’m really missing here:
Twin Peaks, Life Aquatic, Blade Runner, Dead Man, LOTR (no, really, it SHOULD be on the list) and the wicked theme from 12 Monkeys
( )Joe | A New Band A Day.com October 28th
The Trainspotting soundtrack is brilliant - of it’s time, but not dated, even now. In fact it was so popular, there was another Trainspotting soundtrack released (in the UK at least) of music that wasn’t even in the film! Gotta milk ‘em dry while you can.
( )Caleb Kimbrough October 28th
Making a “greatest” list is always going to stir controversy.
That being said: I don’t agree much at all with your choices.
Come on…no Wes Anderson movies? Lost in Translation? Kill Bill? Snatch?
( )Enrique October 28th
I agree with Alan (many comments above). The Sound of Music is probably the most popular soundtrack of all time. But I believe that many won´t agree with this.
Missing: The Wall and Tommy. The problem with Tommy is that the movie version sucked big time. But I guess that the original Who´s version can be considered a soundtrack in some way.
Great list!
Enrique
( )cj October 29th
The Blues Brothers needs to be on that list.
( )Neuriel October 31st
Because this subject is so subjective, it’s practically impossible to determine the 25 greatest movie soundtracks of all time.
In my opinion, there are two major determining factors when it comes to evaluating soundtracks: (1) how it enriches and enhances the movie scene through (a) timing and (b) determining the specific part of the song to play and (2) the overall quality of the song, independent to the movie. Of course, determining the quality of a song is also dependent on your personal gravitation to certain genres. For example, if one has an appreciation of classical music, he or she may love the Godfather soundtrack. If somebody really likes electronica, the Swordfish soundtrack is worth mentioning. And if one likes mellow, coffehouse-type music, he or she may really enjoy the Garden State soundtrack.
But that’s what is so great about art in general. It can mean different things to different people. And finding that “perfect song” to that “perfect scene” is what people remember for years to come. For me, “Deliver Us” from The Prince of Egypt soundtrack is one of those very powerful scenes….and it’s all because the music had the power to transform the film to a new level.
Happy listening!
( )Bored November 4th
where is donnie darko!
( )Denis November 4th
What about “the crow”? one of the best mix ever, even for those who like soft tones… some of songs simple give you strenght
( )Djuro November 4th
There’s no Rocky ? What a heck !!!!
( )Rommel Llante November 5th
Too bad….. tsk,.. tsk,….
I think of one flaw.
Where’s Titanic’s My heart will go on by Celine Dion?
( )DpwnShift November 7th
How could Donnie Darko not be on here? Even if the movie was too much for you, the soundtrack was incredible!!!
( )Daniel Bourdon November 8th
Good list! I think one soundtrack missing is Miami Vice. A bad ass soundtrack.
( )RichYan33 November 9th
I like the list but I have NEVER EVER understood the charm of “Grease”. I thought it was an awful movie with people that were WWWWAAAAAYYYY to old to be playing teenagers (Stockard Channing???) with sappy sort of 50-ish music.
Remove “Grease” and insert the soundtrack to “Wrath of Khan.”
( )Music November 9th
Wow, that The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly isn’t number one is bad enough, but not even making the list? Come on…
( )simon kjærgaard November 11th
Well there is just too much pop and not enough orchestral music. Superman, Indiana Jones, schindlers list, Jurrasic park, Pirates of the carribean and many more.
That´s what make a great movie
( )Mike November 13th
My favourites are “Sunshine” and “Oldboy”. You should check them out!
( )justsomedude November 14th
I would have included Good Will Hunting and Magnolia.
( )Patty-Boy November 14th
I would have definitely added Harold and Maude, Cat Stevens created such a good soundtrack for that movie, beautiful
( )Johnny Jacks November 14th
i can not take any list without almost famous on it seriously.
( )LC November 14th
It’s sad that Walk Hard didn’t perform well on theaters.
It’s a funny movie with an *incredible* soundtrack.
( )Poison3k November 16th
you could pick so many sound tracks that could be in this list, you would have to do a top 1000 to get them all in and then people would moan that there fave is at number 35 and it should be number 1!!!
One I really like not on this list is the oceans eleven sound track by David Holmes.
( )KWL November 16th
Well, some of us oldies remember “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
( )It wasn’t a great movie, but the soundtrack was awesome.
Ken November 17th
How does Star Wars score so low on the list, and why is Schindler’s List missing altogether?
( )zacca November 22nd
where’s cinema paradiso ??????????
( )Listen Free Music Online November 24th
great lists, yeah I agree with Ken, why is the star wars in not on the top ten!
how did you rate all of these? 
( )aidan December 8th
where’s forrest gump?
( )rajiv December 14th
of course the list is incomplete without “American beauty”
( )james December 18th
Film soundtracks and film scores are not the same thing. Star Wars and the Dark Knight would belong on a best scores of all time list. Would it hurt to get an actual scholar on the subject for this? Who at least knows the difference?
( )How the hell are magical mystery tour, beat street and singles on this list? Best ever? Of what, the respective weeks in which they were released? Hard Day’s Night #1? For maybe 60s film soundtracks. It’s a fine classic album, but definitely not one of the most engaging soundtracks *of all time*. Christ. Another writer pretending to be a music scholar.
brian December 24th
I think it is safe to say, a few lesser albums bumped better ones such as: magnolia, american beauty and good will hunting. Just my opinion.
( )quiethunder January 2nd
concert for bangladesh
( )Ryan January 27th
The Good, The Bad, and THe ugly should be on the list, and in the top 5
( )charlie February 3rd
definitely should have included “into the wild” on this one, amazing soundtrack to listen to by itself plus works perfectly in the movie.
o brother is also an amazing soundtrack
( )vatsal February 6th
i cant believe this!!!!!!!!
( )i dont know much about the list given but what the f*** ,no one ,i mean no one has mentioned “donnie darko” by michael andrews.
that soundtrack changed me a lot as a person.
just unbelievable piano by gary jules
i have cried so many times listening to it!!!!!!
looking forward to listening to the above list
and ya “into the wild” by vedder !!!!!
God February 16th
wheres MI-2 ? wheres XXX ??
( )Pravek March 3rd
THE WALL - PINK FLOYD
wow… nobody mentioned this??
( )Callum Weeks March 8th
I’m 18, so I could just be told that I haven’t seen many of the good movies from the 70’s / 80’s, However:
Even I know that the Top Gun soundtrack should be on here.
( )Kenny Loggins - Highway to the dangerzone was the perfect theme song on it’s own. Not to mention the other songs on the soundtrack!
cptobvious March 20th
You missed TOP GUN the best one EVER.
( )Blackward April 8th
Nice list.
I would add “Godspeed You Black Emperor - East Hastings” from the movie “28 Days Later”.
( )Pete May 21st
Natural Born Killers soundtrack???
( )George July 2nd
Conan is missing..
( )