# Great soundtrack albums **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 19, 2009, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280 "2009-06-19T10:10:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280/1 "2009-06-19T10:10:23Z")
In the [Musicals Group discussion](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=521564) of _Hedwig and the Angry Inch_, I mention that the soundtrack CD as one that became an album that I listened to as an album, not just as a way of mentally running the movie through my head. Another such CD for me is the soundtrack to _Once_. In that post, I call those “the only two CDs I’ve bought” that have functioned as “music” albums and not “soundtrack” albums – there are a few more great ones that I excluded on one technicality or another: The soundtrack to _[Phenomenon](http://www.amazon.com/Phenomenon-Motion-Picture-Various-Artists/dp/B000002NB0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1245405893&sr=8-1)_, an old John Travolta flick, which a friend of mine gave me (i.e., I didn’t buy it :D). Eric Clapton, Marvin Gaye, Bryan Ferry – I love it. And it’s fun to go back and rewatch the movie and see (hear) where the music comes in – a song might be playing on a radio in the background, for instance. _Purple Rain_. Do I need to say more? (Technicality 1: I bought it on vinyl. Technicality 2: I had been listening to the album for months before I saw the movie.) _Hair_ (original broadway cast): On vinyl, obviously. The first album I ever bought for myself. I was in 7th grade. What are yours? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280/2 "2009-06-19T12:21:38Z")
**The Drowsy Chaperone Chicago Anything Goes Kiss Me Kate** All work very well as music alone. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280/3 "2009-06-19T12:30:18Z")
**Repo Man** **Something Wild** I will also throw in **Stay Awake** , though technically it is not a “soundtrack” as such, but a various-artists collection of songs from classic Disney films. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280/4 "2009-06-19T12:58:36Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > _Purple Rain_. Do I need to say more? (Technicality 1: I bought it on vinyl. Technicality 2: I had been listening to the album for months before I saw the movie.) In the immortal words of Fox Mulder… > [@](#): > > Great album. Deeply flawed movie. ---
**Author:** ![Jettboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280/5 "2009-06-19T13:00:51Z")
_Repo Man_. Some really good, old-school punk on there. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280/6 "2009-06-19T13:25:24Z")
_Swingers._ ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280/7 "2009-06-19T13:44:31Z")
\*\*Out of Sight \*\*- old school funk **Crazy/Beautiful** - Latin-flavored hip-hop, mellow girl singer-songwriter, a couple of rockers - a diverse bunch of music that works together incredibly well. This is one of those where the soundtrack is its own statement and a really good one at that… \*\*The Saint \*\*- great techno; and it includes The Sneaker Pimps’ 6 Underground, an incredibly languid, sexy tune… **The Graduate** - it must be said. Great stuff I assume folks will cite **Garden State** , \*\*O Brother Where Art Thou \*\*and a few other famous ones… ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280/8 "2009-06-19T13:52:03Z")
[**Easy Rider**](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gnfpxqthldse). In the fall of '69, my freshman year in college, it seemed almost EVERYONE had this great album in their collection. I’m pretty sure it was the first rock soundtrack album ever. ---
**Author:** ![Stauderhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Stauderhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stauderhorse)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280/9 "2009-06-19T14:06:05Z")
**Across the Universe** I love most of the singers on the album (with the exception of Dana Fuchs, whose voice is just a little too gravelly for me), and you can’t go wrong with Beatles covers. **Forrest Gump** Great collection of hits through four different decades. **Lost Boys** Yes, I know this is cheesy, but I like quite a few of the songs. **Prince of Egypt** An animated re-telling of the story of Exodus. The movie is okay at best, but the music is really quite astounding. **Walk the Line** Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon have surprisingly good voices, and they bring a freshness to the music. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280/10 "2009-06-19T14:18:44Z")
**Vanilla Sky** : REM, Bob Dylan, Sigur Ros, Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel, Radiohead. It’s hard to go wrong with that lineup. It’s not just my favorite movie soundtrack, but it’s in my top 5 favorite albums of all time. Even the Cameron Diaz tune on it is a good listen. Cameron Crowe is truly the master when it comes to putting together movie music. ---
**Author:** ![Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ian_D.Bergkamp)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280/11 "2009-06-19T14:20:58Z")
Agree on Once. I’ve been a fan of Glen Hansard’s since The Commitments, which has what is probably my favorite soundtrack of all time. It’s hard to make good covers of those great soul originals, but the Commitments did a fantastic job of it. Pretty in Pink introduced me to a number of bands I either didn’t know or didn’t know well. Same with Pulp Fiction. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280/12 "2009-06-19T14:27:26Z")
**Fargo** has a really good soundtrack, it really enhances the film and is part of it. It doesn’t stand up by itself so well though. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280/13 "2009-06-19T14:49:58Z")
**Practical Magic** has a good soundtrack; makes up for the weak movie. ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280/14 "2009-06-19T14:51:08Z")
Some notables from the 90s: **The Crow** : Dark, moody soundtrack featuring songs from The Cure, Stone Temple Pilots, NIN and Violent Femmes. Still one of my favorites. **Singles** : Another Cameron Crowe movie - nicely encapsulates the Seattle grunge scene of the early 90s **Romeo & Juliet** : Very, very cool soundtrack feauring one of my all-time favorite Garbage songs, “#1 Crush” ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280/15 "2009-06-19T15:45:40Z")
Saturday Night Fever Dazed and Confused ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280/16 "2009-06-19T15:50:05Z")
\*\*The Man In The Moon \*\*(the Reese Witherspoon/Sam Waterston one) \*\*American Beauty \*\*(the Thomas Newman score, not songs from) **Orlando** **The Best Years of Our Lives** And Yes, \*\*Garden State \*\*(songs from) ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280/17 "2009-06-19T17:28:43Z")
Movies - **Let the Right One In** , gorgeous orchestral music with a few odd instruments thrown in, notably the Waterphone. “Eli’s Theme” is one of the most beautiful tunes I’ve ever heard. Also, the best movie of 2008. **Spirited Away** , I can see the movie in my head when I listen to it. **Team America** , hilarious lyrics and surprisingly lush orchestral instrumental tracks. **American Graffiti** , what’s not to like? And a third recommendation for **Once**. Best movie of 2007 and a great soundtrack. Musicals - **Spring Awakening** , great lyrics and it rocks. **Rent** , what’s not to like? Well, the sing-songy phone calls aren’t that great without the visuals and the context, but still and all… Television - **Cowboy Bebop** , I just counted and I’ve got 8 soundtrack albums from this great show plus a compilation of my own making. Any Bernard Herrmann or Aaron Copeland. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280/18 "2009-06-19T19:03:10Z")
> [@Stauderhorse](#): > > you can’t go wrong with Beatles covers. One of my favorite soundtracks is the one for **I Am Sam**. Beatles covers by the likes of Eddie Vedder, Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan, Heather Nova, The Black Crows, The Wallflowers… it’s great! I also really like the **Dumb and Dumber** soundtrack. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280/19 "2009-06-19T19:56:13Z")
\*\*Thelma & Louise \*\*- haunting guitar music, rockabilly…feels like the movie And for a great chick flick chick soundtrack, **Sweet November** ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280/20 "2009-06-19T20:06:30Z")
**She’s the One**. Really stupid movie, but Tom Petty did the entire soundtrack, and it’s lovely. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-soundtrack-albums/500280.md?page=2)