Anamazing movie soundtrackdoesn’t just complement the film, it becomes an incandescent experience for viewers in its own right. Whether it’s a sweeping orchestral score or a fabulous suite of rock songs, movie soundtracks can keep viewers remembering a film long after it might otherwise have been forgotten.
A post bySquirrelkid11on theAskReddit sub(one of Reddit’s biggest and most diverse communities, with almost 41.1 million members) asked: “Which movie soundtrack slaps from beginning to end?” The best films from almost 23,000 comments were a diverse mix of movie and music genres, including childhood favorites, blockbuster symphonic scores and quirky folk music from indie cult classics.
10’The Crow' (1994)
The Crowis a cult adaptation of theJames O’Barrcomic, about a resurrected, murdered rock guitarist-turned-superhero. The film is most famous for the accidental, tragic death of its star,Brandon Lee,during production. The soundtrack features songs byNine Inch Nails,The Cure,Rage Against the Machines,and theStone Temple Pilots.
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The soundtrack album was a commercial success, going three times Platinum in the US, Gold in the UK and Australia and Platinum in Canada. Redditoroleshortycommented that they’d “been on a Crow kick for the past week” and how they remembered “buying the soundtrack right after seeing the movie”.
9’The Last of the Mohicans' (1992)
The Last of the Mohicans, starringDaniel Day-Lewis,Madeleine StoweandWes Studi, is based on James Fenimore Cooper’s historical novel set during theSeven Year’s War. The soundtrack was jointly composed byTrevor JonesandRandy Edelman, and included the song ‘I Will Find You’ byClannad.
A re-orchestration ofDougie MacLean’s‘The Gael’ (titled ‘Promentory’) is memorably played during the thrilling, heart-wrenching finale sequence. Redditordonat3ll0said the latter track was on their running playlist to “add a lil pep to my step”, whileG3THappycommented that the “epic music…brings you into not just the story but the landscape”.
8’Gladiator' (2000)
Gladiatoris an epic blockbuster set in ancient Rome, directed byRidley Scottand starringRussell Crowe. The soundtrack album, byHans ZimmerandLisa Gerrard, reached Platinum in the US, UK and Canada. Zimmer’s orchestral score was influenced by composers Richard Wagner and Gustav Holst (to the extent the latter’s estate sued Zimmer for copyright infringement).
RELATED:Hans Zimmer’s 9 Greatest Scores
The soundtrack was influential for many future composers of ancient battle films, such as incorporatingwailing women’s vocals. One such example from theGladiatorsoundtrack is ‘Elysium’, performed by Gerrard, of which RedditorSalsaShark89said “(it) isn’t a song, it’s a soul experience”.
7’The Prince of Egypt' (1998)
The Prince of Egyptis an animated, musical biopic of Moses from the Book of Exodus, featuring the voices ofVal Kilmer,Ralph FiennesandMichelle Pfeiffer. It isconsidered by many to be Dreamwork’s best film. The soundtrack features a score byHans Zimmerand songs byStephen Schwartz.
The official soundtrack album included a cover of the film’s duet ‘When You Believe’ byMariah CareyandWhitney Houston. It also featured one of the final recordings of Israeli singerOfra Haza– the haunting river lullaby in ‘Deliver Us’ – before her death in 2000. Redditormittens107said of the latter track “they had no business coming so hard in the opening scene, Deliver Us is a banger”.
6’The Blues Brothers' (1980)
The Blues Brothersmovie grew out of theSaturday Night Livesketch performed byJohn BelushiandDan Aykroyd. The film sees brothers Jake and Elwood on a quest to save the orphanage they grew up in from financial foreclosure. In doing so they encounter multiple stars of blues, soul and R&B music includingAretha Franklin,James Brown,Ray CharlesandCab Calloway.
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The official soundtrack album was a success, going Platinum in the US and two times Platinum in the UK, France and Germany. Redditorbentheechidnarsnoted the terrific soundtrack was helped by every player in the fictional Blues Brothers band already being an established musician, and “that’s before you get Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and some other legendary cameos with their own songs”.
5’The Lord of the Rings' (film series) (2001-2003)
Image via New Line Cinema
The Lord of the Ringsfilm series comprisesThe Fellowship of the Ring(2001),The Two Towers(2002) andThe Return of the King(2003), all directed byPeter Jackson. The highly successful adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s books were all scored byHoward Shore, with featured songs byEnya,Emiliana TorriniandAnnie Lennox.
Shore composed up to 100 leitmotifsfor people, places and objects in Middle Earth. Redditormasterventristexpressed their love of the latter, commenting “You can listen to the soundtrack and can tell the location and the characters in that scene just from the notes being played”.
4’Interstellar' (2014)
Interstellaris a high-brow sci-fi blockbuster directed byChristopher Nolan, starringMatthew McConaughey,Jessica ChastainandAnne Hathaway. The story focuses on a group of astronauts exploring space for human-habitable planets, following Earth’s slow destruction from climate change.
RELATED:‘Interstellar’ Is Actually a Horror Movie
The critically acclaimed soundtrack was composed byHans Zimmer, and predominantly features a pipe organ and heavy, powerful arrangements. Redditors praised the epic nature of the soundtrack, withSeriouslySuspectcommenting “Interstellarisn’t a Christopher Nolan movie, it’s a Han Zimmer movie”
3’Tarzan' (1999)
Tarzanis an animated Walt Disney film based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Edwardian novel ‘Tarzan of the Apes’. Unlike most animated Disney films, the characters in Tarzan don’t sing – rather, songs composed byPhil Collinsact as a kind of narrator.
The Tarzan soundtrack, with original songs by Collins and instrumental music byMark Mancina,was a commercial success – reaching double Platinum in the US and Canada. ‘You’ll Be in My Heart’ won the Oscar for Best Original Song and helped reinvigorate Collin’s career – with RedditorZestycloseGrade7729commenting “Phil Collins did the world a favor with that soundtrack. Iconic”.
2’Tron: Legacy' (2010)
Tron: Legacyis a sequel to the cult classicTron(1982), starringGarrett Hedlund,Jeff BridgesandOlivia Wilde. Director Joseph Kosinskiwas a fan of the first film’s experimental music soundtrack byWendy Carlos, and chose the French electronic music duoDaft Punkto scoreTron: Legacy. His decision was partly due to Daft Punk (mostly known for dance music) having previously branched into film and sci-fi with their own filmElectroma(2006).
RELATED:Remember When Daft Punk Created a Beloved Sci-Fi Anime Musical?
The Tron: Legacysoundtrack album received favorable critical reviews and went Platinum in the US. RedditorRhynoDcommented, “Tron Legacy was a 2 hour Daft Punk music video and I appreciate that”.
1’O Brother, Where Art Thou?' (2000)
O Brother, Where Art Thou?is a satirical, modern take on Homer’s Odyssey, set in 1930s-era Mississippi. The film, directed byJoelandEthan Coenand starringGeorge Clooney, follows the escapades of three escaped convicts who ultimately become a hit performing as ‘The Soggy Bottom Boys’.
The soundtrack, comprised of gospel, blues and country folk music and produced byT Bone Burnett, was an enormous success and went eight times Platinum in the US. RedditorUrbanPrimativedescribed the film as doing “more for ‘old timey music’ than any one artist”.
