The 53 Best Movie Soundtracks of All Time

Honestly, I don’t know what pub trivia nights and coffee shops with board games would do without this Marvel movie soundtrack. Nerds everywhere are embracing the oldies, and I love that for us.

On the totally OTHER end of the spectrum, we've got the sweet, thoughtful music from this feel-good movie. The late Elliott Smith contributes a beeyootiful whispery mood to some of the more emotional moments of the film (when Minnie Driver's Skylar gets on a plane, when Robin Williams' Sean reads the note from Will) to make you wanna cry for the 50th time.

It's been more than 25 years since our beloved record store employees graced the big screen in Empire Records, but both the movie and the soundtrack remain a cult favorite amongst film fanatics and nostalgics alike. A quasi-coming of age film about teens who spend their whole day trying to save a music store, it's only fitting that the soundtrack would miss no marks. With offerings from quintessential '90s bands like The Gin Blossoms and The Cranberries, the lilting melodies and gritty rock blends the crew's personal turmoils with renewed hope for both their lives and the record store they manage to save against all odds.

The Kinks, Velvet Underground, and Stevie Wonder are just a couple of the iconic musicians on this soundtrack. Which makes sense, since Rob (John Cusack) works at a record store, is obsessed with music, and absolutely would make a mixtape for different parts of his life if he existed IRL. (The TV remake also had very good music, FYI, but start here before you binge Zoë Kravitz.)

Except for a cover, nothing from The Eagles makes it onto this playlist (ya know, because The Dude hates them??). Also this is like dying and going to rock heaven, where Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Kenny Rogers, and a bunch of other amazing artists perform for you over and over again. Even if it's been years since you watched this, the soundtrack's about to become your BFF.

It's really hard to overstate how important this soundtrack was to Baz Luhrmann's OTT singing extravaganza. The "pop music, but make it into a musical!" choice was copied by every college a capella group for the next decade, but the songs still hold up as genuinely impressive covers, mixes, and reimaginings. Plus, "Lady Marmalade," always and forever, is the best collab between female artists of all time.

The music in this balls-to-the-wall Western is integral to the plot (there's a sting in here that'll make your heart drop). But it's also just a masterpiece in its own right, thanks to Kid Cudi, Jay-Z, Lauryn Hill(!!), and many other artists. Including skits featuring the actors' voices (LaKeith Stanfield, Regina King, Zazie Beetz, and Jonathan Majors, yes please.)

The whole movie is about a student following around a band trying to interview them—like, it's all about the love of music and the cost of fame, so you *know* the soundtrack is gonna be great. Simon and Garfunkel! The Beach Boys! Elton John! David Bowie! An actual new song for the fictional band to sing! This soundtrack won a Grammy, and with good reason.

I can admit that this soundtrack slaps. Motown is timeless, and even though this movie is about an upper middle class white yuppie, every single song on the soundtrack is a hit. Marvin Gaye, anyone?!

The album of summer 2023 has ARRIVED thanks to Dua Lipa, Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, PinkPantheress, Ava Max, Lizzo, and more. Leave it to the Barbie soundtrack to get everyone up and moving.

Speaking of! If you're unfamiliar, watching this movie will ruin biopics for you forever, because it perfectly skewers every trope those films use. But also, the songs—the original, Elvis-like hits, to the ridiculous, sell-out remakes—are incredibly well-done. John C. Reilly can do everything, y'all, include get inside your head with some absolute bops.

The actual movie? Meh. The songs?? Rlly, rlly great. Featuring 33 of the Beatles' songs, a lot of them are sung by the stars (including Jim Sturgess and Evan Rachel Wood—who nails it, btw, in case you're wondering) and then there are some singing cameos from Eddie Izzard, Salma Hayek, and Joe Cocker. Oh, and Bono, NBD.

There's no better encyclopedia on the '90s than the soundtrack that's the quintessential supplement to all things Cher Horowitz and her flip phone. From the Beastie Boys to the Counting Crows, this compilation is all that's missing from the future '90s party you're going to throw. Can't wait for you to roll with your homies.

So, technically the film's score is on this soundtrack (and it's amazing, so just consider it a bonus instrumental) but the Huey Lewis and the News songs—written for the movie—are insta-classics. Plus, Mark Campbell does the singing for Michael J. Fox in the "Johnny B. Goode" song that's so integral to the plot—but don't get it twisted: Despite the film joking about it, the song was written by Chuck Berry, period.

I literally bought the CD (yes, I'm old!) and listened to this soundtrack every single day when it came out. Headlined by Hoku's catchy girl-power-centric "Perfect Day," this soundtrack's also got The Black Eyed Peas, Lisa Loeb, and Mya on there for late '90s throwback perfection—oh, and "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton too, casual.

As heavy-handed and on the nose as this music can sometimes be (I mean, the movie's major song is literally called "Danger Zone" and you hear it A LOT in the film), there's a reason every single person knows the lyrics. Plus, "Take My Breath Away" is never a bad choice to sing along to at the top of your lungs. Here's hoping the sequel lives up to it (we already know "Danger Zone" is on there, duh, alongside a live rendition of "Great Balls of Fire" by Miles Teller. And there's a song by Lady Gaga!)

"Mona Lisa! You're an overrated piece of sh*t!" I sing to myself while doing the dishes. "F*ck off, I don't want your life / I don't owe you sh*t / And I hate your rules!" I chant while doing chores. "I'm so humble!" I shout to my husband without context. This might not have as a good a plot as other biopic satires (see also: Walk Hard), but you absolutely cannot deny Lonely Island knows how to write songs and lyrics that will stay in your head. Forever.

If you were ever a teenager who grew up listening to music (probably the five cassettes you owned) while you drove around in a car, this soundtrack perfectly captures that. Or, if you'd like to capture that aimless, joyful, rebellious experience, just put on this soundtrack. Stoner Matthew McConaughey not included, sadly.

What a feeling the '80s were. You don't even have to take our word for it— Irene Cara said it herself—and the Flashdance soundtrack is proof. Bolstered by the timeless pop charm of Cara's iconic opener "Flashdance… What a Feeling," Michael Sembollo's "Maniac," and additional fare from the legendary Donna Summer's "Romeo," transport yourself forty years back with this timeless soundtrack. And if you're brave enough, you can learn some cool dance moves of your own.

This candid and musical look inside Zach Braff's brain earned the actor and director a Grammy in 2005 for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. The album also sold more than 1.3 million copies, NBD, and made everyone feel a little bit better via Coldplay, The Shins, and Imogen Heap's duo, Frou Frou.