Crème de la Crème: Ranking the Best Movie Soundtracks of All Time

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When you decide to watch a movie, it isn’t always because of the soundtrack, but rather the contents of the movie. However, movie soundtracks cannot be overlooked as they play a pivotal role in elevating a good movie to being a great movie.

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Differing from film scores which work to build a setting or to enhance the impact of a scene, soundtracks are tailored to fit the overarching mood of a film. Composing a soundtrack that does so effectively is immensely difficult, making those that do so all the better. In this article, I will be ranking and explaining my personal five best movie soundtracks of all time.

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5. Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse

Kicking off this list is none other than arguably the greatest Spider-Man movie to date, due to the masterpiece that is the soundtrack. There is an array of amazing artists on this album such as Post Malone, Juice WRLD, Lil Wayne, Swae Lee, and many more. This animated and modernized Spider-Man film follows a teenager, Miles Morales, struggling to fit into a new school and his transformation after getting bitten by a radioactive spider that grants him spider-like abilities. Much like Miles Morales’ character, the soundtrack progresses, encapsulating the emotions of the protagonist throughout the film. Also, the iconic Sunflower by Post Malone and Swae Lee is part of the soundtrack increasing its notoriety immensely. If that doesn’t justify this soundtrack's position on this list, the fact that it was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media should. 

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4. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (Film Score)

Although two soundtracks were released for this film, the score is what made its way on this list. Creating a film in which an actor portrays a fictional, talented musician can be extremely difficult and making an accompanying soundtrack can be even more so. After all, if the premise of the movie is music and the score for the film isn’t up to par, the movie would likely flop. Despite the high stakes riding on this film’s score, Nigel Godrich did not fail to impress. Since the score had a large influence on how this film would perform and did so effectively, it is deserving of a place on this list. My favorite track from this score is Katayanagi Twins vs. Sex Bob-Omb due to the vast array of melodies that are meshed together on this track, all while capturing the intensity of the scene. 

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3. Black Panther 

Yet another Marvel soundtrack makes its way on this list, with no coincidence as to why; Marvel simply does it best. This soundtrack was composed by Kendrick Lamar, arguably one of the best rappers of our generation. With this, it comes as no surprise that he was able to recruit artists such as Travis Scott, Khalid, Future, and SZA to work on this album. Notable songs such as Big Shot, The Ways, and All The Stars contribute to this work of art, in addition to the album’s 11 remaining tracks. This soundtrack won multiple awards including Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media at the Grammy Awards but unfortunately did not take home the Album of the Year.

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2. Moana

At number two, I have the Moana soundtrack. It is amazing through and through with songs like How Far I’ll Go, which has been stuck in my head since the first time I saw the film. Mark Mancina, who produced this album, is responsible for producing other notable scores such as those for Bad Boys (1995), Monsters Inc. (2001), The Lion King (musical), and many more. So, it comes as no surprise as to why Moana’s soundtrack is so well made, as it had one of the generation's best composers at the helm. A few of my favorite songs on the album include Shiny, You’re Welcome, and We Know the Way. This soundtrack also secured the Billboard Music Award for Top Soundtrack, as well as the American Music Award for Favorite Soundtrack. The music for this film fits what transpires so well, that it almost seems as though the film was made for the soundtrack. Furthermore, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson unleashing his vocals for this soundtrack makes it all the better. So yes, this soundtrack is as good as it sounds.  

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1. Saturday Night Fever

Charting at number one on this list is the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever, curated by the beloved Bee Gees. This album contains some of their all-time greatest hits such as Stayin’ Alive, Night Fever, More Than a Woman, and How Deep is Your Love. The longevity of this soundtrack speaks to how amazing it truly is, with their songs still being played and remixed today. Following its release, this album took home the Grammy Award for Album of the Year (the first soundtrack to do so), and Juno Award for International Album of the Year, in addition to the Bee Gees themselves securing the Grammy Award for Best Pop Group, solidifying the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack as arguably the best of all time. The Bee Gees changed the world of music composition in the film industry, setting the standard for how soundtracks should be produced. As a result, there is not a single soundtrack that deserves to be placed above the work of art that is the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. 

As you can see, each of these five soundtracks is artistic pieces that went above and beyond making good movies even better. These soundtracks were not in the shadow of the films they were made for, rather they shared the spotlight. Furthermore, you can listen to these songs far more often than you can watch a film, and by doing so, these very songs serve as reminders of the emotions you felt when watching each film for the first time. What more can you ask from a soundtrack?

Strike out, 

Writer: Lucas Zaret

Editor: Jayna O

Graphic Designer: Kelly Hammer

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