The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland List: Movie Soundtracks

How often do you sit there thinking about what to watch? You might have an endless watchlist that keeps piling up (I certainly have one myself). Sometimes you are just in the mood for a type of film or a certain filmmaker or actor and want to take yourself into a deep dive. As someone who watches so many movies, I have people asking me for recommendations all the time. One of the best feelings as a cinephile is recommending a film and that person loves it. Take this wealth of cinematic knowledge and experience and enjoy some recommendations on me. Genre. Subgenre. Filmmaker. Actor. Composer. Writer. Genre. Story. Trope. Cliché. Any other cinematic elements or them. Here is The Wasteland List:   

Movie Soundtracks

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

What is the movie soundtrack that helped define the disco genre? Saturday Night Fever is an excellent urban drama, but that soundtrack is truly iconic as it matches perfectly well with John Travolta’s insane dance skills. The Bee Gees (along with some other era stars) fill out this stacked list and help capture a true culture and musical moment.

The Big Chill (1983)

What is one of the truly iconic soundtracks that transcended its film? The Big Chill, a strong Lawrence Kasdan effort that captures the authenticity of group dynamics, while offering up a great line-up of killer needle drops. Starting with “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye, this soundtrack captures a nostalgia of friendship in such a perfect way.

Rocky IV (1985)

What films are the true king of the training and sports montage? Rocky IV might just be 90 minutes of montages but all of them are perfectly aligned with the great music assembled for the film. James Brown to Survivor to John Cafferty, you have the greatest workout playlist of all time!

Top Gun (1986)

What soundtrack is better than the actual film? Top Gun is iconic but not the strong film…but that soundtrack is a thing of legend. Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” would be enough but then you have an impressive mix of ballads, 80s hits, and classic tunes.

Goodfellas (1990)

Who is one of the Four Horsemen of the Impressive Soundtrack? Scorsese is the first on this list and we don’t have to go any further than his masterwork, Goodfellas. “Layla” makes for one of the most iconic montages in film history and Scorsese has plenty more iconic songs sprinkled throughout this gangster classic.

Forrest Gump (1994)

What soundtrack is literally just the greatest hits album of all the 60s and 70s? Forrest Gump is one of the most charming films out there, but that soundtrack is a towering achievement of capturing a whole segment in society. Creedence to Elvis to countless other artists who defined a generation, this soundtrack is nonstop classics.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

The next Horseman? Quentin Tarantino just understands how to find the right track to make his films the coolest imaginable while nailing the right tone. Pulp Fiction offers up an impressive soundtrack all starting with the surf rock anthem from Dick Dale “Miserlou”.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

What soundtrack made Bluegrass music cool? O Brother, Where Art Thou? is one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time as it captured a towering monument to American traditional music. Those Soggy Bottom Boys are just the tip of the bluegrass iceberg with countless beautiful pieces of music.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

How important is a soundtrack to crafting the tone and vibe for a film? Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox is a perfect example of how you capture an atmosphere as it is filled with classic 50s and 60s tunes that capture this period. This soundtrack is charming as can be and leaves the audience with a joyous catharsis thanks to The Bobby Fuller Four’s “Let Her Dance”.

Drive (2011)

Have you ever experienced a neon-soaked soundtrack that just drenches over you? Drive has one of the coolest soundtracks of all time that uses synth music to the max and perfectly crafts the atmosphere. Kavinsky’s “Nightcall” is one of the greatest opening tracks in the history of music.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

How great does a soundtrack have to be to earn the name “Awesome Mix Vol. 1”? Another Horseman, James Gunn just understands how to find the perfect song to inject into any scene. Filled with one hit wonders and underappreciated 70s tracks, Guardians of the Galaxy has an elite soundtrack.

Baby Driver (2017)

Are you ready for the last Horseman? Edgar Wright crafted one of the most impressive soundtracks in film history with its wall-to-wall hidden gems. Baby Driver is a borderline musical with how important music is to this film and it makes for an incredible batch of gems to discover.

Thank you Susan-Kate Heaney for the recommendation!