Music was a huge part of the movie experience before the human voice was able to be incorporated into the “talkies”! Someone at the theater played piano to enrich the scene. Frantic music was played as the bed for chase scenes and soft gentle notes were heard as the keys were caressed for the love scenes in silent films.
Movie soundtracks can be a compilation of related songs as in The Big Chill or Easy Rider. Popular songs from an era, pepper the movie and allow the viewer to experience a specific time and place. Grand symphonic masterpieces can transport you into a galaxy far, far away as in Star Wars. (But we will concentrate on compilations of music from various artist for this list of favorites)
Movie Soundtracks are as important as any element of the filmmaking process.
What are your favorite soundtracks?
The 40 Greatest Movie Soundtracks of All Time
Here’s the Top 20
- American Graffiti (1973)
- Superfly (1972)
- Shaft (1971)
- Purple Rain (1984)
- O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
- The Harder They Come (1972)
- Saturday Night Fever (1977)
- Pretty in Pink (1986)
- Rushmore (1998)
- Kill Bill (2003-4)
- Footloose (1984)
- Wild Style (1983)
- Belly (1998)
- Repo Man (1984)
- Trainspotting (1996)
- The Bodyguard (1992)
- Dirty Dancing (1987)
- The Big Chill (1983)
- Easy Rider (1969)
- The Graduate (1967)
Greatest Movie Soundtracks of All Time
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H/T americalsgt
Calamity Jane