I’m not counting the film scores here, I’m counting the soundtracks as in, “songs written not neccessarily for the film” kind of songs.
10. Say Anything (1989)
All For Love – Nancy Wilson
Cult of Personality – Living Colour
One Big Rush – Joe Satriani
You Want It – Cheap Trick
Taste the Pain – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Stripped – Depeche Mode
Skankin’ to the Beat – Fishbone
Within Your Reach – The Replacements
Keeping the Dream Alive – Freiheit
In Your Eyes – Peter Gabriel
I thought that this soundtrack was brilliant. It really matched the film’s intelligence, and it was much more sophisticated than the usual soundtracks of that era. The song “In Your Eyes” which is played during the love scene between Lloyd and Diane is perfect, and it’s such a beautiful song.
9. High Fidelity (2000)
“You’re Gonna Miss Me” – 13th Floor Elevators
“Ev’rybody’s Gonna Be Happy” – The Kinks
“I’m Wrong About Everything” – John Wesley Harding
“Oh! Sweet Nuthin'” – The Velvet Underground
“Always See Your Face” – Love
“Most of the Time” – Bob Dylan
“Fallen for You” – Sheila Nicholls
“Dry the Rain” – The Beta Band
“Shipbuilding” – Elvis Costello & The Attractions
“Cold Blooded Old Times” – Smog
“Let’s Get It On” – Barry Jive & The Uptown Five
“Lo Boob Oscillator” – Stereolab
“Inside Game” – Royal Trux
“Who Loves the Sun” – The Velvet Underground
“I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)” – Stevie Wonder
These aren’t even all the songs in the film, but this is the motion picture soundtrack that came out. I think it’s amazing, the film is excellent, and this pretty much makes it better (except for John Cusack of course, he just kicks ass in every film he makes).
8. American Psycho (2000)
You Spin Me Right Round (Like A Record) – Dope (Dead or Alive cover)
Monologue 1 – John Cale
Something In the Air – David Bowie
Watching Me Fall – The Cure
True Faith – New Order
Monologue 2 – John Cale
Trouble – Daniel Ash
Paid In Full – Eric. B & Rakim
Who Feelin’ It – Tom Tom Club
Monologue 3 – M.J Mynarski
What’s On Your Mind – Information Society
Pump Up the Volume – M/A/R/R/S
Paid In Full (Remix) – The Racket
Monologue 4
Sussudio – Phil Collins
I think this soundtrack is perfect for the kind of film that American Psycho is. The 80’s was an excellent era in music, and I personally adore it. My favourite song on this list is Sussudio by Phil Collins, due to my love for Genesis, and I just find his voice to be spectacular and easy to listen to. An awesome soundtrack.
7. American Beauty (1999)
Dead Already – Thomas Newman
Because – Elliot Smith
Free To Go – Folk Implosion
All Right Now – Free
Use Me Up – Bill Withers
Cancer For the Cure – Eels
The Seeker – The Who
Don’t Rain On My Parade – Bobby Darin
Open the Door – Betty Carter
We Haven’t Turned Around – Gomez
Bali Ha’i – Peggy Lee
Any Other Name – Thomas Newman
Such a wide range of music in this soundtrack, and it’s such great fun to listen to. Interesting, yet it blends together perfectly.
6. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
Love Missile F1-11 – Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Jeannie (Theme from I Dream of Jeannie)
Beat City – The Flowerpot Men
Main Title/Rebel Blockade Runner – John Williams (Star Wars)
Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want (instrumental) – The Dream Academy
Menuet Celebre –
Danke Schoen – Wayne Newton
Twist and Shout – The Beatles
Radio People – Zapp
I’m Afraid – Blue Room
Taking the Day Off – General Public
The Edge of Forever – The Dream Academy
March of the Swivelheads – The (English) Beat
Oh Yeah – Yello
BAD – Big Audio Dynamite
I love this movie, and the soundtrack. It’s so fun, and catchy and I enjoy hearing it everytime I watch this film.
5. The Breakfast Club (1985)
Don’t You (Forget About Me) – Simple Minds
Waiting – E.G Daily
Fire In the Twilight – Wang Chung
I’m the Dude (instrumental) – Keith Forsey
Heart Too Hot To Hold – Jesse Johnson
We Are Not Alone – Karla DeVito
Dream Montage (instrumental) – Keith Forsey
Reggae (instrumental) -Keith Forsey
Didn’t I Tell You? – Joyce Kennedy
Love Theme (instrumental) – Keith Forsey
One of my all-time favourite movies, the soundtrack really fits in with the pace of the film.
4. The Departed (2006)
Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd ft. Van Morrison
Sail On, Sailor – The Beach Boys
Let It Loose – The Rolling Stones
Sweet Dreams – Roy Buchanan
One Way Out – Allman Brother’s Band
Baby Blue – Badfinger
I’m Shipping Up to Boston – Dropkick Murphys
Nobody But Me – The Human Beanz
Tweedle Dee – LaVern Baker
Sweet Dream (Of You) – Patsy Cline
I loved this film, and it’s soundtrack. It’s just amazing.
3. Batman Forever (1995)
- “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” – U2
- “One Time Too Many” – PJ Harvey
- “Where Are You Now?” – Brandy
- “Kiss from a Rose” – Seal
- “The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game” – Massive Attack & Tracey Thorn (Smokey Robinson cover)
- “Nobody Lives Without Love” – Eddi Reader
- “Tell Me Now” – Mazzy Star
- “Smash It Up” – The Offspring (The Damned cover)
- “There Is a Light” – Nick Cave
- “The Riddler” – Method Man
- “The Passenger” – Michael Hutchence (Iggy Pop cover)
- “Crossing the River” – The Devlins
- “8” – Sunny Day Real Estate
- “Bad Days” – The Flaming Lips
I am ashamed that I like this film, due to the director making an absolutely awful sequel “Batman and Robin”. But, after Batman Begins, and Batman (1989), this comes to be a close contender for first place. The soundtrack is brilliant, with Kiss From A Rose, and Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me being my favourites.
2. Requiem For A Dream (2000)
Too many songs to name.
Brilliant, and the song “Lux Aeterna” is basically in everything.
1. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
- “The Funeral of Queen Mary” – Wendy Carlos [9]
- “The Thieving Magpie (Rossini, Abridged)” – A Deutsche Grammophon Recording
- “Theme from A Clockwork Orange (Beethoviana)” – Wendy Carlos
- “Ninth Symphony, Second Movement (Abridged)” – A Deutsche Grammophon Recording conducted by Ferenc Fricsay.
- “March from A Clockwork Orange (Ninth Symphony, Fourth Movement, Abridged)” – Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind
- “William Tell Overture (Rossini, Abridged)” – Wendy Carlos
- “Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1” – Sir Edward Elgar
- “Pomp and Circumstance March No. IV (Abridged)” – Sir Edward Elgar
- “Timesteps (Excerpt)” – Wendy Carlos
- “Overture to the Sun” – Terry Tucker (instrumental from Sound of Sunforest [1969] album of the group, Sunforest)
- “I Want to Marry a Lighthouse Keeper” – Erika Eigen (from Sound of Sunforest, the 1969 album of her group, Sunforest – the film version is different to the soundtrack version)
- “William Tell Overture (Abridged)” – A Deutsche Grammophon Recording
- “Suicide Scherzo (Ninth Symphony, Second Movement, Abridged)” – Wendy Carlos
- “Ninth Symphony, Fourth Movement, (Abridged)” – A Deutsche Grammophon Recording (Von Karajan, 1963, uncredited)
- “Singin’ in the Rain” – Gene Kelly, lyrics by Arthur Freed, music by Nacio Herb Brown.
Inspirational. I love this.