The combination of great music and film is superior and can only be found in some of the best movies, which are in this article.
All of these soundtracks are deserving of admiration, enjoyment, and celebration, even though not every movie in this article is highly regarded.
This article provides a list of some of which movies have the best soundtracks.
Which Movies Have The Best Soundtracks
1. Lady Bird
The tale of Greta Gerwig’s Sacramento high school student with East Coast college dreams lies at the elusive intersection of painful, hilarious, and heartwarming.
Her soundtrack, which is filled with angsty rock and pop wonders, is woven directly into the story, adding to its texture.
Because of this, Gerwig fangirled over the musicians who appeared in her movie in personal letters to them, requesting their consent to use their songs.
Fortunately, Justin Timberlake, Dave Matthews, and Alanis Morissette all agreed.
2. Licorice Pizza
After it was released on Christmas Day in 2021, Paul Thomas Anderson’s ’70s-era movie about a 20-something woman who might or might not fall for a high school student became quite the contentious dish.
However, there is no disputing the excellence of the film’s director-curated, powerful soundtrack.
Anderson serves up a rich slice of nostalgia by drawing on well-known songs by artists like Nina Simone, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, and The Doors.
The songs are as diverse as the title of the movie but share the same goal which is to evoke a certain emotion in the listener.
Read Also: 15 Ph.D. Scholarships for Philippine Students in 2022
3. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, a masterpiece of cinema, was elevated even further by its two charismatic leads, Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman.
Boseman learned to play the trumpet for an authentic performance that will go down in the history books.
The soundtrack by Branford Marsalis is soulful, bluesy, and jazzy paying homage to the transgressive nature of the blues and serves as a direct route to Chicago in the 1920s.
4. Promising Young Woman
The female-dominated soundtrack for Emerald Fennell’s neon-drenched directorial debut consists of 16 songs by artists like Charlie XCX, Maya B, and Paris Hilton that should be the catalyst for a completely new genre like power pop.
The soundtrack songs alternate between empowering pop bangers and fiery rage anthems.
It serves as clever subtext while illuminating the inner dialogue of the movie’s protag, Cassie, a cynical barista by day and a relentless MeToo vigilante by night.
5. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Apart from receiving high marks for its performances, special effects, and Kung Fu mastery, the soundtrack of Marvel’s first Asian superhero movie, is a triumph of martial arts and MCU diversity.
The track list honors the sounds of several internationally acclaimed and up-and-coming Asian and Asian-American artists, including DJ Snake, Rick Ross, Swae Lee, and Saweetie, in addition to featuring instant hits by these artists and others.
You’ll soon be playing songs by NIKI, Rich Brian, JJ Lin, Warren Hue, and Audrey Nuna on repeat.
Read Also: Who Is Alex Choi – Why Alex Choi Is Super Successful
6.The Harder They Fall
The film, which was directed by British singer-songwriter Jeymes Samuel and was executive produced by Jay-Z, is infused with soul, hip-hop, and R&B.
Additionally, the entire story unfolds like a visual album, with every song by Lauryn Hill, Koffee, Seal, and others perfectly synced to the action.
7. Dirty Dancing
The musical team behind the sinister little romance drama that electrified the Bible Belt in the 1980s knew very well that the only time you can truly get your freak on is when a smooth soundtrack sets the mood.
The album occupied the top spot on the Billboard chart for months and continues to be a crowd favorite for anyone who can’t get enough of Johnny and Baby having the time of their lives.
Its discography ranges from soulful hits like Otis Redding’s “These Arms of Mine” to a Patrick Swayze original “She’s Like the Wind”.
8. The Bodyguard
There is definitely romantic chemistry between Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner as the leads in Bodyguard.
The Bodyguard soundtrack is the main reason to start watching this 1992 romantic drama because it heavily features the vocal gymnastics of one of the greatest singers of all time, Miss Houston I Will Always Love You, I Have Nothing, and Run to You, as well as a few others such as Joe Cocker’s Trust in Me and Lisa Stanfield’s Someday I’m Coming Back.
9. Waiting to Exhale
On the soundtrack to the 1995 movie starring Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon, Babyface took the lead role.
Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Toni Braxton, Brandy, and Whitney all share the mic for this 16-track album by Babyface, a songwriter whose lyrics have been performed by notable performers in the industry like Beyoncé and Luther Vandross.
10. Selena
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, the beloved 23-year-old singer who tragically passed away, was the Queen of Tejano Music, and her true essence is only barely hinted at on the soundtrack to the 1997 film Selena.
On the big screen, Selena was portrayed by Jennifer Lopez, and she became popular thanks to the mega-hits Dreaming of You and I Could Fall in Love.
The songs from Selena’s legendary Latin discography should be played after this soundtrack if you want to fully appreciate the superstar.
11.The Graduate
Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft were brought in by Mike Nichols to star in his tale of a recent grad who develops feelings for his girlfriend’s mother.
Simon & Garfunkel, a well-known folk-pop duo from New York, were also included on the roll call.
It’s impossible to think of The Graduate without at least feeling wistful over the film’s melancholy tone, which epitomized 1960s youth and was featured in everything from Mrs. Robinson to The Sound of Silence.
Read Also: Top 16 Accelerated BSN Programs For Non-Nurses
12. Black Panther
Black Panther, Ryan Coogler’s record-breaking Marvel achievement, had an equally impressive supporting cast as it did onscreen.
Its soundtrack, coproduced by multi-Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar, blasts star power through the speakers and features songs that expertly merge the politics of comic books and the real world.
The album, which includes socially conscious hip-hop from Lamar as well as other rap heavyweights like SZA, 2 Chainz, and Future, is balanced out by pop singer Khalid and R&B singer Jorja Smith, giving Wakanda the epic soundscape it merits.
13. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
The original score for the reimagined Spider-Man movie is ethereal, brilliant, and occasionally cryptic, and it pairs perfectly with the story’s many layers.
The songs, which include hip-hop, reggaeton, and subtle rap from well-known artists like Post Malone and Swae Lee’s Sunflower, Nicki Minaj’s Familia, DJ Khalid’s Elevate, and Blackway & Black Caviar’s What’s Up Danger.
14. Reality Bites
An unconventional romantic comedy that expertly captured Gen X in all its grunge-slacker glory served as Ben Stiller’s directorial debut.
It’s a time capsule from the 1990s and it’s about a group of friends who are struggling with adulthood after college.
The film’s alt-rock, the contemporary soundtrack is in sync with the era, and it’s full of timeless songs like Lisa Loeb’s Stay and Big Mountain’s Baby I Love Your Way as well as classics like Turnip Farm by Dinosaur Jr. and Spin the Bottle by The Juliana Hatfield Three.
15. Call Me by Your Name
Relive the heartbreak of young Elio acted by Timothée Chalamet and his forbidden first love, Oliver acted by Armie Hammer, one beautiful, somber track at a time, as you wait for the sequel.
You’ll feel more educated just by pressing play, thanks to songs by artists like Sufjan Stevens, who was nominated for an Oscar and a Grammy, The Psychedelic Furs, and several classical works by John Adams, Erik Satie, and Maurice Ravel.
16. Moana
When Lin Manuel-Miranda agreed to produce the music, he left the stage of Hamilton and entered the Disney universe.
Superlative is likely used to describe the animated gem’s female Polynesian voyager and her inspiring quest to save the ancestral island of her family, as well as the outstanding soundtrack, which includes songs by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s chill rap-pop number You’re Welcome and Auli’i Cravalho’s belted anthem How Far I’ll Go.
Read Also: 11 Absolutely Useless Things You Were Taught In School
17. Hustle & Flow
For his leading role as DJay in Craig Brewer’s 2005 film Hustle & Flow, a musically inclined story about a Memphis pimp whose rap skills just might be his ticket out of poverty, Terrence Howard received an Oscar nomination.
And while there’s no denying that his time on stage contributed to that nomination, it was one of the songs he released, It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp, that won the Academy Award.
The soundtrack also features Juvenile, T.I., and Taraji P. Henson in addition to the Memphis group.
18. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Although the second installment of James Gunn’s interplanetary Marvel adventure doesn’t have a stronger story.
But when it comes to the killer retro mixtape-inspired soundtrack, it is the undisputed champ.
These songs are essentially the top-notch material in your dad’s cassette collection, including Electric Light Orchestra’s Mr. Blue Sky, Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain, and Sam Cooke’s Bring It On Home to Me.
19. Drive
Nicolas Winding Refn directed this violent action movie Drive, which features a soundtrack of shimmery, sultry pop songs with ’80s influences.
As a stuntman who doubles as a getaway driver and becomes involved with some small-time West Coast gangsters, Ryan Gosling plays the lead role.
The soundtrack contains the dreamy music of The Chromatics, Lovefoxxx, College, and Desire.
20. Malcolm X
When director Spike Lee isn’t giving us a masterful collection of vintage R&B hits like Junior Walker’s Shotgun, Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come, and jazzy pop gems like Billie Holiday’s Big Stuff.
The movie is bolstered by Terence Blanchard’s orchestral feat of a score or the titular actor Denzel Washington’s tour de force performance.
This album is more than just a collection of really great songs; it’s a moving auditory experience, just like all of Lee’s movies are more than just movies.
21. Tangerine
Many of the tracks and trap dance tunes on the thumping soundtrack for Sean Baker’s vibrant holiday odyssey that belongs to a pair of transgender sex workers will be new listens unless you’re truly immersed in the indie soundscape of West Hollywood or have delved deeply into the fold of SoundCloud.
By using his musical talent to capture the intense energy and tense atmosphere of an underground scene, Baker collaborated with artists like White Night Ghosts, Okko, and DJ Lightup & DJ Heemie to tell one of the best stories.
22. Crazy Heart
The cast of Scott Cooper’s Oscar-winning honky-tonk drama, which also features T Bone Burnett as the music producer, includes Colin Farrell as Nashville’s current flavor of the month, and Maggie Gyllenhaal as his single mom love interest, and Jeff Bridges as a faded country singer.
Although the performances are excellent and the praise from the critics is plentiful, the soundtrack for the movie is of a higher caliber.
Especially The Weary Kind, which Bridges sings in the movie and which T Bone wrote the lyrics to with real-life country star Ryan Bingham.
23. A Hard Day’s Night
Why not make a movie about The Beatles with The Beatles as the stars and The Beatles as the soundtrack?
In addition to making women swoon, faint, scream and transform into obsessive superfan messes of their former selves, the Fab Four do what they do on screen.
There is a flurry of lighthearted comedy and black-and-white footage, but the music is undoubtedly the main attraction.
The boys perform Can’t Buy Me Love, Tell Me Why, If I Fell, and other songs in addition to the title song.
24. Before I Fall
Before I Fall, a 2017 movie you might have missed, stars Zoey Deutch in a thriller reminiscent of Groundhog Day about a high school student who is trapped by the butterfly effect and can only be set free after discovering the truth about her death.
Although its emotional impact will sneak up on you, you’ll adore the soundtrack from the very first note.
The entire collection of songs, from Caribbean’s Astro to Empress Of’s Water Water to Grimes’s Genesis, needs to be downloaded.
25. The Lion King: The Gift
The live-action adaptation of The Lion King’s companion album by Beyoncé isn’t a movie soundtrack.
What you will find is an African-inspired treasure with a cast of gifted musicians and producers from places like Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, and South Africa.
Artists like Wizkid, Shatta Wale, Major Lazer, Tierra Whack, Nija, Burna Boy, and even Blue Ivy Carter pay homage to the motherland with emphasis on West African Afropop and South African house.
26. Pitch Perfect
When Rihanna, David Guetta, Ace of Base, and Simple Minds collaborate on a song, they produce a flawless soundtrack.
The Bellas, led by Anna Kendrick, are your girls if you’re looking for contemporary pop-rock mashups.
The movie uses a soundtrack that was appropriate for its 2012 release and taps into female friendship and empowerment while also making the art of a cappella into a super-cool after-school gig.
The songs and mashes on the enormous soundtrack are an aca-awesome listen, even though they are no longer number one hits or vintage favorites.
27. Sing Street
In John Carney’s other musically inclined hit movie, a group of eclectic high school students calls their Irish rock band Sing Street.
The song list plays with classic hits and original compositions to capture the rebellious, angsty, and free spirit of the movie, ranging from Duran Duran’s Rio and The Cure’s In Between Days to Sing Street’s To Find You and A Beautiful Sea.
You’ll even fall in love with Go Now, a song by Adam Levine.
28. American Graffiti
George Lucas’ American Graffiti features some of the greatest golden oldies performed by some of the country’s greatest treasures, including Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, and the Beach Boys.
The music, which was carefully chosen by Lucas and his music producer, was expertly played through car radios and speakers throughout the movie by Wolman Jack, the legendary DJ who hosts the radio show that the movie’s characters adore.
Conclusion
Amazing soundtracks don’t just enhance the acting of the movies but they also send their message and send the viewer to another land.
This article provides the top movies with the best soundtracks and if you haven’t watched any, you can easily download any of these movies.
Have a great day.
