Top 10 Modern Movie Soundtracks Guys Love
#10 – “The Saint” (1997)
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This flick and its accompanying collection of music came at a time when Val Kilmer was still taken seriously and electronica was at its peak. And the track listing reads like a who’s who of the electronic music world, with David Bowie, Duran Duran, Daft Punk, The Chemical Brothers and others contributing tunes. And, of course, the film’s re-worked theme by Orbital ties everything together.
#9 – “Empire Records” (1995)
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If you remember the Gin Blossoms, it’s likely because of this film. But they’re not the only ‘90s alt-rock act featured in this cult classic flick: do Better Than Ezra, Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Cranberries or Edwyn Collins ring any bells?
#8 – “Garden State” (2004)
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Forgettable movie? Maybe. Forgettable soundtrack? No way. Painstakingly chosen by the film’s writer, director and star Zach Braff, the music runs through indie rock standards like The Shins, to classics like Simon & Garfunkel, and even to electronica with Thievery Corporation – mimicking the emotional fluctuations of the film’s main character. However, we’ve never really read too much into that – it’s just a great, Grammy-winning lineup of songs.
#7 – “Natural Born Killers” (1994)
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New and old tunes come together to make this Oliver Stone film’s soundtrack one-of-a-kind. Produced by Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor, who later won an Oscar for his score of “The Social Network,” it’s not your average compilation: this album is described as a “collage-of-sound,” which includes film dialogue beside music from Bob Dylan, Dr. Dre, Patsy Cline and Nine Inch Nails themselves.
#6 – “8 Mile” (2002)
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We were surprised at Eminem’s acting abilities, but we were not shocked that he puts together a kickass soundtrack. The track listing is littered with rap opuses from legends like Nas, Rakim, 50 Cent and Marshall Mathers himself; but the centerpiece is Shady’s unforgettable “Lose Yourself,” which plays an important part in the pseudo-biographical film’s plot, and stands out as one of the greatest hip-hop tracks in recent memory.
#5 – “Reality Bites” (1994)
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A snapshot of Generation-X and life in the ‘90s, the “Reality Bites” soundtrack is a collection of songs that takes you back. With ‘90s mainstays like Crowded House, Lenny Kravitz and U2 sitting beside memorable tracks like “Tempted,” “My Sharona,” and even a disco tune, it’s never boring. But perhaps the most iconic songs from this flick were the Peter Frampton cover, and Lisa Loeb’s number one smash.
#4 – “Trainspotting” (1996)
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This heroin-fuelled film had so much awesome tunage; they made two soundtrack albums. After all, anytime you get Blur, New Order, Pulp, Elastica, Joy Division, Iggy Pop and the rest of these icons together on one album, it’s a big deal. Jumping around from obscure music to more commercially viable hits, the “Trainspotting” soundtrack stands both with and apart from the film as a work of art.
#3 – “Dazed and Confused” (1993)
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Like “American Graffiti,” “Dazed” tells the story of troubled youths in a very specific era, and like “Graffiti” that means one stacked soundtrack. Not only does the “Dazed” album feature classic artists; it’s got the classic songs by those artists: “School’s Out,” “Love Hurts,” “Paranoid,” “Rock and Roll All Nite” – we can’t list them all, but needless to say all the ‘70s rock standards are there.
#2 – “Almost Famous” (2000)
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A flick about the glory days of rock ‘n’ roll should feature killer music, and Cameron Crowe helped piece together a Grammy-winning soundtrack that plays like a classic rock mixtape. The Who, The Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin, and David Bowie are just some of the icons filling out the track listing, while the movie’s faux-band Stillwater also provides a tune. But, most unforgettable of them all is Elton John’s contribution.
#1 – “Pulp Fiction” (1994)
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You could file any Tarantino soundtrack under “badass,” but we’ll call out “Pulp Fiction”’s as the baddest of the bad – in the good way. One thing you’ll notice is that hearing the songs always reminds you of their specific scenes. And, like Tarantino’s film style, it’s an eclectic and essential mix-and-match of influences; with Al Green hanging out next to Dusty Springfield and Urge Overkill’s Neil Diamond cover. Do you agree with our list? Which modern film soundtrack do you think is most badass? For more top 10s about your favorite music, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
