Top 10 Best Recent Movie Soundtracks
#10: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
These Marvel films are well known for featuring eclectic, jukebox style soundtracks, and the third film in the trilogy closes things out on a high note. While the first 2 Guardians of the Galaxy films were restricted primarily to 1970s tunes, Vol. 3 opens up the options to other decades. From its opening using an acoustic version of Radioheads Creep, to its wistful ending featuring Dog Days Are Over by Florence and the Machine, the soundtrack is filled with music that perfectly captures each scene. And if there were an award for best use of Beastie Boys in a film, this one would take it handily! The original score by composer John Murphy is no slouch either!
#9: Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
The soundtrack of this film epitomizes what makes it such a great legacy sequel. Although it pays tribute to songs that make the first film iconic, like Danger Zone and Great Balls of Fire, it also includes new original songs from artists of today, like Lady Gaga and OneRepublic. Likewise, the score retains previous composer Harold Faltermeyer but also includes work by Lorne Balfe and Hans Zimmer. The result takes the synth sounds of the 80s and lends them an epic grandeur and scope unseen in the first Top Gun.
#8: Barbie (2023)
As one of the biggest movies in the 2020s, Barbies soundtrack also made huge waves. Although the score by relatively new producers Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt has a wonderful balance of synth and orchestral sounds, its the original songs that truly make the soundtrack shine. Along with classic hits, Barbie also features several newly written singles that, along with the soundtrack album in general, topped the charts in multiple countries. Tracks by Dua Lipa and Billie Eilish managed to touch our hearts and had us getting our groove on. And songs like Im Just Ken had us remembering what a great singer Ryan Gosling is.
#7: The Batman (2021)
There have been many Batman movies, and a lot of soundtracks to accompany them. And yet, Michael Giacchinos take still manages to feel fresh. The main theme is moody, yet sweeping and epic, with its piano and string sections tolling out like a death knell for the criminals Batman battles. There are comparatively fewer songs drawn from other sources, but the film does make use of a few, most notably several instances of Franz Schuberts Ave Maria and Something in the Way by Nirvana, the latter of which has a bassline that matches the rest of the score perfectly. Haunting, yet exhilarating, The Batman soundtrack gets our blood pumping and inspires awe in equal measure.
#6: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Much like the gorgeous and beautifully creative animation in this film, the soundtrack of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse also goes for broke. The vocal tracks are primarily in the vein of hip hop and R&B, which really helps immerse viewers in the mindset of protagonist Miles Morales. The most notable of these performers is arguably Swae Lee, who contributes several tracks and an original single to the soundtrack. The original score by Daniel Pemberton is just as good though, with practically every character, or at least every Spider-Person, getting their own unique theme or leitmotif, like Gwen Stacys energetic synthy rock theme or Miguel OHaras more menacing, futuristic entrance sting. All of it has our Spidey-Senses, or at least our ears, tingling.
#5: Wicked (2024)
Its the first half of the movie version of the 2nd highest grossing stage musical of all time - of course the soundtrack is great! John Powell and Stephen Schwartz do a great job with the original score, which matches the tone of the original songs from the stage production wonderfully. But lets be real, its the musical numbers, also by Schwartz, that are the real stars here. Songs like Popular, Defying Gravity, and Dancing Through Life have us humming or singing along with them for days, weeks, or months later. Heres hoping the sequel delivers that same level of polish.
#4: Sinners (2025)
For as much as many are quick to label it a vampire movie, Sinners is actually more about music - and it certainly features a lot of it. Blues music is prevalent throughout, with many of the actors playing and performing the songs themselves within the scenes. Lead actor Miles Caton performs several standouts, like Travelin and Lied to You, the latter during a viral sequence that blends genres past and future together. The score composed by Ludwig Göransson also mixes styles, interweaving blues, metal, and rock into an incredible fusion that underscores and often compliments the music within each scene. For instance, who knew an Irish folk song could be so menacing?
#3: Encanto (2021)
Whenever you see Lin-Manuel Mirandas name attached to a musical, youre bound to expect greatness. Still, nobody was prepared for the viral phenomenon that Encantos soundtrack became. The score and songs draw inspiration from traditional Colombian music, while also incorporating various popular music styles, including everything from hip hop to salsa to pop. The Family Madrigal is a breezy opener. Meanwhile, Surface Pressure is a reggaeton number. And the variable styles and infectiously catchy lyrics of We Dont Talk About Bruno have lived in our heads rent free, basically since it debuted! Its no wonder why the Encanto soundtrack topped Billboard charts for several years in a row!
#2: Oppenheimer (2023)
Another score by Ludwig Göransson, Oppenheimer is an absolute masterpiece. The entire soundtrack beautifully conveys not only J. Robert Oppenheimers inner world, but also complex scientific phenomena and reactions through music. The famous Trinity test scene masterfully builds musical tension until its all finally released. Meanwhile, courtroom scenes pulse with energy and force. And the protagonists theme is built around a single violin, whose tone can vary wildly and which builds into tremendous, transcendental sounds, such as in the track Can You Hear the Music. Oppenheimers soundtrack is as stunning a musical achievement as the film is a visual one.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
In the Heights (2021)
An Inner City Musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda? Yes Please!
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Composer Simon Franglen Took Up the Mantle of This Epic Sci-Fi Score
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
A Sound Drawing Inspiration From Mayans & Africa Alike - Plus a Few Rihanna Songs
RRR (2022)
Epic Dance Numbers & Spine-Tingling Background Music
Soul (2020) A Beautiful Score & Jazz Music by Jon Batiste
#1: Dune (2021) & Dune: Part Two (2024)
Hans Zimmer has done many film soundtracks, but his work on the Dune movies not only sounds unlike anything else hes done before, it sounds unlike anything anyones done before! The soundtrack of Dune is immersive in a way few films can match. Its transportive and alien and almost overwhelming. The instruments are eclectic, weird, and often unfamiliar. Theres bizarre throat singing, mournful female soloists, a chorus of bagpipes, and electric guitar mixed with orchestral music. The Dune soundtracks are like taking the spice itself - theyre an experience thats nearly indescribable.
Is there a recent movie soundtrack that we forgot? What Else Can We Do, but ask you to share your picks in the comments?