Top 5 Movie Soundtracks

The movie soundtrack is a delicate art form, to be sure. Directors, editors, writers and music supervisors sift thought contemporary albums, little-heard recordings, dusty classics and even vinyl once upon a time, trying to find music that says what mere words sometimes can’t, while offering insight into themes and characters.

Marc Webb's 500 Days of Summer gets right to the point, introducing us to the main characters in the trailer via their mutual love of The Smiths' tune "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" and using music as a means to further explain their courtship and subsequent break-up. Crafting a fitting soundtrack brimming with rock-pop gems, a few surprises (Patrick Swayze's "She's Like the Wind" - I swear) and even a tune from France's first lady with the help of his music supervisor Andrea Von Foerster and writer Scott Neustadter, Webb has compiled a mixed bag of revealing songs that tell us about the characters without them having to say a word. Check out the awesome track-listing:

Amazing, right? Here, then, is my salute to movie music that speaks through a stirring melody, echoing riff, throaty wail – or sometimes all three. Did your favourite make the cut? Sound off below and let me know what I’m missing.

5. Trainspotting (1996 )

This flashy, albeit desolate, 1996 Danny Boyle effort thrust itself into theatres, and later into nearly every dorm and living room, with a no-holds-barred depiction of the ravages of junkie life set to a throbbing soundtrack that seemed to effortlessly evoke a ragged, hallucinogenic, well, lust for life. From Lou Reed to Elastica, Pulp and Blur, this soundtrack represented what twentysomethings were listening to in the UK and beyond – pulsing beats that complimented the characters’ hyperreal, drugged out states. Ewan McGregor’s iconic “Choose life” voice-over is heard in tandem with Iggy Pop’s 1977 gem – you know the one – a song that immediately signals a sense of desperate urgency while embodying a chic trashiness that’s carried throughout the film. Boyle's success in balancing the desperation of heroin addiction with a sense of humour is propped up by astute music selections and smart song placement.

Disc highlight: “Perfect Day” by Lou Reed

4. Reality Bites (1994)

Over-the-top funnyman Ben Stiller played it straight in his iconic Gen-X look at life, love and the pursuit of employment beyond the Gap. He showed our disillusioned graduates eking by with the help of copious amounts of coffee, cigarettes and music. Whether it was Troy (Ethan Hawke) confronting his erstwhile girlfriend Lelaina (Winona Ryder) through his unpolished garage rock tunes or the gang’s unforgettable impromptu dance party to The Knack’s “My Sharona”, music was an integral part of what made this candid film resonate with a generation. And let’s not forget, it gave us Lisa Loeb.

Disc highlight: “Stay (I Missed You),” by Lisa Loeb

3. The Last Waltz (1978)

Including a rock-doc may seem obvious, if not a bit of a cheat, since the focus of the film itself is the music. But Martin Scorsese’s elegiac, graceful and poetic look at The Band's final show captures so much more than the sound coming from the amps. Rollicking live songs are intercut with more polished studio recordings and candid backstage chatter with Levon, Robbie, Rick, Richard and Garth provide an insider’s view of these iconic musicians. With a little help from famous friends Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and others, this formidably talented quintet closed a thriving, progressive chapter in music that still resonates today with a soundtrack that traces every nuance and emotionally evocative melody. Talk about going out on a high note.

Disc highlight: “Up on Cripple Creek,” The Band

2. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Innovative, quirky indie auteur Wes Anderson knows a thing or two about how to let the music do the talking in his idiosyncratic films. When the mysterious and sole adopted Tenenbaum child, Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow), reunites with her brother Richie (Luke Wilson) by way of the Green Line bus, the scene is slowed down and Nico’s plaintive, throaty baritone on “These Days” speaks volumes about the relationship they share. Similarly, the shocking wrist-cutting scene is made all the more distressing with the use of Elliott Smith’s quietly aching song “Needle in the Hay”. And that’s not taking into account the masterful montages Anderson constructs as a means of distilling each main character into a blistering series of rapid edits set to precisely-chosen songs. His fastidious use of music in the film deepens the audience’s involvement and allows the characters to come to life in new, and specifically Andersonian, ways.

Disc highlight: “These Days” Nico

1. Harold and Maude (1971)

Hal Ashby’s poetic, clever and darkly funny look at the unlikely romance between a morbid, lonely teen and a spirited, young-at-heart septuagenarian is a cult classic that hasn’t lost any of its sharp wit or ability to surprise in the 30-odd years since its release. Beyond the amazing performances by Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon, much of the film’s whimsy and lyrical feel are owed to the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens. The hirsute folkie’s songs make up the film’s soundtrack – he even penned two songs exclusively for the pic – and act as its beating heart. His songs are indeed so well-matched to the intricate and lovely story of two strange souls finding one another that it’s nearly impossible to listen to the haunting “Trouble” without being transported back to that heartbreaking scene – and that’s when you know a soundtrack works.

Disc highlight: “Trouble” by Cat Stevens

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Over to you: what soundtracks top your list?