While the very best movie soundtracks vary considerably in their style and scope, what they share is the power to translate a film’s messaging and atmosphere into song. Whether the work of an inventive original score, a careful curation of existing material, or some sophisticated combination of the two, at their most memorable, movie soundtracks are so finely crafted that it’s both impossible to imagine the story without them, and hard to resist cueing them up after the credits roll.
Here, we round up some of the best movie soundtracks ever, with one important proviso: the movies that produced them could not be adaptations of stage musicals. That means—love them as we do—no The Sound of Music, no Grease, no Annie. (Those are largely accounted for on a different list.)
Barbie (2023)
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie had a lot to recommend it: an all-star cast, eye-popping sets and costumes, a delightfully madcap premise. Add to that a compilation soundtrack overseen by Mark Ronson, and it’s no wonder the film became such a phenomenon. Among the highlights of Barbie: The Album? Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night,” Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s spin on Aqua’s “Barbie Girl,” and Billie Eilish’s Oscar-winning ballad “What Was I Made For?.”
Black Panther (2018)
Not only did the Marvel film have an incredible cast (led by the late Chadwick Boseman) and dazzling visual effects, but its music was powerfully moving, too. Composer Ludwig Göransson worked with Senegalese musician Baaba Maal and other African creatives to build the score, while rapper Kendrick Lamar produced Black Panther: The Album, a special soundtrack with features from the likes of SZA, The Weeknd, Future, and Jorja Smith.
Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Luca Guadagnino’s lyrical romantic drama, set in northern Italy in the 1980s, came with a suitably atmospheric soundtrack, comprising a satisfying mix of Euro-pop (see: F.R. David’s “Words”), rock (the Psychedlic Furs’ “Love My Way”), classical (works by John Adams, Bach, Ravel, Ryuichi Sakamoto) and indie (Sufjan Stevens’s gorgeous contributions, including “Mystery of Love”).
Superfly (2018)
A reimagining of the 1972 film of the same name, Superfly delivers an outstanding soundtrack teeming with prominent hip-hop and R&B musicians: Miguel, Lil Wayne, Khalid, H.E.R., and more. It had big shoes to fill: the original film is also acclaimed for its soundtrack, created by soul musician Curtis Mayfield.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
If ever you want to make a walk feel like the most important trek of your life, play any song from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, composed by Howard Shore: The heavenly sounds of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the London Voices, the London Oratory School Schola choir, and the Maori Samoan Choir make for an otherworldly listening experience. (You may also recognize Enya’s voice in two original songs: “Aníron” and “May It Be.”)
O Brother, Where Art Thou (2000)
Loosely based on the Odyssey, the Coen brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou, set in the American South, has an evocative soundtrack to match, awash with the sounds of folk music, gospel, country, swing, and bluegrass.
Boogie Nights (1997)
The soundtrack to Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights is exactly what it sounds like: chock-full of memorable music spanning two soundtracks, from “God Only Knows” by the Beach Boys to “Livin Thing” by Electric Light Orchestra and “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” by Elvis Bishop.
Trainspotting (1996)
Divided into two segments, the Trainspotting soundtrack—widely considered one of the greatest of all time—spans ’90s Brit-pop by the likes of David Bowie and New Order and techno-dance tracks by Underworld and Bedrock.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
A blend of rock, soul, pop, and surf music, including tracks like Urge Overkill’s “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” and Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man” contributed to Pulp Fiction’s overall cool factor—to say nothing of Uma Thurman and John Travolta’s iconic dance moves, which would become ingrained in pop culture for decades.
The Bodyguard (1992)
The Bodyguard’s soundtrack was not only certified diamond in the United States, but the best-selling soundtrack of all time, boasting two Oscar-nominated songs, “I Have Nothing” and “Run to You,” and Whitney Houston’s indelible cover of “I Will Always Love You.”
Top Gun (1986)
With tunes like the Oscar-winning “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin and memorable “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins, it’s no wonder that Top Gun’s soundtrack went platinum nine times. It retained the number-one spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart for five weeks straight in 1986.
Purple Rain (1984)
With songs like “When Doves Cry” and “Purple Rain”—both of which would dominate the charts in America (and around the world)—the musical drama marking Prince’s acting debut won an Academy Award for best original score in 1985, as well as a place in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011.
The Big Chill (1983)
A film about friends from college reuniting for a funeral demanded an appropriately nostalgic soundscape—and boy, did The Big Chill’s deliver. The original motion picture soundtrack is made of wall-to-wall rock and Motown hits, from “My Girl” and “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” by the Temptations to “A Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procul Harum.
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
Saturday Night Fever hit the ground running with its Bee Gees-crafted soundtrack (“Stayin’ Alive”! “How Deep Is Your Love”! “More Than a Woman”!), claiming the title of the best-selling album in music history—that is, until Thriller came along.
The Graduate (1967)
The complete soundtrack to Mike Nichols’s Oscar-winning romantic dramedy—adated from a 1963 novella by Charles Webb—mixes songs from the catalogue of Simon Garfunkel, such as “Scarborough Fair / Canticle,” “The Sound of Silence,” and “Mrs. Robinson,” with swingy, brassy original instrumentals by the great Dave Grusin, creating an irresistibly ’60s concoction.