Originally by Ranker FilmList RulesVote up the best full movie soundtracks, not scores - NO MUSICALS!
What movies have the best soundtracks? Director Quentin Tarantino once compared his movie soundtrack to "a kind of a personal mix-tape that I'm making for you," with carefully selected songs that he hopes you haven't already heard "a gazillion times before." This list includes many of the most memorable movies with outstanding soundtracks, from 'Saturday Night Fever' disco to 'Singles' grunge. While Ranker also has a list of the greatest film scores of all time, this is different, with focus on the eclectic mix of songs on the film soundtrack rather than just the memorable instrumentals over, say, the fight scenes.
Many of the films listed here are considered some of the best movies of all time. Which movie do you think has the best soundtrack ever recorded? Time to decide, with votes. Vote for your favorites, and feel free to add any movies that might be missing. You can also re-rank this list in any order you want by clicking the blue button below.
Movies with fantastic soundtracks are automatically more memorable. You recall the plot, but more than that, you can sing the movie in your head, too. Some films would literally be shells without their awesome music soundtracks. Can you imagine 'Dirty Dancing' without "(I've Had) The Time of My Life"? And really, Kevin Bacon's angry dance in the warehouse in 'Footloose' would be far less momentous without that cheesy Moving Pictures song, right? And who didn't get 'Lovefool' stuck in his head after seeing 'Romeo + Juliet'?
If you're a movie score/soundtrack fan, be sure to cast your votes for the best James Bond movie theme ever(there are so many great ones, it's hard to decide).1
2,268542Forrest Gump
1994Actors: Tom Hanks, Sally Field, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Brendan Shanahan
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
1. Hound Dog
2. Rebel Rouser
3. (I Don't Know Why) But I Do
4. Walk Right In
5. Land of 1000 Dances
6. Blowin' in the Wind
7. Fortunate Son
8. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)
9. Respect
10. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
11. Sloop John B
12. California Dreamin'
13. For What It's Worth
14. What the World Needs Now Is Love
15. Break on Through (To the Other Side)
16. Mrs. Robinson
17. Volunteers
18. Get Together
19. San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)
20. Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)
21. Medley: Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In
22. Everybody's Talkin'
23. Joy to the World
24. Stoned Love
25. Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head
26. Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man)
27. Sweet Home Alabama
28. Running On Empty
29. It Keeps You Runnin'
30. I've Got to Use My Imagination
31. Go Your Own Way
32. On the Road Again
33. Against the Wind
34. Forrest Gump Suite2
619489Footloose
1984Actors: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kevin Bacon, John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest, Chris Penn
Directed by: Herbert Ross
1. Footloose
2. Let's Hear It for the Boy
3. Almost Paradise
4. Holding Out for a Hero
5. Dancing In The Sheets
6. I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man)
7. Somebody's Eyes
8. The Girl Gets Around
9. Never
10. Metal Health (Bang Your Head)
11. Hurts So Good
12. Waiting for a Girl Like You
13. Dancing in the Sheets3
617569Actors: John Travolta, Fran Drescher, Denny Dillon, Donna Pescow, Robert Costanzo
Directed by: John Badham
1. Stayin' Alive
2. How Deep Is Your Love
3. Night Fever
4. More Than a Woman
5. If I Can't Have You
6. A Fifth of Beethoven
7. More Than a Woman
8. Manhattan Skyline
9. Calypso Breakdown
10. Night on Disco Mountain
11. Open Sesame
12. Jive Talkin'
13. You Should Be Dancing
14. Boogie Shoes
15. Salsation
16. K-Jee
17. Disco Inferno4
1,0781,023Actors: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, and Bradley Cooper
Directed by: James Gunn
1. Hooked on a Feeling
2. Go All the Way
3. Spirit in the Sky
4. Moonage Daydream
5. Fooled Around and Fell in Love
6. I'm Not in Love
7. I Want You Back
8. Come and Get Your Love
9. Cherry Bomb
10. Escape (The Piña Colada Song)
11. O-o-h Child
12. Ain't No Mountain High Enough5
597461Actors: George Clooney, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, John Turturro, Charles Durning
Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
1. Po' Lazarus
2. Big Rock Candy Mountain
3. You Are My Sunshine
4. Down to the River to Pray
5. I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow
6. Hard Time Killing Floor Blues
7. I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow
8. Keep On the Sunny Side
9. I'll Fly Away
10. Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby
11. In the Highways
12. I Am Weary (Let Me Rest)
13. I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow
14. O Death
15. In the Jailhouse Now
16. I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow
17. Indian War Whoop
18. Lonesome Valley
19. Angel Band6
462321Actors: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Billy Zane
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
1. The Power of Love
2. Time Bomb Town
3. Back to the Future
4. Heaven Is One Step Away
5. Back in Time
6. Back to the Future Overture
7. The Wallflower (Dance with Me Henry)
8. Night Train
9. Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)
10. Johnny B. Goode"7
352158Actors: Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy
Directed by: John Hughes
1. Don't You (Forget About Me)
2. Waiting
3. Fire in the Twilight
4. I'm the Dude
5. Heart Too Hot to Hold
6. Dream Montage
7. We Are Not Alone
8. Reggae
9. Didn't I Tell You?
10. Love Theme8
578299Actors: Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich, Matthew McConaughey, Renée Zellweger, Parker Posey
Directed by: Richard Linklater
1. Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo
2. Slow Ride
3. School's Out
4. Jim Dandy
5. Tush
6. Love Hurts
7. Stranglehold
8. Cherry Bomb
9. Fox on the Run
10. Low Rider
11. Tuesday's Gone
12. Highway Star
13. Rock and Roll All Nite
14. Paranoid9
494215Actors: Drew Barrymore, Adam Sandler, Steve Buscemi, William Michael Albert Broad, Christine Taylor
Directed by: Frank Coraci
1. Video Killed the Radio Star
2. Do You Really Want to Hurt Me
3. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
4. How Soon Is Now?
5. Love My Way
6. Hold Me Now
7. Everyday I Write the Book
8. White Wedding
9. China Girl
10. Blue Monday
11. Pass the Dutchie
12. Have You Written Anything Lately?
13. Somebody Kill Me
14. Rapper's Delight10
552428Top Gun
1986Actors: Tom Cruise, Meg Ryan, Val Kilmer, Tim Robbins, Michael Ironside
Directed by: Tony Scott
1. Danger Zone
2. Mighty Wings
3. Playing with the Boys
4. Lead Me On
5. Take My Breath Away
6. Hot Summer Nights
7. Heaven in Your Eyes
8. Through the Fire
9. Destination Unknown
10. Top Gun Anthem11
454271Actors: Harrison Ford, Ron Howard, Suzanne Somers, Richard Dreyfuss, Mackenzie Phillips
Directed by: George Lucas
1. Rock Around the Clock
2. 16 Candles
3. Runaway
4. Why Do Fools Fall in Love
5. That'll Be the Day
6. Fanny Mae
7. At the Hop
8. She's So Fine
9. The Stroll
10. See You In September
11. Surfin' Safari
12. (He's) The Great Imposter
13. Almost Grown
14. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
15. Little Darlin'
16. Peppermint Twist
17. Barbara Ann
18. The Book of Love
19. Maybe Baby
20. Ya Ya
21. The Great Pretender12
822711Pulp Fiction
1994Actors: John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Walken
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
1. Pumpkin and Honey Bunny/Misirlou
2. Royale with Cheese (dialogue)
3. Jungle Boogie
4. Let's Stay Together
5. Bustin' Surfboards
6. Lonesome Town
7. Son of a Preacher Man
8. Zed's Dead, Baby/Bullwinkle Part II
9. Jack Rabbit Slims Twist Contest/You Never Can Tell
10. Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon
11. If Love Is a Red Dress (Hang Me in Rags)
12. Bring Out the Gimp/Comanche
13. Flowers on the Wall
14. Personality Goes a Long Way
15. Surf Rider
16. Ezekiel 25:1713
15088School of Rock
2003Actors: Sarah Silverman, Jack Black, Miranda Cosgrove, Joan Cusack, Amy Sedaris
Directed by: Richard Linklater
School of Rock is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Richard Linklater, written by Mike... more14
208214Boogie Nights
1997Actors: Julianne Moore, Mark Wahlberg, Heather Graham, Burt Reynolds, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson
1. Intro (Feel the Heat)
2. Best of My Love
3. Jungle Fever
4. Brand New Key
5. Spill the Wine
6. Got to Give It Up (Part 1)
7. Machine Gun
8. Magnet and Steel
9. Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now
10. Sister Christian
11. Livin' Thing
12. God Only Knows
13. The Big Top
14. The Touch15
5338Flashdance
1983Actors: Jennifer Beals, Lee Ving, Michael Nouri, Cynthia Rhodes, Monique Gabrielle
Directed by: Adrian Lyne
Flashdance is a 1983 American romantic drama film directed by Adrian Lyne. It was the first... more16
301228The Crow
1994Actors: Bai Ling, Brandon Lee, Tony Todd, Ernie Hudson, Jon Polito
Directed by: Alex Proyas
The Crow is a 1994 American fantasy action film directed by Alex Proyas, written by David J.... more17
230147Actors: Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker, J. T. Walsh, Noble Willingham, Bruno Kirby
Directed by: Barry Levinson
Good Morning, Vietnam is a 1987 American comedy film written by Mitch Markowitz and directed... more18
5115078 Mile
2002Actors: Eminem, Kim Basinger, Brittany Murphy, Michael Shannon, Taryn Manning
Directed by: Curtis Hanson
1. Lose Yourself
2. Love Me
3. 8 Mile
4. Adrenaline Rush
5. Places to Go
6. Rap Game
7. 8 Miles and Runnin'
8. Spit Shine
9. Time of My Life
10. U Wanna Be Me
11. Wanksta
12. Wasting My Time
13. R.A.K.I.M.
14. That's My Nigga fo' Real
15. Battle19
429375Reservoir Dogs
1992Actors: Quentin Tarantino, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
1. Magic Carpet Ride
2. Madonna Speech
3. Fool for Love
4. Super Sounds
5. Stuck in the Middle with You
6. Harvest Moon
7. Let's Get a Taco
8. Keep on Truckin'
9. Coconut
10. Home of Rock
11. And Now Little Green Bag...
12. Little Green Bag
13. Rock Flock of Five
14. Hooked on a Feeling
15. Bohemiath
16. I Gotcha20
638511Dirty Dancing
1987Actors: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach, Wayne Knight, Kelly Bishop
Directed by: Emile Ardolino
1. (I've Had) The Time of My Life
2. Be My Baby
3. She's Like the Wind
4. Hungry Eyes
5. Stay
6. Yes
7. You Don't Own Me
8. Hey! Baby
9. Overload
10. Love Is Strange
11. Where Are You Tonight?
12. In the Still of the Night21
222249Pretty in Pink
1986Actors: James Spader, Gina Gershon, Molly Ringwald, Kristy Swanson, Andrew Dice Clay
Directed by: Howard Deutch
1. If You Leave
2. Left of Center
3. Get to Know Ya
4. Do Wot You Do
5. Pretty in Pink
6. Shellshock
7. Round, Round
8. Wouldn't It Be Good
9. Bring On the Dancing Horses
10. Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want22
187152Romeo + Juliet
1996Actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Paul Rudd, Brian Dennehy, John Leguizamo, Pete Postlethwaite
Directed by: Baz Luhrmann
Romeo + Juliet is a 1996 American romantic drama film adaptation of William Shakespeare's... more23
383335Almost Famous
2000Actors: Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson, Anna Paquin, Jimmy Fallon, Pauley Perrette
Directed by: Cameron Crowe
1. America
2. Sparks
3. It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference
4. I've Seen All Good People: Your Move
5. Feel Flows
6. Fever Dog
7. Every Picture Tells a Story
8. Mr. Farmer
9. One Way Out (Live)
10. Simple Man
11. That's the Way
12. Tiny Dancer
13. Lucky Trumble
14. I'm Waiting for the Man
15. The Wind
16. Slip Away
17. Something in the Air24
416441Rocky
1976Actors: Sylvester Stallone, Joe Frazier, Burgess Meredith, Carl Weathers, Talia Shire
Directed by: John G. Avildsen
1. Gonna Fly Now
2. Eye of the Tiger
3. Going the Distance
4. Living in America
5. Redemption
6. Fanfare for Rocky
7. Burning Heart
8. Conquest
9. Adrian
10. No Easy Way Out
11. Rocky's Reward
12. Alone in the Ring
13. Heart's on Fire
14. Can't Stop the Fire
15. Mickey
16. Overture
17. It's a Fight
18. Gonna Fly Now
19. The Measure of a Man25
Actors: Cate Blanchett, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom
Directed by: Peter Jackson
1. The Prophecy
2. Concerning Hobbits
3. The Shadow of the Past
4. The Treason of Isengard
5. The Black Rider
6. At the Sign of the Prancing Pony
7. A Knife in the Dark
8. Flight to the Ford
9. Many Meetings
10. The Council of Elrond
11. The Ring Goes South
12. A Journey in the Dark
13. The Bridge of Khazad-dûm
14. Lothlórien" (feat. "Lament for Gandalf
15. The Great River
16. Amon Hen
17. The Breaking of the Fellowship
18. May It Be
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