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The Best Movie Soundtracks

Last updated on August 6, 2023

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There are some movies that are so good, you can watch them again and again and again. Whether it’s a rom-com or action film, a biopic or a childhood favorite, there are many movies that make a long-lasting impact in your life. However, it’s not always the characters or plot that pull you in. Often, it’s the soundtrack of the movie that leaves a lasting impression.

Movie soundtracks are often instantly recognizable. While the songs may stand up on their own, they often are permanently associated with the movie they are for. Think of your favorite films and consider whether you can even separate the soundtrack from the movie itself. Often, the songs are closely associated with the movie in our minds that it’s hard to think of them separately. Whenever you hear a song from the soundtrack, you instantly think of the film and how much you enjoyed it.

In addition to being recognizable and memorable, movie soundtracks arguably have longer lasting power than the movie itself. While you may watch the movie multiple times, you will need to have a couple of hours of dedicated time to do this, which isn’t easy to find. A movie soundtrack, on the other hand, can be enjoyed while you’re working on other things, such as driving in your car or going for a run. Listening to music enables most people to work on other activities at the same time while watching a movie is a typically an activity that requires your full concentration. Listing to a movie soundtrack enables you to enjoy pivotal aspects of the film while listening to music.

Our Picks For The Top Movie Soundtracks

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Product Overview
Our Take
 Top Pick

Mark Korven The Witch

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Mark Korven

The Witch

The movie soundtrack for this horror film is written by Mark Korven. It uses unusual instruments such as hurdy gurdys and nyckelharps. The score matches the spooky vibe of the film perfectly.

Overall Take

Spine-Chilling ScoreThis horror film is accompanied by an equally spooky soundtrack.

 Runner Up

Illumination Sing 2

Illumination

Sing 2

This star-studded movie soundtrack includes U2, Pharrell, Anitta, Billie Eilish and more. It also includes performance by cast members of the movie, such as Scarlett Johansson and Reese Witherspoon.

Overall Take

Lots of Star PowerThis movie soundtrack includes tracks from U2, Halsey and more.

 We Also Like

Bee Gees Saturday Night Fever

Bee Gees

Saturday Night Fever

This classic disco album is one of the highest selling movie soundtracks of all time. It includes songs such as “Stayin’ Alive” and “Night Fever.” The movie soundtrack is an essential part of music history.

Overall Take

Classic DiscoThis movie soundtrack is one of the bestselling albums of all time.

 Strong Contender

Illumination Sing

Illumination

Sing

This movie soundtrack includes tracks by amazing artists such as Jennifer Hudson, Stevie Wonder, Ariana Grande and more. The film includes starts such as Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon and Seth MacFarlane.

Overall Take

Amazing ArtistsThis movie soundtrack includes songs by Ariana Grande, Stevie Wonder and more.

What to Look For

  • When selecting a movie soundtrack, be sure to check out which artists have contributed to the movie. If you liked their work on the movie soundtrack, you may enjoy listening to their other songs as well. Use the movie soundtrack as a jumping off point to explore new artists you are not as familiar with and listen to their albums.
  • Often, movie soundtracks include tracks from a variety of musical genres. If you usually only listen to a couple of genres of music, movie soundtracks provide an opportunity to expand your horizons and learn about new musical genres.
  • Movie soundtracks are available for films of all ages. Even if a movie came out several years ago – or even a decade or two ago – you may be able to find the soundtrack for it. This is a fun way to relive great films you have enjoyed in the past but don’t necessarily want to watch again right now.
  • In some movie soundtracks, you actually get to hear the actors from the movie sing. If you are a big fan of a particular actor, this is a nice way to get to know their other skills and see them in action.
  • How should you organize your movie soundtracks? If you have many, consider a library system and alphabetize them by the title of the film. However, if you want to combine them with your other musical records, you can organize them by year or by the name of the album, which is usually the name of the movie.

More to Explore

How did movie soundtracks originate? Even during the silent era of film, movie soundtracks prevailed. However, they sounded a bit different than they do now. During the silent film era, there was no spoken dialogue on camera. Instead, the movie audience read the dialogue on screen, which appeared on title cards in between shots. However, silence isn’t always entertaining, so instead of dialogue, there were live orchestras or pianists that played during the film. This original type of movie soundtrack had the same effect as the soundtracks of today: transforming the film into a multi-dimensional experience and helping the audience fully immerse into the action on screen.

More to explore