10 Underrated Movie Soundtracks
Music and movies are two of my favorite things; in combination they are even better. A soundtrack is essentially just a playlist created perfectly to match the feel of a movie. Check out this list of 10 killer movie soundtracks!
1. Almost Famous
First of all, if you love music and movies that are about music, but you HAVEN'T seen this movie, please watch it. It is a wonderful coming-of-age, American story about a teenage journalist who takes on a writing project-piece for Rolling Stone. He travels the country on tour with a 70s rock band named Stillwater, and experiences firsthand the highs and lows of the music industry and the teenage years. It is based on a true story and there are so many fun celebrity cameos, ranging from Jimmy Fallon to Zooey Deschanel!
But, the best part of the movie is the music. One of the most enjoyable scenes is when the band sings along to "Tiny Dancer" on their tour bus. The soundtrack contains songs by the most classic rock-and-roll musicians and bands including, Yes, Simon & Garfunkel, Neil Young, The Allman Brothers, The Who, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, The Beach Boys..shall I go on? But really, how can it get better than THAT?
2. Perks of Being a Wallflower
This is a deeply moving film about the struggles of adolescence and is based on the best-selling novel by Stephen Chbosky. The movie follows a group of high school misfits who form unbreakable bonds with one another. The main character battles with the severe effects of childhood abuse and depression. He meets a group of older friends who eventually help him live life more fully and openly. He also falls in love with Emma Watson's character in the movie, which is an adorable bonus (lucky guy).
Not only do the characters and their touching stories make you sob, the music tugs at your heartstrings and makes you want to get up and dance all at the same time. This splendid phenomenon is what makes music the ideal addition to film. Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" and Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" both make appearances on the album. These are essential additions to a soundtrack for a movie about growing up and going through high school. David Bowie's "Heroes" is included on the album and the lyric "we can be heroes, just for one day" hits you very deeply while watching these kids find their places in the world. "Come On Eileen" plays at the high school dance, and there is a carefree, romantic moment between the protagonists. As a viewer you can't help but smile watching this scene. Other fantastic artists featured on the album include, Simon & Garfunkel, Genesis, Sonic Youth, U2, and many more. I will watch this movie and listen to this soundtrack over and over again, and still cry every time.
3. 13 Going On 30
Don't make fun of me for including a chick-flick/rom-com, but this is a personal favorite and it is actually quite sentimental for me. 13 Going On 30 is about a teenage girl named Jenna growing up in the 1980s, who desperately wants to be an adult. On her 13th birthday, she makes a wish to be "thirty, flirty, and thriving." She wakes up the next day as her 13 year-old self, but in her 30 year-old body. Throughout the movie she struggles to find her way and adjust to present day after fast-forwarding through seventeen years of her life.
This soundtrack is spectacular, simply because Jenna (the main character played by Jennifer Garner) was a teenager in the 1980s, right around the launch of MTV. This was the beginning of the Michael Jackson obsession/saga/era/whatever you want to call it, so you already know the music is awesome. The 80s pop hits and nostalgic ballads by artists like The Go-Go's, Whitney Houston, Pat Benatar, Rick Springfield, Madonna, and Billy Joel are contrasted with fun 2000s one hit wonders, such as "Why Can't I?" and "What I Like About You". There are a few fun musical moments in the movie as well. One of which is when Jenna hosts a sleepover for a group of teenage girls she meets in her apartment building, and they dance around on the bed singing, "Love Is A Battlefield" into hairbrushes. Oh, and there is a group dance scene to "Thriller"...need I say more?
4. Friends With Benefits
Alright, I know this is another rom-com, but they are shamefully my ideal genre of movies, so I can't help it. The Friends With Benefits soundtrack is the epitome of underrated and definitely deserves a spot on this list. I'm sure you have seen this movie or can take a guess as to what it's about based on the title, but for those of you who are new to the totally unpredictable, realistic, prestigious romantic comedy movie genre (lol), I will give a short synopsis. Mila Kunis plays Jamie, a headhunter who has sex with with her client Dylan (played by Justin Timberlake), and they both agree that they don't want commitment. Thus, they decide to just be "friends with benefits" (a.k.a. hookup buddies) so as to not complicate their professional relationship. They fall in love. SHOCKER!
The soundtrack contains songs that excellently match the melodramatic scenes, such as "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" by Death Cab for Cutie for the "breakup" scene, and other songs which bring a fun aesthetic to the mere action scenes. In addition, there are a few comedic musical references made throughout the movie. For example, in one scene Jamie and Dylan are in bed arguing about who sings the classic 90s hit, "Closing Time" and later on, Dylan does a hilarious rendition of Kris Kross' "Jump." There is a very cute scene at the end of the movie where Dylan organizes a flash mob to "Closing Time" in the middle of Grand Central Terminal with the end goal to win Jamie back...it works! Are you stunned?!
5. Juno
Juno is a heartwarming, hilarious, and bluntly honest movie with dynamic, realistic characters portrayed by some fantastic actors such as, Ellen Page, J.K. Simmons, Jason Bateman, and Allison Janney. An odd-ball teenage girl named Juno gets knocked up by her nerdy friend and crush, Paulie Bleeker, after having sex once and losing their virginity to one another. If you haven't seen this movie, I strongly suggest you do because it is so well done.
As for the soundtrack, the folky music complements the unique, indie style of the film. The movie begins with a cartoon animation of Juno walking on the sidewalks of her strange little town and we hear Barry Louis Polisar's song, "All I Want Is You" in the foreground. Kimya Dawson is clearly the main featured artist, considering she appears on 4 separate tracks on the album (all of which are impressive). Some other unexpected songs include The Velvet Underground's "I'm Sticking With You" and Buddy Holly's sweet love song, "Dearest". My ultimate song choice, however, is Cat Power's "Sea of Love" which plays in the background when Juno has the baby and Paulie visits her at the hospital in his running clothes after a track meet. He lays in the hospital bed with her and holds her as she cries in his arms. This scene always makes me cry, thanks to Cat Power's poignant lyrics and soft, simple melodies. Toward the end of the movie, the viewers are even blessed with a cute, on-screen musical moment between Juno and Paulie as they sing an acoustic cover of the Moldy Peaches "Anyone Else But You".
6. Project X
When I think of high school, I think of this soundtrack. These were the anthems that my friends and I blasted in the car as we drove aimlessly around town, probably blowing out our speakers. These songs would bump at every basement party and bonfire gathering, flawlessly corresponding to our high school shenanigans. If you are unfamiliar with this movie, it is about a high school kid whose parents go away for a weekend and he throws a HUGE rager at his house with his friends. What do you know...the entire school shows up and the house gets DESTROYED. Obviously his parents find out and he gets grounded for life, but it doesn't matter because his legacy carries on as the kid who threw the greatest rager in the history of ragers.
The soundtrack for this movie is insanely awesome, but it is also somewhat lengthy, so I will just point out my favorites. Let us begin with Steve Aoki's remix of Kid Cudi's "Pursuit of Happiness" which plays at the height of the party scenes. If this song doesn't make you want to party, I don't know what will. Next up, the hilarious and genius choice to include the bluntly, sexually aggressive anthem, "We Want Some Pussy" by 2 Live Crew. I love this one because it impeccably describes the end-of-the-night goal for most of the guys who attended Project X. The soundtrack includes several quintessential hip-hop party songs such as, "Ray Ban Vision", "Tipsy", "Beamer, Benz, or Bentley", and "The Next Episode" by the one and only Snoop Dogg featuring Dr. Dre. These contemporary jams are contrasted with a few electronic dance beats such as "Heads Will Roll" and 90s rap songs like "Bitch Betta Have My Money". The the iconic song choices on this soundtrack made us all wish we could have partied at Project X.
7. Fifty Shades of Grey
Let's be honest, the only thing these movies have going for them is the music. This is an example of a movie that I essentially hated, yet still (somewhat) enjoyed because the soundtrack was exceptional. Several popular artists have actually created original songs for both movies, which, in my opinion, is pretty cool. Some of these include Zayn and Taylor Swift's collaboration, "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" (let it be known, I despised this song for the longest time but it finally grew on me after seeing the movie), Ellie Goulding's "Love Me Like You Do" (I still jam out to that), and The Weeknd's suspensefully sensual, "Earned It". One of my favorite artists, Sia, also has a single on each soundtrack ("Salted Wound" and "Helium"). Say what you want about these movies, but the songs that play in the background of the awkward dialogue and hot sex scenes are pretty great.
8. (500) Days of Summer
I actually have never seen this movie despite all of my friends telling me I need to (I should really get on that), but I listen to the soundtrack all the time. Obviously I can't give you a synopsis of the actual film, so I'll just offer my thoughts on the music choices. There is an extraordinary combination of current acoustic/indie vibes paired with the fun throwback "You Make My Dreams" by Hall & Oates and the reflective, melancholy track "Bookends" by Simon & Garfunkel. Not to mention, this soundtrack contains one of my all-time favorite songs, "Sweet Disposition" by The Temper Trap. This is an enjoyable aspect for me as I have always thought that this song belongs in a movie. Regina Spektor, with her unique vocals accompanied by emotional piano melodies, is also featured twice on the album.
9. The Devil Wears Prada
This movie is a classic Meryl Streep movie. She plays the cold, fashion-forward, affluent editor of Vogue, Miranda Priestly. Anne Hathaway plays Andy Sachs, a young woman hopeless to make it in the world of fashion journalism. She gets a job as Miranda Priestly's (somewhat-pathetic) assistant, totally clueless about fashion and eventually Miranda takes Andy under her wing.
Of course, being that it is a movie about fashion, the soundtrack kicks off with "Vogue" by Madonna, and ends with "Tres Tres Chic" by Mocean Worker. Although it isn't included on the soundtrack, the first scene shows young women strutting through the streets of New York City in their stilettos as the upbeat pop ballad "Suddenly I See" by KT Tunstall plays in the foreground. The soundtrack also incorporates many electronic dance beats and dance remixes to pop songs, emulating what you would imagine bumps through a speaker at a fashion show or photoshoot. However, my top choice in the movie is definitely "City of Blinding Lights" by U2, which plays during the scene when Andy goes to Paris with Miranda and unique video images of the beautiful City of Love flash across the screen. This song in this scene stuck with me so much that when I visited Paris, "City of Blinding Lights" was playing in my head throughout the entire three days I was there.
10. Cheaper By the Dozen (both 1 and 2)
I probably watched the Cheaper By the Dozen movies more than any other movie growing up. I would always listen to the CD on my walkman (TBT) and then eventually on my iPod Mini (also, TBT). Not only is this a heart-felt movie about a family with 12 children, Steve Martin plays the ultimate dad's dad with lame jokes, Hawaiian shirts, and a tireless attempt at constantly being "one big happy family".
At the time Cheaper By the Dozen came out, which was around the early 2000s, I don't think I understood just how good the music was. I mean the first song on the soundtrack is a Stevie Wonder hit, "I Wish", followed by the Beatles' single, "Help". Sum 41's one-hit-wonder "In Too Deep" also has a spot on the list, alongside punk band Simple Plan's "I'm Just A Kid". There are too many goodies to mention, but some of the other artists featured on the album include Queen, David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Maroon 5, Madonna, and many more. As an adult, I finally notice just how well the song choices fit with the nature of the plot, theme, and characters in the movie, which is centered around life, love, and family. This soundtrack makes me feel so nostalgic, as though I'm a kid all over again.
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