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A good soundtrack can make or break a film. Even a strong plot needs some music to set the mood. We compiled a list of the best movie soundtracks of all time. Where did your favorite land?
The soundtrack for this 1998 teen comedy has a little bit of everything. Want some rap? There are tracks by Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes. Rock more your speed? It also has Blink-182 and Guns N' Roses.
Tom Hanks wrote, directed, and co-stars in this 1996 film about a fictional band in the '60s called The Wonders. Listening to the soundtrack, you'd have no idea that the songs by The Wonders and other fake musicians weren't actual hits from that era.
It's the album that turned Seal's "Kiss from a Rose" into a hit. That's all you really need to know.
Here's a prime example of when the soundtrack is actually better than the movie. The Nicolas Cage/Meg Ryan romantic drama is forgettable, but hits like "Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls and "Uninvited" by Alanis Morissette are forever in our hearts.
Romeo + Juliet offers tracks by '90s staples Garbage, Everclear, The Cardigans, and more. Des'ree's "Kissing You" is the romantic theme song that made everyone root for Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio's doomed lovers.
Letters to Cleo frontwoman Kay Hanley provided the singing voice for Josie McCoy, played by Rachael Leigh Cook. The result is an album of catchy pop-punk jams guaranteed to get stuck in your head. The songs by fictional boy band DuJour are also not to be skipped.
A must for any Neil Diamond fan, the soundtrack to this 1980 remake spawned three top-10 hits, including "America," "Love on the Rocks," and "Hello Again."
A little Lisa Loeb goes a long way. Her hit "Stay (I Missed You)" with Nine Stories was everywhere after this movie came out and the rest of the soundtrack features songs from U2 and Lenny Kravitz, among others.
The soundtrack to Zach Braff's 2004 indie hit was as popular as the movie thanks to Natalie Portman's character declaring The Shins' "New Slang" to be life-changing. The album also includes songs by Iron & Wine, Coldplay, and Frou Frou.
Eminem's semi-autobiographical movie from 2002 gave us "Lose Yourself" along with tracks from Macy Gray, Jay-Z, and more. If you're into this one, be sure to check out Patti Cake$ as well.
Come for Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise," and stay for the 11 other rap tracks that made this movie such a phenomenon in 1995.
This one is a necessity for all classic rock lovers. The songs make you want to get out and ride on the open road, which is pretty much exactly what the movie is about. Mission accomplished!
A movie about working in a music store (remember those?) obviously requires a worthy soundtrack. Rex Manning is nowhere to be found.
So many divas on one album. Whitney, Aretha, Mary, Toni ... just to name a few. Every track was written and produced by Babyface. There's not a dud in the bunch.
This 1993 comedy offers a collection of '70s rock that's so jam-packed, they split it into two volumes. No disco balls here.
If you've seen the movie, you probably tried "the lift" while listening to "(I've Had) The Time of My Life."
Bonus: Patrick Swayze isn't just one of the stars of the movie — he also contributed "She's Like the Wind" to the soundtrack.
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