Movies have been accompanied by music for a very long time. Even back in the days of silent film, theaters would usually have some music to accompany the moving picture. Nowadays, every good movie has music to equal it. There are musicals, where the music defines the entire film and is sung into the story like it’s a normal part of the world. Scores set the mood with instrumental ambiance. Soundtracks, on the other hand, also set the mood but with less Hans-Zimmer-type action and more rock, pop, punk and bluegrass.
Some soundtracks fit well with their movie but maybe not something you would listen to regularly. Other soundtracks, though, are just such a vibe that they are as easy to listen to as a regular album. Below is a collection of movie soundtracks that are worth listening to, even if you have not seen the movie.
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Movie Soundtrack: “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
Recommendation by: Caleb Knapp
This past summer I visited New York City for the first time as the first stage in a journey to see New England. I went on the trip alone, just me, my backpack, a satchel full of clothes and an old, beat-up pair of wired earbuds. I hopped on my very first subway and opened my phone, trying to decide what to listen to to immerse myself in NYC. My eyes fell on the “Spiderman: Across the Spider-Verse” soundtrack. For the rest of my time in the Big Apple, my ears were blessed by the sounds of Metro Boomin and the featured artists on the album as I imagined myself behind the mask with Miles Morales.
The whole album is a masterpiece and YouTube now has many compilations of memes encapsulating the experience of listening. Each song perfectly fits its place in the movie but also works as a standalone song. My favorite song is “Hummingbird” by Metro Boomin and James Blake. If you have not had the experience of listening to “Hummingbird” with headphones, do that for yourself.
The soundtrack can be found on most major music streaming services under its full title: “Metro Boomin Presents Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Soundtrack from and Inspired by the Motion Picture).”
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Movie Soundtrack: “Surfs Up”
Recommendation by: Bailey Swords
Whenever my car’s thermostat reads anywhere near 70 degrees, I always find myself searching for what many people informally call, “sunny music.” The vibe is this: you grew up 10 minutes from the nearest beach, constantly riding your sand-covered jeep to and from with the wind in your hair, boards on the roof and salt covering your face. Living in Tennessee, I am resigned to dreaming about this lifestyle rather than living it. This is easier and honestly, more fun to do than it sounds, especially when queuing up the soundtrack from “Surf’s Up” (2007).
“Surf’s Up” is unashamedly my favorite movie — it has been for years now (see my very first article ever published on Cardinal & Cream… actually on second thought maybe don’t do that.) The music used in this mockumentary will immediately transport you into that sandy jeep you’ve always dreamed of. You’ll feel like an angsty, amateur surfer after you roll the windows down and play “Into Yesterday” (SugarRay), “Pocket Full of Stars” (Nine Black Alps) and “Welcome to Paradise” (Green Day).
Available on all music streaming platforms
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Movie Soundtrack: “Tarzan”
Recommendation by: Emma McDaniel
Like many late ’90s and early 2000s kids, I grew up watching the films of the Disney Renaissance era. While I loved all of the films from this period, Tarzan was by far my favorite. I would watch it on my family’s portable DVD player over and over and over, specifically to listen to the songs in the soundtrack. Sure, the story is fantastic and the animation is top notch — but the music, I mean come on. The blending of modern, western instruments like electric guitar and the sounds of traditional African beats, with heavy emphasis placed on the percussion instruments. In my opinion, Disney made the right decision by bringing in Phil Collins to do the music for this film. His solo career in the rock genre led to a fantastic combination of modern American and traditional African sounds.
My favorite song from the soundtrack has to be “You’ll Be In My Heart.” It is the only song from the film that a character on screen sings. It is a lullaby that Tarzan’s gorilla mother, Kala, sings to him. Most of the other songs in the film are less things the characters are saying/singing and more of Tarzan’s internal monologue. “You’ll Be In My Heart” is such a perfect song to catapult viewers out of the opening of the film and into the body of the story.
Tarzan the film is streaming on Disney+ and the soundtrack is available on all music streaming platforms.
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Movie Soundtrack: “Barbie”
Recommendation by: Eunice Tan
Though produced in the 2020s, “Barbie the Album” from “The Barbie Movie” (2023) boasts songs by a diverse array of artists that emanate the nostalgic spirits of the 70s to the 2010s. This soundtrack is perfect for a day or night drive, cranking your speakers to full-blast and vibing alone through the immersive beats of your headphones. Be prepared to get on a nostalgic ride that’ll get you screaming at a party, then journeying into a strange new world, then crying alone in your room, then feeling in love and— you get the point: It’s a trip!
I’ll name just a few of the album’s tracks and the nostalgic spirit each of them brings to the party: “Pink” by Lizzo embodies the perfect 90s Y2K spirit, “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa combines disco with the feels of the early 2000s and “Journey to the Real World” by Tame Impala brings in the synthesizer of the 70s and 80s that makes me think of the “Stranger Things” (2016) soundtrack and the surreal vocals of the 80s. “I’m Just Ken” by Ryan Gosling unites 2000 Disney Channel vibes with the bravado of Broadway musicals, and “Home” by HAIM is my personal favorite for its unique, soulful sound and lyrics in an Indie, folk style. I could go on, but I hope this snapshot encourages you to try out this soundtrack as an album.
Available on all music streaming platforms.
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Movie Soundtrack: “Baby Driver”
Recommendation by: Aubrey Eytchison
Cars. Crime. Simon & Garfunkel. Wait.
I’m not sure what you expect the soundtrack for a movie about a modern getaway driver to sound like, but it is likely not the mixture of Motown, rock and R&B that “Baby Driver” (2017) delivers. From Barry White to Queen to the Beach Boys, this brassy medley of the Golden Oldies brings elements of nostalgia and heart to a film about being stuck between the fantasy of who you could be and the reality of who you are.
I highly recommend watching “Baby Driver” as a film to get the full sense of how Edgar Wright uses every beat, lyric and name to punctuate Baby’s story. However, if you do not have the time, the soundtrack itself offers the same promise to listeners as it does to the main character, who is desperate to escape even the music of his era. Every song is funky and is driven by rhythm or bass. Every lyric is slightly mournful. The album is not only genuinely nostalgic for those who grew up listening to older music, the sounds of the songs also convey the tart aftertaste of nostalgia. For those unfamiliar with the genres, try these songs first: “Nowhere to Run” (Martha Reeves & The Vandellas), “Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up” (Barry White) and “Easy” (Commodores).
Available on music streaming services.
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There are a lot of stellar soundtracks of which we have mentioned but very few. We hope you find this useful next time you want sunny music to feel like you’re at the beach, or you are exploring NYC, or you are on a late night drive and need some tunes to crank up, or you want to relive a childhood classic or maybe you are in need of a good dosing of nostalgia. Who knows, maybe you’re just sitting in your room and looking for good music. No matter what you are up to, we’re pretty sure you will enjoy these choices.