The 4 Biggest soundtracks of all time
Soundtracks, where would movies be without them? What would our lives be without them? There are movies out there whose success has been entirely dictated by a solid soundtrack. Then are those who are complimented by a good soundtrack. The point is that a good soundtrack as it turns out, can at times make all the difference between a hit and a miss. As a species, we are by nature musical creatures. Even when we’re not listening to music, very often there’s a tune playing in our heads. Some might call it the soundtrack of our lives. Movie soundtracks and themes are an intricate part of the movie-making process and if done right, enmesh themselves so perfectly within the final product, that they add to and improve the overall enjoyment factor. Over the years there have been iconic soundtrack-driven movies encompassing all genres. No genre of film is resilient to a good soundtrack, and so, with that in mind, let’s take a quick look at 4 movies with the biggest if not greatest soundtracks of all time, in no particular order.
Mambo Kings (1992)
Now there might be some out there who might be saying, “Mambo Kings?, really?” And such statements would be completely understandable. The Mambo Kings, released way back in 1992 and starring the charismatic Armand Assante and the to-this-day one dimensional Antonio Banderas gained wide recognition purely for its soundtrack. It falls into the category of films that were elevated purely by their soundtracks. The song, ‘Beautiful Maria of My Soul’, performed by Los Lobos in English and in Spanish by Banderas remains this movie’s calling card. It’s also peppered with other great numbers, many of which were re-recordings of the era due to the applicable songs being recorded back then (in the 1950s) in mono sound.
Boogie Nights (1997)
Who would have thought that Hollywood would make a legitimate movie about the porn industry of the 1970s? Directed by the highly talented Paul Thomas Anderson and starring a young Mark Wahlberg and a seasoned Burt Reynolds, this one almost garnered Oscar gold. Boogies Nights did well because of a competent director and a great cast, many of whom were established and many of whom were climbing the ladder to movie glory. Boogie Nights combines great storytelling with a great movie soundtrack that meshes hits from the 60s, 70s and 80s. At times its soundtrack truly sets its moods. Check out the ending!
Dirty Dancing (1987)
It would be impossible to talk about the biggest soundtracks without paying homage to 1987’s Dirty Dancing. Before it’s unfortunate demise, there was almost not a day that went by that VH1 didn’t belt out “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” a song that still enjoys a lot more play than it deserves. The soundtrack went on to sell 32 million copies – that’s just 8 million short of Thriller, the best-selling album of all time! If Michael Jackson thought that he was investing in the worlds biggest production companies (Motown and later Epic) in terms of music when he unveiled Thriller, then the soundtrack to Dirty Dancing must have made him sit up, pay attention and call up his agent. The charisma between Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey is undeniable and because this one takes place in the 1960s, it’s naturally peppered with a slew of other classics from that time. However, what makes Dirty Dancing also stand out is it’s post-modern use of music. The time period might be set during the 1960’s, but the movie capitalises on songs produced during the 80s and at the time that it was made – quite a rarity to this day.
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
Now it needs to be noted that it was a tie between this one and 1992’s The Bodyguard, a true homage to Whitney Houston in her prime. However, Saturday Night Fever preceded it by 15 years and people are still watching it and talking about it to this very day, and rightly so! While the film hosts an eclectic range of contributing artists, this movie belongs to the Bee Gees. The plot of Saturday Night Fever itself is actually quite thin, gritty and offensive. In fact, it’s worth wondering of this movie would survive today’s cancel culture. However, having said that, Saturday Night Fever sports one of the best dance, disco and love soundtracks of all time!