Viva la soundtrack!

Five top tracks from five top soundtracks

Soundtracks can make or break a movie. I’m no critic, but I love music and I love movies, and if you’re reading this you probably do too. It’s hard for me to admit this, but I wasn’t born with great taste in music. I believe I was born to love and make music, but the tools weren’t in the womb with me… unfortunately. I owe a lot of my passion to the movie Juno. If I wasn’t watching it, I was listening to the soundtrack. Over and over. I wanted so badly to cover every song on the soundtrack, so I learned guitar. Since then I’ve been fascinated by how movies and their soundtracks can change me or help me grow. Music can completely change a movie. The viewer is getting a sneak peak into the mind of the director of the film. For some reason (logical, or not) they thought that song was the perfect choice, it’s fascinating to wonder why. Either way, these are my top 5 tracks from my top 5 movie soundtracks. Not to mention, some of these soundtracks are at Wax Trax—so you should grab them before I do. (My paycheck’s coming… JK.)

1. Almost Famous (2000)
I wouldn’t be the same without this movie. And the soundtrack? Amazing.

• “America” – Simon & Garfunkel
  • Simon & Garfunkel are literal geniuses. This song makes me nostalgic for a time I never lived through. And when Zooey Deschanel’s character leaves to become a stewardess? Perfect. If you know anyone that doesn’t like this song – no you don’t.
• “Lucky Trumble” – Nancy Wilson
  • It’s Nancy Wilson. Listening to this song is just like when you remember something and you just can’t help but smile. Maybe it’s a crush, promotion at your job, maybe it’s your dreams coming true. That feeling is living in this song. Try it out, you’ll be grinning from ear to ear.
• “Feel Flows” – The Beach Boys
  • The Beach Boys made weird, brilliant music. And this track just feels right every time. It’s funky, it’s smooth, and it gives me crazy goosebumps. We need more funky flutes in today’s music, honestly.
• “That’s The Way” – Led Zeppelin
  • This song isn’t just a classic; it’s important. And for anyone who only discovered it through the movie, so what? It’s a great intro to Zeppelin. Everyone should be listening to it.
• “Sparks” – The Who
  • The Who. This track is universally good. It’s one of those songs that doesn’t need words—just pure emotion and energy. End of discussion.

2. The Virgin Suicides (1999)
Depressing book. Depressing movie. But one of the best soundtracks out there.

• “Ce Matin La” – Air
  • This song is just beautiful. I almost don’t want to talk about it because it’s so obviously perfect. But the way it’s used in the film? Genius. The diary scene. “We felt the imprisonment of being a girl, the way it made your mind active and dreamy, and how you ended up knowing what colors go together.”
• “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” – Al Green
  • Sounds/feels just like the title. You know what you’re getting going into it, and trust me, it does not disappoint.
• “Crazy on You” – Heart
  • If you’ve never felt the release of finally doing something you’ve been waiting forever to do, this song will make you feel it. Heart nails it.
• “Strange Magic” – ELO
  • This song makes me believe in God.
• “Playground Love” – Air
  • Only this song (and the Skins theme song) will make any cool girl that had Tumblr instantly crash out.

3. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Top 10 favorite movies of all time. I actually convinced myself that someone I had a crush on was my soulmate because they also loved this movie. (I am crazy). They weren’t my soulmate – but if my logic is true, and everyone who loves the Royal Tenenbaums is my soulmate, then I guess I’m actually really lucky.

• “Stephanie Says” – The Velvet Underground
  • The Velvet Underground. That’s all. No but seriously, no baddie can come after me while I’m listening to this song. No.
• “Wigwam” – Bob Dylan
  • There’s a certain feeling I get when I know I’ve fallen in love with a song. I need my hands to describe it to its full extent but I’ll try with just words. It’s like the world has fallen right next to your head, zoomed into a new perspective or something, like drowning in sound. It sounds stupid but I swear it’s so real, it sounds like this song.
• “Fly” – Nick Drake
  • Did you know he made another song that isn’t Pink Moon? Wes Anderson did.
• “Lullabye” – Emmit Rhodes
  • Emmit Rhodes deserves way more love. Like seriously, especially with this song. If you listen on mono instead of stereo literally what are you doing? If there is any way I can convince you to listen to stereo it would be to listen to this genius/short song that surrounds you. It surrounds you. That’s the feeling I was talking about. When a song surrounds you, that’s a song to fall in love with. This song quite literally does.
• “The Fairest of the Seasons” – Nico
  • Listen to this song if you’re going through it, then revisit it in a few years. It’s worth it, I promise.

4. Marie Antoinette (2006)
Can you tell I love Sofia Coppola? I love this movie so much, not just because it’s a great film, but because the person who showed it to me was really mean to me, and I claimed this movie as revenge. Also, it’s cool that the soundtrack is contemporary music. That blew my mind.

• “Hong Kong Garden” – Siouxsie and the Banshees
  • The way Sofia messes with this track in the movie is genius. It starts with strings, tricking the audience before hitting us with the full blast of Siouxsie’s magic. Perfect for this film.
• “Pulling Our Weight” – The Radio Dept.
  • This track makes me want to run around all night with my friends, like skipping around and being stupid but also somehow learning everything. Listen to it and tell me you don’t feel the same.
• “Avril 14th” – Aphex Twin
  • You can be pretentious because you’re listening to Aphex Twin, and also because it just sounds like a classical piece. Two birds, one stone.
• “Plainsong” – The Cure
  • I feel almost the same way listening to this song as I do listening to “Pulling Our Weight,” but like, in a very toxic unhealthy way. Like I’m trying to burn bridges, and let in everyone who’s wronged me my back into my life – then realize how crazy I was the next day and take everything back.
• “Ceremony” – New Order
  • Come of age to this song, listening to this song I am coming of age. When I’m 60 I will listen to this song and I will come of age. Over and over again I will come of age just listening to this song on repeat. Fantastic song, big fan.

5. Juno (2007)
Juno has been my favorite movie for my whole life. I would put it on my family’s portable DVD player and watch it over and over. The movie ended – no it started (with a chair). Honestly, it was mostly because I had an insane crush on Elliot Page (but who didn’t) – but also because I understood art when I saw it… duh.

• “Superstar” – Sonic Youth
  • Best song in “If I Were A Carpenter,” no doubt.
• “Piazza New York Catcher” – Belle and Sebastian
  • Belle and Sebastian somehow taught me morality.
• “All The Young Dudes” – Mott the Hoople
  • “Do you feel like there’s something between us?” No… creep. But seriously, when that chorus hits, god a wave of emotion flows over me in a way that has stunted me for my whole life.
• “Loose Lips” – Kimya Dawson
  • This one’s fun, and I’ll totally perform it for you if you stop by Wax Trax and buy the soundtrack. I’m Cori. Don’t forget.
• “Sea of Love” -Cat Power
  • This is the most important song on this soundtrack to me because my mom covered this song. I love to love people the way this song (and my mom) has shown me love.

So there you have it: my top 5 tracks from my top 5 movie soundtracks. If you haven’t listened to these, do yourself a favor. If you have, let’s just agree they’re timeless. And hey, if you want to, grab one of these soundtracks at Wax Trax. I’ll be waiting—until my paycheck hits.