A Mix From: Movie Soundtracks

featuring music from Rushmore, Freaky Friday, Black Panther, and more!

I visited with family over Thanksgiving and inevitably, there came a point when we had to agree on a movie to watch. We ended up on the topic of movies with really good soundtracks. My dad, who I trust on this, declared that Baby Driver has the very best movie soundtrack with Rushmore and The Harder They Come rounding out the top three.

These movies do all have great soundtracks, but my picks for best movie soundtrack will always be swayed by nostalgia. The first CD I ever went to the store and bought was the soundtrack from the Nancy Meyer’s version of The Parent Trap. To me, that is the very best movie soundtrack. My sister and I also shared, and loved, the soundtracks for Freaky Friday, What A Girl Wants, The Princess Diaries, Shrek, and School of Rock. In a pre-streaming era, soundtracks were a great way to get bang for your buck: lots of different artists and different songs all in one place. Thanks to soundtracks, I discovered a lot of new and new-to-me music I may not have heard otherwise.

I know there is a lot to say about the movie (and TV) soundtrack landscape in the streaming era: look no further than the explosion of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” after it was used in Stranger Things, and it’s clear that the soundtrack has not completely lost cultural relevance. The format has just changed a little. Less official compilations, more emphasis on single songs.

I wrote a few months ago about the music in the Netflix movie, Do Revenge, and how this was an alright movie with a really fun soundtrack. While there’s not a physical compilation soundtrack you can purchase, there is an official playlist on Spotify of all the songs used throughout the film. Streaming has changed the way we interact with movie soundtracks, but I’m glad their spirit lives on.

And in that spirit, here’s this week’s mix! Featuring some of my favorite songs from my favorite soundtracks:

1. Ultimate, Lindsay Lohan (Freaky Friday)

2. There She Goes, The La’s (The Parent Trap)

3. London Calling, The Clash (What A Girl Wants)

4. Growing On Me, The Darkness (School of Rock)

5. Miracles Happen, Myra (The Princess Diaries)

6. My Beloved Monster, Eels (Shrek)

7. Here Comes My Baby, Cat Stevens (Rushmore)

8. Blister In The Sun, Violent Femmes (Grosse Pointe Blank)

9. Bellbottoms, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (Baby Driver)

10. King’s Dead, Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Future, James Blake (Black Panther)

11. I Want You To Want Me, Letters to Cleo (10 Things I Hate About You)

12. Sweet Disposition, The Temper Trap ((500) Days of Summer)

13. Signed Sealed Delivered I’m Yours, Stevie Wonder (You’ve Got Mail)

14. The Harder They Come, Jimmy Cliff (The Harder They Come)

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Thanks for reading, listening, and subscribing! Am I missing any of your favorite soundtracks? Let me know in the comments below or by replying directly to this email!