The 10 Best Movie Soundtracks of the 80s

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Right here at JoBlo, we love the eighties. Heck, we actually have a Fb web page and a YouTube channel referred to as Loving the 80s— that’s how a lot we’re obsessive about the last decade. Nevertheless, when you consider all of your favourite eighties films, I’m keen to wager that for almost all of them, there’s a tune that instantly involves thoughts. That’s as a result of the 80s have been the heyday of film soundtracks. These days, films simply don’t have tremendous common songs related to them the way in which they used to (which is why the Greatest Unique Music class on the Oscars is so horrendous). It’s a disgrace, as a result of there’s one thing a few hit tune and a film collectively that’s simply indelible.

However there are two sorts of eighties film soundtracks. There are these like Towards All Odds, the place the theme tune “Take a Have a look at Me Now” by Phil Collins was WAY extra common than the film it got here from. Then there are others the place complete soundtracks grew to become half of popular culture — and people are those I’m going to speak about right here. So, right here we go along with the Greatest Film Soundtracks of the 80s (in chronological order!)

1. Quick Instances at Ridgemont Excessive

That is an iconic however unusual soundtrack, deeply divided between the aesthetics and preferences of the director Amy Heckerling, and the financiers of the film, who occurred to be related to The Eagles. As such, half of the soundtrack is New Wave, whereas the opposite half is California rock, made by bands carefully related to The Eagles. The album launched as a tie-in extra carefully displays California rock, with solo songs by each member of The Eagles besides Glenn Frey, whereas the film’s combine is extra eclectic. A few of the most memorable tracks, like Shifting in Stereo by The Automobiles, are absent from the album however add immensely to the movie and helped popularize New Wave.

2. Flashdance

Adrian Lyne’s film was arguably the primary eighties movie to actually replicate the MTV aesthetic that may come to outline the last decade. Paramount had little to no religion within the film, however they lower a number of music movies from the soundtrack for MTV, and the film grew to become a smash hit. A few of the signature songs embody “Flashdance! (What a Feeling)” and “Maniac.”

A minimum of three songs off the Footloose soundtrack made it into the highest 10 of the Billboard Scorching 100. There was the title observe by Kenny Loggins (and lots extra from him), “Let’s Hear it For the Boy” by Deniece Williams, and “Virtually Paradise” by Ann Wilson and Mike Reno. Even songs that didn’t make the highest 10 have been iconic, like Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero.”

4. Ghostbusters

Would Ghostbusters have been as massive of successful with out Ray Parker Jr’s theme tune? “Who you gonna name?” grew to become the rallying cry for this film, however the soundtrack really has lots of good songs on it, together with “Magic” by Mick Smiley, which can be instantly recognizable to anybody who’s seen the film (which I wager is everybody studying this text).

5. Purple Rain

Prince’s display screen debut grew to become an album inextricably linked to the film, with two primary hits on the Billboard High 100 (“When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Loopy”), one other quantity 2 hit (the title observe), and one other that hit quantity 8 (“I Would Die For You”). The soundtrack went 13 instances platinum and remains to be one of many highest-selling albums of all time.

6. Beverly Hills Cop

Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer actually knew learn how to assemble a kick-ass soundtrack. Figuring out that Flashdance’ssoundtrack helped propel it to boffo field workplace, they went all out on the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, which mirrored an eclectic mixture of pop music. There was Glenn Frey’s “The Warmth is On,” but additionally city tracks like “Neutron Dance” by The Pointer Sisters, and extra. Extra impressively, an instrumental observe, “Axel F,” from the rating by Harold Faltermeyer grew to become a quantity 3 hit on the Billboard High 100.

7. Again to the Future

Once I consider Again to the Future, I can’t assist however consider Huey Lewis & the Information, with their tune, “The Energy of Love,” arguably essentially the most instantly identifiable soundtrack lower of the last decade. However they’ve acquired one other basic on the soundtrack too — “Again in Time” — that’s nearly nearly as good.

8. The Breakfast Membership

John Hughes is the definitive voice of 80s teenagers on movie, and his soundtracks mirrored that he had his finger on the heart beat of what this era of children have been listening to. Nowhere was this extra apparent than with The Breakfast Membership, with the Easy Minds observe “Don’t You Overlook About Me” being one of many largest and greatest songs of the last decade.

9. High Gun

One other Simpson/Bruckheimer joint, the High Gun soundtrack had not one however two iconic theme songs it’s not possible to separate from the film — “Hazard Zone” by Kenny Loggins, and “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin. That is one other soundtrack that bought so many data it’s thought-about one of many defining albums of the last decade.

10. Soiled Dancing

Regardless of being set within the Sixties, the makers of Soiled Dancing didn’t restrict themselves to interval tracks. Oh no. Whereas they included loads of old-school songs, most of the largest hits on the soundtrack have been model new, together with Eric Carmen’s “Hungry Eyes,” “She’s Just like the Wind” (which is sung by the film’s star Patrick Swayze), and essentially the most iconic tune off the soundtrack, “I’ve Had the Time of My Life.”

Bonus: Much less Than Zero

That is one other film whose soundtrack is best recognized than the movie it comes from. This adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel was a giant flop, however the soundtrack is a banger, produced by Rick Rubin, who included songs from the burgeoning hip hop scene in addition to rock tracks, equivalent to The Bangles’ cowl of “A Hazy Shade of Winter.” Of all of the soundtracks on this listing, that is the perfect curated one.