Here at JoBlo, we love the eighties. Heck, we actually have a Facebook web page and a YouTube channel known as Loving the 80s— that’s how a lot we’re obsessive about the last decade. However, when you consider all of your favourite eighties films, I’m prepared 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. Nowadays, films simply don’t have tremendous common songs related to them the best way they used to (which is why the Best Original Song class on the Oscars is so horrendous). It’s a disgrace, as a result of there’s one thing a couple of hit tune and a film collectively that’s simply indelible.
But there are two sorts of eighties film soundtracks. There are these like Against All Odds, the place the theme tune “Take 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 Best Movie Soundtracks of the 80s (in chronological order!)
1. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
This 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 intently related to The Eagles. The album launched as a tie-in extra intently displays California rock, with solo songs by each member of The Eagles besides Glenn Frey, whereas the film’s combine is extra eclectic. Some of essentially the most memorable tracks, like Moving in Stereo by The Cars, 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 essentially replicate the MTV aesthetic that might come to outline the last decade. Paramount had little to no religion within the film, however they reduce a number of music movies from the soundtrack for MTV, and the film grew to become a smash hit. Some of the signature songs embrace “Flashdance! (What a Feeling)” and “Maniac.”
No lower than three songs off the Footloose soundtrack made it into the highest 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. There was the title observe by Kenny Loggins (and many extra from him), “Let’s Hear it For the Boy” by Deniece Williams, and “Almost 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 call?” grew to become the rallying cry for this film, however the soundtrack really has plenty of good songs on it, together with “Magic” by Mick Smiley, which will probably be instantly recognizable to anybody who’s seen the film (which I wager is everybody studying this text).
5. Purple Rain
Prince’s display debut grew to become an album inextricably linked to the film, with two primary hits on the Billboard Top 100 (“When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy”), one other quantity 2 hit (the title observe), and one other that hit quantity 8 (“I Would Die For You”). The soundtrack went 13 occasions 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. Knowing 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 Heat is On,” but in addition city tracks like “Neutron Dance” by The Pointer Sisters, and extra. More impressively, an instrumental observe, “Axel F,” from the rating by Harold Faltermeyer grew to become a quantity 3 hit on the Billboard Top 100.
7. Back to the Future
When I consider Back to the Future, I can’t assist however consider Huey Lewis & the News, with their tune, “The Power of Love,” arguably essentially the most instantly identifiable soundtrack reduce of the last decade. But they’ve bought one other basic on the soundtrack too — “Back in Time” — that’s nearly pretty much as good.
8. The Breakfast Club
John Hughes is the definitive voice of 80s teenagers on movie, and his soundtracks mirrored that he had his finger on the heartbeat of what this technology of youngsters have been listening to. Nowhere was this extra apparent than with The Breakfast Club, with the Simple Minds observe “Don’t You Forget About Me” being one of many largest and greatest songs of the last decade.
9. Top Gun
Another Simpson/Bruckheimer joint, the Top Gun soundtrack had not one however two iconic theme songs it’s unattainable to separate from the film — “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins, and “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin. This is one other soundtrack that bought so many data it’s thought of one of many defining albums of the last decade.
10. Dirty Dancing
Despite being set within the Nineteen Sixties, the makers of Dirty Dancing didn’t restrict themselves to interval tracks. Oh no. While 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 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: Less Than Zero
This is one other film whose soundtrack is best identified than the movie it comes from. This adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel was an enormous 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, corresponding to The Bangles’ cowl of “A Hazy Shade of Winter.” Of all of the soundtracks on this listing, that is the very best curated one.
What do you consider this listing and what are we lacking? Let us know within the chat!