I like to think of myself as a human juke box; chances are if its pleasurable music, I've either heard it, or have it. In the event that I don't have a particular song, I'm always up for new suggestions. Music is a heavy topic of conversation with me as I never seem to have just one specific style that I prefer over another. Some days I listen to jazz, some days it's bluegrass, and others, it's heavy metal. I'm a walking playlist and honestly, most of my brain is occupied by Harry Potter facts, nerdy knowledge and music, which in turn, means that you'd be hard pressed to find a subject that I haven't made a playlist for.
A healthy chunk of my iTunes library is brought to life by movie soundtracks, and so is this article. I hope these OST suggestions inspire your own playlist and expand your musical horizons.
In no particular order of rank, here's 6 movie soundtracks that are totally worth a listen.
1. Shrek (Dreamworks Records)
Although Dreamworks kinda ran the franchise into the ground, the soundtrack to the first installment is great for a road trip with delicate ears. It's also a hefty dose of nostalgia for all you Millennials out there. I bet you can sing just about every word and replay the scenes in your head while rocking out to this OST. That is, if you bought all the special Shrek-green ketchup just so you get a free movie ticket to the premiere circa 2001.
If you want to check out the soundtrack, you can listen to the full thing on YouTube, or iTunes.
Personal favorite track: "My Beloved Monster" by the Eels
2. Twister (Atlantic Records)
Hands down one of my favorite movies, and easily, top ten favorite soundtracks. Buckle up for a whirlwind of "classic" 90's country, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and few hidden secrets throughout the track. It's sure to blow you away! I had this on cassette tape, and CD long before downloading it on iTunes. Unfortunatley, you can only listen to the full album without purchasing it if you subscribe to Apple Music, or here, on YouTube.
Personal favorite track: "No One Needs to Know" by Shania Twain
3. Juno (Rhino Entertainment)
Indie, angsty, and thoughtful, this soundtrack highlights those songs that bring a nostalgic yet new feel to the table. Featuring the title sequence love track, "All I Want Is You" by Barry Louis Polisar and a lot of Belle and Sebastian. This OST is weird, but inspiring, and once their etched in your metal song bank, they can be shaken away. You can listen to the full album on 8tracks, YouTube and of course, iTunes via Apple Music.
Personal favorite track: "All I Want Is You" by Barry Louis Polisar
4. Dope (i am Other)
Netflix is on fire with original movies and shows, Dope is no exception. Like the title suggests, it's dope! In the movie, the three main characters are in a band called Awreeoh and their music is actually part of the soundtrack and actually really awesome! Probably because Pharrell was the music supervisor and curator of the soundtrack. It's totally worth the data streaming and the OST is equally as riveting. It's a nice mix of hip hop and some form of indie rock jazz.
Personal Favorite: "Don't Get Deleted" Awreeoh
5. Suicide Squad (WB & Atlantic Records)
Taking the world by storm with horrible reviews, mixed feelings, and lots of box office dollars, the Marvel Universe film brings more to the plate than 2016's hottest Halloween costumes, it's also got a killer soundtrack! You wanna work out? You're mad? You're trying to find the right music to get you through the home stretch of your night shift job? This is it! It's definitely a bullseye regardless of movie reviews. It boasts a twenty one pilots song recorded just for the film, (which makes us hopeful for a new album to follow last year's blurryface) and a few hidden surprises along the set list.
Personal favorite: "Heathens" by twenty one pilots
Secret track: a ballsy cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Panic at the Disco, which you can listen to, here.
6. Guardians of the Galaxy
If it's good enough for Starlord, it's good enough for me! His mixtape can now be yours with the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack. Soulful, classic pop and rock songs bring this soundtrack to life, all while maintaining the perfect mix of old school earthy nostalgia and modern out-of-this-world technology. Don't take my word for it, it scored 10/10 on the Dancing Groot scale.
Favorite track: "Hooked on a Feeling" by Blue Swede
(PS. Go to Pandora.com, login, create new station and type in "Guardians of the Galaxy", regret nothing.)