Welcome back for part 2 of our week-long, 20k spectacular, celebrating our site's huge milestone! Today, let's hear from our resident actor, Mr. Aaron Botts on his top 20 albums (soundtracks?) of all time!
Botts
Who wants to read about musical artists or albums or songs? Whoever writes about that is lame and living in the past. Here are the Top 20 Movie Soundtracks (in no particular order).
Anyone else like the last half of "Layla" better than the first half? If so, you think Goodfellas is a masterpiece.
The soundtrack fits the aesthetic of Baz Luhrmann. And, you know the composition is good when your mother compliments the soundtrack… Especially the scene with the sunroom.
I’m a closet Ice Cube fan…
Can any other playlist make you swing, dance, and jazz your way into the modern age? No. And that’s quite a statement considering I am a fan of Dirty Dancing and Footloose. But hey, those soundtracks don’t have Ryan Gosling so…
No brainer.
The musical composition of the first trilogy is nothing short of genius. And, John Williams is arguably the only good part of the later franchises. The space opera soundtrack will continue to be universal (I need more space trilogy puns, I know), and it’s all thanks to this man.
Back when I was doing parkour, this soundtrack ran through my head. And this is my gift to you. Run around, jump on shit, and blast this music. You’re gonna have a great time.
Fight me, cowards. But, the thing is, you can’t with this choice. The music is so well scored. Different themes for different settings and characters and somehow, after nine hours, the final coup de gras leaves you in tears. But hey, that’s opera baby. And, yes, the film composition is operatic. That’s why we need to fund the arts, cowards.
And I would happily listen to any playlist he publicly posts. The soundtrack isn’t overly happy in this love tale. And, isn’t that how a love story should be?
Do you want a soundtrack that screams the 80s? Look no further. This is the soundtrack to play volleyball in your jeans shirtless to. The only thing better than this is the danger zone you’re unwilling to go to.
This edgy tale is perfectly complemented by the rush from drug-influenced bands. But, this is one of the movies where if a song isn’t correctly chosen/scored, the film fails. And this film doesn’t fall short.
I’ve always been iffy on rap. But the music to 8 Mile helps me appreciate rap as an art form. If I were to pitch a folk story to someone who doesn’t like folk, I’d use Inside Llewyn Davis so they could appreciate the genre and artform. I can happily say I’d do the same for 8 Mile. Fight me on this, cowards.
Chances are you haven’t seen the ‘Rambo’ of the French and Indian War. Chances are you also haven’t heard the soundtrack that was probably running through Daniel Day Lewis’ head as he was slaughtering extras. So, give it a listen and be prepared to know what ‘killer instinct’ sounds like.
This pick is mainly so a certain someone (Joey Howard) won’t call me a coward in the comments… But the soundtrack truly revs up the emotional journey one wishes they could take with Ryan Gosling.
How is one man so lucky to be stuck with only the music present on this tape recorder? Music is universal… and maybe that’s the point highlighted within this soundtrack (punny, I know).
16. Baby Driver - Music Composition by Steven Price.
Here is another soundtrack that highlights how music can influence so many cinematic elements. With a killer playlist like this (pun intended if you’ve seen the film), I’d be willing to constantly carry around multiple iPods and earbuds saying I had tinnitus.
17. O' Brother, Where Art Thou? - Produced by T Bone Burnett.
What’s this? Another folk album to highlight the epic quest in the Odyssey? Maybe I’m biased or something… But deep down you know this album slaps. Try to get through this soundtrack without wishing you could just sit in the bayou and hope a Siren would sweep you away.
18. Forrest Gump - Musical Composition by Alan Silvestri.
Say what you will about the film, but the soundtrack is awesome. One man’s journey through the age of American rebellion is a soundtrack with only American artists. Once I learned this fact, the film came alive in so many more facets. Give it a listen and you’re sure to truly hear the America that shaped a generation.
19. Inside Llewyn Davis - Produced by T Bone Burnett, Joel and Ethan Coen, Justin Timberlake, Marcus Mumford, Oscar Isaac.
It’s Oscar season, am I right? Well, it should be after listening to this album. Folk comes alive in the age that made Bob Dylan. And, who would have thought folk could compliment the age-old tale of the Odyssey so well? Plus, if you want to listen to Adam Driver, Justin Timberlake, Oscar Isaac, and Marcus Mumford jam out in 42 minutes, I’d highly recommend this soundtrack.
20. Interstellar - Musical Composition by the one and only Hans Zimmer.
You want to experience something different? Interstellar’s soundtrack helps do just that. What sets this project apart from other works by Zimmer is the special focus to time and the different everyday, earthly objects used to build suspense. Moreover, the heavenly aura amplifies the ancient quest man has used to understand our meaning in the stars.
As I was writing and researching this list, I made a discovery that left me disheartened. Representation. Few Women. Few BIPOC. While this article serves to provide some entertainment, remember that the fight for cultural and workplace equity isn’t done. Hollywood still has a long way to go. We are starting to see more representation on screen, but the fight for creative opportunity and production exists offscreen as well. Support the arts. And encourage action for a better, more inclusive tomorrow. Here are a couple organizations/people/movements to look into. Engage in dialogue and know that who works behind the scenes is just as important to who you are seeing onscreen: The Future of Film is Female, Black Public Media, Brown Girls Doc Mafia, Sisters in Cinema, and Hue You Know.
How much money would you pay to see a movie with Aaron's face in it? A lot? Me too? Sound off in the comments with a dollar amount or shout at us on Twitter!
- Botts
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