'Purple Rain' Named Best Movie Soundtrack Ever
Filed under: Music & Musicals, Fandom, Lists
Ever since I found this story earlier today, I've been singing Purple Rain to myself all morning. And this is one of those songs I don't have memorized, so if you were near me you'd hear something like this: [To Purple Rain tune] "Don't tell me ... you could ever see me again -- Purple Rain ... Purrrple Rain." C'mon, like I'm the only person out there who fudges the words to songs. Guaranteed you will start humming this tune now, it's that addictive. Just don't blame me. Anyway, Vanity Fair magazine decided to list the 50 greatest movie soundtracks of all time, and at the top sits Purple Rain -- which consists of such memorable Prince tunes like Let's Go Crazy, When Doves Cry and I Would Die 4 U, among others. Personally, I think the soundtrack is great (even if the movie was kind of terrible), but I'm not crazy about giving the top spot to a soundtrack that featured one artist. Or perhaps that's more of a reason to reward it? Here's Vanity Fair's reasoning behind the choice: "[The] Purple Rain soundtrack was a flawless combination of funk, R&B, pop, metal, and even psychedelia into a sound that defined the '80s."
Be that as it may, but should Prince beat out, say, The Beatles? Yes, coming in at number two on their list is A Hard Day's Night, followed by an interesting choice in The Harder They Come. The rest of the top ten is as follows: Pulp Fiction, The Graduate, Superfly, Trainspotting, Saturday Night Fever, American Graffiti and The Big Chill. All very good soundtracks, although I may have pushed Pulp Fiction higher up on the list ... but I'm just a sucker for the music from that film. Unfortunately, Zach Braff's Garden State soundtrack did not reach the top 10. Sorry kids. And what's The Big Chill doing all the way at number 10? I mean, c'mon -- that soundtrack ruled (and as he says that, he opens up iTunes in a separate window). What do you think? Did they get the top 10 right? Would you have shifted things around. And please tell me which songs are now stuck in your head after reading this ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-24-2007 @ 12:44PM
Rob Stevens said...
I really hope that the soundtrack for Cruel Intentions made the list. I still listen to that on a monthly basis.
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10-24-2007 @ 12:47PM
Ben said...
Best movie soundtrack ever? How about "The Third Man"? Or "Rushmore"? Am I the only one to notice that these (with the exception of Hard Day's Night) are all 1975-1995? The list seems a little ... contrived.
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10-24-2007 @ 3:51PM
Jim said...
No Magnolia. And A Hard Day's Night ranks at #2. Somebody picked the wrong week to stop doing whip-its.
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10-24-2007 @ 1:20PM
MJ said...
Love ya Prince.....was at the concert and cried like a baby at the end of the movie! You go man you still have the talent! Heard after his LOndon tour he will be taking time off to study the bible. The reporters laughed at him, how cruel! Many will have wished that they read any of the bible. Gods blessings to him and all of us.
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10-24-2007 @ 1:49PM
Ian said...
I think the only time where I walked directly to the music store to buy the soundtrack after the movie ended was "Virtuosity".
The movie hasn't stood up to repeated viewings, but that music still gets me pumped.
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10-24-2007 @ 1:49PM
Nathaniel N. said...
...It's 3 A.M. in Minnesota, and I want a camel.
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10-24-2007 @ 3:07PM
Eric said...
Nothing unusual about "The Harder They Come" being at number three. Most baby boomers had never been exposed to reggae until that album, paving the way for the stateside success of Bob Marley. In fact, the album is #119 on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest albums of all time (although Rolling Stone ranked Superfly higher). And for the love of Pete, how do you not put Saturday Night Fever (original music) higher than potpourri soundtracks like Pulp Fiction and Trainspotting?
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10-24-2007 @ 3:42PM
phil.dixon said...
The Blues Brothers soudtrack would be on my list.....as well as the Judgement Night soundtrack and The Crow Soundtrack. Maybe a little off the board on those last two....but I sure did listen to those a lot.
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10-24-2007 @ 3:43PM
phil.dixon said...
One more.....The Wonderboys Soundtrack spent about 6 months in my CD player.
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10-24-2007 @ 5:50PM
The Addict said...
Nathaniel, I'm glad you got to that before I could.
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10-24-2007 @ 6:39PM
Ralph said...
What Phil said re/The Blues Brothers.
Y'know, ever since VH1 did the "100 most important people of the 20th Century" or something like that, and made Oprah Winfrey number 1, I have never really paid attention to any kind of list like this. They're all skewered by the age & nurturing of the person(s) making the list.
To each his own. My top ten soundtracks include a few instrumental/orchestral works, and the list changes weekly, according to the Smart Playlist I have set up in iTunes.
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10-24-2007 @ 6:59PM
Ryan said...
My favorite is the soundtrack to the Lost Boys its loaded with 80's style rock from Inxs to Lou Graham.
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