Where words fail, music finds a way to speak. This is especially true when we think of our favorite movies and the songs that have become synonymous with the movie title. No one hears the song “Footloose” without thinking of Kevin Bacon and his iconic dance. Patrick Swayze doesn’t put Baby in a corner if “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” isn’t playing. Likewise, The Guardians of the Galaxy aren’t saving the galaxy unless the perfect playlist is playing in the background.

Movie soundtracks have almost become more of an influence than the movie itself. Through the decades, movie-goers watch the film, but keep it alive as they continuously listen to the soundtrack. They relive their favorite cinematic moments in just about four minutes as they listen to the song that encapsulates everything they felt while watching the film. Some songs have even been declared as the unofficial theme song of the movie. So, what soundtracks have risen to the top and become more influential than the movie?

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Decades of Soundtracks

     Vestron Pictures

The closing notes of The Breakfast Club and the iconic dancing moves of Swayze and Bacon have influenced an era. Movie soundtracks have been impacting pop culture since 1971, according to The Ringer. The soundtrack, for instance, to 8 Mile is brilliant and appalling all at the same time. Eminem even won an Oscar for his hit “Lose Yourself.” The Breakfast Club started Jack Antonoff’s career by creating the most memorable ending credit song of all time. Simple Mind’s song leaves the audience with “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” giving off adolescent joy while finally feeling understood.

Musicals seem to get a bad rap, but Grease is one that audiences can’t stop singing along to. “Grease Lightning” and “Beauty School Dropout” have become karaoke staples. Saturday Night Fever also became a number one selling album during the musical era. Moulin Rouge! rode the cultural musical wave and created jukebox and pop music tie-ins for movie soundtracks. Creating music tracks that not only went with the theme of the movie, but the time that it was released in was something Dirty Dancing perfected. The soundtrack evoked the soft-rock anthems of the 1980s.

As we ride into the “Danger Zone,” movies like Top Gun moved away from the softer side of rock and focused solely on gritty action and rock anthems. Black Panther took a note from the Tom Cruise film and made a soundtrack that embodied the movie. It was introduced in the Marvel universe along with Kendrick Lamar and his album Black Panther: The Album. Finally, who could forget the self-affirmation statement from Prince himself: “Baby, I’m a Star.” Purple Rain is the 1984 film that is fantastic in its own right as fans watch Prince perform every song in the film.

Songs That Have Become Anthems

     Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

A movie soundtrack may be one of the most important moments of the movie experience. Sometimes, one song stands out more than any other and becomes the unofficial anthem of the movie. In Footloose, the unofficial anthem is the song “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins as it makes it impossible to not tap a foot along to the beat. Insider calls Whitney Houston a bona fide music legend, which is only solidified by her song “I Will Always Love You” as it became synonymous with the movie The Bodyguard.

Pharrell Williams was already big in the music scene as being a talented music producer, but it wasn’t until his song “Happy” was featured on Despicable Me 2 that people recognized him. Men in Black starred Will Smith after his time on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and allowed him to work on his music career with the song “Men in Black,” which won a Grammy. Aerosmith and a ballad don’t typically go together unless you’re talking about the movie Armageddon, and then fans can’t help but belt it out. When “Eye of the tiger” starts playing, people automatically see Rocky running up those stairs as the training montage sequence starts.

Music Speaks in Pop Culture

     Walt Disney Pictures

Movies and music go hand in hand ever since sound was added to moving images. Audiences can be moved to a single tear, feel anxious about the up-coming battle, or laugh until their side hurts if the right song is played at the right moment. Not only that, but songs have been able to stand on its own without the film mostly due to the popularity of the film that inspired the song. Billboard shows the prime example with Whitney Houston’s ballad “I Will Always Love You” that was featured in the film The Bodyguard. Not everyone has seen the film, but they will never forget that song.

Even today we can see this continuing to happen with movies like Encanto and A Star is Born with songs like “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” and “Shallow,” which continue to top the charts of the music billboards. Movie soundtracks are able to create hits that will be listened to for generations as the songs and films speak to an audience. A bad film can always be made better with a killer soundtrack as something painful to watch can be made worthwhile. One song in one moment of a movie can create the perfect anthem forever.