Some may even be more memorable than the movies they accompany
Movie soundtracks. They serve as backdrops for plot and action, but they can be as enduring as—and even outshine—the movies they accompany. The soundtrack for the recently released “Barbershop: The Next Cut” combines hits from music icons like Earth, Wind & Fire; James Brown; Curtis Mayfield; Luther Vandross, and others. Could that soundtrack rank with some of the others that have left a mark on music?
Here’s a look at 15 standout soundtracks.
Shaft (1971)
Many of the classic blaxploitation films were defined by their soundtracks—and this tour de force might be Exhibit A. The movie starred Richard Roundtree and Moses Gunn, and the double album contained all the elements of a classic. Recorded by Isaac Hayes for the legendary Stax Records enterprise label for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s Soul Cinema Classic film series, the album consists mainly of instrumentals composed by Hayes as the film’s score, as well as three vocal selections: “Soulsville,” “Do Your Thing,” and of course the iconic “Theme from Shaft.” This soundtrack remains Hayes’s best-known work and is the best-selling LP ever released on a Stax label. In 2014, the album was added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Superfly (1972)
The soundtrack was so popular that it grossed more than the blaxploitation film it accompanied. Curtis Mayfield put together a masterpiece of 1970s soul and funk music boosted by two million-selling singles, “Freddie’s Dead” and title track “Superfly,” as well as songs like “Little Child Runnin’ Wild” and “Pusherman.” Many regard this album and Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” as pioneers of socially aware lyrics about poverty and drug abuse.
Trouble Man (1972)
Following his landmark “What’s Going On” album, Marvin Gaye released this soundtrack to the blaxploitation film of the same name. Gaye wrote all the tunes, including “Poor Abbey Walsh,” “Cleo’s Apartment,” and “Life Is a Gamble,” but the title track may have been among his best. This more-contemporary album, a marked departure from Gaye’s politically charged release of the previous year, would become the soul icon’s only soundtrack and film score.
The Harder They Come (1972)
The soundtrack to this Jamaican crime drama starring reggae star Jimmy Cliff, along with the emergence of superstar Bob Marley, introduced reggae music to a global audience. Only the title track was recorded by Cliff specifically for the soundtrack, which also includes three earlier Cliff songs. The remainder of the album is a compilation of singles released in Jamaica from 1967 through 1972 by artists like the Melodians, the Slickers, and DJ Scotty, as well as seminal early reggae stars Desmond Dekker and Toots & the Maytals.
Cooley High (1975)
The movie, starring Glynn Turman and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, tells the tale of a group of friends from the South Side of Chicago who get into trouble—and is considered the black “American Graffiti.” The soundtrack is a classic, as well, featuring songs by the Temptations, Mary Wells, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, the Supremes, and other Motown acts. One of the most memorable songs, “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday,” only charted at 38 on the Billboard singles chart in 1975 but hit number two when it was covered by R&B group Boyz II Men in 1991.
Car Wash (1976)
This debut album by R&B band Rose Royce included songs like “I Wanna Get Next to You,” “I’m Going Down,” and the title track, which was a number-one single on the Billboard pop chart. The album, produced by Motown legend Norman Whitfield (who created numerous hits for Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and the Temptations), won the 1977 Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album.
Purple Rain (1984)
This is regarded not only as one of the best soundtracks of all time but also among the best albums in music history. It was ranked the 15th greatest album of all time by Time magazine in 1993 and placed 18th on VH1’s Greatest Rock and Roll Albums of All Time. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it the second-best album of the 1980s and 76th on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2012, “Purple Rain”—which has sold more than 20 million copies—was added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry list of sound recordings that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically important.”
Do the Right Thing (1989)
Any number of director Spike Lee’s soundtracks could have made the list—in fact, two are in our top 15 and another two are among our honorable mentions—but this one features “Fight the Power,” which became a global anthem and helped propel the socially conscious, sometimes controversial hip-hop pioneers Public Enemy into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For the record, R&B group Guy, go-go band E.U., and reggae performers Steel Pulse also contributed to the soundtrack.
New Jack City (1991)
Definitely a new jack soundtrack, this album, was arranged by the king of new jack swing, Teddy Riley, who also served as a producer on the film. This Mario Van Peebles–directed cult classic about crime in the big city, starring Wesley Snipes as drug lord Nino Brown and Chris Rock as crack fiend Pookie, was backed up by a score that featured music from a broad range of then-popular artists: Ice-T, Color Me Badd, Guy, Keith Sweat, 2 Live Crew, Queen Latifah, Christopher Williams, and others.
Deep Cover (1992)
The title track of this film introduced 17-time Grammy nominee Snoop Dogg, collaborating with music superproducer Dr. Dre in his solo debut after his departure from recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees N.W.A. The rest of album—a mix of hip-hop, R&B, and reggae (courtesy of Shabba Ranks)—serves as the backdrop for this Bill Duke–directed film starring Jeff Goldblum and Laurence Fishburne in the role of an undercover cop who moonlighting as a rising drug lord whose life is slowly blurring out of control.
Malcolm X (1992)
Lee, making his second appearance on the list, wrote in the album’s liner notes, “Many of the artists on this project were friends of Detroit Red/Malcolm Little. Malcolm loved to dance and to be around the music. We have attempted to re-create that music, that sound—the distinct sound of the African-American experience.” Lee also continued, “The songs gathered here … all in some way reflect what it means to live, breathe, die, and love as the descendants of slaves.” Terrance Blanchard produced the film’s score, and the diverse soundtrack featured notables like John Coltrane, Arrested Development, Lionel Hampton, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and Duke Ellington.
Dead Presidents (1995)
This soundtrack made up of 1970s R&B, funk, and soul tunes was so nice it had to be released twice. The first one was quite successful—reaching number 14 on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts—so Capitol Records released a second volume the following year. Tracks include “If You Want Me to Stay” by Sly & The Family Stone, “The Payback” by James Brown, “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” by Aretha Franklin, and “Tired of Being Alone” by Al Green, as well as tunes by the O’Jays and Issac Hayes.
Waiting to Exhale (1995)
This seven-times-platinum soundtrack featuring some of the biggest names in the industry at the time—Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, TLC, Brandy, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Faith Evans, Patti LaBelle, and Mary J. Blige—remained at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart for five weeks and the Top R&B Albums chart for 10 weeks. The only question was which artist would go to number one. That would be Houston, with “Exhale (Shoop Shoop),” and Braxton with “Let It Flow.” Brandy’s “Sittin’ Up in My Room,” Blige’s “Not Gon’ Cry,” and the Houston-and–Cece Winans duet “Count on Me” all made the Top 10. Even more impressive, all of the songs, except “My Funny Valentine,” were written and produced by megaproducer Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds.
Love Jones (1997)
One of the more underrated music soundtracks, this album features spoken-word poetry by actor Larenz Tate plus music by Dionne Farris (“Hopeless”), the Fugees featuring Lauryn Hill (“Sweetest Thing”), and ’90s soul stars Maxwell, Groove Theory, and Xscape. It even includes some classics from Duke Ellington and John Coltrane.
The Best Man (1999)
This movie features just about every member of the ’90s “black pack”—Taye Diggs, Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, Terrence Howard, and Sanaa Lathan. And the soundtrack features songs by equally popular ’90s R&B artists: Jaguar Wright, Kenny Lattimore, Maxwell, and Faith Evans. It also includes music from the legendary Roots crew, as well as a duet with Lauryn Hill and the late, great Bob Marley.
Curious about our honorable mentions—including Boomerang, The Bodyguard and Soul Food? Visit www.birminghamtimes.com
Sources: Madamnoire.com; Thegrio.com. filmgordon.wordpress.com; theboombox.com; en.wikipedia.org.
