What is the best movie soundtrack ever, based on the music as a stand alone piece and/or how appropriate it was for the film, without regard to the quality of the film itself?
Off the top of my pointed head I can’t think of anything the beats The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
Star Trek III: The Search For Spock
Reservoir Dogs, Star Wars: A New Hope, to name a couple
‘Singles’ soundtrack. The movie, not so much.
Apocalypse Now. The use of The Doors “The End” in the helicopter/hotel ceiling fan scene, Wagners “Ride of the Valkeries” in the attack scene and more.
I like “The Big Lebowski” soundtrack: The Man in Me by Dylan, numerous CCR (“Did you find my Credence tape?”), Just Dropped In… by the First Edition, The Rolling Stones “Dead Flowers”…
Dazed and confused
The Wall
Can’t believe I didn’t think of that. It certainly hits the “appropriate for the film” test.
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
The Lord of the Rings
Anything John Williams especially Empire Strikes Back, Raiders and Superman.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Boogie Nights
The LoTR Trilogy
Oh Brother Where art Though?
another vote for Guardians Of The Galaxy
a long time ago I would have said Footloose, Purple Rain, and Saturday Night Fever
I meant to include the qualifier of soundtracks that had an original score written specifically for the film. Would you listen to your suggested best just as a work of music, driving in your vehicle or sitting in your easy chair reading a homebrew magazine?
Yes, and have.
If you are talking was ONLY a soundtrack written for a movie then you won’t be left with much since most have a song or two written for it and the rest is from elsewhere. If it had to be one performed for a movie then I’ll take When Harry Met Sally as I have played that CD many, many times over the years.
Take The Wall for instance. The album was 1979 and the movie was 1982.
The Big Chill. I love that Motown.
Goodfellas and Casino.
I can appreciate movie scores, but I’m not going to listen to them for entertainment.
Same here. I misunderstood the criteria.