20 scene-stealing movie soundtracks we still can't stop listening to

Tatler Asia

07-05-2025

2. 'Pulp Fiction' (1994)
Tarantino's mastery of the needle drop began here. The blend of surf rock, soul and funk isn't just cool, it's context. Dick Dale's 'Misirlou' launches the film with a jolt, while 'Son of a Preacher Man' turns an ordinary moment into slow-burn seduction. Few movie soundtracks have done more to revitalise forgotten genres and influence countless imitators. 3. 'Baby Driver' (2017)
Every gunshot, gear shift and glance is choreographed to a meticulously timed beat. Edgar Wright turns the soundtrack into the script's secret weapon. From Jon Spencer Blues Explosion to Queen, the tracks are so central they demand a starring credit. This is a film built from the bottom up on rhythm. 4. 'Trainspotting' (1996)
The Britpop-laced soundtrack gave Trainspotting a voice as frantic and volatile as its characters. From the frenetic energy of Iggy Pop's 'Lust for Life' to Underworld's pulsing 'Born Slippy .NUXX', it's a jarring and euphoric mixtape of '90s excess. It didn't just reflect youth culture, it helped shape it. 5. 'Saturday Night Fever' (1977)
John Travolta's strut may be iconic, but it's the Bee Gees' falsetto that made the image endure. Released as disco waned, the soundtrack reignited the genre and sold over 40 million copies. Tracks like 'Stayin' Alive' do more than accompany scenes. They anchor the film's mythos. 6. 'Purple Rain' (1984)
Prince's fingerprints are all over this hybrid of rock opera and star vehicle. As both protagonist and composer, he collapses the boundary between film and music. 'When Doves Cry' and 'Let's Go Crazy' don't illustrate the character's inner life. They are the inner life. One of the rare movie soundtracks where every track feels indispensable. 7. 'Heat' (1995)
Michael Mann's crime saga is remembered for its visual cool, but its ambient, brooding score is equally essential. Moby's 'God Moving Over the Face of the Waters' underscores the final sequence with haunting inevitability, while Brian Eno's textures add emotional resonance where words would falter. This is musical minimalism with maximum effect. 8. 'Kill Bill Vol. 1' (2003)
A globe-spanning, genre-blending odyssey, this soundtrack darts from Spaghetti Western to Japanese rock to classic soul. Tarantino treats music like editing—sharp, deliberate, full of impact. It's not cohesive, but that's the point. Every track adds swagger, suspense or style to a story already dripping with all three. 9. 'Romeo + Juliet' (1996)
Baz Luhrmann's reworking of Shakespeare's tragedy is a sensory overload, and the soundtrack matches the film's audacity. Radiohead's brooding melancholy, The Cardigans' vulnerable charm and Garbage's '90s angst reflect the emotional extremes of adolescent love. For many, this was the gateway drug to modern movie soundtracks. 10. 'The Social Network' (2010)
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross created a score that feels algorithmic in the best way—cold, pulsing, clinical. It's not your standard orchestral backdrop. The music mimics the characters: brilliant, alienating and increasingly detached. A rare example of a score that critiques its subject as much as it supports it. 11. 'Dazed and Confused' (1993)
The film is plot-light but vibe-heavy, and the soundtrack mirrors that loose structure. Aerosmith, Black Sabbath and ZZ Top function like background noise to a long, hazy summer evening. These tracks don't just accompany the characters. They are the characters. In this film, the music carries more narrative weight than dialogue. 12. 'Lost in Translation' (2003)
Sofia Coppola's soundtracking style is all about mood, and here she nails it. Air's synth haze, Phoenix's dream-pop and Kevin Shields' feedback blur into a melancholic fugue. It mirrors the loneliness of a jet-lagged Tokyo night, creating one of the most emotionally precise movie soundtracks in modern cinema. 13. 'Call Me By Your Name' (2017)
This soundtrack is a masterclass in restraint. Rather than overwhelming the tender story, it enhances it. Sufjan Stevens' hushed laments blend seamlessly with '80s pop and Italian classics. There's no ironic detachment, only emotional sincerity. Every song feels hand-selected to echo the ache of first love. 14. 'Drive' (2011)
More mood than movie, this is the sound of retro-futurism. Kavinsky's 'Nightcall' and College's 'A Real Hero' introduced synthwave to a wider audience, creating a sonic identity now synonymous with stylised masculinity. Few movie soundtracks have launched a subgenre. This one did. 15. 'Garden State' (2004)
At the time, Zach Braff's hand-curated mix felt revolutionary—an emotional cheat code for millennials in quarter-life crises. With The Shins, Iron & Wine and Zero 7, it signalled a shift in how indie films used music. The soundtrack doesn't just support the film. It shapes the viewer's memory of it. 16. 'Juno' (2007)
Offbeat but never grating, the lo-fi sound of Kimya Dawson, paired with Belle and Sebastian and Cat Power, lends the film its conversational, oddball tone. It's the rare teen film that doesn't rely on nostalgia or bombast. Instead, its quiet confidence lets the music speak softly and carry a smart quip. 17. 'Almost Famous' (2000)
It's not just the presence of '70s rock staples. It's how Cameron Crowe uses them. The 'Tiny Dancer' bus scene is less a sing-along and more a group confession. Songs are more than just background additions, but emotional cues, articulating what the characters can't. Almost Famous ' soundtrack exhibits narrative intelligence, igniting feelings beyond the script or the scene. 18. 'The Lion King' (1994)
Few animated films commit to sonic world-building quite like this. Zimmer's score brings weight, while Elton John's ballads add heart. 'Circle of Life' is operatic. 'Hakuna Matata' is pure characterisation. Both became cultural artefacts. This is more than Disney—it's a musical legacy. 19. 'Pretty in Pink' (1986)
As quintessential to '80s teen cinema as its fashion and angst, this John Hughes favourite rides on a soundtrack rich in new wave and alternative gems. From Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's titular ballad to The Psychedelic Furs and Echo & the Bunnymen, the songs define the social dynamics and aching yearning of its characters. 20. 'Titanic' (1997)
James Horner's score carries much of the emotional burden, more so than the dialogue. And while Celine Dion's ballad became a global anthem, it's the orchestral undercurrent that holds the film together. Without it, the melodrama might capsize.
In cinema, dialogue may tell the story. But music often gives it meaning. These 20 movie soundtracks didn't just enhance their films. They transcended them. Whether through pulsing synths, nostalgic needle drops or ambient scores, each proved that what you hear can be more powerful than what you see.