Movies With The Best Rock Soundtracks
Music has been an integral part of movies, believe it or not, even during the days of silent films. They did this through the use of live musical accompaniment during the screenings. This all changed in 1926. Popular Mechanics details how films such as Don Juan featured a score and sound effects. And while the days of live musical accompaniment ended with the dawn of sound in cinema, the musical scores and soundtracks would remain, if not even be elevated in their importance to the medium as a whole.
Nowadays, soundtracks are as memorable as the movies themselves. They carry with them a distinct character that contributes to the whole tone and theme of the movies that they are a part of. They come in all genres and styles. For example MMMD’s tones are ideal for the horror film Hagazussa – A Heathen’s Curse. Today, we’ll be focusing on one in particular as we take a look at the best rock soundtracks of all time.
The Boat That Rocked
Let’s start this list off with 2009’s The Boat That Rocked. The film follows a band of renegade DJs as they broadcast rock music on the high seas. The film is loosely based on the actual pirate radio stations brought about by the heavy censorship in music back in the 1960s.
Given that this film is about a radio station on the seas, it isn’t surprising that the soundtrack is packed with great songs. It features rock classics such as THE WHO, THE KINKS, THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE, and even David Bowie. While it isn’t a rock song, one of the best moments of the film features the BEACH BOYS‘ Wouldn’t It Be Nice set to the backdrop of a sinking ship.
Real Steel
A sci-fi action movie about the little robot that could, Real Steel takes boxing movie tropes and transposes them into a future where robot boxing exists. The concept was too appealing to be ignored by the gaming industry. After the release of the movie, Real Steel Champions for android had players build robots to compete in similar contests depicted in the film. Even online slots have made references to the iconic movie, with Gala Spins featuring a “Reel Steal” promotion on its site, loosely based on the film. All the interest in the movie resulted in a staggering £256 million at the worldwide box office, which included first-place debuts in 11 countries.
And while the visual effects and great acting get most of the attention, Real Steel was also able to put together an impressive list of artists and tracks to make up their soundtrack. The soundtrack included songs from rock legends like the FOO FIGHTERS, THE BEASTIE BOYS, and even RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE‘s Tom Morello. THE BEASTIE BOYS track Here’s a Little Something For Ya is particularly notable, as the synth sounds resembled robot noises, which helped set the vibe for the whole film.
Guardians of the Galaxy
We can’t talk about great rock soundtracks and not mention the soundtrack for Marvel‘s Guardians of the Galaxy. Released back in 2014, the film follows a motley crew of space misfits composed of Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel) as they get into an unbelievable amount of hijinks due to one infinity stone. And while the superhero stuff was pretty interesting, the music also played a vital role in the plot.
Star-Lord carries around a Walkman loaded with songs from a tape titled ‘Awesome Mix Vol. 1‘. The tape included songs such as BLUE SUEDE‘s Hooked on a Feeling and Red Bone‘s Come and Get Your Love, and were the backdrop to some of the film’s most iconic scenes. The real-life version of the mixtape was immensely popular, and the movie has reinvigorated interest in these old songs. In fact, a version of the mixtape can be found in the official Guardians of the Galaxy game, immortalising the mixtape in the digital space.
