The 10 Best Movie Soundtracks Of All Time, Ranked

So what exactly is the difference between a movie score and a movie soundtrack? For the uninitiated, it's actually pretty simple. The score is an original composition of some kind by, well, a composer; scores can also range from the traditional swelling orchestra heard in "Jurassic Park" to the thumping electronic beats heard in "Challengers." A soundtrack, on the other hand, is basically a mix tape. Sometimes the songs are chosen without any original contributions, and sometimes artists whip up a special song just for a particular project (the "James Bond" franchise, which features a different tune typically named for each film, is a perfect example; think of Adele's Oscar-winning ditty "Skyfall"). So which soundtracks reign supreme?

There are, obviously, countless great movie soundtracks out there, but one major factor among our choices was this: how important is the soundtrack to the movie's narrative? Frequently, songs that win best original song at the Academy Awards play over the end credits of the film and aren't used during the actual story, but throughout these examples, you'll see how when a soundtrack deeply informs a film, it makes the entire experience that much fuller. Here are ten of the best movie soundtracks of all time, ranked.

The wild thing about "Barbie The Album" is that it's almost entirely constructed of songs written for Greta Gerwig's bubblegum-pink take on the famous Mattel doll, rather than a collection of songs that just work with the material. Still, that's just one factor that makes "Barbie" so great. Led by Margot Robbie — who also helped develop the project and worked closely with Gerwig as an executive producer — this movie gives emotional journeys to both Robbie's perfect, pretty Stereotypical Barbie and her paramour, the apparent king of the Kens (played by a particularly excellent Ryan Gosling). After Barbie starts experiencing jarring symptoms like "thoughts of death" and "flat feet," she heads to the "real world" to figure out why ... and in her absence, Ken takes over Barbie Land and turns it into the dumbest patriarchy of all time.

Where do we even begin with the original songs on the "Barbie" soundtrack? Dua Lipa's "Dance the Night" is a total bop and plays over the movie's big dance sequence. "Pink" by Lizzo helps underscore Barbie's perfect days and her not-so-perfect ones. Before "brat summer," Charli XCX contributed the song "Speed Drive," which the movie uses during a huge dance sequence, and Nicki Minaj's collaboration with Ice Spice, a new twist on Aqua's "Barbie World," bumps over the end credits. Billie Eilish's wistful ballad "What Was I Made For?" soundtracks Barbie's big emotional breakthrough, and Ken's hysterical, masterful solo number "I'm Just Ken" is performed as a dream ballet inspired by classic films like "Singin' in the Rain" and "The Red Shoes." The soundtrack to "Barbie" isn't just a great listen; it's a vital part of the film itself.

Zach Braff's 2004 film "Garden State" is a little too earnest and, frankly, up its own butt, which means it's usually a punchline instead of a well-respected movie — between Natalie Portman's manic pixie dream girl Sam and the perhaps overly dramatic journey of its main character Andrew (Braff), a struggling actor who heads back to his home state of New Jersey after the death of his mother. To be fair, "Garden State" is not a bad movie, even if it's a smidge overwrought and maudlin. Its soundtrack, though, is unimpeachably great. 

That's not hyperbole; the "Garden State" soundtrack literally won a Grammy for best compilation soundtrack album. That's precisely why the "Garden State" soundtrack is one of the very best movie soundtracks ever put together; thanks to Braff, it's not just a gloriously good mixtape, but essential to the movie itself. Even though the scene is irksome, the moment where Sam forces headphones onto Andrew's head so he can listen to The Shins' song "New Slang" is pivotal, and also, that song rules. Between "In the Waiting Line" by Zero 7, "The Only Living Boy in New York" by Simon & Garfunkel, and "Let Go" by Frou Frou — the last of which soundtracks the movie's romantic conclusion — the "Garden State" soundtrack is emo and of its time. It's also perfect.

A lot of movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have great soundtracks — "Black Panther" almost made this list — but the soundtrack for "Guardians of the Galaxy," released in 2014, comes out on top. Throughout the movie, we watch as human and scavenger Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), who styles himself as "Star-Lord," steals a super-powerful artifact and joins forces with Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper), Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), and a talking tree named Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), forming a group that goes on to appear throughout the MCU. The soundtrack, though? That's one of the things that makes this movie so special.

Technically titled "Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1," this soundtrack kicks off with "Hooked on a Feeling" by Blue Swede — although the movie itself uses "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone as its first track — and cruises through "I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5, "Cherry Bomb" by Joan Jett, and "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" by Rupert Holmes, all of which factor into the plot. As a child, Peter's late mom gave him a cassette tape with all these songs on Earth before he was kidnapped by aliens, so not only is the soundtrack a fun ride, it's meaningful. The soundtracks for all the "Guardians of the Galaxy" films are great, but the first one takes the cake.

It makes sense that a movie focused on music journalism would have a killer soundtrack, which is precisely how "Almost Famous" made its way onto the list. Directed and written by Cameron Crowe and released in 2000, the movie is a semi-autobiographical story of Crowe's experience as a teenage writer for the renowned music publication Rolling Stone; in the film, Crowe is represented by Patrick Fugit's William Miller. As William gets his start, he ends up on the road with a fictional band named Stillwater and ends up falling in love with one of its groupies, Penny Lane (Kate Hudson, who earned an Oscar nomination for her role) and seeing the dark side of rock 'n roll and the fame that comes with it.

Another Grammy winner for best compilation soundtrack album, the "Almost Famous" soundtrack features classic songs by classic artists like "Sparks" by The Who, "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John, and "The Wind" by Cat Stevens alongside songs "by" Stillwater. "Almost Famous" is a hall-of-fame movie about music, so of course it has one of the best movie soundtracks of all time.

Director Sofia Coppola is known for putting together top-notch soundtracks, and her soundtrack for 2006's anachronistic biopic "Marie Antoinette" is no exception. With Kirsten Dunst in the lead role of Marie, the youngest daughter of the Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa of Austria (music legend Marianne Faithfull) who's married off to Jason Schwartzman's hapless Louis XIV to broker peace between Austria and France, the movie is half joyful romp through Marie's days of excess in Paris and at Versailles and half a searing, serious look at a young woman who was in way over her head (and famously lost it to the guillotine as a result).

Produced by Brian Reitzell, the "Marie Antoinette" soundtrack definitely leans into the "indie sleaze" trend that dominated the 2000s, mixing tracks like "What Ever Happened?" by The Strokes with '80s classics like "Plainsong" by The Cure and classical pieces like "Les barricades mystérieuses" by François Couperin. Somehow, this all comes together perfectly, and the songs that feature in the movie's narrative improve it rather than serving as some sort of distraction. Marie Antoinette may have never said "let them eat cake," but this soundtrack is an absolute treat.

Obviously, "The Graduate" is on this list. Mike Nichols' 1967 masterpiece stars Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddock, the titular recent graduate who's feeling aimless after matriculating from college and is seduced by his older neighbor Mrs. Robinson, played by Anne Bancroft. When Benjamin strikes up an unexpected connection with Elaine Robinson (Katharine Ross), the woman's daughter, he's caught between the two, culminating in the famous scene where Elaine and Benjamin run away together only to grapple with the ramifications of their massive decision.

The use of Simon and Garfunkel's classic song "The Sound of Silence" in the film's deeper emotional moments is famous all by itself — it's even been parodied on shows like "Arrested Development" over the years — and the duo have a handful of phenomenal songs on the soundtrack for "The Graduate," including "April Come She Will," "Scarborough Fair," and, of course, "Mrs. Robinson," which was a draft of a song that Simon ultimately finished specifically for the film. "The Graduate" is one of the best movies ever made, and it happens to have a soundtrack to match its excellence.

Like "Almost Famous," "High Fidelity" is a movie that's literally about loving music, so it shouldn't surprise anyone that it ranks so high on this list. Based on Nicholas Hornsby's novel of the same name and directed by Stephen Frears, "High Fidelity" focuses on record store manager Rob Gordon (John Cusack), who spends his time hanging out at Championship Vinyl with his friends Dick (Todd Louiso) and Barry (Jack Black) — but after Rob's serious girlfriend Laura (Iben Hjejle) dumps him, he starts thinking about his worst-ever breakups (in list format, of course). Rob and Laura's relationship journey isn't quite over, but let's turn our attention to the soundtrack, which ultimately plays a huge role in the film itself.

Between "Crocodile Rock" by Elton John, "I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Wow, "Baby Got Going" by Liz Phair, "Who Loves the Sun" by The Velvet Underground, and "We Are the Champions" by Queen, the soundtrack for "High Fidelity" is an audiophile's dream. Grab your best pair of headphones, get them connected to a record player, and listen for yourself. (Sadly, Hulu's 2020 TV adaptation of the movie, which starred Zoë Kravitz as a female Rob, was canceled after one too-short season.)

2001's "Moulin Rouge!" — Baz Luhrmann's frantic, chaotic, and emotionally resonant take on "La bohème" — 2001's is an odd entry for this list solely because the songs are mostly covers performed by the actors (if you've ever heard of a "jukebox musical," this is a perfect example). The film stars Ewan McGregor as Christian, an idealistic and naïve young writer who heads to Montmartre — a district in Paris that was once its own commune — to find inspiration. He does as soon as he meets Satine (a stunning Nicole Kidman), the "sparkling diamond" of the famous dance hall and brothel — the titular Moulin Rouge, which still stands just below the hill that leads up to Montmartre in Paris to this day. Christian is immediately smitten, but Satine mistakes him for a wealthy duke who will finance the bordello's transformation into a "legitimate" theater; despite advances from the real Duke (Richard Roxburgh at his slimiest), Satine and Christian fall in love, even as she battles an ultimately fatal case of consumption.

McGregor, Kidman, and their co-stars — including John Leguizamo and Jim Broadbent — take on a number of covers, including Elton John's "Your Song," a mashup of "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "Material Girl" by Madonna, "Roxanne" by Sting, and a massive mashup titled the "Elephant Love Medley" that combines everything from "All You Need Is Love" by The Beatles to "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton. (One of the highlights, though, is Broadbent and Roxburgh's absolutely manic performance of "Like a Virgin," also by Madonna.) Between original songs like "Come What May," original performances from singers like Rufus Wainwright (who sings a ditty called "Complainte de la Butte"), and the central cast's strong takes on beloved songs, the "Moulin Rouge!" soundtrack is a classic for a reason.

If we didn't include Prince's magnum opus "Purple Rain" on this list, it's safe to say readers would be out for blood — and they'd be right. Prince always wanted to star in a film and did so thanks to this 1984 movie directed by Albert Magnoli, which tells the story of The Kid (Prince), a rising star who struggles to keep his personal demons at bay while trying to face off against his creative nemesis Morris Day (who plays a version of himself). The movie is ... sort of all over the place. The soundtrack is literally "Purple Rain," regarded by many as one of the best albums in music history.

What is there left to say about "Purple Rain" (the album, not the movie)? The title track is magnificent. "When Doves Cry" is a modern classic. "Darling Nikki" was deemed so lewd that it made Tipper Gore mad. Every song on this album is unforgettable ... even if the movie sort of is on the forgettable side.

Go ahead and try to imagine the opening scene of "Pulp Fiction" without Dick Dale's interpretation of "Misirlou" blasting right after thieves Pumpkin and Honey Bunny (Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer) hold a bunch of diner patrons hostage. Now that we've established that you can't, let's talk about Quentin Tarantino's 1994 masterpiece, which ties vignettes together by placing two hitmen, John Travolta's Vincent Vega and Samuel L. Jackson's Jules Winnfield, in said vignettes across various points in time. (The movie is pretty famously told in a non-linear way, jumping back and forth.) Along the way, Vincent and Jules meet characters like Uma Thurman's Mia Wallace (the wife of a famous gangster), Eric Stoltz's Lance (Vincent's bathrobe-donning drug dealer), and Harvey Keitel's "cleaner" Winston Wolfe, letting audiences join the two men on a particularly wild day in Los Angeles.

"Jungle Boogie" by Kool & the Gang. "Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield. "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green. "Surf Rider" by The Lively Ones. All of these songs were given a new life of sorts by "Pulp Fiction," a beloved and award-winning movie than enshrined them in cinematic history. "Pulp Fiction" has the best movie soundtrack, and that's that.