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  • 10/9/2023
That's our jam! For this list, we’ll be looking at soundtracks not just for the songs
themselves, but for the way the songs are used in the movie.

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Transcript
00:00 "We're the kids in America, everybody knows."
00:04 "Okay, you're probably going, 'Is this like an Oxima commercial or what?'"
00:07 Welcome to Ms Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 times soundtracks
00:13 unexpectedly slapped. "Clear to Loon is great."
00:16 For this list, we'll be looking at soundtracks not just for the songs themselves,
00:21 but for the way the songs are used in the movie.
00:24 To be clear, we're not including musicals or film scores, strictly soundtracks.
00:30 Did we miss your favorite movie soundtrack? Sound off in the comments.
00:34 Number 10. Lady Bird. We're pretty adamant that this list is about soundtracks and not scores,
00:42 but if we made a list about movie scores, this one would likely make the cut.
00:53 It's just an amazing score, but we're here to tell you that the soundtrack is just as awesome,
00:59 if not more so. "Everybody says don't, everybody says don't,
01:02 everybody says don't, it isn't right, don't, it isn't nice. Everybody says don't,
01:08 everybody says don't, everybody says don't walk on the grass."
01:11 With there being a musical inside the movie, the soundtrack is loaded up with several songs by the
01:16 legendary Stephen Sondheim. And if that isn't epic enough, you've got a very eclectic combination of
01:22 sound, courtesy of Alanis Morissette, Real Big Fish, The Dave Matthews Band, and more.
01:28 Number 9. Twilight. Whether you loved this movie or hated it,
01:39 there is no denying that its soundtrack is pretty killer.
01:50 It even won Favorite Soundtrack at the American Music Awards in 2009.
01:54 Well, with bands like Paramore, Linkin Park, and Muse, it's no surprise.
01:58 Talk about genius soundtracks. This movie picked songs that not only suited the overall tone of
02:13 the film, but were also by bands that were super popular at the time.
02:19 "You know everybody's staring."
02:20 "Not that guy, no. No, he just looked."
02:28 And fun fact, the iron and wine cut used in the movie was chosen by Christian Stewart,
02:34 Bella Swan herself.
02:35 Number 8. Black Panther. Pretty much everything about this movie is beyond epic,
02:42 so we expected nothing less from the soundtrack.
02:45 "I'm always ready for a war again. Go down that road again. Into the sand."
02:53 Director Ryan Coogler asked artist Kendrick Lamar to produce a few songs for the movie,
02:58 but Lamar won up to that request by writing a full album.
03:02 Lamar also collaborated with the film's score composer, Ludwig Gorrison,
03:07 who had actually travelled to Africa and recorded music to use in his compositions.
03:13 "Sing it! Sing it! Sing it! Sing it!"
03:21 According to Lamar, he had created a soundtrack that worked on its own,
03:24 rather than simply as an extension of the movie.
03:27 We have to agree. Upon release, the soundtrack was adored by both critics and audiences.
03:32 The song "King's Dead" even won a Grammy.
03:34 "I bought a '87 for the weekend. This ain't what you want, this ain't what you want."
03:40 Number 7. 10 Things I Hate About You
03:43 You got classics like Joan Jett's Bad Reputation, Salt-N-Pepa's Push It,
03:48 One Week by the Bare Naked Ladies, and of course, Hypnotized by Biggie himself.
03:52 "Come on, let's go!"
03:53 With these bolstering the already awesome narrative,
04:03 it's no wonder this movie has earned cult classic status.
04:07 That scene where Patrick sings "Can't Take My Eyes Off You"
04:10 to Kat in front of the whole school is nothing short of legendary.
04:14 And don't forget the cover of Cheap Tricks, I Want You To Want Me by Letters To Cleo.
04:30 "I want you to want me. I need you to need me."
04:37 It's the perfect ending to an already stellar movie.
04:42 Number 6. Romeo and Juliet
04:45 "To turn your household rancor to pure love."
04:57 Although all the dialogue is still in Shakespearean pentameter,
05:01 Baz Luhrmann took many liberties to modernize one of the most famous tragedies of all time.
05:06 The characters have guns and cars and so forth,
05:08 but one of the most important of those liberties is the use of music.
05:12 The music used to tell the story is out of time with the setting of the movie.
05:27 Bands like Garbage and Radiohead definitely didn't exist back in Shakespeare's time,
05:31 but they definitely enhanced this version of the groundbreaking love story.
05:35 Number 5. Shrek
05:46 Whenever people think of Shrek, they still think about that smash mouth song
05:50 All Star from the opening sequence, or hearing the song reminds them of Shrek.
05:54 "Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me. I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed."
06:02 The two things are practically synonymous. The song is perfect for Shrek's introduction,
06:08 and what about that awesome WWE-style fight scene to Joan Jett's bad reputation?
06:20 Nothing short of iconic. And we can't forget Hallelujah. It is simultaneously sad and
06:26 uplifting during the montage showing our heroes separated. Every song in this movie is not only
06:32 good on its own, but serves a specific purpose in the storytelling. You can't ask for anything
06:37 more from a soundtrack. And by the way, the sequel soundtrack totally holds up.
06:42 "I need a hero! Alright big fella, let's crash this party!"
06:50 Number 4. Holes
06:53 We could probably just throw out Dig It, written and performed by the D-Tent boys
06:58 themselves, and drop the mic and walk away right there.
07:01 "Got my shovel, shoes full of sand, check out the track, the name is Caveman."
07:06 But every single song in this movie not only perfectly accents the scenes they are in,
07:11 but in fact enhances them. Dig It was born of the actors just goofing around on the bus on the way
07:16 to set, and became an anthem for the movie. How cool is that? That montage showing Kissin' Kate
07:22 Barlow's descent from schoolteacher to bank robber is incredibly accompanied by TK.
07:27 And you remember the "If Only" song from the book?
07:39 "If only, if only, the woodpecker sighed."
07:42 "Please don't sing that song."
07:43 "The bark on the tree was as soft as the sky."
07:47 "I'm out of my table."
07:48 Also accounted for on the soundtrack. Incredible.
07:52 Number 3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
07:55 The music in this movie is practically a character of its own. The soundtrack isn't
08:00 background music designed to direct the viewing audience to feel a certain way,
08:03 it is the soundtrack to the characters' lives.
08:06 "Deep in the cell of my heart, I will feel so glad to go."
08:14 The music unites all of our heroes. Speaking of heroes, the song of the same name by David Bowie
08:22 is emblematic of Sam, Patrick and Charlie's feelings of infinity when they fly through
08:26 the tunnel in one of the film's most memorable scenes.
08:29 "Oh, we can be heroes, just for one day."
08:35 The dance sequence where they all move to "Come on Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners
08:41 is so much fun and brilliantly edited to show not only Sam and Patrick's carefree nature,
08:46 but also Charlie's shyness. And of course, we can't forget the epic Rocky horror scene.
08:52 "Give yourself over to absolute pleasure. Swim the warm waters of Synth of the flesh."
09:05 Number 2. Tarzan
09:08 Although the songs are all original and specifically written for this movie,
09:21 unlike many similar Disney movies, the characters only sometimes sing the songs in lieu of their
09:26 dialogue. So this is technically not a musical. Phil Collins is an award-winning music legend,
09:32 so you'd expect these songs to be good. But wow, did he put his all into it.
09:38 "I wanna know, can you show me? I wanna know what the strangers think."
09:46 He even won a Grammy for this soundtrack, with songs like "Strangers Like Me" and
09:51 "You'll Be in My Heart." It's no surprise he won.
09:53 "Yes, you'll be in my heart. From this day on, now and forever more."
10:05 There's a joke among fans of this movie that goes that Phil Collins didn't need to go as
10:10 hard as he did on this soundtrack. But we're glad he did. Before we unveil our top pick,
10:15 here are a few honorable mentions. Cheaper by the dozen, too. There's something in here for
10:20 the whole family. "Hey, hey, what if we sing a camp song, huh? Okay, sounds good."
10:26 "There once was a man named Michael Finnegan, he had some whiskers on his chin again. The
10:31 wind blew them off and they blew in again. Poor old Michael Finnegan, beginning again."
10:35 Clueless. Classic 90s tunes for a classic 90s movie.
10:39 "We got a lot of people crying and crying about it. There's a lot of stuff to write about.
10:43 You're mine and you're the one. I don't wanna think about it. I'm counting on you.
10:48 Don't let me down. You're the best of my..."
10:51 Guardians of the Galaxy. They call it the awesome mix for a reason.
10:55 "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Breathe this baby 'cause you're fine and you're mine and you
11:03 look so divine. Darling, get your love."
11:09 Licorice Pizza. The pizza may be an acquired taste, but not the soundtrack.
11:14 "My heart is like a wheel. Let me roll it. Let me roll it for you."
11:26 Begin Again. From the guy who gave us Once.
11:34 "Long as I know I have love, I can make it. For once in my life, I have someone who needs me."
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11:59 Number 1. The One. It's rare to find such a hardcore soundtrack for any movie.
12:04 Most tend to use more universally-like genres and styles, or recent pop hits to appeal to larger
12:17 audiences. But every single song on this soundtrack seems to have been chosen specifically to enhance
12:23 the scene that it is a part of. When Down With The Sickness kicks in, it's not just some new
12:28 song added in arbitrarily. It is woven into the scene to enhance its intensity. It's not just
12:43 that the songs themselves are great songs, it's the way they are used in the movie that
12:46 makes this soundtrack so excellent. It is criminal that no CD was ever released.
13:03 Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms Mojo,
13:07 and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.