Great movies and great soundtracks don’t always go hand in hand. Sometimes, a killer score enhances an already solid film — think Pulp Fiction or Trainspotting. But other times, the music does the heavy lifting, giving an otherwise forgettable movie a reason to stick around. This list is for the latter. These seven films might not have wowed critics or audiences, but their soundtracks? Total classics.
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And now, let’s kick off our list!
1. Tron: Legacy (2010)
Directed by Joseph Kosinski and starring Garrett Hedlund and Jeff Bridges, Tron: Legacy was a visual feast with groundbreaking CGI—but a thin plot left it feeling hollow. The saving grace? Daft Punk’s soundtrack. Blending lush orchestral swells with cyberpunk beats, tracks like “Derezzed” and “End of Line” turned a cold sequel into a sonic experience. Even critics who panned the film praised the score, which has since become a cult favorite among film music fans.
2. The Crow: City of Angels (1996)
Following the tragic legacy of Brandon Lee’s original, this sequel had high expectations—and fell flat. Vincent Pérez took over the lead role, but the film suffered from messy editing and weak storytelling. The soundtrack, though, punched hard. Featuring tracks by PJ Harvey (“Naked Cousin”), Hole, Filter, and Deftones, it captured the gritty, industrial mood that the movie failed to deliver. Even Iggy Pop shows up—both in the soundtrack and the film itself.
3. Purple Rain (1984)
Directed by Albert Magnoli and starring Prince in his acting debut, Purple Rain is remembered more for its music than its drama. The movie grossed over $70 million in the U.S. alone, but critics called the storyline thin and overly melodramatic. Prince, however, delivered a genre-defining soundtrack with tracks like “When Doves Cry,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” and “I Would Die 4 U.” The album won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score and sold over 25 million copies worldwide.
4. Singles (1992)
Cameron Crowe’s rom-com was a low-key reflection of early ’90s life in Seattle, starring Bridget Fonda, Matt Dillon, and Kyra Sedgwick. The film is charming, but what really gave it legs was its soundtrack—arguably the definitive grunge compilation. Pearl Jam’s “State of Love and Trust,” Soundgarden’s “Birth Ritual,” and Alice in Chains’ “Would?” put the music scene on full display. Many of the featured bands even made cameos.
5. Juno (2007)
Directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody, Juno became a sleeper hit, earning over $230 million on a $7.5 million budget. But its twee dialogue and overly quirky tone didn’t age as gracefully. The soundtrack, however, was a breath of fresh air. Curated with the help of star Ellen Page, it featured lo-fi gems from Kimya Dawson, Belle and Sebastian, The Moldy Peaches, and even Sonic Youth’s dreamy cover of “Superstar.” It topped the Billboard 200 and went platinum.
6. Empire Records (1995)
The movie was a box office flop and critically panned for its lack of focus, but it eventually found cult status. Directed by Allan Moyle and starring Liv Tyler and Renée Zellweger, Empire Records had more heart than plot. What it really had was a killer soundtrack—Gin Blossoms’ “Til I Hear It from You,” Edwyn Collins’ “A Girl Like You,” and The Cranberries’ “Liar” gave it a lasting presence on alt-rock playlists. The film may have been forgettable, but the music still hits.
7. Super Fly (1972)
A landmark in Blaxploitation cinema, Super Fly was directed by Gordon Parks Jr. and starred Ron O’Neal as a cocaine dealer looking for a way out. The film was a hit at the box office, but its lasting legacy comes from Curtis Mayfield’s iconic soundtrack. With tracks like “Freddie’s Dead” and the title song “Super Fly,” the album became one of the few soundtracks to outgross its own movie and remains a landmark of soul and funk.
