Most Iconic Movie Soundtracks of All-Time Based on Streaming Numbers

(Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Do you remember the days when movie soundtracks were often better than the actual movie?

From the 1970s to the 1990s, movie soundtracks often gave films a bigger boost than the actual acting performances, cinematography and storyline.

Sure, some great soundtracks have dropped over the last generation.

But can those new school soundtracks compete with some of those old school classics from back in the day?

Top10Casinos.com recently released a list of the 15 most iconic movie soundtracks of all time based on streaming numbers.

While numbers do not lie, and while RegalMag.com cannot complain about many of the top streaming soundtracks of all time, the online magazine honoring our royal heritage would be remised if we did not mention a few of our favorites.

Some of the best soundtracks, based on the opinion of RegalMag.com writers, that did not make the list include the soundtracks to “The Preacher’s Wife,” “Soul Food,” “Superfly,” “Shaft” and “The Woman in Red.”

1. 1. “A Star is Born”—A person does not have to be a fan of Lady Gaga to recognize her brilliance in “A Star is Born.” However, what might have surprised movie fans was Bradley Cooper’s singing ability. The dynamic duo killed their performance of “Shallow” on the Oscars.
2.  
3. 2. “Black Panther”—Back in the 1970s, the ultimate sign or respect was a film company choosing an artist to curate a soundtrack like “Superfly,” “Shaft” and “Troubled Man.” So when Marvel reached out to Kendrick Lamar to curate the “Black Panther” soundtrack, that was a sure sign of K. Dot’s legendary status. And the Compton, Calif. emcee, with a little help from artists like Anderson .Paak and Jorja Smith, did not disappoint.
4.  
5. 3. “Dazed and Confused”—Next to “Friday,” the most iconic stoner film must be “Dazed and Confused.” And just like “Goodfellas,” (see number 10) the “Dazed and Confused” soundtrack can get summed up with several names. ZZ Top (shout to H-Town). Alice Cooper. War. Lynyrd Skynyrd. Kiss. Black Sabbath. Ted Nugent.
6.  
7. 4. “Saturday Night Fever”—John Travolta and “Saturday Night Fever” are like air and oxygen to 1970s pop culture. Although the movie and soundtrack came out in 1977, songs like “Stayin’ Alive,” “How Deep is Your Love,” “More Than a Woman” and “You Should Be Dancing” by the legendary Bee Gees still jam almost 45 years later.
8.  
9. 5. “Footloose”—It did not matter if you were a hip-hop head or a hardcore rocker, music fans could not escape Kenny Loggins’ classic song “Footloose” in 1984. Additionally, the soundtrack boasted of R&B hits like Deniece Williams’ “Let’s Hear it for the Boy” and Shalamar’s “Dancing in the Sheets.”
10.  
11. 6. “8 Mile”—Eminem has a lot of haters in the hip-hop community. But only a hater would doubt his talents. Furthermore, if a person does not get motivated from the Oscar-winning song “Lose Yourself,” pure “hateration” is in their heart. Approximately 20 years later, Eminem finally got to perform his award-winning song on the Academy Awards stage.
12.  
13. 7. “Dirty Dancing”—The “Dirty Dancing” soundtrack had more than one standout song. But one song is synonymous with “Dirty Dancing” and that is “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. What couple hasn’t tried to dance like the late, great Houstonian Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey? And after “Dirty Dancing” nobody ever tried to put “Baby” in a corner again.
14.  
15. 8. “Pulp Fiction”—Some movies do not need many original songs for the soundtrack to pop. Many of the best soundtracks contain classics from the past, therefore not needing much new material. The “Pulp Fiction” soundtrack includes “Jungle Boogie” by Kool and the Gang, “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green and “Son of a Preacher Man” by Dusty Springfield.
16.  
17. 9. “The Bodyguard”—Back in 1992, movie or music fans could not go too long without hearing about “The Bodyguard.” Whitney Houston’s version of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” dominated the airwaves and charts for months. Houston also released more classics via the soundtrack like “Run to You,” “I Have Nothing,” “I’m Every Woman,” “Queen of the Night” and “Jesus Loves Me.”
18.  
19. 10. “Goodfellas”—The soundtrack of “Goodfellas” only needs a few names to solidify its genius. Muddy Waters. Tony Bennett. Aretha Franklin. Bobby Darin. The Moonglows. Nuff said!
20.  
21. 11. “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”—In 2012, when the movie “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” dropped, one of the best movie soundtracks of all time also dropped. The soundtrack for “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” featured songs like “Heroes” by David Bowie, “Teenage Riot” by Sonic Youth and “Asleep” by The Smiths.
22.  
23. 12. “Help!”—Marvin Gaye had a soundtrack. Prince technically had four. Therefore, it only makes since that The Beatles produced soundtracks as well. One of the best is “The Help!” The 1965 album had hits like the title song, “The Night Before,” “Yesterday” and “I’ve Just Seen a Face.”
24.  
25. 13. “Purple Rain”—Prince and The Revolution’s masterpiece “Purple Rain” should rank higher on this last. As a matter of fact, it should rank first. The soundtrack drove the movie with songs like the title cut, “When Doves Cry,” “The Beautiful Ones,” “Let’s Go Crazy” and “Take Me With U.”
26.  
27. 14. “The Graduate”—A movie cannot go wrong with Dustin Hoffman in the lead role. Furthermore, with Anne Bancroft playing Mrs. Robinson, “The Graduate” became one of the most iconic films about love triangles and forbidden romance. Similarly, a soundtrack cannot go wrong with songs written and produced by Simon and Garfunkel. With songs like “Mrs. Robinson” and “The Sound of Silence,” the soundtrack is just as iconic as the film.
28.  
29. 15. “Clueless”—A sign of a great soundtracks is that it has music from a variety of genres, therefore making it appeal to various fan bases. The soundtrack to “Clueless” includes artists like Beastie Boys, Coolio, Counting Crows and Radiohead.