Picturehouse Blog
Featuring exclusive film previews, interviews and much more, this is the place for anyone slightly obsessed with cinema.
Featuring exclusive film previews, interviews and much more, this is the place for anyone slightly obsessed with cinema.
25 Jan 22
Groundbreaking and timeless: Soundtracks have always had an impact on films. It helps elevate the story and create a new perspective on the film. Some of the best soundtracks are from films set in the 80s. The music from this decade is nostalgic with soundtracks such as Purple Rain and Top Gun is listed amongst the best albums of all time. Read on to discover some of the best 80s soundtracks in film.
The phrase 'music is the soundtrack of our lives', is exactly what the soundtrack for The Souvenir Part II is. It guides us through Julie's life as she grieves whilst navigating her life and work in film school. With a mixture of songs from the sombre Sixty/Forty by Nico to the uplifting Back To Life by Soul II Soul, it enhances the story in a very subtle way as the film doesn't particularly linger on the music but reminds us of its importance to the storyline.
The Souvenir Part II is in cinemas from Friday 4 February.
Book tickets now and listen to the soundtrack here.
A tense film with star-studded performances from Jude Law and Carrie Coon, The Nest uses music to embody the 80s. From power ballads such as These Dreams by Heart to upbeat songs Don't Leave Me This Way from The Communards, the songs are standouts in the film and perfectly incorporate the emotion from the characters in pivotal moments.
The Nest is out now on DVD, Blu-Ray & Digital.
Listen to the soundtrack here.
Apart from having the most iconic lines of film history 'I feel the need, the need for speed', it also has one of the most standout soundtracks of all time. Top Gun has the ultimate action playlist. Although there are a few ballads in the soundtrack such as the Oscar-winning song, Take My Breath Away by Berlin, the majority of the songs are the epiphany of 80s classic rock with Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins. It depicts the adrenaline and intensity of the film in the best way possible.
Listen to the Top Gun soundtrack here.
With stellar performances and a great story, The Breakfast Club wouldn't be what it is today without its incredible soundtrack. It perfectly captures the anxiety, joy and pressure that teenagers have. It created a voice for young people when they felt that they didn't have any. It also shows that even though the characters are in different cliques, they are similar and you never know what people are like until you meet them. With songs such as We are Not Alone by Karla Devito (played during the detention dance scene) and Don't You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds (played during the iconic scene where Bender puts his fist up in the air), The Breakfast Club has gained momentum as one of the most iconic coming of age films to come out of the 80s.
Listen to The Breakfast Club soundtrack here.
Another popular film about teenagers, Pretty in Pink focuses on young love and social cliques during the 80s and the soundtrack helps elevate this. Right off the bat, the songs express the emotions that the main character Andie (played by The Breakfast Club's Molly Ringwald) has, making the soundtrack feel like a diary. The film uses post-punk music to help tell the story with the song, Pretty in Pink by The Psychedelic Furs is the main driving force for the film's sound. Without this song, we wouldn't have got something like Left of Center by Suzanne Vega which is a song that is used in the film to show that the main character is out of the shadows because of her unpopularity and she has a crush on someone who is the spotlight (the rich, popular kid Blane played by Andrew McCarthy). It is truly one of the best soundtracks of the 80s.
Listen to the Pretty In Pink soundtrack here.
