Top 10 Amazing Movie Soundtracks to Terrible Movies
#10: “The Twilight Saga” (2008-12)
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Is there a franchise more fun to hate on than “Twilight?” Between the stilted performances, cringeworthy romance, and oddly characterized vampires, it just seems like this saga was adapted for the sole purpose of earning unintentional laughs. Of course, one thing we certainly can’t scoff at is the incredible collection of music scattered across the series’ five entries. The first alone is a goldmine of 2000s punk pop and alternative rock from the likes of Paramore and Muse. As the franchise evolved into its two-part finale, it would go on to inspire successful hit singles like Bruno Mars’ “It Will Rain” and Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years.” Razzies be damned, that’s got to be worth something, right?
#9: “Blues Brothers 2000” (1998)
Following up a film like “The Blues Brothers” only raises the question of how this sequel was made without the late John Belushi. Indeed, the absence of Jake Blues’ improvisations and impressive vocals are felt throughout his brother, Elwood’s, next mission. It may have been preferable if “Blues Brothers 2000” was nothing more than one musical number and celebrity cameo after another, especially considering how lively they all are. True to its predecessor’s spirit, the story doesn’t entirely waste its talent. How can you top Aretha Franklin performing “Respect” in the middle of a car dealership? Should we even mention The Louisiana Gator Boys, maybe the greatest supergroup to never exist? Heck, it even throws a little Caribbean music into the mix, despite Elwood’s wishes.
#8: “Dark Phoenix” (2019)
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You’d think Fox understood the risk of giving this classic storyline a second chance after the misfire that was “X-Men: The Last Stand.” Oh, how naïve we all were. “Dark Phoenix” accomplished the impossible: it not only screwed up Jean Grey’s turn to the dark side AGAIN, but effectively put the future of the “X-Men” franchise in jeopardy. Nevertheless, it’s fair to say director Simon Kinberg’s heart was in the right place, at least if the soundtrack is anything to go off of. From a sonic standpoint, “Dark Phoenix” features at least a few memorable moments with a little help from Marvin Gaye, Sweet, and Captain DaFeira. Plus, who could forget that brief cameo from Dazzler doing what she does best?
#7: “Judgment Night” (1993)
How does a crime thriller this forgettable inspire such an epic rap-rock soundtrack? We’re not exactly sure, but if anyone ever brings up “Judgment Night” in conversation, they’re likely referring to the album and not the movie itself. The story, in which a group of suburban men is on the run from a gang of drug dealers, has very little going for it. But thankfully, the soundtrack, featuring a swarm of original songs, carries it the entire way. Each track joins together a rock band with a rap act, and the result was a compilation that spawned four singles and soared through the Billboard 200. Who could’ve guessed that Teenage Fanclub and De La Soul would be a recipe for gold?
#6: “Elizabethtown” (2005)
Between “Jerry Maguire” and “Almost Famous,” it’s difficult to take Cameron Crowe’s impeccable taste in music away from him. In fact, music is such a crucial aspect of this 2005 dramedy that the soundtrack would eventually be expanded into not one but two volumes. Unlike Crowe’s previous work, however, “Elizabethtown” leaves very little for viewers to ponder over when the likes of Tom Petty and Elton John fall silent. For having a potentially powerful premise about a depressed man who returns to his hometown after his father’s death, it’s a largely dull and emotionally hollow experience. And that’s to say nothing of just how strange Orlando Bloom’s attempt at an American accent is. You had us at goodbye.
#5: “Batman Forever” (1995)
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A lot went wrong with this third installment of the “Batman” film series on its way to the big screen. The comical tone, the forced performances, the corny dialogue. There’s really no end to the criticism surrounding “Batman Forever” and its universally derided follow-up. For our troubles, however, director Joel Schumacher gave us a soundtrack worthy of Gotham City’s dystopian nightlife. While the music has little to do with Batman’s stand-off against The Riddler and Two-Face, the blend of alternative rock, pop punk, R&B, and hip hop is undeniably impressive. U2’s “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” was a great lead single, but it was Seal’s soulful vocals on “Kiss From a Rose” that rose out of the darkness like a Bat-Signal.
#4: “Cocktail” (1988)
Tom Cruise was perhaps THE breakout star of the 1980s, but that’s not to say each of his films is worth celebrating. 1988’s “Cocktail” is generally regarded as one of the worst films of the decade, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s a saccharine story rife with stale performances and uninteresting characters. That being said, even if Cruise’s bartending skills don’t impress, the vibes evoked by “Cocktail”’s soundtrack fit the film like a glove. On one hand, the hard rock stylings of Robert Palmer are the perfect choice for Brian Flanagan’s barkeeping in New York. On the other, the Beach Boys make for fitting accompaniment after Brian relocates to Jamaica. Kinda makes you wonder how the movie itself couldn’t keep up, huh?
#3: “Purple Rain” (1984)
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This pick may be a little divisive, but it’s hard to deny that this semi-autobiographical musical was little more than an attempt by leading man Prince to rocket himself into the stratosphere. To be fair, “Purple Rain” absolutely succeeded in that regard, but decades later, its success has been almost completely defined by its soundtrack. The film’s overall plot leaves something to be desired, but its concert sequences feature some of Prince’s finest songs to date. The legendary album that accompanied the film was so mesmerizing that it spawned five singles, including “When Doves Cry,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” and the climactic title track. Fully cementing the High Priest of Pop as one of the signature artists of his generation, it became one of the biggest albums of the ‘80s, earning him a pair of Grammys and an Oscar.
#2: “Blue Hawaii” (1961)
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When it came to his music career, Elvis Presley was arguably the quintessential artist of the 20th century. As for his film career… well, that’s a different story. While the King had a bonafide classic in “Jailhouse Rock,” he also had blemishes like “Blue Hawaii.” In addition to wasting the great Angela Lansbury, the advertisement-esque story provides little room for Elvis to flex his acting chops. What it does provide, however, is a standout soundtrack that completely transcends the film itself. The Grammy-nominated album gave us hip-swinging tracks like “Beach Boy Blues” and “Rock-A-Hula Baby.” But it was the lead single, “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” that became a defining hit not just for Elvis’s career, but pop music as a whole.
#1: “Fifty Shades” franchise (2015-18)
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It would be bold for anyone to say they actually enjoy this trilogy, but few can deny how successful it was commercially. While it's tough to explain how each film turned a profit, it’s possible that what people actually embraced were their vibrant soundtracks. The first film, in particular, is an accomplishment in music compilation. The soundtrack offers some surprisingly fresh takes on old classics, like Annie Lennox’s cover of “I Put a Spell on You.” But it also has memorable original songs, such as Ellie Goulding’s “Love Me like You Do” and The Weeknd’s Oscar-nominated track, “Earned It.” You certainly won’t be swooning for the movies themselves, but it’s hard not to fall crazy in love with such dazzling music.
