The top five 2010s top movie soundtracks
By Abbie Riglin, Staff Writer
As we get further into the 2020s it becomes more and more acceptable to count down the best movie soundtracks from the 2010s. For all purposes, I’ll be looking at how each soundtrack added to the storytelling element of each film with both the plot and the character’s arc. So here we go, the top five movie soundtracks of the 2010s!
Whiplash (2014)
Whiplash earned the top spot for the use of jazz pieces, original tracks and the use of classical pieces by pivotal jazz figure Duke Ellington. Even for a soundtrack created by various artists, Whiplash’s use of music within the film added to the story, without taking away focus from the plot. It’s hard to get movies about musicians right, but Whiplash did it. And with jazz too!
Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
The use of music in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ added to the culture of Spider-Man in New York, something we hadn’t seen before in past films — making Miles Morales a separate superhero from Peter Parker. The soundtrack album includes tracks from some of the biggest names in music like Vince Staples, Nicki Minaj, Post Malone, Lil Wayne, DJ Khalil, Juice WRLD and even the late XXXTentacion. The album spotlights both hip hop and lo-fi tracks, creating a cohesive album that pairs with the plot perfectly, following along to create emotion for viewers that matches the characters’ struggles and achievements.
Waves (2019)
This film’s soundtrack manages to have a little bit of everything for everyone, from A$AP Rocky to Amy Winehouse. Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor composed the Waves soundtrack, breaking director Trey Edward Shults’ frequent collaboration with Brian McOmber. The screenplay was written by Shults with specific music in mind, even before rights were obtained with the intention that the actors could listen beforehand and completely understand the director’s vision for the scene. This film earns third place purely for the range of music used, all while staying cohesive, as well as the emotional vulnerability and connections it adds for viewers.
Baby Driver (2017)
Baby Driver did something I had never seen before and incorporated the soundtrack so well into the movie that the music felt as natural as the dialogue. Even going as far as making the music output match the headphones of the main character Baby, creating an immersive experience for movie watchers. Like Waves, Baby Driver’s soundtrack is incredible in its range of genres, having everything from blues to reggae, and includes all the best music from the ‘70s. The film relies completely on pre-existing music, meaning there was no orchestra used to compose any of the music. It was all hand-picked in a way that adds to every scene’s tone. In this movie the music is used by Baby as a way to escape, rather than just a soundtrack.
Black Panther (2018)
It’s not very often I appreciate the soundtracks from superhero movies, oftentimes I see it as background noise to the riveting action scenes on the screen, but in Black Panther, the music adds to the cultural visuals. Ludwig Göransson, the composer tasked with scoring Marvel’s Black Panther movie, worked with local musicians all over Africa to include a sound so unique and special to the film. To top it all off, Kendrick Lamar produced the film’s soundtrack, Black Panther: The Album, again showing just how important music was within the film and the importance of music to the directors. Lamar was featured on every track, and included artists like SZA, ScHoolboy Q, 2 Chainz and Future. For the all-star lineup and importance of the music within the film, Black Panther earns the last spot on my list.
Honourable mentions
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Scott Pilgrim VS. the World (2010)
Isle of dogs (2018)
