Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
With our current ’90s revival reaching new heights each year, it’s time to consider the decade as The Golden Age of Soundtracks. More than almost any other decade, the ’90s offered hundreds of soundtrack albums that featured up-and-coming artists, classic staples (such as the cases of Dazed and Confused, Jackie Brown, and Pulp Fiction), and lovelorn ballads (I’m talking about you, Titanic). While none of those are represented on this list — only compilations with actual ’90s songs, and those that aren’t collections of movie scores, were considered — the ten essential albums here still hold up and offer an eclectic slice of ’90s pop in its various forms.
Juice (1992)
Perhaps the best hip-hop soundtrack of the ’90s was released in the early part of the decade — no other movie soundtrack came close to beating this collection, which featured Naughty by Nature, Salt-n-Pepa, Cypress Hill, and Eric B. & Rakim. (A missed opportunity, though, for the absence of Juice star Tupac Shakur on the album.
Find where to stream Juice on GoWatchIt.
Singles (1992)
From Paul Westerberg’s two original songs, plus songs from Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden, the Singles soundtrack totally nailed the early ’90s grunge scene in Seattle.
Find where to stream Singles on GoWatchIt.
The Crow (1994)
The Crow is probably known best as Brandon Lee’s final film — he was accidentally killed on set during filming — but its legacy is probably the stellar soundtrack, a collection of moody alternative rock featuring songs from the Cure (who provided the film’s theme song), Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails, and the Jesus and Mary Chain.
Find where to stream The Crow on GoWatchIt.
Reality Bites (1994)
From the number-one single “Stay” from Lisa Loeb to Ethan Hawke’s own attempt at singing as the frontman for Hey, That’s My Bike, the Reality Bites soundtrack is a staple for any ’90s enthusiast.
Find where to stream Reality Bites on GoWatchIt.
Batman Forever (1995)
Come for Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose,” stay for a surprising collection of songs from alternative rockers like Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, Mazzy Star, Massive Attack, and the Flaming Lips.
Find where to stream Batman Forever on GoWatchIt.
Empire Records (1995)
Fact: Empire Records hasn’t really held up. The soundtrack, however, definitely has. You just try not getting nostalgic when you hear those opening chords of “Til I Hear It From You.”
Find where to stream Empire Records on GoWatchIt.
Waiting to Exhale (1995)
Quintessential ’90s R&B producer Babyface wrote 15 of the 16 tracks on this soundtrack album, which featured star Whitney Houston, Patti LaBelle, TLC, Brandy, and, of course, Mary J. Blige, whose “Not Gon’ Cry” is probably most associated with the image of Angela Bassett torching a Mercedes.
Find where to stream Waiting to Exhale on GoWatchIt.
Trainspotting (1996)
Danny Boyle’s cautionary tale about heroin addiction was stylish and electrifying, as is the soundtrack that features a lot of pop — both of the Brit- and Iggy variety.
Find where to stream Trainspotting on GoWatchIt.
Hope Floats (1998)
The so-so romantic drama spawned a pretty terrific country album, with Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood both offering separate covers of the Bob Dylan classic “To Make You Feel My Love,” as well as excellent tracks from Gillain Welch and Whiskeytown (featuring a pre-solo career Ryan Adams).
Find where to stream Hope Floats on GoWatchIt.
Magnolia (1999)
Paul Thomas Anderson says he was inspired to write Magnolia after hearing Aimee Mann’s “Deathly,” which contains the line, “Now that I’ve met you / Would you object to / Never seeing each other again” — a variation of which shows up as dialogue in the film. Naturally, he used many of Mann’s songs in the film (along with a couple by Supertramp).
Find where to stream Magnolia on GoWatchIt.
Stream some of the songs from these soundtracks via the Spotify playlist below!
Photos: MCA/Soul, Epic Soundtrax, Atlantic, RCA, A&M, Arista, Capitol, Warner Music
