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OK, Good Stuff: 20 Best Soundtracks 2000-2009

Now that I’m on a roll with the best of the decade, I’m onto new categories.  I am a music fanatic, and there is nothing I love more than a fabulous soundtrack. So here are a few I recommend picking up if you haven’t already taken a listen. These are all memorable ones, and that’s why they make my list.  I’m sure there are other good soundtracks for the decade, but for some reason they didn’t stick out to me and therefore didn’t make the top 20.  Let me know if I missed any great ones (by commenting below), and I will maybe give them another chance.

Top 20 Soundtracks from 2000-2009:

20. Dan in Real Life (2007) & Away we Go (2009):  A tie for #20! Two great soundtracks full of songs by mostly one artist.  Dan in Real Life has got great stuff by Sondre Lerche, and Away We Go is full of Alexi Murdoch tunes.

19. Thumbsucker (2005): The original score is completely done by Tim DeLaughter of Polyphonic Spree, so it’s kind of creepy/haunting but also very lovely and playful. There are also three Elliot Smith songs hidden in between as well.

18. 500 Days of Summer (2009):  A wonderful indie soundtrack with songs by Feist, Temper Trap, The Smiths and more beautiful pieces by beautiful artists that I love. The movie is also amazing and is up for some golden globes so check it out.

17. In Good Company (2004): Original score by Stephen Trask and featuring songs by Iron & Wine, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Aretha Franklin, Peter Gabriel, Sister Surround and more. I listen to this soundtrack a lot when I’m mellow/depressed.

16. I Love you Man (2009): This soundtrack features songs by Vampire Weekend, Rush, Santogold, The Black Keys, and each song fits perfectly.  It makes me so happy that Paul Rudd and Jason Segel were obsessed with Rush in the film!

15. Vanilla Sky (2001): Great mix of today’s songs/songs from the ’90s, and oldies. Not a bad song in the bunch.  Even though I didn’t like the film – It was A LOT too trippy for me – the soundtrack is a real find! I love the song written for the film by Sir Paul McCartney.

14. Twilight Saga’s New Moon (2009):  A lovely mix of songs.  This was probably the crappiest film I saw all decade (right up there with Hot Rod- but less awesomely bad, more just plain bad) but it had one of the best soundtracks.  Songs by Lykke Li, Death Cab, Band of Skulls, Sea Wolf, Grizzly Bear, and many more wonderful artists.

13. Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2008): Found artists I never would have heard of without getting this soundtrack.  So many great songs.  Some people think that this album tried too hard to be indie gold, and I somewhat agree ( I mean, it’s not my number one or anything) but I still think the music’s great and I can listen to the whole album front to back and back to front again.

12. O Brother Where Art Thou (2000) & Cold Mountain (2003): Love them both equally for the same reason. I just can’t help but love the bluegrassy, folk music coming out of the films, and they were produced by the same person: T Bone Burnett. O Brother Where Art Thou won a Grammy in 2001, and “Scarlet Tide” from Cold Mountain was nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards among other nominations.

11. Tropic Thunder (2008): A soundtrack for war. CCR, Temptations, MC Hammer, Edgar Winter Group, are a few artists that grace the presence of this album.  I have been known to work out to this album on occasion. Plus a song by Alpa Chino called “I Love Tha P****y.”

10. High Fidelity (2000): A lot of rockin’ tracks- stuff you can listen to alone in a dark and somber room while mulling over a bad break up. The perfect Valentine’s Day gift!This soundtrack feels like an amazing mix tape made by someone who knows their shit.

9. Little Miss Sunshine (2006): Amazing music by DeVotchka including “How This Will End”. Great stuff to listen to on a long road trip. Maybe with your dysfunctional family? Plus, the song “Chicago” by the dreamy Sufjan Stevens. If only I were single. If only.

8. Where the Wild Things Are (2009): Karen O. and Carter Burwell. He has definitely made up for the travesty of the Twilight original soundtrack with this gem. Fits the film perfectly and is currently up for a Golden Globe.

7. Adventureland (2009): My second favorite 80s soundtrack of this decade. Songs like “Rock Me Amadeus” by Falcon and “Satellite of Love” by Lou Reed. Makes you wish you took that job at an amusement park after college. And the movie’s not half-bad, I recommend renting today.

6. Juno (2007): Every track’s a winner; I started loving Kimya Dawson after listening to this soundtrack– there’s something quirky about her style that sounds like the voice of Juno. Also, Cat Power does a Tom Wait cover – AWESOME.

5. Garden State (2004): Every song fits the scenes in the movie, with classics, new songs, and independent artists.  It is quite varied but works as a cohesive soundtrack too. Another sad and somber one – not a ton of upbeat tracks, but Frou Frou’s “Let Go” is a stand out.  I think this was the first I had heard from Imogen Heap, and…I liked.

4. Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman is a beautiful genius.  Okay, he’s not actually beautiful, but his music is, and I especially love “Latika’s Theme” and “J’ai Ho”. This isn’t necessarily an album I can listen to again and again, but it always stirs up something emotionally within me. I love when music can do that.

3. Donnie Darko (2001): Songs by Gary Jules, Tears for Fears, etc. Hands down, greatest 80s soundtrack ever, with Adventureland as a close second, and The Wedding Singer in third.  There’s no way not to enjoy the soundtrack – especially the eerie tune, “Mad World”.

2. Almost Famous (2000): This soundtrack won a 2001 Grammy with great hits of the 60s and 70s by artists like the Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Yes, and many more.  The “Tiny Dancer” scene in the film is classic.  The music is absolutely another character in this film, which is what makes the soundtrack to poignant.

1. Once (2006): “Falling Slowly” won best original song at the 2006 Oscars, and deservedly so. The soundtrack is full of original gems by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova aka The Swell Season.  Not only is this my #1 favorite of the last decade, I think this song might be my favorite of all time.

So there’s my list! Post your favorite soundtracks below, and don’t forget to watch OK, Good Stuff on Wednesdays.

Lexi Scherr