Comingsoon.net is turning up the volume to figure out which single-artist soundtracks stand out most. Check out our selections in the gallery below!
A movie’s soundtrack is essential to the way the viewer interprets the mood or the tone of the film itself. Upbeat music, somber scores, popular hits—each has a different impact on the way the images on screen are interpreted by the moviegoer. As a result, it’s especially impressive when a single artists takes on the task of making a soundtrack all by themselves.
While composers do this sort of thing all the time, it’s worth noting that a musical artist is working with a lot less than a full symphonic orchestra. Some artists even limit themselves to just a couple of instruments and the sound of their voices. From post-grad dramas to sprawling epics to childhood fantasies, these are the absolute best movie soundtracks done by a single artist.
Artist soundtracks
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Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
The earliest entry in this slideshow, Anatomy of a Murder director Otto Preminger was smart to utilize the music of Duke Ellington for his tense courtroom drama. Man oh man is it great.
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Harold and Maude (1970)
Hal Ashby’s movie is one thing, but Cat Stevens’s soundtrack is something else entirely—he really knocked it out of the park with this one.
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Magnolia (1999)
Aimee Mann’s Magnolia soundtrack is totally killer. Years later, she remains one of the greatest living songwriters and holds all the credit for one of the most impressive soundtracks to date.
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The Graduate (1967)
You know you made a good soundtrack when your songs can stand alone independent of the film they’re from—just look at Simon & Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson” from The Graduate.
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Where the Wild Things Are (2009)
Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs teamed with Spike Jonze on his first feature as both director and screenwriter to create a truly exceptional selection of songs that goes perfectly with his film—ten years later, it still rocks.
