In honor of Hollywood month, here are our picks for the top 10 movie soundtracks. Prepare to download one or more to your music collection. – by Crystal Tate
1. Purple Rain— This 13-time platinum album is hands-down the best soundtrack of all time, if not the best album. Written almost entirely by Prince, the album took one musical risk after another, which ultimately resulted in a masterpiece. If forced to choose one song to play, “When Doves Cry” is it.
2. The Bodyguard— Whitney Houston never fails to deliver, and she proved this to be true on The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album. Five of her greatest hits appeared on the album, including the classic “I Will Always Love You,” making this album the best-selling soundtrack of all time.
3. Do the Right Thing— This 1989 soundtrack takes you on a nostalgic trip down memory lane, and you can’t help but pump your fist to Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power.”
4. Love Jones– Produced by a super team (including Jermaine Dupri and Wyclef Jean), this is the hottest R&B soundtrack to date. Although this album is chock-full of love-making music, you might want to put Maxwell’s sultry “Sumthin Sumthin: Mellosmoothe” on repeat.
5. Above the Rim— Released by Death Row and Interscope Records in 1994, this hip-hop soundtrack embodied West Coast rap when it was at its peak. Warren G’s “Regulate” and Dr. Dre’s “Afro Puffs” reign supreme.
6. Brown Sugar— The movie’s tagline asked: When did you first fall in love with hip hop? If this soundtrack didn’t turn the listener on, nothing will. We dare you to listen to Erykah Badu’s ode to hip hop, “Love of My Life,” and ask yourself the question again.
7. Waiting to Exhale—This girl-power, all-female soundtrack is a must-download album for every woman’s iPod. Feeling down? Play “Not Gon’ Cry” by Mary J. Blige or “Exhale” by Whitney Houston.
8. Boomerang – You probably remember Eddie Murphy, Halle Berry and Robin Givens in this 1992 film, but you certainly didn’t forget the musical score. It included Boyz II Men’s #1 hit, “End of the Road,” and P.M. Dawn’s I’d Die Without You.” Plus, Halle’s infamous rant on Eddie when she yelled “Love should’ve brought your ass home last night” gave singer Toni Braxton her big break: that one line inspired her debut song “Love Shoulda Brought You Home.”
9. Dreamgirls—You may have found yourself singing throughout this 2006 film, adapted from the Broadway musical of the same name. Although leading actress Beyonce lends her voice to the soundtrack, you’ll want to hear “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” by Jennifer Hudson first.
10. The Best Man—This 1999 soundtrack may not have featured any superstar artists, but it didn’t take away from its appeal to the masses. It peaked at #2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, and number 16 on The Billboard 200. It’s over a decade later, but we promise that “What You Want” by The Roots still rocks.
11. Dead Presidents—Since this movie is set during the Vietnam War, the soundtrack embodies R&B, funk and soul, and pays homage to some of the greatest entertainers (like Issac Hayes, Al Green and James Brown) of that era. Must-listen track: “I’ll Be Around” by The Spinners.
