Steve
While this year gets off to a sleepy start regarding new album releases – save for Puscifer‘s Normal Isn’t and HEALTH‘s Conflict DLC (technically a December 11, 2025, release, but I’m counting it) – I’ve been rotating through several movie soundtracks to keep things interesting. Whether it’s a sweet needle drop or the right song to pull us closer to a cinematic moment, there’s no end to the wonders music can work inside a film. By now, you’ve likely seen Chris Bumbray’s Best Movie Soundtracks of the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s articles. I urge you to check them out. Today, I’m the DJ for our latest installment of the series, with a list of the 10 Best Movie Soundtracks of the 2010s. You should bookmark this post, because we’re about to get down with some of the sweetest sounds cinema had to offer from 2010 to 2020. Let’s get the party started!
Atomic Blonde
While attending a killer screening of Atomic Blonde at San Diego Comic Con in 2017 (with Charlize Theron in attendance), I quickly realized that the soundtrack for the film is an all-timer. Set in 1989, Theron plays Lorraine Broughton, an undercover MI6 agent sent to Berlin during the Cold War to investigate the murder of a fellow agent and recover a missing list of double agents. In addition to the film’s visceral, over-the-top action, the soundtrack kicks off with David Bowie’s “Cat People (Putting Out Fire),” before transitioning to Peter Schilling’s “Major Tom (…völlig losgelöst)”, a dreamy new wave song with German vocals.
As if that’s not enough to get your body groovin’, HEALTH adds to the mix with a crushing electronic cover of New Order’s “Blue Monday.” After coming down from that, Atomic Blonde drops “99 Luftballoons” by Nena (and later, a cover of the song by Kaleida), George Michael’s operatic “Father Figure,” Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Cities in Dust,” “I Ran (So Far Away) by A Flock of Seagulls, “London Calling” by The Clash, and more.
Baby Driver
When you turn on the ignition for the Baby Driver soundtrack, the collection of songs jumps to life with The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and their ceaselessly groovy track “Bellbottoms.” The song prepares you for a soundtrack with attitude, infinite cool, and bangers like Carla Thomas’ “B-A-B-Y,” a soulful jam with church organ beauty, lively horns, and rat-a-tat drums. If you need to pick up the pace, skip to tracks like Googie Rene’s “Smokey Joe’s La La,” the shred-tas-tic track “Hocus Pocus” by Focus, Beck’s “Debra,” Barry White’s forever-sexy “Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up,” Queen’s “Brighton Rock,” and of course, Simon & Garfunkle’s “Baby Driver.” So, the next time you want to hit the highway or rob a bank, pop in the Baby Driver soundtrack for a good time.
Black Panther
All hail the king indeed! While several Marvel movie soundtracks include head-boppers and nostalgic tracks that make Generation X weak at the knees, few MCU albums hit as hard as the one for Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther. With over 2 billion streams on Spotify alone, “All The Stars (with SZA)” by Kendrick Lamar was a track heard around the world before the film’s release. The ethereal track by two of hip-hop’s brightest stars leads a wicked lineup of hip-hop, soul, and R&B artists, including Khalid, Swae Lee, Vince Staples, Yugen Blakrok, The Weeknd, Mozzy, REASON, Zacari, Future, Ab-Soul, and more.
The Black Panther soundtrack features Kendrick Lamar performing original songs, which he curated for the album. Shockingly, for a Marvel release, the album is as explicit as they come, with language and themes that could give parents pause. Still, I love Black Panther‘s “cuffs-off” approach to crafting a soundtrack that reflects the character’s culture and spirit. More of this, please.
Django Unchained
Changing things up, we find the soundtrack for Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained making the list. If this album doesn’t grab you by the ears immediately with Anthony Hamilton and Elayna Boynton’s “Freedom,” you might need an impromptu music history lesson. As the soundtrack continues down a dusty road spattered with blood, Tarantino leaves every card on the table with “Unchained (The Payback / Untouchable),” which combines music from James Brown and 2Pac. If you’re feeling a little bit country, tip your hat to “Too Old To Die Young” by Brother Dege, “I Got A Name” by Jim Croce, Riz Ortolani’s spicy “I Giorni Dell’ira,” Elisa Toffoli’s gorgeous track “Ancora Qui,” or “Who Did That to You” by Rob Starr & The Hollywood Singers.
The soundtrack for Django Unchained transports you back to Tarantino’s gritty, one-person-army Western epic with an eclectic mix of Soul, Rockabilly, Gospel, and Lone Wanderer jams. Saddle up and enjoy.
Drive
Gasing up the Drive sountrack with Lovefoxxx and Kavinsky’s “Nightcall” is a f**king vibe, man. The filthy, sexy electronica track sets the tone for Drive‘s collection of songs from College, Electric Youth, Riz Ortolani, Katyna Ranieri, and Chromatics before transforming into a showcase for Cliff Martinez’s moody instrumental grooves that give Nicholas Winding Refn’s 2011 one-person-army action drama enough fuel to go all night at top speed into a world of crime and violence.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1
Who would have guessed that Marvel would have so many albums on this list? Well, can you blame me? James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a masterclass in matching a film’s music to its characters and overall vibes. Admit it, when Star-Lord queued up Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love” during his introduction, you immediately smiled and started bopping to the beat. James Gunn, forever a filmmaker who prides himself on the art of the needle drop, includes Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky,” Blue Swede’s “Hooked On A Feeling,” 10cc’s dreamy and atmospheric mood-setter “I’m Not In Love,” the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back,” and The Runaways “Cherry Bomb” on the record.
The varied selection of songs, including tracks by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (Ain’t No Mountain High Enough), David Bowie (Moonage Daydream), Elvin Bishop (Fooled Around And Fell In Love), and more, reflects the diverse nature of the core cast, from a human who grew up in the ’80s to a genetically-engineered, cybernetically-enhanced raccoon, with a little something for everyone. If you’re feeling nostalgic, the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack is ready to take you on a ride to the stars.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
“We are Sex Bob-Omb and we’re here to make you think about death and get sad and stuff!” What’s a 2010s list without the distortion-heavy, rageful, energetic sounds of Scott Pilgrim and his friends? At the time of its release, Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim film was a revelation, both in its sights and its sound. The movie functions like a living, breathing comic book, but the music turns the film’s events up to eleven. Led by the experimental artist Beck, the Scott Pilgrim soundtrack features songs from the fictional band Sex Bob-Omb, a rock-and-garage outfit with Beck on guitar, Brian LeBarton on bass/drums, and Mark Webber on vocals. The band’s crunchy, feedback-friendly sound kicks the movie off with a bang, before featuring artists like Metric, Frank Black of The Pixies, Plumtree, Black Lips, T. Rex, The Bluetones, Crash and the Boys, and, of course, Beck.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Similar to Marvel’s Black Panther soundtrack, the songs arranged for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse are an inspired reflection of the film’s iconic hero, tapping into themes of discovery, community, and challenging the unknown. Into the Spider-Verse takes a leap of faith with Blackway’s “What’s Up Danger (with Black Caviar), a track that gets you pumped for the visually-arresting adventure ahead. If you need a beat to chill to that helps you get inside Miles Morales’s head, queue up “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee. To keep the energy flowing, slap on a pair of headphones, pull your hood over your head, and get grooving to music from Jaden, Aminé, Duckwrth, and Shaboozey. If you need to take things down a notch while feeling that Brooklyn sunset on your shoulders, check out “Hide (feat. Seezyn), “Let Go” by Beau Young Prince, or the epic album closer “Home” by Vince Staples and Richie Kohan.
A Star is Born
2018’s remake of A Star Is Born is an incredible display of Bradley Cooper’s talents as a filmmaker. In addition to directing a compelling tale of two souls destined to make beautiful music together, the film boasts an inspired soundtrack featuring Cooper, Lady Gaga, and various cast members performing heartfelt, sad, rabble-rousing songs. A Star Is Born is the kind of album you listen to when you’ve had enough of life slapping you around. The songs make you want to pack your bags and hit the road. The wind in your hair. A song in your heart. Someone you love is in the passenger seat, smiling as the wind whips their hair around like wild tendrils reaching for the sun. The album is a little bit country, some rockabilly, and all the way emotional. The heavier tracks by Cooper remind me of All Them Witches, while Cooper and Gaga’s duets threaten to bring the house down as the ghosts of their past work themselves into a frenzy.
Tron: Legacy
While trying to stick to soundtracks featuring various artists, it’s impossible to ignore the album released alongside Tron: Legacy on this list. Arranged and performed by the French electronic duo Daft Punk, the Tron: Legacy soundtrack blends alien techno with an 85-piece orchestra to create epic soundscapes that help create a digital world filled with infinite possibilities and imagination. Daft Punk, a band often associated with party-starters, EDM, and vocoder anthems, proved they could go beyond listeners’ expectations with Tron: Legacy, creating something unique, timeless, and inspired, making their breakup in 2021 all the more tragic.
What do you think of my list? Did I miss anything? You’d be surprised how challenging it is to find movie soundtracks that aren’t straight-up scores on the internet. My memory is trash, so this list was off the dome, more or less. I had help from JoBlo’s Chris Bumbray and Alex Maidy. Still, we want to know which are your favorite movie soundtracks of the 2010s. Leave us a comment and let us know!
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