3 Movie Soundtracks That Nail the Spirit of 1970s Rock Music

The 50s, 60s, and 70s are the decades that solidified rock and roll as a major cultural force. The 50s introduced the genre, the 60s experimented with the genre, and the 70s arguably perfected the genre. It might be a hot take. Though, I am surely not the only one who thinks the same thing. After all, given that bands such as Eagles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Fleetwood Mac ruled the airwaves, you’d think the decade was doing something right. Well, they were, and one way the music lives on is in film. There are a plethora of movie soundtracks out there that feature 1970s songs.

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However, there are only a select few that have their entire soundtrack comprised of some of the greatest 70s rock tunes of the decade. That being said, here are three films with superb 70s rock and roll soundtracks.

‘Dazed And Confused’

If you didn’t see this answer coming in on top, then you should go back and watch the film. The movie itself is literally about teenagers in the 70s, thus, every single detail in the film is tailored around authenticity and genuineness. Consequently, the soundtrack is likely the exact soundtrack a 17-year-old would listen to in 1975.

Every single song on the soundtrack is a certified banger, but some of the most notable include “Slow Ride”, “School’s Out”, “Tuesday’s Gone”, and “Low Rider”. Not only is the music itself phenomenal, but it also perfectly fits into its designated theme. Needless to say, Richard Linklater and his team knocked this one right out of the park.

‘Almost Famous’

If we didn’t feature this on our list, then what would we be doing? Well, we would be doing something wrong. Almost Famous is a love letter to 70s rock and roll culture, so of course it is going to have one of the best soundtracks in not just this category, but in all of cinema history. And given that Cameron Crowe was one of us back in the day, he perfectly defined the decade through sound and script.

“Simple Man”, “Tiny Dancer”, “One Way Out”, “That’s The Way”, and “I’m Waiting For The Man” are just five of the certified classics featured on this film’s soundtrack. There is not a single bad song on this soundtrack. As a matter of fact, it is so good that you could actually close your eyes and just listen to the film rather than watch it.

‘Wayne’s World’

Now, Wayne’s World is not nearly as predictable as the other two film soundtracks, nor is it solely comprised of 1970s rock and roll. Though, it does have its fair share, and the songs featured on the soundtrack were in fact some of the hottest songs of the decade. Now, it’s not as heavy-hitting as Almost Famous and Dazed And Confused, but it is great in its own right.

Some of the 70s hits featured in Wayne’s World include “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Dream Weaver”, and “Ballroom Blitz”. That seems minuscule compared to the other two, though they come with perfect comedic timing in the film.

Photo via GAB Archive/Redferns