The top 5 movie soundtracks of 2018: Black Panther, Creed II, Deadpool 2 and more
Top 5 movie soundtracks of 2018 1. Deadpool 2
The sequel to Marvel's only R-rated superhero film was previewed by the hilariously meta video of Celine Dione's 'Ashes'. Although Deadpool specifically asked fans to keep expectations low and asked Celine to turn it down a notch, the OST of the film was nothing short of spectacular. Filling in for super producer Junkie XL, who helmed the soundtrack for the first film, was Tyler Bates, who leaned towards a more rock-heavy sound for the album. And the best part? In addition to an orchestra and electronic instrumentation such as an electric guitar, Bates' score includes a choir that sings explicit phrases, making it the first score album to receive a Tipper sticker and a parental advisory warning! Nice touch!
Top 5 movie soundtracks of 2018 2. Black Panther - The Album
The Kendrick Lamar-curated OST for Marvel's 'Black Panther' performed a stunning feat. It debuted at the very top of the Billboard 200 Charts and stayed there for three weeks straight, making it the first soundtrack album since Disney's 'Frozen' in 2014 to achieve the record. The hip hop heavy soundtrack boasted contributions from SZA, Travis Scott, The Weeknd, SOB X RBE, Vince Staples and more, with Kendrick providing vocals on every track, even the ones he's not credited for. The score was composed by Ludwig Göransson, who took a trip to Africa to find inspiration, incorporating talking drums and tambins into the score, and even getting a choir to sing in the Xhosa language.
Top 5 movie soundtracks of 2018 3. Suspiria (Music for the Luca Guadagnino Film)
Following in the footsteps of his Radiohead bandmate Johnny Greenwood, Thom Yorke embarked on his first ever film score this year for Luca Guadagnino’s highly anticipated remake of the 1977 cult horror classic 'Suspiria'. The double album is a classic Thom Yorke effort, mixing haunting, eerie atmospheric sounds with even scarier vocal mixes. Yorke described the lyrics as political, influenced by discourse surrounding President Donald Trump and Brexit, which "got tied up with" scenes of marching soldiers in the film. He cited inspiration from the 1982 'Blade Runner' OST, musique concrète artists such as Pierre Henry, modern electronic artists and music from the film's 1977 Berlin setting, including krautrock acts such as Faust and Can.
Top 5 OSTs of 2018 4. Creed II
Executive producer Mike WiLL Made-It (who's behind everything from Miley Cyrus' 'We Can't Stop' to Kendrick Lamar's 'Humble' to Beyonce's 'Formation') helmed the soundtrack to 'Creed II,' the sequel to Ryan Coogler's 'Rocky' reboot, and he went all in on it. The star-studded OST features Kendrick Lamar, Bon Iver, Lil Wayne, Nas, Nicki Minaj, Vince Staples, ASAP Rocky, Pharrell Williams and more, giving the Black Panther soundtrack a run for its money. Although it didn't top Billboard charts like the 'Black Panther' OST, the album is still pretty awesome as it complements the film perfectly and also holds its own as an independent album.
Top 5 movie soundtracks of 2018 5. A Star Is Born
For an Oscar-gunning film centered around music, Bradley Cooper's 'A Star Is Born' had to meet the high expectation of producing a stunning soundtrack. Helmed by Cooper and co-star Lady Gaga, the chart-topping soundtrack did exactly that. The duo collaborated with several country artists including Lukas Nelson and Jason Isbell. Producers Mark Ronson and DJ White Shadow chipped in for the more pop-oriented tracks. Cooper described the soundtrack "an evolution, like the story," adding that "the music really became a character in the movie". The OST opened to rave reviews, with The Washington Post even predicting a Grammy nomination coming its way.
