4 Iconic ’90s Songs from Movie Soundtracks

Director Sofia Coppola once described the movie soundtrack as an essential component of storytelling.

In the 1990s, filmmakers shaped their stories with music so intensely that many soundtracks became essential to fans’ record collections.

Music in film is nothing new, but ’90s movie soundtracks helped usher in culture-shifting music scenes like Britpop and electronica, hip-hop, industrial and alternative rock, and grunge.

Each of the soundtracks below is worth exploring beyond the listed tracks. But the highlighted songs endure as iconic representations of the ’90s and the movies they scored.

“Mile End” by Pulp from Trainspotting (1996)

Danny Boyle’s film exported Cool Britannia to the rest of the world, alongside Britpop. The soundtrack connects some of Britpop’s biggest bands—Blur, Pulp, and Elastica—with musical predecessors—Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, New Order, and Brian Eno. It’s hard to imagine Pulp without Reed’s “Perfect Day” or Pop’s (and David Bowie’s) “Lust for Life.” Also, Primal Scream and Underworld introduce underground UK club bangers to the mainstream.

Meanwhile, fans reacted overwhelmingly to the soundtrack, creating enough demand for a second edition of songs that weren’t included on the original soundtrack release. On “Mile End,” Jarvis Cocker narrates life in London’s Mile End complete with a filthy loft, a lift (elevator) full of p-ss, and the smell of fish permeating the 5th floor landing. It’s a vivid portrait of the seedy underground portrayed in Boyle’s film.

“Regulate” by Warren G and Nate Dogg from Above the Rim (1994)

Above the Rim concludes director Barry Michael Cooper’s “Harlem Trilogy” and though the story is set in New York City, West Coast rap stars dominate the soundtrack. Tupac Shakur stars in the film and Dr. Dre and Suge Knight curated the Death Row Records soundtrack.

“Regulate” by Warren G and Nate Dogg stands out with Dogg’s soulful crooning placing the track’s violent plot into something like a G-funk musical. Warren G sampled Michael McDonald’s hit “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)” and created one of the ’90s most successful hip-hop singles—reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Sweet Jane” by Cowboy Junkies from Natural Born Killers (1994)

Trent Reznor produced a chaotic collage of music for Natural Born Killers. The album features Nine Inch Nails, Patti Smith, Dr. Dre, L7, and Leonard Cohen, but the standout track is the Cowboy Junkies’ cover of the Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane.”

As violent as Oliver Stone’s movie is, the Cowboy Junkies track distills the lives of Mickey and Mallory Knox into a desert trip of hazy detachment. “Sweet Jane” offers a lovely break from the film’s apparent celebration of nihilism.

“Nearly Lost You” by Screaming Trees from Singles (1992)

Before Cameron Crowe set his film in the Seattle music scene, grunge had yet to dominate pop culture. However, in the gap between filming Singles and its theatrical release, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and others shifted the zeitgeist. The entire Singles soundtrack deserves a spin.

Paul Westerberg released his first post-Replacements solo work on the film’s soundtrack, including the excellent “Dyslexic Heart.” Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, Alice in Chains, Mother Love Bone, and Soundgarden delivered worthwhile cuts too. But “Nearly Lost You” by Screaming Trees gets the nod. Screaming Trees didn’t sell as many albums as their grunge peers, but Mark Lanegan remains one of the era’s most consequential voices.

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