PEAKLIFE

By Lyla Shroff

There’s no doubt that music plays a huge role in the world of cinema, and we’re not just talking about Bollywood. From Disney films to dramatic musicals—a perfect soundtrack is what sets the stage for a film. We’ve all busted a move to ABBA during ‘Mamma Mia!’ and cried listening to ‘My Heart Will Go On’ from ‘Titanic’. This weekend, revisit these films with iconic music albums for a homemade karaoke date with your friends and family.

1. Barbie

No movie list would be complete without Barbie—the recent film that took the world by storm, broke records, and touched hearts. While the film itself has garnered an unprecedented amount of love, its soundtrack does not fall behind. Barbie The Album broke records and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The standout songs would be ‘Dance the Night’ by Dua Lipa, ‘Barbie World (with Aqua)’ by Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice, and ‘What Was I Made For?’ by Billie Eilish. The album also featured songs by Charli XCX, Ryan Gosling, Ava Max, Lizzo, and more.

2. The Greatest Showman

A move for the decades, this heartwarming musical stole hearts with its raw emotions and jaw dropping music. The star studded cast featured Hugh Jackman, Zendaya, Zac Efrom, and Loren Allred, to name a few, who sang their hearts out to give us one of the best movie soundtracks out there. With masterpieces like ‘This is Me’, ‘Rewrite the Stars’, ‘Never Enough’, and ‘The Greatest Show’— this film showed us how to create a truly hit album.

3. Mamma Mia!

We cannot possibly talk about soundtracks without discussing the impact of ‘Mamma Mia!’. The film itself is loved by millions for its warm and energetic vibe—and what can we even begin to say about the iconic album? The cast of the film perfectly sang celebrated ABBA songs such as ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘Lay All Your Love On Me’, ‘Mamma Mia’, and ‘Super Trouper’. If you haven’t given the entire album a listen, we highly recommend you do so ASAP!

4. Lion King (2019)

We’re bringing you back to your childhood with this one—The Lion King motion soundtrack can be enjoyed by everyone, old and young alike. There’s no age limit to belt out a few notes during ‘The Circle of Life’,‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’, ‘Hakuna Matata’, and ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’. The album features icons such as Beyonce, Hans Simmer, Billy Eichner, Seth Rogan, Childish Gambino, and Elton John.

5. Saturday Night Fever

You may not associate these songs with the movie itself but this film has brought us some of the most iconic 90s tracks. The Bee Gees featured several times on this album with songs like ‘Stayin’ Alive’, ‘How Deep Is Your Love’, and ‘More than a Woman’. It also includes classics such as ‘If I Can’t Have You’ by Yvonne Elliman and ‘Disco Inferno’ by The Trammps.

6. Om Shanti Om

This film brought the best of Bollywood together in every way possible with its star studded cast, celebrity cameos, cinematography, and of course, the music. Several legendary singers featured on this album to make it the sensation that it is today—namely Sonu Nigam, KK, Shaan, Shreya Goshal, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sukhwinder Singh, and many more. ‘Ajab Si’, ‘Main Agar Kahoon’, and ‘Deewangi Deewangi’ are some of the stand-out tracks from this album.

7. Moana

Disney strikes again with its addictive and exhilarating soundtracks! The album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and also successfully grabbed a spot on all our playlists. The lyrics of the songs vary in languages such as English, Samoan, Tokelauan, and Tuvaluan. Our favourites include ‘How Far I’ll Go’ by Auli’i Cravalho, ‘You’re Welcome’ by Dwayne Johnson, and ‘Where You Are’ by several cast members.

8. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

Wrapping up this list is a fan favourite film and soundtrack orchestrated by the musical genius, Pritam. The album takes you through a rollercoaster of emotions that can make you dance the night away and sing your heart out at the same time. This album features iconic Bollywood musicians such as Sunidhi Chauhan, Vishal Dadlani, Arjit Singh, Benny Dayal, and more. Each song on this soundtrack album has garnered immense love and attention from all over the world, including the songs ‘Balam Pichkari’, ‘Subhanallah’, ‘Kabira’, and ‘Ghagra’.