The Worst Movie Soundtracks Of All Time Ranked From Bad To Unbearable
Nothing ruins a great movie like the wrong music. A strange song may destroy a joke, while an overused pop hit could make a drama look like a cheap commercial. Some of these songs even sound perfect outside of a film, but they fail on screen. This list ranks the worst soundtracks of all time, from the mildly annoying to the most unbearable.
Sky High (2005)
Credit: IMDb
A Disney superhero movie should have fun music, but Sky High misses the mark. The soundtrack features covers of 1980s songs originally by Talking Heads, Devo, The Cars, and Tears for Fears. While the concept is cute, the covers replace the personality and energy of the original songs with bland, radio-friendly arrangements that feel generic. There’s no doubt the movie is charming, but the soundtrack is annoying.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Credit: IMDb
The Led Zeppelin music in Thor: Ragnarok worked for the battle and the humor. Thor: Love and Thunder tried to copy this success with Guns N’ Roses, but used the idea too much. Sweet Child o’ Mine, Welcome to the Jungle, Paradise City, and November Rain appear throughout the film.
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978)
Credit: IMDb
Covering The Beatles on film is a risk. The 1978 musical version of Sgt. Pepper made things stranger by giving the music to the Bee Gees and Peter Frampton. Famous producer George Martin was one of the producers, so the project had talent. However, Steve Martin’s performance of Maxwell’s Silver Hammer shows how pairing famous songs with famous faces creates a confusing experience for the audience.
Godzilla (1998)
Credit: IMDb
This album has big names, but its most memorable choice is also its biggest mistake. Come With Me is the worst part of the Godzilla soundtrack. Puff Daddy and Jimmy Page used Led Zeppelin’s famous track Kashmir to create a loud, commercial song. The 1998 movie already misunderstood the giant lizard. Yet, the music keeps moving in the wrong direction.
The Room (2003)
Credit: IMDb
The music in The Room is part of the fun. It earns this spot because the music is bad in context, yet it also helped turn the movie into a cult event. Audiences laugh because they know when the awkward romantic R&B tracks will start playing. Mladen Milicevic’s score sounds surprisingly normal for such a strange movie. It’s the love songs in the uncomfortable scenes that make those moments unforgettable.
Can’t Stop the Music (1980)
Credit: IMDb
This movie tried to turn the Village People into film stars just as people were starting to hate disco. The timing was terrible, and the music makes the film feel even more out of touch. Unsurprisingly, the title song was nominated for Worst Original Song at the Golden Raspberry Awards, and the movie won Worst Picture.
The Apple (1980)
Credit: IMDb
The Apple turned its futuristic pop music into a strange religion in 1980. This cult musical uses disco-rock songs to mock fame, but the movie gets weirder with every chorus. Energetic tracks like Speed have plenty of funny value because they stay stuck in your head. Music taste is always personal, but this soundtrack is not just awkward; it takes over the whole movie.
Lost Horizon (1973)
Credit: IMDb
Respected songwriters were involved in this movie, but this only makes the flat musical numbers even more disappointing. Burt Bacharach and Hal David wrote great pop music, but Lost Horizon is a strange failure. Some of the songs performed better outside the film, including The 5th Dimension’s charting version of Living Together, Growing Together. Famous critic Roger Ebert complained about the soundtrack back then, and his warning holds up today.
Suicide Squad (2016)
Credit: IMDb
Watching Suicide Squad can feel like being stuck inside an endless movie trailer. The film uses songs by bands like Queen, Black Sabbath, and The Rolling Stones. That lineup should be amazing. Instead, the movie throws those famous songs into many introductions and action scenes until they all blur together. It ranks near the top because the soundtrack wastes great songs through sheer overuse.
Cocktail (1988)
Credit: IMDb
One might wonder why this is the most unbearable option on the list since the movie featured two U.S. No. 1 hits, Kokomo and Don’t Worry, Be Happy. The soundtrack also sold the late-1980s mood, which made it a huge commercial success. However, inside the actual film, these songs highlight every shallow choice and essentially show how music can ruin a film.