When a movie is targeting a niche audience, it’s important that the soundtrack reflects the tastes and interests of said group. When a soundtrack is filled with directionless angst and mopeyness, it’s generally targeting young white kids. So put on your wistful hat (a beret, maybe?), it’s time for the top ten. (Note: the author is a self-proclaimed white 24 year old with a pretty limited worldview. Forgive him.)
1. The Graduate
The Graduate is the original soundtrack for white 20-somethings: mostly Simon and Garfunkel, with a little original score thrown in to hold it all together. The soft folk stylings of Simon and Garfunkel perfectly capture the sense of restlessness and ennui that plagues Dustin Hoffman’s character, a feeling that resonates with many upper-middle class college graduates. It can be really hard when the world hands you everything.
2. Garden State
The Garden State soundtrack is the ultimate sensitive white kid mixtape. Which, if you follow the logic, makes Zach Braff the ultimate sensitive white kid. He would probably approve. Braff made sure to include tracks from the indie darlings of the day including Coldplay, The Shins, and Iron & Wine covering the Postal Service (double trouble!), as well as plaintive sad-fests from the Cary Brothers and Colin Hay.
3. Twilight: New Moon
The Twilight: New Moon soundtrack was created as a taunt to people who are just a little too old to be excited for the movie itself. You can go off on as many tirades as you want about how the film has a weak female protagonist, a nonsensical story, and just so damn much glowering, but guess what? The soundtrack has songs by Thom Yorke, Lykke Li, and Grizzly Bear. Have you ever thought about how Bon Iver and St. Vincent could make a great pair musically? Turns out they do, and they’ve attached their only collaboration to this stupid movie. Suck it, 20-somethings.
4. Juno
This album has a track in which Michael Cera and Ellen Page cover a Moldy Peaches song. Is there really anything else to say? Oh, how about that it also includes music by Belle and Sebastian, The Kinks, and six songs contributed by Kimya Dawson herself. It’s a veritable smorgasbord of quirky folk music begging for some young white people to sink their teeth into it. Their ear teeth.
5. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Wes Anderson has a pretty amazing track record with soundtracks, but The Life Aquatic hits the sweet spot with 20-somethings. His ace in the hole is Seu Jorge. It would be enough to just include David Bowie songs, but nothing allows a young person to feel more cultured than Latin jazz covers of Bowie. Not to mention tracks by The Zombies, Iggy & the Stooges, and Devo, which let you name drop for cred and pretend like you’ve got been listening to the classics for years.
6. Donnie Darko
The Donnie Darko soundtrack introduced the white 20-somethings of the ’00s to the musical stylings of white 20-somethings from the ’80s. It has stellar tracks from Echo and the Bunnymen and New Order, as well as that cover of “Mad World” that everyone used to listen to when the world just felt too, like, crazy.
7. The Great Gatsby
There’s no way a human came up with the track list for the Great Gatsby soundtrack. It reads more like a Google search for “white kid” and “music.” Not only does it contain tracks from some of the safest hip-hop artists of the day (Jay-Z, will.i.am), but we get all of the rap out of the way at the beginning of the album to make room for the likes of Lana Del Rey and Gotye. Throw in The xx and Jack White, and you’ve got a young Caucasian’s wet dream.
8. Marie Antoinette
A Sofia Coppola period piece featuring an anachronistic new wave soundtrack is veritable white kid candy. And if you’re in the mood to feel a little sophisticated, there are a handful of baroque classical pieces thrown in for good measure.
9. Drive
Ryan Gosling’s meaningful glances and a kickass synth-pop score? Sploosh. The 80s throwback sound that was so popular in 2011 is in full force here, and it’s irresistible. Cliff Martinez mixes upbeat tracks by the likes of Kavinsky with his own ambient score that makes you want to pop some Molly (Molly is something you can pop, right?) and go for a fast drive. Like a real hero.
10. Pretty in Pink
The Pretty in Pink soundtrack gets a special shout out here for being aggressively white. Not only does the album include navel gazers from the Psychedelic Furs and Orchestral Manouvres in the Dark, but the official soundtrack also leaves out Otis Redding’s ‘Try a Little Tenderness’ from the famous Duckie lip-synching scene. It’s almost as though they were terrified of the album containing even the smallest modicum of soul.
