What would so many of our favourite films be without their iconic soundtracks?
We're not talking about the suspense-driven, instrumentally-focused epics that you'd find Hans Zimmer or John Williams scoring, but iconic moments that are informed by prominent songs - like Simple Minds 'Don't You Forget About Me) playing as Judd Nelson punches the air in victory in The Breakfast Club, for example.
If it wasn't for a humble collection of songs by various artists, so many of our favourite films wouldn't be nearly as iconic as they are, and that's no less the case when it comes to movies soundtracked by country compilations.
But how many films have a truly country soundtrack, and which are the best? Let's turn on the lights, hit record on that camera, and let the action unfold.
Two of these soundtracks are CMA Award-Winning Albums of the Year, while a fair few of them are from the 80s - that is indeed a big nudge in the ribs to the movie execs in Hollywood to take a leaf from this year's Twisters film and instil your movies with a touch of Country gold.
Without further ado, here's Holler's list of the Best Country Movie Soundtracks.
20
Touchstone Pictures | 2002
Sweet Home Alabama (2002)
While Sweet Home Alabama doesn’t immediately come to mind in a discussion about country music movie soundtracks, the 2002 romantic comedy has its share of genre offerings.
From the haphazard tale of lovers to enemies to lovers again – starring Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas and Patrick Dempsey – comes a twanged-up score featuring some of country music’s finest. The song stylings of Jewel, Uncle Kracker, Sheryl Crow and more make their way onto the film soundtrack, with Dolly Parton’s darling anthem ‘Marry Me’ rounding out the bunch.
- AP
19
Convoy (1978)
Sometimes a movie inspires a song, like ‘Badlands’ by Bruce Springsteen or ‘Bad Moon Rising’ by Creedence Clearwater Revival were, and sometimes it happens the other way round and song is so cinematic it inspires a whole film. That’s what happened with the Sam Peckinpah directed road movie Convoy in 1978; probably the greatest trucking movie ever made.
Starring Kris Kristofferson, Ali MacGraw, Burt Young and Madge Sinclair, the film was based on the 1975 country novelty trucker song ‘Convoy’ by C.W. McCall. Somehow, they managed to drag out the limited storyline of the song - a fictional trucker rebellion drives from the West Coast to the East Coast without stopping told through a 3-way CB radio conversation between three truckers called "Rubber Duck", "Pig Pen", and "Sodbuster" - to be a fully rounded feature film.
Loner turned unlikely gang leader, Kris Kristofferson played ‘Rubber Duck’ to Ali MacGraw’s Melissa, a city reporter covering the trucker life and all the hijinks that ensued. It was perfectly matched by one of the best country soundtracks ever.
C.W. McCall provides the theme song but Crystal Gayle, Billie Jo Spears, Merle Haggard, Kenny Rogers and Anne Murray are brought in as ringers with some of their big hitters, while “The Leaning Man from Alabam,” Donnie Fritts, who played Reverend Sloane in the film, offers up a pair of rousing testimonials in ‘Shall We Gather at the River’ and ‘When the Roll is Called Up Yonder.’
- JO
18
Warner Music Nashville | 2011
Footloose (2011)
In 2011, someone out there in Hollywood thought it was time for a reboot of the classic, '80s cult-favorite, Footloose.
Starring Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Andie MacDowell and Dennis Quaid, both versions of Footloose follow a young man who moves from Boston to the small, fictional town of Bomont and protests the town's ban against dancing... if you haven't seen it, this probably sounds silly, but just trust us on this one.
Now, we're not here to comment on which version is better or if they should've even bothered (that's a conversation for another time), but we are here to say that if the 2011 version did one thing right, it was the soundtrack.
Where the 1984 version was steeped in synth-driven pop, which was albeit immensely popular at the time, the revamped Footloose put country music front and center, featuring cuts from Zac Brown, Hunter Hayes, A Thousand Horses, Jana Kramer and more.
On top of that, the iconic title track got a rough and rowdy makeover from country standard Blake Shelton, while Big & Rich partnered up with the 'Redneck Woman' herself, Gretchen Wilson, for a truly intoxicating bar-stomper called 'Fake ID'.
While the movie faired well enough, the soundtrack topped Billboard's Soundtrack Albums chart, clinched a No. 4 on its Top Country Albums chart and peaked at No. 14 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
- LF
17
Sony Pictures | 2015
I Saw the Light (2015)
Despite being the victim of poor portrayals and ultimately bad reviews, I Saw The Light is chock-full of classics. It's true, the 2015 depiction of the legendary Hank Williams could have been better, but, in the end, it’s difficult to fault the icon’s hit-riddled catalogue.
Committing Williams’ rise to fame and his tragic end to film, I Saw The Light plays out against a score of the legend’s most enduring works. ‘Hey Good Lookin’’, ‘Move It On Over’, ‘Jambalaya’ and many more all get their time in the spotlight, shining even when the acting falls short.
- AP
16
MCA Records and RCA Records | 1982
Best Little whor*house in Texas (1982)
The adaptation of the 1978 broadway musical, Best Little whor*house in Texas, starring Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton, has lived on thanks to a soundtrack that included two of Parton’s most enduring songs, ‘I Will Always Love You’ and the seasonal classic ‘Hard Candy Christmas.’
The musical comedy turned out to be anything but when it came to filming. Parton describing her experience as "a nightmare"and "a miserable, spirit-numbing ordeal,” later writing in her memoirs that “the wonderful time I had on Nine to Five had whetted my appetite for another movie. whor*house was a completely opposite experience. It was as if Nine to Five had been my first lover, sweetly seductive before and gentle and caring during our lovemaking. whor*house, then, was a rapist”.
Explaining that Burt Reynolds had been in a bad mood during filming because he had broken up with Sally Field, Dolly “was in an emotional and physical turmoil of my own.”
“On top of that,” she said, “people were being fired right and left. In fact, at one point there was a bumper sticker circulating around Hollywood that read, HONK IF YOU’VE BEEN FIRED FROM “BEST LITTLE whor*HOUSE"
- JO
15
Tri-Star Pictures | 1984
Songwriter (1984)
Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson – talk about a match made in Music City. From their early working relationship to their time together in country supergroup The Highwaymen, to their lasting friendship today, the pair have seemed inseparable on their own respective journeys to becoming country music legends.
However, it wasn’t until the two artists came together for the 1984 dramedy, Songwriter, that they really secured their status as power couple. The motion picture saw Nelson portray country music star Doc Jenkins alongside Kristofferson as heartthrob vocalist Blackie Buck, two longtime friends and collaborators who take on a swindling promoter and an equally ruthless industry.
It’s a thrilling, humor-flecked tale, the plot, at moments, mirroring the life and times of its leading man, but the soundtrack is perhaps the most lovable aspect of the film. Flush with Nelson-Kristofferson tunes like ‘Who'll Buy My Memories?’, ‘Write Your Own Songs’ and ‘Crossing the Border’, Songwriter boasts a soundtrack like no other.
For that, the film was nominated for Best Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score at the 57th Academy Awards.
- AP
14
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)
Some of the projects on this list are incredible, top-shelf records, but that only really carry a loose connection with the films they’re supposedly inspired by.
This is what sets Hunger Games: The Ballad of Snakes & Songbirds apart, with the folk, Americana and roots-driven project drawing on the fact that District 12, where much of the film is set, is based in Appalachia.
In the visuals, Lucy Gray Baird uses music as a means of processing the pain inflicted by the Games, and the ethereal, introspective and at times foreboding soundtrack embodies the spirit of this, with Rachel Zegler - who plays Lucy - contributing the majority of the songs on the album. That includes ‘The Hanging Tree’, a dark, haunting elegy that feels inspired by Billie Holiday’s 1939 ‘Strange Fruit’.
An air of melancholy pervades the record, epitomised on Flatland Cavalry’s gentle, atmospheric ‘Wool’, Sierra Ferrell’s old-timey, country-tinged ‘The Garden’ and Charles Wesley Godwin’s rugged, down-and-out ‘Winter’s Come and Gone’. Molly Tuttle’s twinkling, lullaby-like ‘Beneath the Willow’ and Billy Strings’ rip-roaring ‘Cabin Song’ provide welcome moments of levity, with the two bluegrass trailblazers still infusing traces of wistfulness into their lustrous offerings.
- MM
13
Sony Music Entertainment | 1980
Honeysuckle Rose (1980)
Fasten your seatbelts and buckle up your boots; Honeysuckle Rose is a country music rollercoaster. The '80s movie stars our old friend Willie Nelson as Buck Bonham, a travelling singer with a heart as big as Texas and a penchant for all kinds of mischief.
The plot is a delightful mix of love triangles and road trip shenanigans, a narrative made for classic country song material—full of longing, regret, and more than a little bit of heartbreak.
What of the actual country song material, you say? Well, if you're a fan of Nelson, you'll be in outlaw heaven. The film is basically a greatest hits concert with a storyline wrapped around it. The live edition of 'On the Road Again' is a timeless memory, while writing contributions from Emmylou Harris, Jeannie Seely and a certain Kris Kristofferson will have you falling in love with this charming soundtrack.
Sure, the plot might be a bit predictable, but who cares? Honeysuckle Rose is more about the journey than the destination. It's a feel-good film that celebrates the spirit of country music.
- Ross Jones
12
Geffen | 1977
Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
Burt Reynolds, a ton of Coors and a race against the cops. What more could you want from a film?
A b-movie made on as little money as feasible for a film of the time, Smokey and The bandit was a 1977 smash hit that should never of been as successful as it was. A directorial debut for Hal Needham, Reynolds admitted later in his career that it was the most fun he'd ever had making a movie.
We're hoping the soundtrack may have had something to do with that. Not only did it give birth to the absolute classic 'East Bound and Down' (go find Midland's cover of it, it's class), but it made a household name of Jerry Reed (under his actual name, Jerry Hubbard).
If you're mad enough to not watch the film (seriously? Burt Reynolds bootlegging beer?) at least go listen to Reed and Bill Justis groove into a scronking honky tonk car chase on 'Hot Pants Fuzz Parade'.
- RJ
11
Interscope | 2018
A Star is Born (2018)
Sure, we love the Barbara Streisand and Kris Kristofferson version as much as the next person, but we want to share some love for the remake here.
If you weren't already aware of the plot, Bradley Cooper is an aging rocker who finds struggling artist Lady Gaga down on her luck and begging for a break. Queue success, excess and heartbreak all in equal measure.
The soundtrack is a surprising mix of acoustic vulnerability, southern rock frivolity and heart-wrenching piano observations. Cooper's voice holds out, Gaga is well, Gaga and, at a whopping 34-tracks long, they offer a bit of something for everyone.
10
RCA Nashville | 2010
Country Strong (2010)
Starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund and Leighton Meester, the film about an emotionally unstable country star who attempts to revive her faltering career created a template that the tv series Nashville picked up and ran with a couple of years later.
Paltrow and Meester managed to hold their own alongside female country heavyweights like Faith Hill and Lee Ann Womack, while the soundtrack was bolstered by new originals from Hank Williams Jr. and Trace Adkins.
Maybe it's just the idea that in some alternate TV universe, Blair Waldorf becomes a country singer, but the Gossip Girl star in particular is so compelling when she sings the sweet ballad 'Words I Couldn’t Say' and the delightfully upbeat ‘Summer Girl’ that it makes you wish the actor had made a full pivot to a career in country music.
The film’s music supervisor Randall Poster had previously picked David Bowie songs for Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic and Bob Dylan’s for I'm Not Here, so when it came to selecting songs for Country Strong, he turned to some of Nashville’s finest, tapping up Natalie Hemby, Liz Rose, Lori McKenna, Hillary Lindsey, Hillary Scott and Luke Laird, as well as Coldplay’s Chris Martin for the Tim McGraw and Gwyneth Paltrow duet ‘Me and Tennessee’.
His choice of Hayes Carll to provide the songs for Garrett Hedlund as the country-folk singer Beau Hutton was particularly inspired, making the character completely convincing as the Townes Van Zandt-style cowboy poet troubadour.
- Jof Owen
9
New West Records | 2010
Crazy Heart (2009)
The award winning soundtrack of the 2009 film Crazy Heart, starring Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal, is so deeply nourishing it’s a standalone work of art itself.
Stephen Bruton, Ryan Bingham and T. Bone Burnett take care of writing most of the originals - performed by actors Jeff Bridges, Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall in the film - alongside classics from Buck Owens, The Louvin Brothers, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Waylon Jennings and Townes Van Zandt.
Jeff Bridges initially passed on the role when he was first offered it, saying that although he liked the script, he realised that the songs would make or break it and at the time the film had no musical attachments. A year later he talked with Burnett, who was approached to work on the film's soundtrack, and together they both agreed to work on the film.
The beautiful theme song, ‘The Weary Kind,’ written by Burnett with Ryan Bingham, who also performs the song, picked up a Golden Globe and a Grammy for Best Original Song and the soundtrack also won a Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack for a Motion Picture.
- JO
8
Island | 2019
Wild Rose (2018)
A gritty yet wholesome coming of age story - Jessie Buckley is fresh out of prison, part-time cleaning and determined to become a country superstar. Cue a tale of meeting Bob Harris (Yes, the man himself!), being escorted off Opry property and finding one's self.
While the charm certainly lies in the fact that the film is inherently British, the soundtrack offers gold standard quality from both sides of the pond.
Chris Stapleton, Caitlyn Smith and even Mary Steenburgen all offer either recordings or writes to the album, while John Prine, Emmylou Harris and Patty Griffin are all paid homage to through the characters influences and inspirations.
- RJ
7
MCA Nashville | 1980
Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)
As we've mentioned, the '80s seemed to be a pretty big year for country-inspired films. One of the decades most enduring offerings is none other than Coal Miner's Daughter.
Released in 1980, the film takes its name from the autobiographical standard from country icon Loretta Lynn. It tells her story in vivid detail, chronicling her journey from a poor teenager in Kentucky to one of the genre's most influential hitmakers.
Starting Sissy Spacek, Tommy Lee Jones and The Band's Levon Helm, the movie achieved plenty of accolades following its release, as did it's star-studded soundtrack. From Lynn's own 'You Ain't Woman Enough To Take My Man,' 'You're Lookin' at Country,' 'I'm A Honky Tonk Girl' and, of course, the film's title track, the accompanying album also saw the cast singing classic cuts from the likes of Patsy Cline, Connie Smith and Bill Monroe.
The Coal Miner's Daughter soundtrack was one that would leave a mark, being certified Gold by the RIAA and taking home the CMA Album of the Year award in 1980, joining only one other soundtrack to achieve the same feat... which may or may not be included on this list, too!
- LF
6
Walt Disney Records | 2009
Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009)
We know, we know... "Why is this on your list?? Hannah Montana was for kids, it's not country!" Well, put down your tomatoes and take a seat because this soundtrack is teeming with country (and nostalgic) gold.
For the uninitiated, Hannah Montana: The Movie is a musical comedy based on the beloved Disney Channel television series of the same name. Starring Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus and the whole crew, as well as Lucas Till, Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift, this movie absolutely rocked the theaters in 2009, grossing $155 million in box office revenue.
After years of hiding behind her blonde wig as pop icon Hannah Montana, Miley Stewart gets back in touch with her Tennessee roots and get some much-needed perspective on what really matters in life once you get past all the glitz and glam.
The soundtrack, which notably debuted at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200 before eventually claiming the top spot, features performances from all of those aforementioned stars and not a single one of them misses.
From both of the Cyrus' duetting the emotive 'Butterfly Fly Away' and Miley's rambunctious (and altogether iconic) 'Hoedown Throwdown,' to the always welcomed artistry of Rascal Flatts on their own 'Backwards' and a jaw-dropping, culturally significant appearance by a then sweet and innocent Miss Swift on 'Crazier,' this movie and it's soundtrack are the gifts that truly keep on giving.
It ain't about what else is on this list, okay? It's all about 'The Climb.'
- LF
5
MCA | 1992
Pure Country (1992)
It would’ve been easy for George Strait’s Pure Country to be a disaster, with this being his acting debut and his first time working with producer Tony Brown for the soundtrack.
Although Strait often talks self-deprecatingly about his role in the film (it’s harmless, if a little cheesy), while the accompanying record has become a cherished jewel in the ‘King of Country’s sprawling discography.
The intimate balladry of ‘I Cross My Heart’ and ‘When Did You Stop Loving Me’ found Strait revisiting the emotional intricacy of ‘Nobody in His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her’ and ‘Marina Del Rey’, while ‘Heartland’ and ‘Baby Your Baby’ showcased Strait at his playful, honky-tonkin’ best.
- MM
4
20th Century Fox | 2005
Walk The Line (2005)
Few country legends made music quite like Johnny Cash, so naturally, the 2005 biopic about his life and career would be brimming with some of the genre’s most enduring hits.
Based on two autobiographies – 1975’s Johnny Cash: Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words and 1997’s Cash: The Autobiography – Walk the Line chronicles the rise of the icon from his rural Arkansas upbringing to his success with Sun Records and beyond.
Actor Joaquin Phoenix faithfully portrays the Man in Black alongside Reese Witherspoon, who gracefully takes on the role of Cash’s longtime love June Carter. Together, the two thespians do the musical couple justice, singing lovable hit like ‘Jackson’ and ‘It Ain’t Me Babe’ on top of a slew of Cash classics, including the titular track, ‘Ring of Fire’ and more.
The film received several nods throughout that year’s awards season, but the soundtrack itself took home a Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Pictures, Television or Other Visual Media at the 49th annual awards ceremony.
- Alli Patton
3
Twisters (2024)
What makes 2024’s Twisters soundtrack special is the fact that virtually every song on the project was penned specifically for the tornado-themed movie.
It’s an experiment tailor-made for Nashville’s unrivalled songwriting scene, with Luke Combs crafting the raucous, tempestuous ‘Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma’ off the back of “a few buzzwords” in a commercial meeting with the film’s creative team.
Lainey Wilson’s undulating ‘Out of Oklahoma’, Megan Moroney’s wistful ‘Never Left Me’, Tucker Wetmore’s lively ‘Already Had It’ and Tyler Childers’ graceful ‘Song While You’re Away’ are all highlights, but at a staggering 29 tracks long, there’s something here for everyone, ranging from the sparse indie-pop of Benson Boone’s ‘Death Wish Love’ to the sultry soul of Leon Bridges’ ‘Chrome Cowgirl’.
- Maxim Mower
2
Urban Cowboy (1980)
Largely credited with instigating the mainstream country resurgence of the 1980s, Urban Cowboy’s soundtrack mirrored the two primary colours of the film.
The dangerous, neon-tinged and alcohol-soaked vibe of Gilley’s, represented by Joe Walsh’s grungy ‘All Night Long’ and The Charlie Daniels Band’s rowdy ‘Fallin’ in Love for the Night’, battled with the sweeter, romantic and lovestruck scenes reflected by Kenny Rogers’ rose-tinted ‘Love the World Away’ and Anne Murray’s ‘Could I Have This Dance’.
Urban Cowboy also featured iconic already-released hits such as The Charlie Daniels Band’s ‘The Devil Went Down To Georgia’ and the Eagles’ ‘Lyin’ Eyes’.
- MM
1
Mercury Records | 2000
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
Released in 2000, O Brother, Where Art Thou is a tale of redemption and growth that has you pondering life's ups and downs and willing to be better... Nah! It’s a silly hour and a half of twists, turns and antics, set to a rowdy roots soundtrack that has become just as iconic as the film itself.
A satirical comedy-drama starring George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson, O Brother is set in rural Mississippi in the late 1930s, smack dab in the midst of the Great Depression. Doused in an array of southern tropes – fit with overalls, whittling, gaudy accents, an uncomfy encounter with the KKK and more – it's also loosely based on Homer's epic Greek poem, The Odyssey.
It's sprawling soundtrack is one of the cornerstones of the movie, full of musical styles typically thought to be connected to the South, including gospel, delta blues, country, swing and bluegrass. The creators and music supervisors for O Brother didn't cut any corners for this one either, enlisting folk giants like John Hartford, Alison Krauss, Dan Tyminski, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Ralph Stanley, Chris Sharp and Patty Loveless to add their talents to the pool.
With so much "good, ole timey music," it's no surprise that the soundtrack went on to collect the Album of the Year and Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Visual Media at the 2002 Grammys, as well as Album of the Year at the 2001 CMA Awards, joining only one other soundtrack to achieve this same feat.
Beyond that, the compilation record also topped the all-genre Billboard 200 and has been certified 8x Platinum. The most identifiable song from the movie, 'Man of Constant Sorrow' sung by Tyminski, also achieved its own bouts of success, nabbing the CMA Single of the Year, the Best Country Collaboration with Vocals at the Grammys and reaching No. 35 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
- LF
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Written by Ross Jones
