A movie soundtrack is often as integral to a film's identity as its actors, story, or genre, with many famous bands doing the music for all-time great releases. While a traditional orchestral score used to be the norm, in recent decades, popular bands and artists have brought their unique musical vision to all kinds of films.
While soundtrack albums from individual artists like Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard or Bob Dylan's Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid are well known, plenty of bands have come together to make their own OSTs. From music legends adapting their rock operas to cult classic synth scores, plenty of bands have helped elevate movies with great soundtracks.
AC/DC -- Maximum Overdrive (1986)
Stephen King may be the master of horror, but his lone directorial effort didn't have quite the same impact, as his film Maximum Overdrive failed critically and commercially. With plenty of campy humor and jokes that fell flat on their feet, this mess of a movie earned King a Golden Raspberry nomination for Worst Director.
However, rock legends AC/DC did the soundtrack, which was released as their 1986 album Who Made Who. Unlike Maximum Overdrive, the record was a minor success, although its best songs, like "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)," had already appeared on previous albums.
The Who -- Quadrophenia (1979)
As one of the defining rock bands of the British Invasion, The Who were always experimenting with narratives in their music, and Pete Townshend practically invented the rock opera on albums like Tommy and Quadrophenia. Both of these records were given the big screen treatment, and for the Quadrophenia soundtrack, The Who even included some previously unreleased tracks.
Telling the story of a troubled young mod with mental health issues, Quadrophenia explored teen angst and coming-of-age themes set to the soundtrack of some of The Who's best music. From the bombastic excitement of "5:15" to the harrowing intensity of "Love Reign O'er Me," Quadrophenia captured what it feels like to be young and searching for meaning.
The Beatles -- Yellow Submarine (1968)
It's truly wild how much The Beatles managed to get done during their relatively short existence in the 1960s, as they not only released some of the most impactful albums of all time but also starred in several feature films. Among these was Yellow Submarine, an animated adventure that saw the group go on a surreal psychedelic journey.
With John, Paul, George, and Ringo voicing themselves, the group also did the soundtrack album for Yellow Submarine, which included its beloved title song. This wasn't the only movie soundtrack The Beatles made, as they also recorded the music for their 1967 television film Magical Mystery Tour.
Idles -- Caught Stealing (2025)
Following a chance encounter backstage on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, director Darren Aronofsky and the post-punk group Idles opted to collaborate (via Spin) on a movie soundtrack. The result was Caught Stealing, a wild thriller set in 1990s New York City, where Austin Butler plays a bartender embroiled in a deadly conspiracy while pet-sitting his neighbor's cat.
Idles captured the gritty atmosphere of 1990s New York through a punk rock soundtrack filled with clanging guitar sounds and fast-paced power chords. The music was a key component of Caught Stealing's frantic energy, and it helped elevate the intensity of Hank Thompson's (Butler) increasingly dangerous and violent circumstances.
Queen -- Flash Gordon (1980)
While rock bands had been involved in movie soundtracks before, Queen's work on Flash Gordon was one of the most iconic early examples of this in practice. As a sci-fi cult classic comic adaptation, the music was perhaps even more popular than the film, as Queen's theme song "Flash" was a top ten hit in the UK.
Flash Gordon was just one of two movie soundtracks produced by Queen, as they did the music for yet another cult classic with Highlander in 1986. While Queen recorded many songs for Flash Gordon, the film also featured an orchestral score composed by Howard Blake.
Toto -- Dune (1984)
David Lynch's Dune has been remembered as a flawed adaptation of Frank Herbert's original novel and was even disowned by the director himself. While Lynch's dissatisfaction with the film is well known, many might not be aware that the soundtrack for Dune was made by the rock band Toto.
Toto recorded instrumental tracks for Dune's soundtrack, which paired perfectly with Paul Atreides's dreams and hallucinations throughout the movie. However, one track, "Prophecy Theme," was composed by music legend Brian Eno alongside Roger Eno and Daniel Lanois.
Arcade Fire -- Her (2013)
The Oscar-nominated film score for Spike Jones's Her was composed by the rock band Arcade Fire along with the Canadian composer Owen Pallett. As a poignant sci-fi romance that's even more relevant today than when it was first released, Her captured the complexities of humanity's connection to artificial intelligence like nothing before it.
The most striking thing about Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett's soundtrack was how it grounded the film in reality and focused on the emotional undercurrents of its story. The Her soundtrack was previously unavailable to buy or stream but was finally released on digital, CD, and vinyl in 2021.
Daft Punk -- Tron: Legacy (2010)
It's hard to think of a band more suited to produce the music for the sci-fi series Tron than Daft Punk. Thankfully, this became a reality with the release of Tron: Legacy in 2010, a film whose soundtrack featured an incredible blend of electronic and orchestral music that worked equally well as a standalone album.
Daft Punk released their soundtrack to Tron: Legacy in 2010 to widespread critical acclaim, debuting at number 10 in the Billboard 200 and even earning a Grammy nomination for best soundtrack. As a platinum-certified record, Tron: Legacy proved a soundtrack's potential to gain mainstream popularity.
Simon & Garfunkel -- The Graduate (1967)
Mike Nichols's The Graduate is inextricably linked to the music of folk duo Simon & Garfunkel, whose unique vocal melodies and sharp guitar chords helped give the film an identity that is all its own. Whether it was the infectious optimism of "Mrs. Robinson" or the haunting power of "The Sound of Silence," these tracks have become part of film history.
The Graduate was a huge success, transforming Dustin Hoffman into a major movie star. But the music was just as important, as the soundtrack earned the Best Soundtrack Grammy, and "Mrs. Robinson" won Record of the Year. It's hard to think of a movie soundtrack from the 1960s more iconic than The Graduate.
Tangerine Dream -- Thief (1981)
When it comes to famous bands making movie soundtracks, there's no group more impactful than Tangerine Dream. As a German electro band who were integral to the way synth movie soundtracks took hold during the 1980s, their work on movies like Sorcerer and Risky Business stands as some of the best OSTs of all time.
However, it was on Michael Mann's Thief that Tangerine Dream did their best soundtrack work, and its moody music helped give the film its unique identity. With a mix of fast-paced synths, high-octane energy, and experimental ambient sounds, the Thief soundtrack was hugely influential.