The Best Action Movie Soundtracks to Get Your Adrenaline Pumping
If you are like most people, you don’t go one day without listening to music. You may have a playlist for your workout, work, or relaxation. The truth is, music impacts both your well-being and mental health because your body responds to its rhythm and lyrics by releasing chemicals into your brain. What better way to uplift not only your mood but that of everyone around you by learning to play some incredible songs from the best action movie soundtracks?
Top Gun
If you want great 80s action movie soundtracks, you can’t go wrong with Top Gun. This iconic film, released in 1986, featured Maverick (Tom Cruise), a reckless fighter pilot in an elite flying school. Pulling this film together is one of the best action movie soundtracks.
You will find “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins, “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin, and “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis. Even the “Top Gun Anthem” will conjure images of defeating your enemies and gaining victory in your battles. This action movie soundtrack with its melodrama and bombastic style sat at the top of the U.S. charts for five weeks, and led the album to become 1986’s best selling soundtrack.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
This is one of those rare cases where the sequel is, at least in our opinion, distinctively better than the original. With explosive action sequences and incredible set pieces, Terminator 2: Judgment Day stands as one of the best action movies to date. While James Cameron gets credit for bringing this film to life, Brad Fiedel scored this post-apocalyptic piece brilliantly. Dealing with intelligent machines destroying humanity, the soundtrack has elements of heavy percussion accentuated with metallic undertones.
GoldenEye
Nothing can get your adrenaline pumping like a Bond movie. GoldenEye, released in 1995, follows the typical Bond plotline as well as the iconic Bond soundtrack characteristics. It features an original song that shares its title with the movie “GoldenEye” performed by Tina Turner and written by Bono and The Edge. This song made it to number two on the U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100.
The “James Bond Theme” makes an appearance on the soundtrack as well. Ace Of Base also makes an appearance on the soundtrack, but it’s the Theatrical compositions that boost the drama of the soundtrack, making it one of the best action movie soundtracks. No adrenaline-pumping playlist is complete without at least one Bond movie soundtrack. The theme song was also used to pump the same level of tension and action into the GoldenEye 007 video game.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
The soundtrack to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is an actual character in the movie. As the Guardians play “Awesome Mix Vol. 2” in their misadventures, you see their character arcs in play. Instead of the music supporting the film, it is the backbone and focus of the movie. Songs like “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac, “Fox on the Run” by Sweet, “Southern Nights” by Glen Campbell all add to the action on screen, but Guardians of the Galaxy isn’t without its emotional weight too. “Father and Son” by Cat Stevens drives home the theme with a slow, somber effect.
Although the movie isn’t from the 80s, this may be one of the best 80s action movie soundtracks because its songs are hits from both the 70s and 80s. This compilation hit the top of the Billboard 200 chart, becoming one of the most unique and listened-to action movie soundtracks.
Baby Driver
An iconic non-stop action movie with an iconic non-stop action playlist, Baby Driver is famous for the soundtrack being in-world, where the protagonist and the audience are hearing the same songs at the same time. This is a film and sound technique called diegetic sound, and while many films may use the technique for one or two songs, Baby Driver knocks it out of the park. The adrenaline-pumping playlist features the likes of Queen, Focus, The Damned, and more!
The Black Panther
The Black Panther soundtrack received the Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media at the 2019 Grammys. As with the other action movie soundtracks from this series, it is a delicate balance of tradition and Afrofuturism, encompassing the values of the traditional African heritage and futuristic sounds from high-tech society. The music supports the overall message and characters in the film. The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar performed “Pray for Me,” while Kendrick Lamar also performed “All the Stars.”
Mad Max: Fury Road
Post-apocalyptic car chases, explosions, sandstorms, and fights are not complete without a chaotic and high-energy score. Tom Holkenborg a.k.a. Junkie XL took inspiration from the original Mad Max soundtracks, while also tapping into his love of older composers like Bernard Herrmann and Ennio Morricone.
Not only do the visuals keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish, but the score doubles down on the tension and adds to the stress, giving audiences a fast-paced and nail-biting experience.
Get In On the Action
Action movie soundtracks get your blood pumping, and now you can get in on the action, too. Check out the amazing selection of action movie soundtrack sheet music at Musicnotes today, and download the app to keep all of your sheet music organized and available wherever you go.
Sources:
- https://ew.com/movies/the-best-80s-movie-soundtracks/
- https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/this-sound-tracks-composers-and-producers-break-down-black-panther-official-soundtrack-watch-1234687958/
- https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/music/g26427733/best-movie-soundtracks/