Editor’s Note: The Albumism staff has selected what we believe to be the 100 Greatest Soundtracks of All Time, representing a varied cross-section of films and musical genres. Click “Next Soundtrack” below to explore each soundtrack in the list or for easier navigation, view the full introduction & soundtrack index here.
(500) Days of Summer
Sire (2009)
Selected by Justin Chadwick
Arguably one of the films that most successfully captures the underappreciated architectural and scenic beauty that can be found—if one knows where to look—in Los Angeles, (500) Days of Summer is also a heart-stabbing tale of dashed romantic dreams and unrequited love. No matter how many times I replay it, that gutting scene with Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Summer (Zooey Deschanel) on the Angel's Knoll park bench conjures up my own memories of chasing after the unattainable ideal earlier in my life, including all of the feelings of futility that accompanied those experiences.
Admittedly a bit of a hodgepodge of indie, rock and pop that spans multiple decades, the soundtrack is an eclectic, enjoyable listen from beginning to end, with Regina Spektor and The Smiths featuring prominently with two songs apiece, the latter also receiving the cover treatment from She & Him, Deschanel and M Ward’s still-going-strong collaborative side project. The supreme standout, however, comes courtesy of one of the lesser known entities in the track listing: “Sweet Disposition” by Australian band The Temper Trap.
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