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.
Any Given Sunday
Atlantic (2000)
Selected by Daryl McIntosh
When you cast a film and land names like the rap icon LL Cool J and the multi-talented Jamie Foxx, you’re almost assured to have an awesome soundtrack. Still, it was much more than just Uncle L and Foxx that helped the soundtrack to Oliver Stone’s fast-paced grid-iron drama overachieve its high expectations. Songs from P.O.D., Kid Rock, and Godsmack helped pump the adrenaline for the nu-metal audience, while the title track sung by the film’s leading man Foxx and assisted by Gang Starr’s Guru and Common balanced the LP with mellow lyricism.
The bulk of the album is hardcore hip-hop, which fluidly bounces between traditional hardcore East Coast with appearances from Mobb Deep to the South with contributions by Trick Daddy and Mystikal. Like the film, Any Given Sunday’s soundtrack was one of the first major energy boosts on this side of the millennium, with hard-hitting songs from the rap, rock, and R&B genres.
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