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.
Parade/Under the Cherry Moon
Paisley Park/Warner Bros. (1986)
Selected by Andy Healy
Prince hit it big on the silver screen with the glorious Purple Rain (1984). His follow-up effort, Under The Cherry Moon, failed to even capture a glimmer of that success. And whilst the movie isn’t his finest hour, the soundtrack is a glorious exploration of mood and motion. With the continuous four-track opener that barrels through like a funk freight train with “Christopher Tracy’s Parade” and “New Position” before easing off with the trippy “I Wonder U” and the ‘40s soul inspiration of “Under The Cherry Moon.”
The album really comes into its own with the stripped back funk of “Girls & Boys,” the rolling groove of “Mountains” and the pop-funk of “Anotherloverholenyohead.” The crowning moments are the taught tease of “Kiss” and the melancholy of “Sometimes It Snows In April,” a track often overlooked by the mainstream until it took on new significance with Prince’s passing.
Whilst I might not revisit the movie that often, the soundtrack holds up and deserves the many rotations it receives.
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