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.
Rock ‘n’ Roll High School
Sire/Warner Bros. (1979)
Selected by Mike Elliott
Just as American Graffiti did less than a decade earlier and Fast Times at Ridgemont High would do a year later, the soundtrack to Rock 'N' Roll High School captured a moment in time: what it's like to be a teenager at a turning point in the American Experiment. In the case of RNRHS, it was the dawn of the Reagan era and the end of the '70s, which gave birth to the punk movement.
The mighty Ramones are the stars of the show, of course, but don't overlook the total rock action from Eddie & The Hot Rods, Devo, Nick Lowe, and the big daddy of schoolhouse rock himself, Chuck Berry.
LISTEN & WATCH: