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.

The Best Man
Columbia (1999)
Selected by Daryl McIntosh

The Best Man was such a star-studded assembly of African-American acting talent that it was only right that the soundtrack achieved the same feat musically. The track list reads like a “who’s who” of late ‘90s R&B with names like Maxwell, Faith Evans, Kenny Lattimore, and Beyoncé. The sexy romantic dramady which celebrates friendship, while exploring the complexity of betrayal, enlists some of the brightest names in the music industry to help reinforce such strong themes.

“What You Want” by The Roots featuring Jaguar Wright helps to bring the emotion of the main character right through your headphones and speakers, while the remastering of Bob Marley & The Wailers’ “Turn Your Lights Down Low” featuring the incomparable Lauryn Hill personifies the sexier moments of the film. Tyrese, RL (Next), Ginuwine, and Case coming together as a quintet for the song “The Best Man I Can Be” also made this a memorable R&B compilation of the late ‘90s.

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