Special Report
Most Popular Movie Soundtracks of All Time, According to Billboard Data
Published:
Music has gone along with cinema since the beginning – originally in the form of live orchestras or a theater organist accompanying silent movies. When the first sound films were released, the sound was music – not dialogue.
The first commercially released movie soundtrack was that for the 1937 Disney animated classic “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” put out in the form of an album of 78 rpm disks in 1938. Soundtrack albums became popular on a large scale in the 1940s, and they haven’t stopped since. Many movies have distinguished themselves with memorable soundtracks over the years, often featuring hit songs that either made their performers stars or embellished their fame. (These are the most popular songs originally written for movies.)
To determine the most popular soundtracks of all time, 24/7 Tempo reviewed performance data for movie soundtracks on the Billboard 200 album charts. Soundtracks were ranked based on an inverse score wherein a week at No. 1 is worth 200 points, a week at No. 2 worth 199 points, and so on, up to a week at No. 200 worth one point. Billboard data is current through the week of March 18, 2022. The biggest song on each soundtrack album is based on the total number of plays on Spotify.
Soundtracks from films from six decades appear on our list, 19 of which reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 list.
Thirteen movie soundtracks from the 1960s are represented. The year 1964 alone gave us four: “Goldfinger,” “Zorba the Greek,” “Mary Poppins,” and “My Fair Lady.” The following year was represented by three films: “The Sound of Music,” “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” and “Dr. Zhivago.” Another noteworthy year was 1994, featuring soundtracks from “The Lion King,” “Forrest Gump,” and “Pulp Fiction.”
Click here to see the most popular movie soundtracks of all time, according to Billboard data
Soundtracks from Prince’s “Purple Rain” and “Saturday Night Fever” occupied the top position on the Billboard 200 for 24 weeks each, the longest stays at No. 1 of any soundtrack on our list.
“Moana,” the animated Disney film about female empowerment, stayed in the Billboard 200 for an unparalleled 316 weeks. Another Disney animated movie about girl power, “Frozen,” also made the top 10 and was on the Billboard 200 for 178 weeks, with its sequel, “Frozen II” remaining there for 90 weeks. (Here’s a list of the best original songs from Disney movies.)
40. The Jazz Singer (1980)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 3 (for 7 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 115 weeks
> Biggest song: “America” (Neil Diamond)
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39. Goldfinger (1964)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 1 (for 3 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 70 weeks
> Biggest song: “Goldfinger” (Shirley Bassey)
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38. Zorba the Greek (1964)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 26 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 79 weeks
> Biggest song: “Theme From Zorba the Greek” (Mikis Theodorakis)
37. Camelot (1967)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 11 (for 4 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 87 weeks
> Biggest song: “Camelot” (Fiona Fullerton, Richard Harris)
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36. Frozen II (2019)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 1 (for 1 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 90 weeks
> Biggest song: “Into the Unknown” (Idina Menzel, AURORA)
35. City of Angels (1998)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 1 (for 3 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 77 weeks
> Biggest song: “Iris” (The Goo Goo Dolls)
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34. Space Jam (1996)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 2 (for 1 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 82 weeks
> Biggest song: “I Believe I Can Fly” (R. Kelly)
33. Top Gun (1986)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 1 (for 5 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 94 weeks
> Biggest song: “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” (Otis Redding)
32. Alice’s Restaurant (1969)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 17 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 99 weeks
> Biggest song: “Alice’s Restaurant Massacre” (Arlo Guthrie)
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31. Flashdance (1983)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 1 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 78 weeks
> Biggest song: “Maniac” (Michael Sembello)
30. Pretty Woman (1990)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 4 (for 5 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 91 weeks
> Biggest song: “Oh, Pretty Woman” (Roy Orbison)
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29. Forrest Gump (1994)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 2 (for 5 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 94 weeks
> Biggest song: “Sweet Home Alabama” (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
28. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 24 (for 1 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 120 weeks
> Biggest song: “Also sprach Zarathustra” (Richard Strauss)
27. A Man and a Woman (1966)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 10 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 93 weeks
> Biggest song: “Un homme et une femme” (Francis Lai)
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26. A Star Is Born (2018)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 1 (for 4 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 109 weeks
> Biggest song: “Shallow” (Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper)
25. Twilight (2008)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 1 (for 1 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 95 weeks
> Biggest song: “Supermassive Black Hole” (Muse)
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24. The Lion King (1994)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 1 (for 10 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 89 weeks
> Biggest song: “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (Elton John)
23. Funny Girl (1968)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 12 (for 1 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 108 weeks
> Biggest song: “Don’t Rain on My Parade” (Barbra Streisand)
22. Pulp Fiction (1994)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 21 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 107 weeks
> Biggest song: “Let’s Stay Together” (Al Green)
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21. Coyote Ugly (2000)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 10 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 104 weeks
> Biggest song: “Need You Tonight” (INXS)
20. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 6 (for 1 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 106 weeks
> Biggest song: “Christmas Time Is Here – Vocal” (Vince Guaraldi Trio)
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19. Pitch Perfect (2012)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 3 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 126 weeks
> Biggest song: “Bellas Finals: Price Tag/Don’t You (Forget About Me)/Give Me Everything/Just The Way You Are/Party In The U.S.A./Turn The Beat Around” (The Barden Bellas)
18. Pure Country (1992)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 6 (for 1 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 129 weeks
> Biggest song: “I Cross My Heart” (George Strait)
17. Dirty Dancing (1987)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 1 (for 18 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 97 weeks
> Biggest song: “Hungry Eyes” (Eric Carmen)
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16. Trolls (2016)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 3 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 125 weeks
> Biggest song: “CAN’T STOP THE FEELING!” (Justin Timberlake)
15. West Side Story (1961)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 3 (for 1 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 104 weeks
> Biggest song: “America” (Betty Wand, George Chakiris, Johnny Green, Suzie Kaye, West Side Story Orchestra)
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14. The Big Chill (1983)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 17 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 161 weeks
> Biggest song: “My Girl” (The Temptations)
13. Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 1 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 146 weeks
> Biggest song: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell)
12. Purple Rain (1984)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 1 (for 24 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 167 weeks
> Biggest song: “Purple Rain” (Prince)
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11. Beaches (1988)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 2 (for 3 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 176 weeks
> Biggest song: “Wind Beneath My Wings” (Bette Midler)
10. Saturday Night Fever (1977)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 1 (for 24 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 137 weeks
> Biggest song: “Stayin’ Alive” (Bee Gees)
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9. High School Musical (2006)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 1 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 108 weeks
> Biggest song: “Breaking Free” (Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens)
8. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 1 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 112 weeks
> Biggest song: “I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow” (The Soggy Bottom Boys, Dan Tyminski)
7. Frozen (2013)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 1 (for 13 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 178 weeks
> Biggest song: “Let It Go” (Idina Menzel)
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6. My Fair Lady (1964)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 4 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 111 weeks
> Biggest song: “I Could Have Danced All Night” (Marni Nixon)
5. Mary Poppins (1964)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 1 (for 14 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 122 weeks
> Biggest song: “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” (Julie Andrews, Van Dyke, The Pearlie Chorus)
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4. The Greatest Showman (2017)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 1 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 190 weeks
> Biggest song: “This Is Me” (Keala Settle, The Greatest Showman Ensemble)
3. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 1 (for 1 week)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 157 weeks
> Biggest song: “Interior Student Café” (Maurice Jarre)
2. Moana (2016)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 2 (for 1 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 316 weeks
> Biggest song: “How Far I’ll Go” (Alessia Cara)
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1. The Sound of Music (1965)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: No. 1 (for 2 weeks)
> Total time on Billboard 200: 238 weeks
> Biggest song: “Do-Re-Mi” (Angela Cartwright, Charmian Carr, Debbie Turner, Duane Chase, Heather Menzies, Irwin Kosal, Julie Andrews, Kym Karath, Nicholas Hammond)
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