BY EMIL TIEDEMANN
Over the last couple of years soundtracks have made somewhat of a comeback, with recent chart-topping efforts in Juno (2007), Slumdog Millionaire (2008), Twilight (2008), and Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009), all of which have reached platinum status in the United States. But despite their popularity and ranks on the Billboard charts they--like all albums--just don't see the numbers that older records have experienced, such as Footloose (1984), The Bodyguard (1992) or Titanic (1997).The ongoing sales slump, which declines with every year, is due entirely to downloading, both legal and illegal, stunting an industry that has had to come up with new ways to make a buck. It is highly unlikely that any of the recent or upcoming soundtracks will ever come remotely close to the #1 soundtrack of all-time, Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard, which has sold more than 42 million copies worldwide, or will catch up to any of the 20 albums on this list for that matter.
In light of the recent success of soundtracks, SiM has gathered the top-selling movie albums of all-time (domestically), all of which were issued before the downloading craze of the current decade. If you notice, none of the albums below were issued after the year 2000, which serves as the tipping point of when the downloading phenomenon really took over the music industry. Any of the albums followed by an asterisk (*) indicates that the film won an Academy Award for either (or both) Best Original Song or Best Original Song Score.
1. The Bodyguard (1992)U.S. Sales: 17 million
Record Label: Arista
Chart Position: #1 (14 weeks)
Release Date: November 17, 1992
Stand-Out Tracks: "I Will Always Love You" (Whitney Houston), "I'm Every Woman" (Whitney Houston), "I Have Nothing" (Whitney Houston)
Movie Starred: Kevin Costner, Whitney Houston
2. Saturday Night Fever (1977)U.S. Sales: 15 million
Record Label: RSO
Chart Position: #1 (24 weeks)
Release Date: December 16, 1977
Stand-Out Tracks: "Stayin' Alive" (Bee Gees), "How Deep Is Your Love" (Bee Gees), "Night Fever" (Bee Gees)
Movie Starred: John Travolta, Karen Lynn Gorney
3. Purple Rain (1984)* U.S. Sales: 13 million
Record Label: Warner Bros.
Chart Position: #1 (24 weeks)
Release Date: June 25, 1984
Stand-Out Tracks: "Let's Go Crazy" (Prince), "When Doves Cry" (Prince), "Purple Rain" (Prince)
Movie Starred: Prince, Morris Day
4. Forrest Gump (1994)U.S. Sales: 12 million
Record Label: Epic
Chart Position: #2
Release Date: June 28, 1994
Stand-Out Tracks: "Hound Dog" (Elvis Presley), "Respect" (Aretha Franklin), "Sweet Home Alabama" (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
Movie Starred: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright
5. Dirty Dancing (1987)*U.S. Sales: 11 million
Record Label: RCA
Chart Position: #1 (18 weeks)
Release Date: August 21, 1987
Stand-Out Tracks: "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" (Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes), "Hungry Eyes" (Eric Carmen), "She's Like the Wind" (Patrick Swayze)
Movie Starred: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey
6. Titanic (1997)*U.S. Sales: 11 million
Record Label: Sony Classical
Chart Position: #1 (16 weeks)
Release Date: November 18, 1997
Stand-Out Tracks: "My Heart Will Go On" (Celine Dion), "Death of Titanic," "Hymn to the Sea"
Movie Starred: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet
7. The Lion King (1994)*U.S. Sales: 10 million
Record Label: Disneyland
Chart Position: #1 (10 weeks)
Release Date: July 13, 1994
Stand-Out Tracks: "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" (Elton John), "Circle of Life" (Elton John), "Hakuna Matata" (Nathan Lane & Ernie Sabella)
Movie Starred: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons
8. Footloose (1984)U.S. Sales: 9 million
Record Label: Columbia
Chart Position: #1 (10 weeks)
Release Date: February 14, 1984
Stand-Out Tracks: "Footloose" (Kenny Loggins), "Let's Hear It for the Boy" (Deniece Williams), "Almost Paradise" (Ann Wilson & Mike Reno)
Movie Starred: Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer
9. Top Gun (1986)*U.S. Sales: 9 million
Record Label: Columbia
Chart Position: #1 (5 weeks)
Release Date: May 16, 1986
Stand-Out Tracks: "Take My Breath Away" (Berlin), "Danger Zone" (Kenny Loggins), "Heaven in Your Eyes" (Loverboy)
Movie Starred: Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis
10. Grease (1978)U.S. Sales: 8 million
Record Label: RSO
Chart Position: #1 (12 weeks)
Release Date: June 16, 1978
Stand-Out Tracks: "Grease" (Frankie Valli), "Hopelessly Devoted to You" (Olivia Newton-John), "You're the One That I Want" (John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John)
Movie Starred: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John
11. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)U.S. Sales: 8 million
Record Label: Lost Highway
Chart Position: #1 (2 weeks)
Release Date: December 5, 2000
Stand-Out Tracks: "Man of Constant Sorrow" (Soggy Bottom Boys & Dan Tyminski), "O Death" (Ralph Stanley), "You Are My Sunshine" (Norman Blake)
Movie Starred: George Clooney, John Turturro
12. Waiting to Exhale (1995)U.S. Sales: 7 million
Record Label: Arista
Chart Position: #1 (5 weeks)
Release Date: November 28, 1995
Stand-Out Tracks: "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" (Whitney Houston), "Let It Flow" (Toni Braxton), "Sittin' Up in My Room" (Brandy)
Movie Starred: Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett
13. The Little Mermaid (1989)*U.S. Sales: 6 million
Record Label: Disneyland
Chart Position: #32
Release Date: December 13, 1989
Stand-Out Tracks: "Under the Sea" (Samuel E. Wright), "Part of Your World" (Jodi Benson), "Kiss the Girl" (Samuel E. Wright)
Movie Starred: Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright
14. Space Jam (1996)U.S. Sales: 6 million
Record Label: Atlantic
Chart Position: #2
Release Date: November 12, 1996
Stand-Out Tracks: "Fly Like an Eagle" (Seal), "I Believe I Can Fly" (R. Kelly), "For You I Will" (Monica)
Movie Starred: Michael Jordan, Wayne Knight
15. Flashdance (1983)* U.S. Sales: 6 million
Record Label: Casablanca
Chart Position: #1 (2 weeks)
Release Date: April 15, 1983
Stand-Out Tracks: "Flashdance...What a Feeling" (Irene Cara), "Maniac" (Michael Sembello), "Gloria" (Laura Branigan)
Movie Starred: Jennifer Beals, Michael Nouri
16. The Big Chill (1983)U.S. Sales: 6 million
Record Label: Motown
Chart Position: #17
Release Date: September 8, 1983
Stand-Out Tracks: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (Marvin Gaye), "My Girl" (The Temptations), "Joy to the World" (Three Dog Night)
Movie Starred: Tom Berenger, Glenn Close
17. Pure Country (1992)U.S. Sales: 6 million
Record Label: MCA Nashville
Chart Position: #6
Release Date: September 15, 1992
Stand-Out Tracks: "I Cross My Heart" (George Strait), "Heartland" (George Strait), "Where the Sidewalk Ends" (George Strait)
Movie Starred: George Strait, Lesley Ann Warren
18. City of Angels (1998)U.S. Sales: 5 million
Record Label: Warner/Sunset
Chart Position: #1 (3 weeks)
Release Date: March 31, 1998
Stand-Out Tracks: "Iris" (Goo Goo Dolls), "Uninvited" (Alanis Morissette), "Angel" (Sarah McLachlan)
Movie Starred: Nicolas Cage, Meg Ryan
19. Evita (1996)U.S. Sales: 5 million
Record Label: Warner Bros.
Chart Position: #2
Release Date: October 25, 1996
Stand-Out Tracks: "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" (Madonna), "You Must Love Me" (Madonna), "Oh What a Circus" (Madonna & Antonio Banderas)
Movie Starred: Madonna, Antonio Banderas
20. The Jazz Singer (1980)U.S. Sales: 5 million
Record Label: Capitol
Chart Position: #3
Release Date: December 19, 1980
Stand-Out Tracks: "America" (Neil Diamond), "Love on the Rocks" (Neil Diamond), "Hello Again" (Neil Diamond)
Movie Starred: Neil Diamond, Laurence Olivier
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