Why were '80s movie soundtracks so good?

[WhenTheOstrichFlew]

It feels like the soundtrack had almost as much money, time and care as they put into the movie.

I know that soundtracks didn't begin or end with the '80s but some of the '80s had so many amazing ones. There's so many iconic songs that were written for the movies back then.

What are your favourite soundtracks/songs from movies, whether they're from the '80s or not?

Top Gun and Dirty Dancing spring to mind if films with awesome soundtracks.

Gotta be Karate Kid!!

The lost boys from the 80s
And the crow from the 90s

I was just having this conversation with someone the other day!
Top Gun and Lost Boys are AMAZING and were played constantly in my room as a teen (although I was a teen in the 90s).

Also loved Pretty Woman. That might have been 90s.
Will think of some more. I love soundtracks anyway and have discovered a few Netflix ones recently.

I love Dirty Dancing as well.

What about St Elmo’s fire, or was that just the title song, I can’t remember if the whole soundtrack was any good

About Last Night and St Elmo's Fire have great soundtracks. I love 'Don't You Forget about Me' from Breakfast Club and 'If you Leave' from pretty in Pink. My friend used to play the Pretty woman one on repeat.

The soundtracks were good because the music was good

The eighties was Peak Pop and just the best in my humble op

I think they mostly had one big song and maybe one or two others. The big songs were great though.

Dirty dancing was more of a soundtrack but in a tarantino type way ie using a bunch of old songs that presumably had cheap rights.

Highway to the daaaaaaaaanger zone....

Love Dirty Dancing soundtrack....

Isn't she ...pretty in pink?

Duckie dancing in the record shop to 'Try a Little Tenderness' was brilliant in Pretty in Pink. Plus Ferris Bueller and his 'Twist and Shout on the float.

Purple rain 😍

Leaving a few(ok, probably several) of my favourites here.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=dx7vNdAb5e4

m.youtube.com/watch?v=ltrMfT4Qz5Y

m.youtube.com/watch?v=siwpn14IE7E

m.youtube.com/watch?v=miax0Jpe5mA

m.youtube.com/watch?v=bWcASV2sey0

Trainspotting
Empire Records
Dirty Dancing