Why Guardians of the Galaxy Has the Best Soundtracks of the MCU

An important part of any movie is its music. Consider your favorite movie and your favorite big moment in said movie; there’s a great chance music is associated with it. And that specific music becomes something associated with that moment and when you hear it later, it stimulates an emotional response. That’s the power of music in film and while there are a lot of films where that power comes from orchestral score, a great soundtrack is just as effective — especially when it comes to Guardians of the Galaxy. The soundtrack to the first Guardians of the Galaxy film was a major moment, not just in terms of the feel of that film but it was a game changer for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, injecting a new level of storytelling and pop culture connection to these grand scale stories of heroes and villains. Now, as we head into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 — and thank you James Gunn, have gotten that new Awesome Mix for Vol. 3 already — let’s take a moment to appreciate the soundtracks to the Guardians films because they’re far more than just good mixtapes; they’re a cultural moment.

The very first Guardians soundtrack marked a major change in the way films in the MCU presented their story sonically. Yes, films before Guardians of the Galaxy used pop music — there are needle drops in Iron Man that are just an absolute chef’s kiss to be sure — but much of the music in the MCU at that point was orchestral. Alan Silvestri’s score for The Avengers is iconic and Captain America: The First Avenger is pretty great, too. But Guardians kicked the doors down, bringing in some memorable jams — “Hooked on a Feeling”, “Spirit in the Sky” (which was used in the trailer, not the film), “Come and Get Your Love” just to name a few — and not only changed that sound landscape but incorporated the idea of this sort of music into the story itself. These songs are part of Peter Quill’s history — and that matters not just in terms of story but in audience response.

That first Guardians soundtrack also marked a shift in how people enjoy music. Thanks to that soundtrack, there was a renewed interest in classic rock. It was the first soundtrack album consisting entirely of previously released songs to top the Billboard 200. It also inspired an interest in so-called obsolete audio technology. Peter Quill listens to his Awesome Mix on an old Walkman on cassette, which made for an interesting juxtaposition between his past and his present considering he’s out in space, but there was a throwback charm to it — and then in the second movie, Peter gets “upgraded” to a Zune, which is also a real-world obsolete item but it definitely showed a progression — and got people to talking about Zunes again as fans enjoyed another grouping of unexpected songs that also went to the top of the charts. That soundtrack also sold very well on cassette tape, becoming the best-selling tape in the US in 2017, looping back to the idea that the soundtrack and the film shifted how people were enjoying the music.

The soundtracks are popular and influential in no small part because they are so well-curated, but they also tell a story right alongside the story that plays out on screen. When you look at and listen to the Guardians soundtracks, you get an audio expression of Peter’s journey. The songs shift a bit in tone from the first movie to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, reflecting a change in Peter himself as he goes from this bit of a wild card space loser, to a more seasoned heroic figure, and one who has found love and a sense of belonging. That’s reflected in the musical choices, which become a bit more mature and a bit more complex — this is particularly notable with the inclusion of the song “My Sweet Lord” by George Harrison and “Father and Son” by Cat Stevens. Heading into the third film and the third soundtrack, there’s an even more marked shift. 

Volume 3’s Awesome Mix might be the most contemporary (thanks to the Zune) with the inclusion of music from Radiohead, Spacehog, Beastie Boys, and Florence and the Machine, but it’s also some of the most reflective. We haven’t seen the film yet, but the story this music is telling is one that is a bit sadder, a bit more serious, and tracks with the experiences that the Guardians have been through since the last film — but there’s also still plenty of hope and beauty in these songs as well. If the track listing is any indication, we’re going to see a full and healing journey for the Guardians in this third film, one that has been hard-won and not without beautiful scars.

And of course, there’s perhaps the biggest reason of all why the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtracks are just the absolute gold standard: they rock. They just do. From the quality of the music, the choices of what to include on the actual soundtrack, and the story it tells right alongside the film itself, there’s no other film soundtrack that can even compare to what the Guardians franchise offers. Here’s to one more beautiful soundtrack as we all fly away together, one last time, into the forever and beautiful sky.

To celebrate the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, ComicBook.com is teaching you everything you need to know about the newest movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe! Check out ComicBook CRAM every day before the release of Vol. 3 and click here for even more content to find out everything you need to know about the new movie!