Last Updated on January 1, 2026 by Christian Adams
Original motion picture soundtracks (OSTs) can be wildly inconsistent in terms of listening value and experience. Sometimes, they include (many of) the songs played in the movie, such as Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Purple Rain (1984). Others, like the Star Wars OSTs by John Williams—one of the most recognizable and influential scores in cinematic history—only contain the orchestral score.
While the pop/rock compilation soundtracks boast the highest raw sales numbers, the score for Titanic by James Horner is the anomaly. Driven by the success of the film and Céline Dion’s theme song (“My Heart Will Go On”), the rest of the album is almost entirely orchestral score, making it the highest-selling album of its kind.1 Nobody bought that album for “Take Her to Sea, Mr. Murdoch”.
How Do Songs Get Chosen for Soundtracks?
Songs for movie soundtracks are chosen by music supervisors, directors, and producers, involving a process of identifying scenes needing music, sourcing existing tracks or commissioning new songs and scores, and licensing them by clearing rights with copyright owners to match the film’s mood, character arcs, and overall vision, often using “temp music” for editing before final selections.
In layman’s terms, during the initial stages of a film’s development, the director or the producers will reach out to artists like Radiohead and Bob Dylan and ask them to write a song (or songs for the film). Many times, the music doesn’t quite fit the project and the song is rejected. This list covers those songs that fell between the cracks, but still managed to resurface at a later date.
Songs That Didn’t Make the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
“Bam Thwok” by the Pixies
| Film: | Shrek 2 (2004) |
The Pixies recorded this song for Shrek 2 after reuniting—their first new material and first recording since Trompe le Monde (1991). They were reportedly one of 12 bands contracted by DreamWorks to submit songs for the animated sequel’s title sequence.
The band arranged and rehearsed the song, written and sung by bassist Kim Deal, in lead guitarist Joey Santiago’s home studio. The final version of “Bam Thwok” was recorded in a DreamWorks-funded demo session in Los Angeles. The studio went with “Accidentally in Love” by Counting Crows, which isn’t bad. I see their point.
“Bam Thwok” was a download-only single. The song was released exclusively through the iTunes Store in June 2004, but has since disappeared. The YouTube video remains the only source.
“Spectre” by Radiohead
| Film: | Spectre (James Bond) (2015) |
Director Sam Mendes, and the James Bond actor, Daniel Craig, were both Radiohead fans, so they approached the band to write the theme for the upcoming Bond film Spectre (2015). Rejected as the official theme, Sam Smith’s “Writing’s On The Wall” was used instead.
Radiohead first submitted “Man of War”, an unreleased song written in the 1990s. The Spectre team liked “Man of War”, but it had not been written specifically for the film, and therefore, it would be ineligible for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Mendes attempted to use “Spectre” elsewhere in the film, but its lyrics were distracting. He described the situation as “an utter nightmare… We had this beautiful song, and we weren’t able to use it.” Lead guitarist, Jonny Greenwood, said the production team felt “Spectre” was “too dark”. Thom Yorke said the decision not to use the song was “just politics”.
Radiohead’s producer, Nigel Godrich, said the experience was a “real waste of energy”. The song was released as a free download on Christmas Day 2015.
Fortunately, somebody had the idea to recreate Spectre‘s opening sequence with the Radiohead song. It’s pretty cool. A lot better than that Sam Smith bullshit.
“Tomorrow Never Lies” by Pulp
| Film: | Tomorrow Never Dies (James Bond) (1997) |
The band wrote this for the James Bond film, but their submission was rejected in favor of the theme by Sheryl Crow. Pulp’s song title, however, was derived from the film’s original working title, which was based on the James Bond short story “Tomorrow Never Dies.”
I’ll be honest with you. I didn’t know Sheryl Crow had a song on a James Bond soundtrack, and I’d never heard this song until today. While I’ve never harbored any ill-will toward Crow and her music, I lost a little bit of respect for her after watching the video of “Tomorrow Never Dies”.
“A Girl Like You” by the Smithereens
| Film: | Say Anything… (1989) |
Written for the film but pulled after producers requested lyrical changes because it was too “on the nose.”2 Released on their album 11 (1989). Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” was used in the famous boombox scene.
“I’ll Cry Instead” by the Beatles
| Film: | A Hard Day’s Night (1964) |
Originally written and shot for the “breakout” scene, but director Richard Lester replaced it with “Can’t Buy Me Love” for a more upbeat tone.
“Wiseman” by Frank Ocean
| Film: | Django Unchained (2012) |
Written for the movie but rejected by director Quentin Tarantino, who said it was a “fantastic ballad,” but he ultimately felt there wasn’t a suitable scene in the movie for it. Ocean released the song on his Tumblr.
“Lay Lady Lay” by Bob Dylan
| Film: | Midnight Cowboy (1969) |
Dylan was commissioned to write a song but failed to complete it in time. Harry Nilsson‘s cover of “Everybody’s Talkin'” was used instead.
In a 1971 interview, Dylan said the song was written for Barbra Streisand, with Streisand later adding that Dylan wanted to sing a duet with her.3
“Lay Lady Lay” is one of the few songs in Dylan’s massive discography in which he’s actually singing, not playing a part, just reading words.
A Great Moment in Cowbell History #129
Dylan first played the song to group of singer-songwriters including Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash, and Kris Kristofferson at Johnny Cash’s house outside of Nashville. Drummer Kenny Buttrey had a difficult time coming up with a drum part for the song. Dylan suggested bongos, while producer Bob Johnston said cowbells. Buttrey said, facetiously, “Why not both?”
“My Best Friend” by Weezer
| Film: | Shrek 2 (2004) |
Another Shrek 2 casualty. Rivers Cuomo believed the song, written about a “big, funny, kind of ogre-ish” friend, was perfect for the film. However, the producers found it too “Shrek-like” and asked for revisions. Even with rewritten lyrics, the song was ultimately not used. “My Best Friend” later appeared on Weezer’s 2005 album Make Believe and was eventually used in the credits of the 2010 film Yogi Bear.
“Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” by Shirley Bassey/Dionne Warwick
| Film: | Thunderball (1965) |
This song was recorded twice—first by Bassey, then by Warwick—to be the theme for the James Bond film. It was ultimately replaced by a new song titled after the movie, “Thunderball,” which was sung by Tom Jones.
“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears For Fears
| Film: | The Jewel of the Nile (1985) |
Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith were pressured to re-record the hit for the sequel to Romancing the Stone but eventually refused, leading to a different song for the closing credits (“The Jewel of the Nile”, performed by Precious Wilson).
“Come What May” by David Baerwald & Kevin Gilbert
| Film: | Romeo + Juliet (1996) |
Written for the film but cut; later repurposed as the only original song in Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge.
“Exit Music (For a Film)” by Radiohead
| Film: | Romeo + Juliet (1996) |
Though it plays over the end credits, the band specifically requested it not be included on the official soundtrack album, instead saving it for OK Computer (1997).
“This Must Be the Place” (Cover) by LCD Soundsystem
| Film: | Greenberg (2004) |
James Murphy scored the film and covered the Talking Heads song, but it was absent from the Greenberg album, released separately as a single.
“Hey Bulldog” by the Beatles
| Film: | Yellow Submarine (1967) |
The sequence for this song was filmed and recorded but was ultimately cut from the final UK/US theatrical release due to concerns over film length (later restored).
“A Song For You” by Donny Hathaway
| Film: | The Mack (2004) |
Hathaway wrote and recorded a song for the film, but it was cut and not included on the famous soundtrack album featuring Willie Hutch.
“What’s Going On” (Cover) by the Cranberries
| Film: | Twister (1996) |
The band covered the Marvin Gaye classic for the film but it was not included on the Twister soundtrack album.
“Theme from Godzilla” by Smashing Pumpkins
| Film: | Godzilla (1998) |
Of course Billy Corgan wrote a piece for the monster’s arrival scene but it was deemed too orchestral/complex and was not used or featured on the soundtrack album.
“The Golden Age” by Beck
| Film: | The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) |
While Beck’s covers dominated the film and soundtrack, his original song “The Golden Age” (from 2002’s Sea Change) was recorded for a scene but was absent from the official soundtrack release.
Bands That Claimed to Have Written Songs for Films (But We Can’t Find Proof)
Nine Inch Nails
| Film: | Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2004) |
Trent Reznor claimed he wrote a theme for the film that was ultimately rejected.
Muse
| Film: | New Moon (Twilight Saga)(2004) |
The band stated they submitted a track that was either rejected or not used, despite their songs being prominently featured in the first two films.
The Popularity of Original Soundtrack Albums
Original motion picture soundtracks often exceed the fame and longevity of the films they accompany. Their popularity stems from two core factors: emotional anchoring and market diversification.
A great OST serves as an emotional anchor, allowing the listener to instantly recall the specific feelings, images, and narrative beats of a film simply by pressing “play.” This powerful, non-visual form of immersion creates an enduring personal connection that translates directly into high album sales and streams.4
Furthermore, soundtracks are powerful market vehicles. They can either act as a curated compilation—introducing classic artists (like Forrest Gump) or launching contemporary hits (like Dirty Dancing)—or as a showcase for a single superstar (like The Bodyguard). This versatility allows OSTs to capture multiple consumer segments, making them some of the most lucrative and best-selling albums in music history.
Top Best-Selling Original Motion Picture Soundtracks
| Soundtrack Title | Release Year | Primary/Key Artists | Estimated Worldwide Sales (millions) |
| The Bodyguard5 | 1992 | Whitney Houston & Various | 45-50 million |
| Saturday Night Fever | 1977 | Bee Gees & Various | 40 million |
| Dirty Dancing | 1987 | Various | 32 million |
| Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture | 1997 | James Horner & Céline Dion | 30 million |
| Grease: The Original Soundtrack | 1978 | Various (Olivia Newton-John, John Travolta) | 28 million |
| Purple Rain | 1984 | Prince and The Revolution | 20–25 million |
| Flashdance | 1983 | Various (Irene Cara, Michael Sembello) | 20 million |
| The Lion King | 1994 | Elton John, Tim Rice, Hans Zimmer, Various | 15–16 million |
| Forrest Gump | 1994 | Various (Classic Rock compilation) | 12 million |
Popular Instrumental Film Scores (Scores Only)
| Soundtrack Title | Composer | Release Year |
| Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture | James Horner | 1997 |
| The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Howard Shore & Enya | 2001 |
| Star Wars: A New Hope | John Williams | 1977 |
| Schindler’s List | John Williams | 1993 |
| Gladiator | Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard | 2000 |
| Braveheart | James Horner | 1995 |
Sources and Footnotes
- RIAA certified 11 million copies in the U.S. ↩︎
- “A Girl Like You” by the Smithereens ↩︎
- https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/29/entertainment/bob-dylan-barbra-streisand-lay-lady-lay-trnd/index.html ↩︎
- https://thirdpartygh.com/emotional-anchors-the-power-of-branding-that-listens-in-film-marketing/ ↩︎
- https://blog.audionetwork.com/the-edit/music/the-best-selling-movie-soundtracks ↩︎
