So why is the Good Morning, Vietnam soundtrack on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
When it comes to movie soundtracks that do a comprehensive job of covering the 1950s and 1960s, it’s hard to go wrong with Forrest Gump: The Soundtrack.
I mention this as it’s a very solid collection of songs that cover a fairly large span of music history. I had initially considered including the Gump soundtrack as part of this here best 1,000 albums ever project, but then realized that many of the tunes it includes – by the likes of Elvis Presley (“Hound Dog”), Creedence Clearwater Revival (“Fortunate Son”), The Beach Boys (“Sloop John B”), The Mamas & The Papas (“California Dreamin’”), The Doors (“Break On Through”), and more are well covered on other albums that are featured on the best 1,000 albums ever project.
Then I later realized that the Good Morning, Vietnam soundtrack – a movie I watched countless times on cable over the late ‘80s and early ‘90s – is not only fantastic, but it serves up an outstanding array of more eclectic fare from the early to mid-1960s that make it ideal to “fill in” some of the gaps, so to speak, on helping to build the fortress that is the best 1,000 albums project.
I also owned the cassette tape version of the soundtrack back in the day, and feel a genuine personal connection to its music. Also, there are hilarious clips pulled from the movie of Robin Williams performing as DJ Adrian Cronauer, serving up pop and rock music while spreading a little bit of light and the American home front to the U.S. soldiers in Vietnam.
“Nowhere to Run,” by Martha & The Vandellas, is flat-out one of my favorite soul hits of all time: it’s big, bold, boisterous, and bursting with life.
“Sugar and Spice,” by The Searchers, is a bubblegum pop song with a slight psychedelic sprinkle, you could say, and it’s so catchy that it’s been in my head all day as I’m writing these words.
Them’s version of “Baby Please Don’t Go” from 1964 includes a 19-year-old Van Morrison on vocals, and it may well be my favorite song that Morrison ever recorded. It’s bluesy and a little raw and a little honkytonk and it’s just overall great.
And then “Five O’Clock World,” by The Vogues and “What A Wonderful World,” by Louis Armstrong, are just all kinds of gorgeous.
Pop culture stuff that has something to do with the Good Morning, Vietnam soundtrack
While Robin Williams had taken on some roles that required some dramatic chops and acting presence – The World According to Garp from 1982 and Moscow on the Hudson from 1984, for instance – it’s Good Morning, Vietnam that proved that Williams could ably lead a successful movie in which he could be both funny and dramatic as needed.
Robin Williams obviously has a tremendous comedic legacy – particularly his standup work, Mork & Mindy, and his voice work in the animated Aladdin – but I believe he was far superior as a dramatic actor. Dead Poets Society, Good Will Hunting, and One Hour Photo are all tremendous achievements thanks in part to him, for example.
With Good Morning, Vietnam, I must say that it’s a movie where its lighter moments – especially Williams’ electric work in the DJ booth portraying the real life Adrian Cronauer – work better than the dramatic elements of the film.
Some stats & info about the Good Morning, Vietnam soundtrack
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rock Music, Compilations, Film Soundtracks, Pop Music, British Invasion
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 4.5 out of 5 stars
- When was the Good Morning, Vietnam soundtrack released? 1988
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #263 out of 1,000
The Good Morning, Vietnam soundtrack on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from the Good Morning, Vietnam soundtrack that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
Baby, please don’t go down to New Orleans, you know I love you so, baby please don’t go.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.