Track Listing

1. If You Leave - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
2. Left of Center - Suzanne Vega w/ Joe Jackson
3. Get to Know Ya - Jesse Johnson
4. Do Wot You Do - INXS
5. Pretty in Pink - The Psychedelic Furs
6. Shellshock - New Order
7. Round, Round - Belouis Some
8. Wouldn't It Be Good - Danny Hutton Hitters
9. Bring on the Dancing Horses - Echo & the Bunnymen
10. Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want - The Smiths

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1999 in Music
• Released on: 1990-10-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Original language: English

Amazon.com
Few filmmakers managed to capture the awkward coming-of-age catastrophes of '80s teens the way John Hughes did, just as few soundtracks encapsulate the sound of an era better than this one does. It's not the best 1986 had to offer, but it's a cohesive whole, transporting the listener to that other time, imagined or otherwise. There's enough variety to ensure that it doesn't become wallpaper, and very little filler. "Left of Center" by Suzanne Vega, with Joe Jackson on piano, is tremendous and transcends generations. Psychedelic Furs frontman Richard Butler has long been bemused about Hughes not taking Molly Ringwald's character's name from the title song, which inspired the film, but everyone was paying too much attention to what Ducky was wearing to notice anyway. --Scott Wilson

Customer Reviews

The ultimate 80s soundtrack
I'm not a huge fan of movie soundtracks, but you couldn't take this CD away from me without a fight. Pretty In Pink's music did much to make it the great film it was. Although some of the artists featured on the soundtrack weren't really mainstream or famous, the music epitomizes the late great 1980s. "If You Leave" by OMD was one of the biggest hits of the entire decade, and it sounds as good today as it did back then. The title track by The Psychedelic Furs remains immediately recognizable by its opening notes. Both of these two songs still spark a nostalgic memory of my angst-ridden teen years. I must thank the compilers of this soundtrack for including the short but emotion-laden track "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" by The Smiths. Were it not for this CD, I probably would never have discovered the weird yet cathartic music of Morrissey and The Smiths. "Left of Center" is one of Suzanne Vega's best songs, just as "Do Wot You Do" represents INXS at that band's peak. These songs are a pretty eclectic mix, but all of them are fun to listen to even today and could probably fill a dancefloor with young people as well as not so young people who watched Pretty In Pink and listened to the soundtrack over and over again in our young, carefree days. For me, each song sparks a memory and keeps alive a small piece of a time in my life I will be trying to remember and relive until the day I die.

the perfect accessory for the Brat Pack geek
You talk about a guilty pleasure. This is great sing-along stuff. I wonder how many times I can moan and groan along to "If You Leave" before the neighbors knock down the walls and dismantle the CD player. This CD rules; I've listened to it so many times I've probably worn holes in it. The only thing I don't like about it is that it doesn't contain Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness", since Duckie makes such a classic scene of it in the movie. Still a great CD though.

Pure Pop Paradise
Five-star ratings should be used sparingly, really. But this album gets the five mostly because the selection holds up even fifteen years after the movie's release. I've got my fave tracks, but I rarely skip any of the tunes. I still prefer the original version of the title track, but this one is way more accessible, and certainly more 80's-esque. Essential for any self-respecting retro fan, and a fan of pop music in general.