10 Movie Soundtracks Better Than The Film
8. A Hard Day's Night
The '50s and '60s saw a lot media roles clashing. Though the stars of cowboys and westerns may have had a firm grip on the public, the new sounds of rock and roll were starting to infiltrate the cultural zeitgeist, with Elvis Presley landing one film role after another. Having one Elvis may have sold like gangbusters, but A Hard Day's Night graced us with 4 heartthrobs for the price of one.
Operating as a film, A Hard Day's Night is one of the Beatles' most engaging flirtations with acting, as they play what amounts to an exaggerated version of their lives at the height of Beatlemania. On the other hand, a Beatles film is only as good as its music, and this soundtrack is the closest the band has come to capturing the spirit of the film they made.
From the opening chord of the title track, this entire record is an absolute joy to listen to, with the band carefully balancing raveups like "You Can't Do That" with more thoughtful material like "And I Love Her."
The music ended up becoming so big that most people remember the movie for which songs are used in certain scenes, like singing "If I Fell" to Ringo or the four running through the fields during "Can't Buy Me Love." Other Beatles' records like Help and Let It Be may have the better songs, but A Hard Day's Night helped us get acquainted with the Fabs' sense of fun.