The most streamed soundtracks of all time: Barbie soundtrack breaks Top 10

Research by Headphonesty.com analysed the Top 150 films on IMDB and calculated the total streams from the official motion picture soundtracks on Spotify. Many iconic films have equally as significant soundtracks and this analysis reveals the Top 10 movie soundtracks of the Top 150 films of all time. Newly released Barbie, although it isn’t in the top 150 films, has one of the most talked about soundtracks of all time, so how does it compare to some of the biggest film soundtracks ever?
  
1 – Forrest Gump – 1994

Forrest Gump is the 11th best film on IMDB but has the most streams on its Soundtrack, over 6 billion. This highly esteemed film has an incredibly star-studded soundtrack with many classic American songs featured. From Elvis to Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin to Lynyrd Skynyrd this soundtrack has a plethora of great tracks that accompany the story of Forrest and his journey through quite a spectacular life.

Streams: 6,124,261,608
 
  
2 – Hamilton – 2020

Hamilton although technically and originally a stage show did release a feature-length recording for streaming services for those who couldn’t see it in the theatre. Lin-Manuel Miranda the creator of the show also wrote all the music and lyrics. The songs became very popular with their catchy melodies and beautiful harmonies, it didn’t take long for the soundtrack to amass over 5 billion streams, the second most streams out of the top 150 films.

Streams: 5,805,467,758

 
3 – Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse – 2018
 
With the third most streams is the animated Spiderman film: Into the Spider-Verse. This film utilises ground-breaking visual styles never seen before to bring the character Miles Morales to life. These visuals are part of the reason this film is so highly rated by consumers and critics alike. With such high-quality visuals the auditory experience must work in sync, so having a soundtrack with the likes of Post Malone, Juice WRLD, Lil Wayne is key to bringing the story to life through contemporary music. The Soundtrack is stacked with top-tier artists and tracks that have amassed over 4 billion streams in total.

Streams: 4,032,056,381

 
4 – Top Gun: Maverick – 2022
 
Top Gun: Maverick is the sequel to the 1986 classic, and a rare instance where the sequel is rated better than the first film. Hans Zimmer features once again, working in tandem with Lady Gaga, Harold Faltermeyer and Lorne Balfe to create much of the music for this film. One Republic and Kenny Loggins also feature on this soundtrack album. The mixture of tracks have over 1.8 billion streams making it the fourth most streamed soundtrack out of the top 150 films.

Streams: 1,888,544,181

 
5 – Pulp Fiction – 1994

Pulp Fiction has become a cult classic over the years. The cast is full of A-list celebs such as John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman. The soundtrack is also full of some huge names with Kool and The Gang, Al Green and Chuck Berry to name just a few. It’s only right that these classic films have classic soundtracks that elevate the scenes and provide a great experience for viewers. With over 1.4 billion streams this soundtrack is the fifth most streamed movie soundtrack.

Streams: 1,496,979,758

6 – The Lion King – 1994

The Lion King is one of the most iconic and loved Disney films of all time. Part of the reason why this film is so popular is the fantastic soundtrack that accompanies the film. Hans Zimmer; arguably one of the best in the business when it comes to film scores, helped to create this musical alongside some features from Elton John as well. Its undeniable this film deserves to be In the top 150 films of all time, as well as the top 10 soundtracks. In total The Lion King has over 1.4 billion streams.

Streams: 1,430,026,401

 
7 – Coco – 2017

Coco is another Disney film in this list. This film has music as part of its central plot so its key that the music captured the essence of the emotion and story of the characters while also being catchy and enjoyable. The album in total has over 1 billion streams and also featured in the Billboard album charts breaking the top 40.

Streams: 1,087,039,762

8 – Interstellar – 2014

Interstellar is an Oscar-winning film directed by Christopher Nolan with music written by Hans Zimmer. The soundtrack stemmed from one central piece of music which Nolan asked Zimmer to write in one night. That night he composed a 4-minute piece that represented his idea of fatherhood. Nolan was happy with that and then Zimmer went on to create the full score. Some would say (including himself) this soundtrack may be some of his best work. It is outstanding and worthy of the almost 900 million streams it has sitting respectably at eighth in this list.

Streams: 890,594,134

9 – The Matrix – 1999

This 1999 Sci-fi phenomenon has become one of the all-time greats in the genre. Much like all the great films it must be accompanied by an equally memorable soundtrack to enhance the experience for the audience. This film has some classic tracks from Rage Against the Machine, Deftones, The Prodigy, among others. In total this soundtrack has over 880 million streams.

Streams: 887,530,734

10 – Barbie – 2023

The Barbie movie has been one of the most successful films of the past decade. Its box office performance has been sensational, raking in over £1 billion globally. Despite only being out a few weeks, the soundtrack has already amassed over 800 million streams, the rate at which this soundtrack is growing its likely to hit over 1.5 billion streams this year, meaning it could rise to fourth place in this list!

Streams: 808,215,439
  
A spokesperson from Headphonesty.com commented: “Soundtracks in films are the symphonies of emotions, the unsung storytellers that dance beneath the dialogue and visuals, weaving the invisible threads that bind hearts to the silver screen.

They transform mere scenes into unforgettable moments, and silence into a canvas painted with the hues of feeling. A film’s soul resonates in its soundtrack, echoing long after the credits roll, a melody etched into the memories of audiences. The importance of music in film has been long understood and there have been some incredible composers over the years creating some of the most iconic music of all time.”