Fenxy

Keep in mind I stay in the hip-hop world so Dangerous Minds (Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise) and the Bad Boys II soundtrack. They really just don't make many quality soundtracks anymore.

Reality Bites. :) I second Garden State, too.

I was addicted to Gangsta's Paradise for awhile there. Reality Bites is definitely a good one as well. :)

Requiem for a Dream and the music/score from Sin City.

I really liked the soundtrack for The Departed, and I liked Stomp The Yard, only because Robert Randolph and the Family Band did it.

I don't think I've heard Requiem for a Dream's soundtrack. I haven't heard The Departed's either.

I'm with Chris on Requiem for a Dream, the Kronos Quartet are just amazing, and that riff is all over the place now. I'd never heard of Clint Mansell until I saw the film and heard the score.

I'm also with Josh on Garden State, a great mix of tracks and a fine film.

And I'll throw Gladiator into the mix - I'm not normally a fan of Hans Zimmer, but he did well with that one.

Velvet Goldmine
Trainspotting
The Royal Tenenbaums
American Beauty
Donnie Darko

The Illusionist
The Matrix Trilogy (I'll treat these as one)
Final Fantasy VII and up (Not a movie, I know, but it's just that good)
Star Wars I-VI (I'll treat these as one)
Ghost in the Shell
Battle Star Galactica (Yes, I know, TV. Still better than most movies).
Almost anything by Danny Elfman

...

Can't think of any others at the moment, but the list is potentially long. These are the first to come to mind, since I own soundtracks for most of these. There are a lot of movies that have one or two phenomenal songs (ex: A.I.), but that as a whole don't stand out like aforementioned.

FYI: I wrote a note about this a while back, something similar at any rate, but looking more towards the composers themselves. Thought it might be useful in this conversation.

Donnie Darko
Underworld
Lost Highway
Dangerous Minds

Gnorb: I missed that one! Sorry. :) Star Wars just rocks all the way around.

Jen: those are great ones. I love Trainspotting.

peroty: I haven't heard Underworld. I'll have to check it out.

I'm also going to throw in Almost Famous. :)

#1 on my list: The Squid and the Whale
^--- Soundtrack features Loudon Wainwright, Lou Reed, Bert Jansch, etc. It is one of the best finds I've come across in years upon years upon years.

Afterwards,

Thumbsucker (done mostly by Tim DeLaughter of the Polyphonic Spree)
Paris, Texas (Ry Cooder's slide-guitar score)
Buena Vista Social Club
High Fidelity
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
The Departed

and, uhhh,
A Charlie Brown Christmas, by the Vince Guaraldi Trio.
(but don't tell my friends)

I agree with Garden State, hands down.

I'm also going to have to go ahead and add Grease.. it's a kickin soundtrack!

Ooh ooh ooh, Gnorb just mentioned Danny Elfman. Thus, Tim Burton's A Nightmare Before Christmas. I really love the music in that film.

I like too many soundtracks to mention, but here are five off of the top of my head.

The Departed
Music & Lyrics
Cinema Paradiso
The Illusionist
Somewhere in Time

Harry Potter 3?

Thumbsucker (done mostly by Tim DeLaughter of the Polyphonic Spree)

Good one, I wasn't sure if many had seen/heard of it.

Dead Presidents is a great soundtrack, and, what the hell, I'll say it, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show rocks. Really, it does.

I'm going with "A Beautiful Mind"

I can't believe no one has mentioned the sound track for Top Gun... "Highway to the danger zone!"

That always gets people moving.

Another good one would be anything from the first couple of Rocky movies. Yeah, "Eye of the tiger" baby! :)

I'm going with "The Lion King". I don't care what anyone says. The soundtrack for the entire movie kicks ass. Addictive to boot too.

I'm with you Josh. I mean, Meatloaf singing Hot Patootie Bless My Soul, what's not to love.

Alright, you can laugh if you want, but I like the Rent Soundtrack. Both the movie version and the original broadway version. Idina Menzel is hot (she was in both the original broadway cast and the movie and is also married to Taye Diggs who was in both as well.) On top of that, Rosario Dawson is pretty hot.

Yeah Rosario *is* pretty hot. I mean but c'mon at least go with the Original Broadway recording or something...! :) I mean that in the nicest way. Har.

I like both versions of the Rent soundtrack, too.

Top Gun's soundtrack is good!

There are few differences between the original and movie versions of Rent, almost all the same players.

I dig all musicals, one day I'll write one...

Rent, Rocky Horror, Jesus Christ Superstar being some of my favs.

As for film soundtracks I have to give it up to both the Dazed and Confused s-tracks, as well as Above the Rim, and Space Jam. I also really really enjoyed the Wedding Singer soundtrack.

Pi has a fantastic soundtrack. The first Matrix is great too.

Aye, I guess I didn't give the movie soundtrack a chance. Bad assumption on my part.

The Matrix is a good one!

The soundtrack to Independence Day is pretty good too. All orchestral, some really powerful music there.

jmathias: I love musicals, also. I liked both the soundtrack to the play "The Phantom of the Opera", and the film version, although the soundtrack to the play, was much better, by far.

The cast was different...which had a lot to do with the difference in the film's soundtrack.

The soundtrack to the play/musical Mamma Mia is a fantastic one, too.

Spy Game
The Bourne Identity

ALI (The Movie)

Kingdom of Heaven

Gladiator

Departed

300 had an amazing soundtrack, an awesome combination of metal and symphonic sounds, can't beat it really.

Garden State... Ferris Bueller's Day Off... i really like Blood Diamond's too. Generally cast these soundtracks as either "cool" songs or "epic movie scores", heh...

Dead Presidents had a good soundtrack.

I'm surprised that no one actually said Pirates of the Caribbean cause that was great all the way.

Schindler's List. If ever a piece of music ever brought a tear to my eye, it is the main theme to the film. The sweet violin straining the melody over the horrific undertones and nature of the movie pulls my mind and heart in several different directions at the same time. And that - in my mind - makes it good.

I was thinking Garden State as soon as I saw your title.

Braff really knows how to tie music in with specific scenes.

Quentin Tarantino puts together one hell of a soundtrack.

As far as instrumental music, I'd say Out of Africa had the best soundtrack.

I agree with Garden State, Requiem for a Dream and Lost Highway. I also love the Good Will Hunting soundtrack filled with Elliott Smith beauties.

LotR
The Matrix Trilogy
Pirates of the Caribbean (Hans Zimmer's Contributions primarily)
Forrest Gump for the oldies lover in me :)

Wow, this is a tough one. I would say soundtrack from The Invisible because not only is it the latest movie I saw but I loved the soundtrack so much that I purchased it on iTunes.

Olliewhite: Yes, Schindler's List...the soundtrack is beyond description. I bought it whe the film came out.

I'm with James, Dazed and Confused and I'd toss in Pulp Fiction as well.

Since it looks like it hasn't been mentioned yet, I need to bring up The Crow's score. It was the first score I really listened to at length and most of it is etched to my spine due to heavy teenage drama at the time. The soundtrack is also very good, with a standout moment in Nine Inch Nails' cover of Dead Souls.

As far as more recent movies go, Lost In Translation has great music.

I can't believe that Cruel Intentions hasn't been mentioned. There isn't a bad song on that soundtrack.

And I loved the one for Legally Blonde. Perfect summer album.

@ollie white, I forgot to mention Schindler's List, no doubt about the theme with violin, Superb one ..

My favourites are Braveheart, Gladiator and Stargate, although I also love stage shows.

I'm going to have to listen to some of the ones recommended above, there are a few films there I would be very interested in hearing the scores too.

Hackers FTW!