John Hughes Soundtrack Retrospective

John Hughes, writer/ director, is the master of the teen movie. Growing up during the 80's I was drawn in by the Hughes movie magic. Make movies about teenagers, for teenagers. That formula never failed. I took a Vacation with the Griswolds, celebrated a birthday with Samantha, spent a Saturday in detention with the Breakfast Club, took a day off with Ferris Bueller and made a girl with Wyatt and Gary. Over the last twenty - three years I've seen them all over and over again retaining the same magic each time. I can quote most of them faster than the drop of a hat. So today I decided to do some research and relive some fond memories. The one thing that never really got Hughes credit was his knack for crafting the perfect soundtrack. A Hughes movie had a killer soundtrack, an eclectic mix of music picked to craft the movie rather than sell soundtracks.


National Lampoon's Vacation (1983). The Griswolds hilarious story of their road trip from Chicago to Wally World Theme Park in California. This one was only written by John Hughes based on his short story titled, "Vacation '58," which was loosely based on a real life trip he took as a child.
"Holiday Road" by Lindsey Buckingham
"Blitzkrieg Bop" by The Ramones
The first single ever released by the Ramones, November 1975.



Sixteen Candles (1984)

There were probably ten truly landmark teen oriented movies in the 80's... John Hughes directed or wrote probably half of them. With "Sixteen Candles" he did both. (Fast-Rewind.com)

Soundtrack is long out of print having been issued by MCA.
"If You Were Here" by the Thompson Twins
"Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol
"Happy Birthday" by Altered Images
"Young Americans" by David Bowie
"Lenny" by Stevie Ray Vaughn
How can you not picture a pizza on a turntable when you hear this song!
"Geek Boogie" by Ira Newborn and the Geeks
"Wild Sex In The Working Class" by Oingo Boingo
"Turning Japanese" by the Vapors

"True" by Spandau Ballet
"Sixteen Candles" by The Stray Cats
originally a billboard chart hit for The Crests in 1958.


The Breakfast Club (1985)
The original and best "Brat Pack" movie!
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds
"Don't You" was originally written for the film by Keith Forsey, Billy Idol and Bryan Ferry turned down the offers to record it first
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Billy Idol

Weird Science (1985)
John Huges wrote the movies screenplay in only two days!

"Eighties" by Killing Joke
Weird Science" by Oingo Boingo
Danny Elfman of Oingo Boingo is now a world class film composer working steadily with Tim Burton
"(Oh) Pretty Woman" by Van Halen
"(Oh) Pretty Woman" was in the theatrical release of the film and was later removed from the T.V and VHS versions
"Tenderness" by General Public


Pretty In Pink (1986)

"If You Leave" by OMD
Orchestral Manuevers in the Dark originally wrote "Goddess of Love" for the movies end. However, the song seemed too redundant so "If You Leave" was recorded and used instead. As "If You Leave" was not done yet, the prom goers actually danced to "Don't You (Forget About Me)" from the Breakfast Club

"Pretty In Pink" by The Psychedelic Furs
The song that inspired the movie. Molly Ringwald first told Hughes about the song and it stuck with him.
"Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" by The Smiths
The Dream Academy's instrumental version of this Smith's song is heard in the art museum scene of Ferris Bueller's Day Off.


Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
The soundtrack was never released. John Hughes felt that it didn't work together as a compilation, the only ones that exist were given to the studio musicians who worked on the recordings.
"Danke Schoen" by Wayne Newton
"Danke Schoen appears multiple times during the film. Ferris actually sings the song in his shower and Principal Rooney hums it when ringing Bueller's doorbell
"Bad" by Big Audio Dynamite
"Love Missile F1-11" by Sigue Sigue Sputnik This single reached number two on the British charts.