Almost Famous – Cameron Crowe’s film Almost Famous is filled with wonderful music and the official soundtrack is only the tip of the iceberg. Crowe – who based the film off his experiences writing for Rolling Stone and going on tour with the Allman Brothers – included songs from The Who, The Beach Boys, Elton John (the beautiful sing-along scene is a highlight), and even secured hard-to-get tracks from Led Zeppelin (“That’s the Way” and “Tangerine”).

O Brother, Where Art Thou? – The soundtrack to the Coen Brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? was produced by T Bone Burnett and features pure country and bluegrass greats, like Dr. Ralph Stanley, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Alison Krauss and many others.

The Graduate – Director Mike Nichols was obsessed with Simon & Garfunkel, and he decided to use the duo for the soundtrack to his 1967 film The Graduate. “Mrs. Robinson,” the standout track of the soundtrack and a central character of the film, shot to the top of the charts that year thanks to the film.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou – Another Wes Anderson success, The Life Aquatic features solo acoustic covers of David Bowie songs by Seu Jorge.

Garden State – Zac Braff, writer, director and actor, personally chose the songs to be featured in the film and he did an incredible job at capturing the film’s vibe. Braff mixed up old favorites with new indie hits, from The Shins to Simon & Garfunkel (with a nod to The Graduate, above).