Outside of, let’s say, blockbuster filmmaker Christopher Nolan, it’s hard to name a writer/director who deals with the passage of time better than Richard Linklater. Born in 1960, he was the prime candidate to be influenced by the popular music of the 70s. Most of his films contain stories that take place within a single day, focusing less on the plot and more on genuine human interactions. He aims to capture a vibe where two or more people meet and create a special energy we viewers want to be a part of. Music, of course, is an essential piece to making that method of filmmaking work, and rest assured, classic tunes from the 70s have made their way onto some of the very best and most personal Linklater pictures.
Dazed and Confused
Jason London
Matthew McConaughey
Joey Lauren Adams
Rory Cochrane
Wiley Wiggins
Adam Goldberg
Anthony Rapp
Sasha Jenson
Shawn Andrews
Milla Jovovich
Ben Affleck
Marissa Ribisi
The entire article could’ve just been songs from this film if we’re being completely honest here. It’s a toss-up between this and George Lucas’ American Graffiti for best hangout movie of all time, and damn it, they’re competing for which has the better soundtrack too. So many young actors had their place in the sun in this magnificent depiction of teenagers engaging in gloriously juvenile behavior before high school and college pressures start to kick in. Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, Joey Lauren Adams, Milla Jovovich, Adam Goldberg, Cole Hauser, and Ben Affleck are among a talented group of young actors who got to flex their comedic chops.
It’s hard to find a cooler walk-in scene than McConaughey’s Wooderson entering a billiards room with Bob Dylan’s “Hurricane” accompanying his strut. It’s also hard to find a better opening credits jam than Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion.” Or a better climactic moment than Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Tuesday’s Gone,” which turns up as the party starts to cool down. The soundtrack contains some of the biggest rock songs of the 1970s that Linklater can strategically place into his work to make the viewer audibly express that they love this film.
Check out the full Dazed and Confused soundtrack here.
Before Trilogy
Not just for hopeless romantics- this trilogy is so natural that the harshest of cynics will admit that love still exists by the end of it. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy collaborate heavily with Linklater on this romantic drama series, each succeeding film occurring nine years after the last.
Before Sunrise
Ethan Hawke
Julie Delpy
Andrea Eckert
Hanno Pöschl
Karl Bruckschwaiger
Tex Rubinowitz
Erni Mangold
Dominik Castell
Haymon Maria Buttinger
Harold Waiglein
Bilge Jeschim
Kurti
In Before Sunrise, Jesse and Celine meet on a train in Europe and decide to spend the night together in Vienna. The two fall in love and vow to meet again at the same place after six months. They don’t exchange contact information, though, so they don’t actually meet again until nine years have passed and Jesse is on a book signing tour in France.
Check out the full Before Sunrise soundtrack here.
Before Sunset
Ethan Hawke
Julie Delpy
Vernon Dobtcheff
Louise Lemoine Torrès
Rodolphe Pauly
Mariane Plasteig
Diabolo
Denis Evrard
Albert Delpy
Marie Pillet
Before Sunset features the two reconnecting and reminiscing about the fateful night. Their regret over not keeping in touch, or more to the point, getting together, permeates until Jesse is forced to make a decision about his next move.
Check out the full Before Sunset soundtrack here.
Before Midnight
Ethan Hawke
Julie Delpy
Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick
Jennifer Prior
Charlotte Prior
Xenia Kalogeropoulou
Ariane Labed
Yiannis Papadopoulos
Panos Koronis
Enrico Focardi
Before Midnight features our beloved couple married with children, and the often intense obstacles that come with that lifestyle.
Check out the full Before Midnight soundtrack here.
Before Sunrise’s record listening booth scene captures your heart the moment you lay your ears on it. Kath Bloom’s “Come Here” soars as our young couple quietly puts together that they will remember this moment and each other forever.
Jesse puts on a live version of Nina Simone’s “Just in Time” at the end of Before Sunset while hanging out at Celine’s apartment. His plane ride back home to New York is coming soon, but it doesn’t matter.
Before Midnight doesn’t involve niche records getting airtime, but it does end the trilogy with Graham Reynolds’ lovely theme, “The Best Summer of My Life.”
The School of Rock
Jack Black
Joan Cusack
Sarah Silverman
Miranda Cosgrove
Joey Gaydos Jr.
Kevin Alexander Clark
Rivkah Reyes
Robert Tsai
Maryam Hassan
Aleisha Allen
Caitlin Hale
His biggest commercial success while also being one of the best movies about music out there (essentially a tailor-made film to discuss on this website). Jack Black, Joan Cusack, and Sarah Silverman star in this quirky comedy about a struggling musician who sneaks his way onto a substitute teaching job at a strict private school. He turns the class into a rock band, bringing the kids together to do something that they actually want to do. Youth coming together to create a special moment is what Linklater’s all about. This is why he agreed to direct Mike White’s (creator of the hit HBO series, The White Lotus) screenplay.
Rock legends are sprinkled throughout the soundtrack- Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Doors, Cream, AC/DC, but it is the Jack Black numbers that really kick butt. The titular song features a powerful vocal solo from Maryam Hassan’s Tomika, which helps this eccentric yet undoubtedly passionate man reach his mission to truly rock and roll. He achieves his dream of leading a rock band but does it in the most inspiring way possible by helping bored and repressed children.
Check out the full The School of Rock soundtrack here.
Boyhood
Ellar Coltrane
Patricia Arquette
Ethan Hawke
Lorelei Linklater
Libby Villari
Marco Perella
Brad Hawkins
Jamie Howard
Andrew Villarreal
Jenni Tooley
Zoe Graham
Charlie Sexton
The same reason that made Boyhood critically acclaimed and so memorable is the reason it later received backlash- it took 12 years to make! Some perceived it as a gimmick to appear more profound than the subject matter is. I’d argue that it makes those critics appear more pretentious than the filmmaker they think of as pretentious. As you can see, I am THE Linklater stan of Whatsong Blogs. Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette (in an Oscar-winning performance as a single mom putting her heart and soul into raising her children), and Ellar Coltrane star in this touching story of a family of divorce struggling to make things work. We witness Coltrane go through the perils of adolescence- teen drinking, abusive stepdads, awkward romances, the whole nine yards.
Hero’s “Family of the Year” hits you right in the feels as the film climaxes. It’s unforgettable. Our kid is all grown up and ready for college, with the lyrics opening with: “Let me go, I don’t wanna be your hero. I don’t wanna be a big man. Just wanna fight with everyone else.”
One also mustn’t forget Hawke’s Mason Sr. gifting his son The Black Album (no, not the 2003 release, sorry, Jay-Z), a compilation of solo work from members of The Beatles. He reminds his young son that each member was critical to making the band as special as they were. Right after, we hear Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Band On the Run,” easing us into the next scene.
Check out the full Boyhood soundtrack here.
Everybody Wants Some!!
Blake Jenner
Zoey Deutch
Ryan Guzman
Tyler Hoechlin
J. Quinton Johnson
Glen Powell
Wyatt Russell
Will Brittain
Austin Amelio
Temple Baker
Tanner Kalina
Juston Street
Linklater referred to this absolute blast of a film as a “spiritual sequel” to the comedy classic Dazed and Confused, and honestly, I would argue it’s even funnier. Set in 1980s Texas, a group of college baseball players live together in an off-campus house. They’re presented with very strict house rules, but as we now know, those rules are meant to be broken when it comes to youth depicted in Linklaterian cinema. Blake Jenner, Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Tyler Hoechlin, Ryan Guzman, Wyatt Russell, and Austin Amelio are all competing to own any scene they’re in, particularly Powell’s Finn and Amelio’s Nesbit, who are both laugh-out-loud hilarious with any line delivery handed to them. That is a big reason they’d end up starring in Linklater’s latest Hit Man, out now on Netflix.
A varied collection of headboppers features on the soundtrack for this movie. An absolutely delightful moment is when the boys sing along while riding around the neighborhood blasting The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” (pun absolutely intended). Philosophical stonerism can’t be unmentioned either, with Pink Floyd’s “Fearless” accompanying Wyatt Russell’s Charlie’s ramblings about how language is a construct. The S.O.S. Band’s “Take Your Time (Do It Right)” is meant for the dance floor, and our boys pick up girls like its basic instinct.
Check out the full Everybody Wants Some!! soundtrack here.