Developing taste in music is a quintessential part of growing up. As such, coming-of-age films–a genre all about adolescence and the beauty and struggle of that journey–often use music to represent the journey of the characters, conveying emotion and expression beyond the screen.
Beyond the artistic and emotional connections this music has forged to these movies, each film’s soundtrack is full of phenomenal tracks by interesting artists from top to bottom. In fact, many of these soundtracks have spawned fanbases and created avenues for audiences to find new music to add to their playlists and listen to outside of viewing. In the spirit of that idea, this list was born.
These are (some of) the best coming-of-age movies with phenomenal songs.
1. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Logan Lerman
Emma Watson
Ezra Miller
Mae Whitman
Kate Walsh
Dylan McDermott
Melanie Lynskey
Nina Dobrev
Johnny Simmons
Joan Cusack
Paul Rudd
Nicholas Braun
The popular coming-of-age film was directed by Stephen Chbosky and adapted from his acclaimed novel. The movie's soundtrack is an eclectic mix of pop and rock songs from various decades including the 80s mega-hit “Come On Eileen” by Dexys Midnight Runners, featured during a raucous homecoming dance scene. It’s a dizzying British bop that sets the tone for a beautiful cinematic experience.
Check out the full The Perks of Being a Wallflower soundtrack here.
2. Lady Bird
Saoirse Ronan
Laurie Metcalf
Tracy Letts
Lucas Hedges
Timothée Chalamet
Beanie Feldstein
Lois Smith
Stephen McKinley Henderson
Odeya Rush
Jordan Rodrigues
Marielle Scott
John Karna
Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig’s directorial effort before Barbie, is a poignant and powerful film. The narrative focuses on main character Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson battling through being a teenager in early 2000s Sacramento. Heavily inspired by Gerwig’s upbringing, it has many fantastic songs throughout its run time including Dave Matthew’s Band's “Crash Into Me.”
Check out the full Lady Bird soundtrack here.
3. Booksmart
Kaitlyn Dever
Beanie Feldstein
Jessica Williams
Jason Sudeikis
Lisa Kudrow
Will Forte
Victoria Ruesga
Mason Gooding
Skyler Gisondo
Diana Silvers
Molly Gordon
Billie Lourd
A fun and highly amusing film, Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut tells the story of two high school overachievers as they try to make up for lost time by having the night of their life the night before their graduation. Many of the songs match the incredibly enjoyable tone of the film including “Come Down” by Renaissance man Anderson .Paak.
Check out the full Booksmart soundtrack here.
4. Superbad
Jonah Hill
Michael Cera
Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Bill Hader
Seth Rogen
Martha MacIsaac
Emma Stone
Aviva Baumann
Joe Lo Truglio
Kevin Corrigan
Clement Blake
Erica Vittina Phillips
Directed by Greg Motolla and written by Motolla, Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg, Superbad is a classic teen comedy from a forgotten era of filmmaking. It effectively balances the comedy and horror of growing up; struggling with tough feelings and changing friendships. The film’s soundtrack has numerous tracks from different genres accompanying the character’s hijinks, including Michael Cera’s hilariously cringe rendition of The Guess Who’s “These Eyes.”
Check out the full Superbad soundtrack here.
5. Juno
Elliot Page
Michael Cera
Jennifer Garner
Jason Bateman
J.K. Simmons
Allison Janney
Olivia Thirlby
Eileen Pedde
Rainn Wilson
Daniel Clark
Darla Fay
Aman Johal
Juno is a fantastic coming-of-age movie directed by Jason Reitman. It stars Elliot Page in the main role as Juno, a high school student whose life is turned upside down by a teen pregnancy with her semi-boyfriend played by Michael Cera. The film wrestles with this and other topics like adoption and failed marriages with brevity and care, providing a viewing experience that is thought-provoking and funny. The soundtrack mimics this vibe with songs like Barry Louis Polisar’s classic tune “All I Want is You.”
Check out the full Juno soundtrack here.
6. 10 Things I Hate About You
Heath Ledger
Julia Stiles
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Larisa Oleynik
David Krumholtz
Andrew Keegan
Susan May Pratt
Gabrielle Union
Larry Miller
Daryl Mitchell
Allison Janney
David Leisure
Directed by Gil Junger and inspired by Shakespeare's The Taming of The Shrew, 10 Things I Hate About You is one of the greatest teen rom-coms of all time. It consists of standout performances by the whole cast including the late, great Heath Ledger, the wonderful Julia Stiles, and the always impressive Joseph Gordan-Levitt. It’s a fun and highly entertaining film that incorporates music incredibly well throughout its too-short runtime. One of the best inclusions in the film's slew of musical moments is a party scene where the main character, Kat (Julia Stiles), drunkenly dances to “Hypnotize” by the acclaimed Notorious B.I.G.
Check out the full 10 Things I Hate About You soundtrack here.
7. The Girl Next Door
Emile Hirsch
Elisha Cuthbert
Timothy Olyphant
Christopher Marquette
Paul Dano
James Remar
Timothy Bottoms
Donna Bullock
Jacob Young
Brian Kolodziej
Amanda Swisten
Sung-Hi Lee
The Girl Next Door, directed by Luke Greenfield, is an incredibly entertaining film that pushes the boundaries of teenage comedy and has a lot of fun doing it. It’s solid performances from the leads (Emile Hirsch, Elisha Cuthbert) and side characters (Timothy Olyphant, Paul Dano) alike give the entire movie a tangible, authentic quality. It also comes with some really enjoyable music throughout. This includes the track “Something in the Air” by Thunderclap Newton, a song that matches the feeling of the film incredibly well and is awesome on its own.
Check out the full The Girl Next Door soundtrack here.
8. Crush
Rowan Blanchard
Auli'i Cravalho
Isabella Ferreira
Tyler Alvarez
Teala Dunn
Rico Paris
Aasif Mandvi
Michelle Buteau
Megan Mullally
Addie Weyrich
Jes Tom
Addyson Tabakin
Crush is an underrated film directed by Sammi Cohen and stars Rowan Blanchard in the lead role. It is a story of secrets and unattainable love between classmates that continues to twist and turn, gradually increasing the charm and romance. The music in the film is equally enchanting, including Mal Blum’s “Things Still Left To Say.”
Check out the full Crush soundtrack here.
9. The Breakfast Club
Emilio Estevez
Judd Nelson
Molly Ringwald
Anthony Michael Hall
Ally Sheedy
Paul Gleason
John Kapelos
Perry Crawford
Mary Christian
Ron Dean
Tim Gamble
Fran Gargano
A film that needs no introduction, John Hughes’s 1985 classic about five high school students stuck in Saturday detention is considered by some as the greatest film the coming-of-age genre has to offer. The music of the film is equally iconic and includes one of the most recognizable songs of all time in Simple Minds “Don’t you Forget About Me” which serves as the film's theme and is one-half of arguably the strongest song-movie combo ever.
Check out the full The Breakfast Club soundtrack here.
10. 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
Richard Linklater’s ambitious coming-of-age film chronicles a young man's maturation. The film is simultaneously epic and intimate with an overarching narrative that uses the same actors for an extended time. Filmed for over a decade, the movie follows Mason, played by Ellar Coltrane, as he ages from early childhood to leaving home for college. Beyond the groundbreaking method of filmmaking in this once-in-a-lifetime movie, Linklater utilizes a variety of genres and artists for his soundtrack, plucked right from his personal playlist. One of those songs is the exciting “One (Blake’s Got a New Face)” by Vampire Weekend, a quintessential teen anthem.
Check out the full Boyhood soundtrack here.