Trainspotting

This Scottish drug movie and its Cool Britannia soundtrack came out of nowhere to define a generation with his mid-'90s mix of Brit Pop (Blur, Pulp, Elastica) and electronica (Leftfield, Bedrock, Goldie). The producers later said the soundtrack’s popularity was “crucial” to the success of the film, which meshed music and imagery so well that they’re now inseparable. Just try not picturing the movie when listening to, say, Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life” or Underworld’s “Born Slippy .NUXX." Aside from a few old tracks, including Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day,” the songs were largely recorded or remixed for the film or previously unreleased, a rarity in the soundtrack world which helped cement the album’s cultural status.