Say Anything (CD - 1989)

Outside of the accompanying LPs for John Hughes' movies like Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club, no other soundtrack captures the zeitgeist of '80s teen films quite like Say Anything. Though the film itself was only a modest box office draw during its initial theatrical run, it earned a major cult following on home video, and its soundtrack found an audience as well; it launched Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" as one of the generation's pet-favorite love songs (it was impossible to attend a wedding reception during the '90s without hearing it), brought the Red Hot Chili Peppers closer to mainstream stardom with "Taste the Pain," and finally handed the Replacements at least a sliver of mainstream recognition with "Within Your Reach." Both the movie and its soundtrack were much smarter than the standard teen fare of the era -- maybe that's why both are still fondly remembered today. ~ Chuck Donkers minimize