As great as the 1986 flick Pretty In Pink is, the soundtrack is even better.
Now, if you feel so inclined you can splurge on a 40th Anniversary edition on either “Pretty In Baby Pink” or standard black vinyl and relive the senior year of Andie, Blane and Duckie.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark start the fun with “If You Leave,” which is of course some of the best New Wave of the ’80s and has to be considered one of the best songs of the decade by anyone with ears. Suzanne Vega is up next with the alt-pop of “Left Of Center,” where Joe Jackson plays piano.
Moving along, Jesse Johnson blends funk and synth-pop for the bright and shiny “Get To Know Ya”, and INXS’ “Do Wot You Do” offers a guitar driving and rhythmic blast that came at a time when the band were moving into rock territory. The title track exits the first side, and it’s a Psychedelic Furs classic. The tune was actually on their 1981 album and was rerecorded and polished up for the film.
Side B leads with the club friendly mood, synthetic beats and animated synth of New Order’s “Shellshock.” Belouis Some’s “Round Round” then brings gritty guitar and firm bass lines to the “post-disco” nods, while “Wouldn’t It Be Good,” a Nic Kershaw cover, is a glossy pop-rock moment that invites singing-along.
The last two songs are so great. Echo & The Bunnymen’s “Bring On The Dancing Horses” is a jangly, dreamy and melodic masterpiece, and “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” exits with Morrissey pleading over the mandolin and acoustic guitar of a song we all recognize as essential to The Smiths and their legacy.
In the area of post-punk, New Wave and electro-pop, you’d be hard pressed to find a better soundtrack.