I am an absolute sucker for a good teen coming-of-age film. Ever since Netflix put Perks of Being a Wallflower up, I’ve spiraled into an endless void of the sad and cheesy realities of growing up and falling in love in a small town where the main character doesn’t seem to fit in. But, undeniably, one of the best parts about these movies is the amazing soundtracks that accompany the main group of misfits on their late-night drives. There’s just a certain vibe that the songs have that invoke such a powerful sense of feeling alive, and I’ve found myself making a playlist of songs with that same vibe. So if you’re dying to feel that way too, here’s a glimpse into my favorites.
- “Heroes” -David Bowie
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Of course, featured in Perks of Being a Wallflower, this song just has the magical power to make you feel like it was written just for you. The cold wind in your hair with the windows down in your old Chevy truck pair beautifully with this amazing song.
- “Ribs” -Lorde
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I can’t really describe the way this song makes me feel, but it does make my heart swell. I want to risk it all and run away to live a happy life with a group of friends and slum it in a studio apartment in a city too big for us. This song isn’t featured in any movies that I know of, but if it is someone should definitely let me know so I can watch it ASAP.
- “Robbers” -The 1975
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This is another one that just feels like it was meant to be played during a falling-in-love montage. I can’t help but dance to it. This song makes me imagine two characters first doing something rebellious together and trying to keep from getting caught.
- “Tangerine” -Led Zeppelin
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One of my favorite movies of all time, Almost Famous, plays this song in its final scene. The movie tells the story of a 15-year-old who gets to see America via a rock-n-roll tour bus as a journalist for Rolling Stone. It’s the moment in the film where everything works out the way it was always meant to, even if it wasn’t what the characters had in mind. And while it may be different, it isn’t sad. It’s hopeful.
- “Don’t You Forget About Me” -Simple Minds
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I don’t think this list would be complete without the classic hit from The Breakfast Club. While it may be a basic choice, you can’t help but throw your fist in the air when this song comes on. The overwhelming feeling that even though things might be bad right now, but there are still good things to look forward to in life, just washes over you in a sense of victorious triumph. You can’t help but love this tune!
There are plenty more that I could write about, but part of the fun of the coming-of-age plotline is that you get to create your own story and march to the beat of your own drum. So take these as suggestions, but make your own list! I hope you get to live out your own cheesy teen movie during these trying times in quarantine.