Part of what made Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy so good was the music, which included hits from David Bowie, Jackson 5, and Redbone. Now, the track list for Awesome Mix Vol. 2 has been released, and it’s even better than the first.
The soundtrack features plenty of known classics, like Electric Light Orchestra’s “Mr. Blue Sky,” Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain,” and George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord.” Then there’s Sweet’s “Fox on the Run” and Cheap Trick’s “Surrender,” along with several other gems, including a song that features David Hasselhoff.
The inclusion of well-known songs helped elevate the first movie from space comedy to genuine masterpiece. But it was also the context in which the music was used. It complemented what was on-screen, providing viewers with a jolt of nostalgia in the process. And it was also fun as hell to hear classic songs with wild space locations as a backdrop.
Turn it up. The official setlist for #AwesomeMixVol2 has arrived. Download this Friday https://t.co/Nazp2oAbpS #GotGVol2 pic.twitter.com/aZoOr9vIAy
— Marvel UK & Ireland (@MarvelUK) April 19, 2017
Seeing as Marvel is pretty inept when it comes to creating memorable scores for its characters—DC, on the other hand, has fantastic music—the use of classic tunes brings a levity and familiarity to the franchise. I can’t wait to see how the music is used in conjunction with the action on-screen.
Following the release of Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014, the movie’s Awesome Mix Vol. 1 took on a lift of its own, and was even released on cassette to celebrate the movie’s Blu-ray release. You can bet the follow-up mix will garner similar attention when it’s made available this Friday.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hit theaters on May 5.
