The Runaways Soundtrack

The Runaways movie is all about the music, as it should be. Here’s all 34 songs from the movie with notes on the scenes they were in. The soundtrack album to The Runawayshas less than half of the songs from the movie on it and you can only download it as all 15 or nothing. There are great tunes on it – so that’s not as big a deal for this album as for other soundtracks – but why should you have to snag all of them when just a few will do.

I was pleasantly surprised that Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning could pull off Joan Jett and Cherie Currie. When I heard about the casting, I had some serious doubts. But they have chops and I think they pulled it off. In fact, some of the more interesting musical moments of the movie – like the parts where they were hashing out Cherry Bomb in the trailer and performing I Love Playin’ With Fire at the roller rink combined vocals from Stewart and Fanning over the guitar riffs, bass chords and drums of the original Runaways tracks.

The music also just takes you back (before I was listening to music) but songs which I have since grown to love. Bowie in his day, from Lady Grinning Soul to one of my favorites of all time – Rebel Rebel. And you are reminded just how much ass Iggy Pop has been kicking for decade stacked on decade. The beginning of I Wanna Be Your Dog has been sampled like crazy, but it’s so damn good that it should be sampled a  million times over. It sounds like it could be cut today.

I was a bit surprised that there wasn’t more from the Sex Pistols or the Ramones, but the story focused early and quick so maybe that would have been at the tail end of the tale.

But I’m not complaining – The Runaways includes an amazing list of 34 songs. It’s a good starter set for anyone looking to rediscover what was a major shift in the musical landscape being born. The soundtrack album has 15 of them, but I would not pass up the 19 that are missing. There is some gold lamé jumpsuit goodness in there.

Here’s the complete list of songs in the order they appeared in the movie and with notes on most of the scenes they were in. There are links to downloads for almost all of them as well.

• Opening scene – Roxy Roller – Nick Gilder
• Store with the rockabillies – Fujiyama Mama – Wanda Jackson
• Running, opening credits – The Wild One – Suzi Quatro
• Playing guitar sitting at the fence – The Wild One – Kristen Stewart
• Talent show – Lady Grinning Soul – David Bowie
• Guitar lesson – Old Smoky – Kristen Stewart
• Playing guitar on bathroom floor – It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World – The MC5
• Club – Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah) – Gary Glitter
• Second song at club – Rebel Rebel – David Bowie
• Music playing while on phone – Say It Like You Mean It – The Yo and Flo Orchestra
• Garage – I Wanna Be Where the Boys Are – Kristen Stewart, Stella Maeve and Michael Shannon [Runaways version]
• (unknown scene) – Wild Thing – Kristen Stewart
• Club – Gimme Danger – Iggy & the Stooges
• Singing in bedroom – Fever – Peggy Lee
• Making up song for Cherie – Cherry Bomb – Dakota Fanning and The Runaways
• Jumping cars – Hollywood – The Runaways
• Picking up trash – California Paradise – Dakota Fanning
• (unknown scene) – You Drive Me Wild – The Runaways
• Sound check – Queens of Noise – Kristen Stewart and Stella Maeve
• Show – Dead End Justice – Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart
• Rainy car song on the radio – Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) – Don McLean
• Roller rink – I Love Playin’ With Fire – Kristen Stewart and The Runaways
• Kiss – I Wanna Be Your Dog – The Stooges
• We got signed – School Days – The Runaways
• Sign contract – I Wanna Be Where the Boys Are – The Runaways [Live in Japan version]
• Making Sex Pistols t-shirt – Pretty Vacant – Sex Pistols
• Trailer – Don’t Abuse Me – Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning [Joan Jett version]
• Photographer – Secrets – The Runaways
• Plane bathroom – I Want You – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
• Japan show – Cherry Bomb – The Runaways
• Grocery store – Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) – Don McLean
• Joan Jett in bath tub – Love is Pain – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
• (unknown scene) – C’Mon – The Runaways
• Couch and jumping on bed – I Love Rock N Roll – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
• After call to the radio – Crimson and Clover – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
• End credits – Bad Reputation – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
• Second end credits – Love is Pain – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts