Five of my favorite movie soundtracks

1. "The Hangover." To be honest, I have a hard time making a movie list that doesn't include the original in this trilogy. It covers a lot of bases. But I do think they did a great job setting the tone using music in this movie, from Danzig's "Thirteen" in the opening credits and "Yeah" by Usher in the time-lapse scene, to The Cramps' rendition of "Fever" for that "Am I missing a tooth?" moment and "Iko Iko" by The Belle Stars as an homage to another great Vegas movie, "Rain Man."

2. "A Knight's Tale." Queen. David Bowie. Heart. What's not to like? I find this soundtrack to be especially effective because it's one of your first indications you're about to see a movie that doesn't take itself too seriously.

3. "American Graffiti." This movie is almost a vehicle for its soundtrack. I grew up listening to the oldies station my mom liked, so many of these songs by Chuck Berry, Del Shannon and the Beach Boys were familiar to me long before I saw the movie.

4. "Forrest Gump." This was one of the first soundtrack albums I ever owned. It helps propel you through the decades and gives a sense of the passage of time.

5. "The Wedding Singer." As a child of the '80s, there is just not a single song on this soundtrack I don't like. It's hard for me to watch the movie without singing along. And at the end of the day, that's true with all of these movies, which to me is the mark of a great soundtrack.