Warning: This post contains spoilers for Air
Set in the 1980s, Air has a great soundtrack that is jam-packed with big and memorable hits from the era. Directed by Ben Affleck, who also stars alongside Matt Damon, Chris Tucker, Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, and Viola Davis, Air tells the story of the significant and historic deal Nike made with Michael Jordan in 1984. The film has received plenty of critical acclaim and a high audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
To no one’s surprise, Air has a significant amount of songs from the 1980s. The film’s soundtrack truly sets the tone for the movie, which doesn’t necessarily live or die by its song choices. Rather, it is elevated by them. As Nike exec Sonny Vaccaro attempts to sign then-rookie basketball player Michael Jordan to a multimillion dollar deal, Air’s music takes viewers on that journey with him and his team. Led by music supervisor Andrea von Foerster, the film is a throwback to 1984 in a huge way, with plenty of songs by well-known solo artists and bands, including REO Speedwagon, Cyndi Lauper, and Bruce Springsteen.
This is every song featured in Air, in chronological order:
- “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits
- “Atomic Dog” by George Clinton
- “It’s an 80s Party-Live Mashup Mix 9” by DJ Godfather
- “Legs” by ZZ Top
- “Sister Christian” by Night Ranger
- “In a Big Country” by Big Country
- “Ain’t Nobody” by Chaka Khan
- “Let It Whip” by Dazz Band
- “All I Need is a Miracle” by Mike + The Mechanics
- “Can’t Fight This Feeling” by REO Speedwagon
- “Computer Love” by Zapp
- “Sirius” by The Alan Parsons Project
- “Good Feeling” by Violent Femmes
- “Tempted” by Squeeze
- “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper
- “Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen
- “Be Like Mike (I Wanna)” by Teknoe
Exactly When Every Song Plays In Air
“Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits - This Dire Straits song plays during Air’s opening montage highlighting the 80s as a whole — Ghostbusters, Princess Diana and Prince Charles standing in front of cameras with their infant son, and more showcase the decade’s earliest, and most remembered, moments.
“Atomic Dog” by George Clinton - Funk musician George Clinton’s song plays during the introduction of Ben Affleck’s Phil Knight, co-founder and CEO of Nike, arrives at the office.
“My Adidas” by Run DMC - This aptly plays when Adidas execs are preparing to meet with Michael Jordan and his parents, and the 80s song is previously mentioned by the Nike execs to showcase how popular the brand was at the time.
“Legs” by ZZ Top - This tune is heard when Matt Damon’s Sonny Vaccaro goes to meet with Marlon Wayans’ George Raveling, then an assistant coach on the 1984 Olympics team that Michael Jordan played on.
“Sister Christian” by Night Ranger - The rock band’s “Sister Christian” plays in a pivotal moment where Sonny is speaking to Chris Tucker’s Howard White about reaching out to Michael Jordan’s family.
“In a Big Country” by Big Country - The Scottish rock band’s song is heard on Sonny’s drive down to North Carolina to meet with Viola Davis’ Deloris Jordan in person.
“Ain’t Nobody” by Chaka Khan - Chaka Khan’s memorable song plays when Jason Bateman’s Rob Strasser goes to find Sonny after he had a very tense meeting with Phil about the deal for Michael Jordan.
“Let It Whip” by Dazz Band - This R&B/funk band’s single can be heard when Sonny goes to visit Matthew Maher’s Peter Moore to design what would eventually become the Air Jordan.
“All I Need is a Miracle” by Mike + The Mechanics - “All I Need is a Miracle” plays when Michael Jordan and his family arrive to meet with Converse.
“Can’t Fight This Feeling” by REO Speedwagon - One of REO Speedwagon’s most famous hits plays during a scene of Phil jogging, as he’s mulling over the decision to back the Michael Jordan deal or not.
“Computer Love” by Zapp - The funk band’s song is heard when Sonny sees the Air Jordan shoe design for the first time.
“Sirius” by The Alan Parsons Project - The British rock band’s hit plays when Phil pulls up to Nike headquarters on the night before the big meeting to tell Sonny that he’d made his final decision regarding the Michael Jordan deal.
“Good Feeling” by Violent Femmes - This folk punk band’s song plays when Sonny flips through a few pages about Jordan ahead of the meeting with his family.
“Tempted” by Squeeze - The British rock band’s “Tempted” plays over the scene on the morning of Nike’s meeting with Michael Jordan.
“Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper - Cyndi Lauper’s timeless hit is heard during a montage of Sonny going through his daily routine as he stressfully waits for the call from Jordan’s agent about whether the basketball player will sign with Nike.
“Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen - “Born in the U.S.A.,” which was previously mentioned by Rob Strasser, plays right before Air’s credits begin to roll, and when the facts about each of the actors’ real-life counterparts appear onscreen.
“Be Like Mike (I Wanna)” by Teknoe - “Be Like Mike” plays as the credits roll, and the real Michael Jordan, in archival footage, is shown talking about his mom Deloris.
Where To Listen To Air's Soundtrack
Air’s official soundtrack album — titled Air (Amazon Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) — can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. The film's soundtrack will also be released on CD, cassette, and vinyl record on June 2, June 23, and September 15, respectively. Interestingly, not every song that is featured in the film makes its way to the official soundtrack, but audiences can still listen to the other songs on the same platforms where the soundtrack is streaming.