The Ghostbusters: Afterlife soundtrack marks a return to form for the franchise and is littered with classic tracks backed by an impressive original score. Following an ambitious yet fundamentally flawed 2016 reboot, Ghostbusters: Afterlife seeks to once again conjure the timeless spirit of the original two Ghostbusters entries. As well as reintroducing several old enemies and bringing back the classic ghost-busting team, Ghostbusters: Afterlife also revives the iconic sound of the first Ghostbusters, with director Jason Reitman keen to imbue his project with the same tones Elmer Bernstein brought to the original 1984 movie.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife canonically picks up thirty-seven years after the infamous "Manhattan Crossrip of '84" as a direct sequel to Ghostbusters II. Afterlife centers on the Spengler progeny, with the late Egon's daughter and two grandchildren moving into his dilapidated Summerville farmhouse. It quickly becomes apparent that the Spengler family must rapidly come to terms with their heritage to continue their grandfather's legacy and subsequently save the world from an ancient evil that has awakened once again.
The soundtrack for Ghostbusters: Afterlife is comprised of six songs to accompany Rob Simonsen's evocative original score. Simonsen's heavy use of the ondes Martenot, coupled with his reimagining of several classic Bernstein Ghostbusters tracks, combines to create a familiar yet ambitious original score for the film that is further accentuated by the careful inclusion of a few pre-existing singles. Here's a guide to every non-score song on the box office-smash Ghostbusters: Afterlife soundtrack, including where they appear in the film.
"The Clapping Song" by Shirley Ellis - "The Clapping Song" kicks off Ghostbusters: Afterlife proper on the car stereo as the homeless Spengler family hit the road on a journey to pore over their grandfather's unknown quantity of an estate.
"Baby It's You" by The Shirelles - "Baby It's You" plays as Trevor Spengler first lays eyes on Lucky Domingo (Celeste O'Connor) at Spinners - a themed burger joint and diner where its employees serve food on rollerskates.
"All Your Love" by Otis Rush - After seeing Lucky outside the diner, Trevor is compelled to apply for a job at Spinners. "All Your Love" plays on the small diner kitchen radio as the two fry cooks tease Trevor for his infatuation with Lucky.
"Can You Get To That" by Funkadelic - "Can You Get To That" plays as Finn Wolfhard's Trevor, Lucky, and the Spinners employees drive to the summit of the Summerville mine.
"Boredom" by Buzzcocks - After finding the Ecto-1, Trevor takes the old Ghostbusters' car out for a spin in the vast cornfields behind the Spengler house. "Boredom" blares as Trevor tries increasingly breakneck maneuvers before driving into town.
"Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker Jr. - Following the climactic final battle and an emotional goodbye with the ghost of Egon, the words "For Harold" appear on-screen before a quick cut to sirens racing across a New York City bridge. The iconic animated Ghostbusters logo appears as "Ghostbusters" heralds the start of the film's credits.
"Haunted House" by McKenna Grace - Following Ghostbusters: Afterlife's mid-credits scene, "Haunted House" begins to play as the rest of the credits roll. McKenna grace plays Phoebe Spengler in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, with the young star showcasing her full range of talents by adding her debut single to the Ghostbusters: Afterlife soundtrack.