According to director James Gunn, the soundtrack for the original Guardians of the Galaxy was the third best selling vinyl album from the last decade. In the previous decade, Marvel gave us quite a few surprises, but one of the biggest surprises remains 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. The superhero/sci-fi film that was thought of as a “risk” for Marvel took the world by storm grossing over $700 million at the worldwide box office. Now, it is one of Marvel’s most beloved franchises, and a large part of its success is down to the incredible use of music in the first installment.
A mix of classic ‘60s and ‘70s tracks such as "Spirit in the Sky," "Come and Get Your Love," and "Hooked on a Feeling," which played through the first trailer, made up the film’s album. The album was also one of only four 2014 albums to ship over a million units, joining artists like Taylor Swift and Pentatonix. Marvel President Kevin Feige has even discussed how it was Gunn’s idea to incorporate music so heavily in Guardians of the Galaxy, as the songs and Peter Quill’s infamous walkman became his link back to Earth and his mother. In addition to that, the music plays an integral part in how the narrative unfolds, as Peter’s singing/dancing is what leads them to defeat Ronan in the film's climax. But if there was anybody doubting how big the original Guardians of the Galaxy album was, Gunn’s latest post on social media may put those doubts to rest.
In a recent Instagram post, Gunn posted an image that listed “The bestselling vinyl albums of the 2010s” in the US. Number one was “The Beatles – Abbey Road,” followed by “Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon,” and sitting at number three was “Guardians of the Galaxy OST.” Along with the image, the Marvel director wrote, “Pretty cool,” as his film’s album beat the likes of Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black and even Michael Jackson’s Thriller.
Considering the success the film’s first album had after its theatrical release in the summer of 2014, this may not be a total surprise. Gunn reintroduced a lot of the classic songs to a modern-day audience, and almost injected them into modern-day pop culture as well. Now, the discussion surrounding the next film's music is almost as big as what the Guardians of the Galaxy 3 plot may be.
This news will no doubt fill Marvel fans with joy and nostalgia, but also likely have them looking ahead to the next installment of Guardians of the Galaxy. However, after all the drama surrounding Gunn, and the director now leading the charge for the new Suicide Squad, it means we likely won’t see Peter Quill, his new Zune, and some potentially new popular tracks until 2023.
Source: James Gunn/Instagram