Guardians of the Galaxy: The five best songs

IT’S been a massive hit at the box office thanks, in part, to its killer soundtrack of retro pop songs. We count down the best tracks featured in Guardians of the Galaxy.

The movie is flying high at the box office worldwide — and now, the soundtrack to Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is following suit.

The Awesome Mix Vol. 1 compilation featuring music from the film hand-picked by director James Gunn, is climbing iTunes charts across the globe.

Along with the stone-cold classic the Jackson 5’s I Want You Back, Gunn has unearthed some lesser-remembered tracks from the ’70s. And because of the movie’s success, a resurgence could be in the cards for many of the artists.

Here are five of the very best songs from the compilation.

Quentin Tarantino fans might remember hearing Blue Swede’s cover of the B.J. Thomas song during Reservoir Dogs.

But more than two decades later, the 1974 track’s distinctive intro also cropped up on the Guardians of the Galaxy trailer, leading to a 700 per cent sales spike for the Swedish band.

It’s only fitting that a sci-fi superhero movie have a song by Ziggy Stardust — David Bowie’s own sci-fi superhero alter ego who was unveiled to the world in 1972.

With lyrical references to ray guns and pink monkey birds, Moonage Daydream has a wonderfully alien feel, topped off by one of guitarist Mick Ronson’s most otherworldly solos.

Here’s another one movie buffs might recognise from such films as Boogie Nights and Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantánamo Bay.

Bishop is known primarily for his blues-rock sound, but for this 1976 soul gem, he hands the lead vocals over to backing vocalist Mickey Thomas.

The Runaways were too brash for American tastes in the mid-’70s, but the provocative blast of all-girl rock ’n’ roll that was Cherry Bomb made Joan Jett et al. stars in many parts of the wider world in 1976.

One of the more tender musical moments in Guardians of the Galaxy comes courtesy of British art rock band 10cc, which scored a big hit in 1975 with this ballad.

The production of I’m Not in Love was way ahead of its time, thanks particularly to the way the group layered the song’s ghostly backing vocals. It might be almost 40 years old but it’s held up well enough to fit perfectly in to a futuristic sci-fi flick.

Originally published as Guardians of the Galaxy: The five best songs