Source link : https://las-vegas-news.com/10-movie-soundtracks-that-outsold-the-films-box-office-expectations/
Studios usually plan a soundtrack as a side product. It’s a tie in that helps promote the movie and adds a little revenue. Every so often, though, the album takes on a life of its own.
The ten soundtracks below all grew far bigger than anyone planned for. Some belonged to modest films that became hits, and others rode on already huge releases. Figures are rounded, and sales totals vary a little between sources.
Saturday Night Fever (1977)

The film was made on a fairly small budget, reportedly a few million dollars, and went on to earn well over two hundred million worldwide. The soundtrack did even more to define the moment. It leaned heavily on the Bee Gees, whose songs became the sound of the disco era.
The album has sold more than forty million copies worldwide, according to commonly cited industry totals. It also won the Grammy for Album of the Year. For a long time it stood as the best selling soundtrack ever released.
Purple Rain (1984)

Purple Rain was a low budget gamble built around a music star who had never led a film. It cost roughly seven million dollars and earned about seventy million at the American box office. That was a strong return, yet the album did something larger.
Prince’s soundtrack spent 24 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200. It has sold more than twenty million copies worldwide, and many sources put the figure above twenty five…
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Author : Matthias Binder
Publish date : 2026-10-29 12:19:00
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