I think a movie's soundtrack, when it's good, helps set the right mood for a movie, and is actually listenable.

I'm sure we can all think of one certain Disney movie that has probably the worst soundtrack anybody (with some sense) this generation has ever seen.

You probably loved No Country for Old Men.

The first and last soundtrack I ever bought was the Juno soundtrack because it had some awesome folky songs. I then found out that they were all from the same artist (Kimya Dawson, or something like that), which was a huge letdown because, if I had known better, I would have bought one of her albums instead.

I really love the Juno soundtrack, but to be honest didn't think the movie was all that it was cracked up to be. The soundtrack was probably one of the only things I enjoyed about the film. So I guess in this respect the soundtrack made the movie better!

And yeah there were heaps of Kimya Dawson tracks on it. But there was a range of other artists, too, which were also good.

Amelie would be absolutely nothing without the soundtrack, it ties it together. And I just recently saw two movies that wouldn't be good without the soundtracks: Coraline and Repo! The Genetic Opera (Coraline was better than Repo, but I always sing songs from Repo :p ) And I can't stand Hairspray anymore, I LOVED that movie and all the songs....but then I sawthe it at the theater (Live, with people, haha) and it just blew me away (and there was this really really hot guy that I had my eyes glued on, but that's besides the point). I still love Queen Latifah's song, though, it's so powerful.

I think a good soundtrack to a movie doesn't distract from the movie itself (as in you are drawn away form the action to the movie because the song distracts you enough for you to think about it). A good soundtrack amplifies the emotion or action being experienced and subtly helps take you into the world the movie has attempted to create.

A lot of contemporary movies seem to take the easy way out with a pop soundtrack, or attaching the appropriate whispery indie fluff to a poignant scene. Juno was annoying, Jerry Goldsmith should kick Kimya Dawson's smelly dreadlocked arse from beyond the grave.

I'm having trouble thinking of the oldest film that is dominated by a pick n' mix soundtrack, Tarantino obviously popularized it further

Equally overwrought Hollywood scores can be terrible, nobody needs that hassle. Sometimes you stop and listen to the score of a movie you are watching and you feel like you're being manipulated and realise how depressingly escapist movies really are just as you were getting into it

Well I'd say it goes at least as far back as Easy Rider.

yeah... but that had a point didn't it, the characters were part of a movement that was inexorably linked with it's music. I'm just venting hot air tbh, but it just seems like a cop out and it puts me off a movie instantly. Throwing Lady Gaga or some fly-by-night song into a scene to let stupid people know they should be excited.
How many sh*tty films have you watched with a scene in which a dog escapes and 'who let the dogs out' comes on? There are so many repulsive examples but my brain is starting to leak out of my ear just thinking about it

LOL. I know what you mean, but I also feel that way about Easy Rider. The songs on that soundtrack feel very much like they were put there for no other than to make the movie seem hip to young people at the time.

Mean Streets from '73 is probably one of the earliest and best uses of a contemporary soundtrack.