Film soundtracks usually don’t hit #1 on the Billboard Top 200, but when they do, the soundtracks at least have original songs. This one didn’t. Guardians of the Galaxy has a song list that is pulled entirely from hits reaching back to the 1960s and 1970s.
Fortunately, that worked for the movie; it added greatly to its charm. Older generations identified with, and remembered, the classic hits; new generations discovered them. The combination of those two factors propelled the soundtrack up the charts.
For more coverage on the film’s beloved and top-selling soundtrack “Awesome Mix Vol. 1”, head on over to Cinema Blend.