32 '90s Rock + Metal Songs That Debuted on Movie Soundtracks

Here are 32 '90s rock and metal songs that debuted on movie soundtracks.

Music has always been an important element of film, whether it's just a score, a sampling of some songs or an entire soundtrack the was curated specifically for it.

During the '90s in particular, there were quite a few films that had soundtracks stacked with rock and metal songs. We already did a list that specifically focused on grunge songs, but now we're expanding it to include '90s rock and metal in general.

For this list, we're going to highlight over 30 songs that premiered on movie soundtracks, meaning they were actually released as part of the soundtrack before they appeared on an album or as a single.

An example that wouldn't count is Guns N' Roses' "You Could Be Mine," as the band released it as a single just a few weeks before it came out on the soundtrack for Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

We dug through numerous '90s movie soundtracks that first came into the world thanks to the silver screen. Funny enough, many of them were never included on a studio album at all — some appeared on compilations and box sets, others remained exclusive to the soundtracks forever.

Below, you'll learn more about the associations between the songs and films, as well if it was eventually part of an album!

Keep scrolling to travel back in time to the '90s!

Jon Bon Jovi, 'Blaze of Glory'
Soundtrack: Young Guns II (1990)
Album: Blaze of Glory (1990)
Alice in Chains, 'Would?'
Soundtrack: Singles (1992)
Album: Dirt (1992)
Pearl Jam, 'Breath'
Soundtrack: Singles (1992)
Album: rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003) (Compilation, 2004)
Chris Cornell, 'Seasons'
Soundtrack: Seasons (1992)
Album: Chris Cornell (Compilation, 2018)
Soundgarden, 'Birth Ritual'
Soundtrack: Singles (1992)
Album: Telephantasm (Compilation, 2010)
Pearl Jam, 'State of Love and Trust'
Soundtrack: Singles (1992)
Album: rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003) (Compilation, 2004)
Mudhoney, 'Overblown'
Soundtrack: Singles (1992)
Album: March to Fuzz (Box set, 2000)
Screaming Trees, 'Nearly Lost You'
Soundtrack: Singles (1992)
Album: Sweet Oblivion (1992)
AC/DC, 'Big Gun'
Soundtrack: Last Action Hero (1993)
Album: Backtracks (Box set, 2009)
Alice in Chains, 'What the Hell Have I'
Soundtrack: Last Action Hero (1993)
Album: Music Bank (Compilation, 1999)
Megadeth, 'Angry Again'
Soundtrack: Last Action Hero (1993)
Album: Hidden Treasures (EP, 1995)
Queensryche, 'Real World'
Soundtrack: Last Action Hero (1993)
Album: Promised Land (1994, Japanese bonus track / 2003 reissue), Sign of the Times (2007, compilation)
Anthrax, 'Poison My Eyes'
Soundtrack: Last Action Hero (1993)
Album: Never appeared on an album
Alice in Chains, 'A Little Bitter'
Soundtrack: Last Action Hero (1993)
Album: Music Bank (Compilation, 1999)
Tesla, 'Last Action Hero'
Soundtrack: Last Action Hero (1993)
Album: Never appeared on an album
The Cure, 'Burn'
Soundtrack: The Crow (1994)
Album: Join the Dots: B-Sides & Rarities 1978 - 2001 (The Fiction Years) (Box Set, 2004)
Stone Temple Pilots, 'Big Empty'
Soundtrack: The Crow (1994)
Album: Purple (1994)
Nine Inch Nails, 'Dead Souls' (Joy Division Cover)
Soundtrack: The Crow (1994)
Album: The Downward Spiral (Bonus track, 1994)
Helmet, 'Milktoast'
Soundtrack: The Crow (1994)
Album: Betty (Stylized as "Milquetoast," 1994)
Pantera, 'The Badge' (Poison Idea Cover)
Soundtrack: The Crow (1994)
Album: Far Beyond Driven (Bonus Track, 1994)
U2, 'Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me'
Soundtrack: Batman Forever (1995)
Album: The Best of 1990 - 2000 (Compilation, 2002)
The Offspring, 'Smash It Up' (The Damned Cover)
Soundtrack: Batman Forever (1995)
Album: Club Me (EP, 1997)
Stabbing Westward, 'Dawn'
Soundtrack: Escape From L.A. (1996)
Album: The Essential Stabbing Westward (Compilation, 2003)
White Zombie, 'The One'
Soundtrack: Escape from L.A. (1996)
Album: Never appeared on an album
Toadies, 'Cut Me Out'
Soundtrack: Escape From L.A. (1996)
Album: Only appeared on live albums.
Nine Inch Nails, 'The Perfect Drug'
Soundtrack: Lost Highway (1997)
Album: "The Perfect Drug" Versions (EP, 1997)
Smashing Pumpkins, 'Eye'
Soundtrack: Lost Highway (1997)
Album: Rotten Apples (Compilation, 2001)
Marilyn Manson, 'Apple of Sodom'
Soundtrack: Lost Highway (1997)
Album: Never appeared on an album
Marilyn Manson, 'Long Hard Road Out of Hell'
Soundtrack: Spawn (1997)
Album: Lest We Forget: The Best Of (Compilation, 2004)
Foo Fighters, 'A320'
Soundtrack: Godzilla (1998)
Album: Never appeared on an album
Rage Against the Machine, 'No Shelter'
Soundtrack: Godzilla (1998)
Album: The Battle of Los Angeles (Bonus track, 1999)
Aerosmith, 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing'
Soundtrack: Armageddon (1998)
Album: O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits (Compilation, 2002)