The soundtrack album for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was composed by American musician Jon Brion, also featuring songs from artists including The Polyphonic Spree, The Willowz, and Don Nelson. Hollywood Records released the soundtrack in March of 2004.[38] A cover version of The Korgis' "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" with instrumentation by Brion and vocals by Beck operates as the soundtrack's centerpiece, setting the film's tone in the opening credits, and closing the film.[38][39]
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind's soundtrack received generally positive reviews. AllMusic described it as "nearly as deft", and described Brion's score as "intimate" and "evocative of love and memories".[40] Other positive reviews noted the ambient nature of the music and lauded Beck's cover of "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime".[41] The soundtrack's detractors criticized the album's lack of identity and its depressive atmosphere.[42] Even among the detractors, the score's ability to mesh with the plot was lauded, an appraisal common to many reviews.[40][41][42][43]
