The film's soundtrack, The Breakfast Club (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), was produced by British pop musician Keith Forsey and released on February 19, 1985, by A&M Records. The album peaked at No. 17 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. The song "Don't You (Forget About Me)", performed by Scottish rock band Simple Minds, was released as a single on February 23, 1985, in the United States and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.[57] It was released on April 8, 1985, in the United Kingdom.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Don't You (Forget About Me)" | Keith Forsey, Steve Schiff | Simple Minds | 4:20 |
| 2. | "Waiting" | K. Forsey, S. Schiff | Elizabeth Daily | 4:37 |
| 3. | "Fire in the Twilight" |
|
Wang Chung | 3:51 |
| 4. | "I'm the Dude" | K. Forsey, S. Schiff | Keith Forsey | 2:10 |
| 5. | "Heart Too Hot to Hold" |
|
Jesse Johnson & Stephanie Spruill | 4:25 |
| Total length: | 19:23 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dream Montage" | Chang | Gary Chang | 2:37 |
| 2. | "We Are Not Alone" |
|
Karla DeVito | 3:39 |
| 3. | "The Reggae" | Forsey | Keith Forsey | 3:07 |
| 4. | "Didn't I Tell You" |
|
Joyce Kennedy | 4:47 |
| 5. | "Love Theme" | Forsey | Keith Forsey | 4:26 |
| Total length: | 18:36 |
Overview
The album contains ten songs that are played partially throughout the movie, performed by bands and singers of the rock and new wave genre, including three instrumental songs by record producer Keith Forsey.[58]
Simple Minds's international hit "Don't You (Forget About Me)" is played in the opening and closing credits.[59] A music video was made for this song and for Wang Chung's "Fire in the Twilight" (reached No 110 on the US Billboard Hot 100).[60]
Not included on the soundtrack is the "Colonel Bogey March" that the students are whistling when Principal Vernon walks into the room.[61][62]
Critical reception
In a June 25, 1985 review for The Village Voice, music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a "Dā" and said that it has "utterly negligible" songs, and he commended Simple Minds for trying to distance themselves from their song, "Don't You (Forget About Me)", best known for being played during the film's opening and closing credits.[63] In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the soundtrack three out of five stars and wrote that, apart from Simple Minds' "undisputed masterpiece," the album is largely "disposable" and marred by "'80s artifacts" and "forgettable instrumentals".[58]
