The immensely successful 1986 film Pretty in Pink gave birth to an equally popular hit soundtrack album back in the day. In honor of its 40th anniversary, Universal Music and A&M Records have issued a special limited pink vinyl remastered edition of the soundtrack including two additional songs from the film not on the original release.
A timecapsule, the music on Pretty in Pink clearly resonated with fans, catapulting the soundtrack to Gold Record status within two months of release. It reached the #5 spot in the Billboard Top 200 charts at the time and #3 for the year-end top soundtracks list that year.
Official press materials frame the reissue’s significance this way: “As essential as the film itself, the music captures the story’s emotional truth—freezing moments in time with the vivid clarity of memories that linger for decades. Film soundtracks hold a rare power to shape identity, influencing who we are, where we belong, and the social experiences that define youth. Few filmmakers understood the coming-of-age experience quite like John Hughes, and Pretty in Pink stands as one of his most enduring cultural touchstones.”
The Pretty in Pink soundtrack plays like a who’s who of the Billboard charts and vintage MTV. Included is Suzanne Vega’s hooky single “Left of Center,” featuring Joe Jackson on piano, along with The Psychedelic Furs’ updated re-recording of the 1981 track that inspired the film’s title, “Pretty in Pink.” OMD’s “If You Leave” became a No. 4 charting hit, while tracks from The Smiths, Echo & The Bunnymen, and INXS round out the pure ’80s vibe.
For this 40th Anniversary pink vinyl special edition, two songs from the film that were not included on the original soundtrack have been added: Otis Redding’s classic “Try a Little Tenderness” and Talk Back’s “Rudy.”
In general the sound quality on the Pretty in Pink soundtrack is very good as far as ’80s music productions go. The mastering by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood no doubt helps bring out the best across all these different productions. The standard weight pressing is happily well centered and the opaque pink vinyl is actually quiet (which isn’t always the case with color vinyl variants). Original album graphics are in place and there is a new gatefold spread of photos from the film.
While the pink vinyl seems to be sold out at the time of this writing, you can order the standard black reissue of the Pretty In Pink soundtrack for $27.98 at Amazon. Fans of the pink vinyl edition should check in at Interscope‘s website where they have a special portal to inquire about represses. Most sites I’ve seen are currently sold out but if there is enough demand maybe they’ll repress. The pink vinyl is already commanding crazy collector’s pricing on Discogs, so be forewarned!
Whether you’re revisiting the ’80s or replacing a well-worn original LP or cast-off CD, Pretty in Pink remains a legitimate pop music cultural touchstone and a fun spin to boot.
Where to buy: $27.98 at Amazon
Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.
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