Credit: Marvel StudiosLike Captain America and his shield and Iron Man and sarcasm, Guardians of the Galaxy and 70s music are the perfect duo. It’s tough to imagine a world where a film focused on a bunch of relatively unknown ragtags in space would’ve blown up the box office without its iconic soundtrack – and for that, we have to thank James Gunn and his impeccable taste in music.
With the release of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 (2023), audiences can now enjoy three of Peter Quill’s flawless playlists. That equals a whopping 43 tracks used across each installment of the franchise. Gunn does an incredible job of weaving them seamlessly into the events of each film – but these are the songs that we think have the most impact.
Warning: this contains some spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3.
Our ranking of the best music moments in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’
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“O-o-h Child” by Five Stairsteps – Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
No scene encapsulates the dorky genius of the Guardians quite like this. After crash landing on Xandar, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) takes his chance to distract the villainous Ronan so Drax and Rocket can destroy his warhammer. He does so in a way that’s so perfectly Quill (by which we mean so dumb that it actually works), challenging Ronan to a dance-off.
The actual version of “O-o-h Child” by Five Stairsteps initially plays in this scene, but it’s Chris Pratt’s character who sings it for the most part. Hearing Quill interrupt Ronan’s maniacal rant by suddenly singing, “Ooh child, things are going to get easier,” never stops being funny.
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“The Rubberband Man” by The Spinners – Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Before Avengers: Infinity War came out, it was tough to picture how Marvel would blend the worlds of The Avengers and the Guardians without forsaking the latter’s distinct tone. But from the moment “The Rubberband Man” starts to play, it’s clear that Quill and co. will maintain the same funky vibe even in the midst of Infinity War’s darkness.
This is also one of the last times we get to see Gamora in all her Guardians glory. The group’s intro sees the daughter of Thanos vibing to the 1970s soul track alongside her crewmates – a far cry from her first appearance in the series, where she refuses to dance. A perfect reintroduction to the Guardians and an equally perfect final scene of them in their original lineup.
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“Father and Son” by Cat Stevens – Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 (2017)
The end of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 sees Quill process the second major loss in his life with the death of Yondu. Despite the other Ravagers disowning Yondu, they arrive just in time for his funeral to light up the skies with fireworks and give him a proper Ravager sendoff.
Ego may be Quill’s biological father, but Yondu was the most present parental figure in all of Quill’s life (or, in his words, his “David Hasselhoff.”) Yondu says it best: “He may have been your father, boy, but he wasn’t your daddy.”
James Gunn’s choice of a song about a father passing on life advice to his son makes for one of the most touching ending scenes in the entire MCU – one that really drives home Guardians of the Galaxy’s focus on found family. We dare you not to well up at that final shot of Rocket staring out into the sky and realizing that his own found family will always be there for him, too.
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“Come a Little Bit Closer” by Jay and the Americans – Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 (2017)
If James Gunn excels at one thing, it’s coordinating fight scenes with music. While some superhero movies can suffer from action fatigue, that’s impossible when you’ve got a soundtrack that goes as hard as Jay and the Americans’ “Come a Little Bit Closer.”
As Rocket, Baby Groot, Kraglin, and Yondu escape the Ravager’s ship post-mutiny, Yondu’s arrow performs a ship-wide massacre. It’s already a pretty cool action sequence, but setting shots of the group calmly making their escape surrounded by deadly chaos to the backdrop of some 60s rock is a whole new level of iconic.
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“Dog Days Are Over” by Florence and the Machine – Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 (2017)
This Florence and the Machine track may be a joyful one, but the fact that it plays over a montage of the Guardians going their separate ways makes it one of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3’s most impactful moments.
Mantis ventures out into the unknown with her new Abilisk pets on a journey of self-discovery. Quill returns to earth to confront the life he abandoned after his mother’s death. Gamora finds a new home with the Ravagers. Nebula and Drax decide to stay on Knowhere and raise the children rescued from the High Evolutionary’s ship. Rocket and Groot form a new group of Guardians. In short: the OG Guardians are no more, and the dog days are quite literally over. Devastating but cathartic.
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“Hooked on a Feeling” by Blue Swede – Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Used in the film’s first trailer, Blue Swede’s “Hooked on a Feeling” became the song of Guardians of the Galaxy even before its release. The jarring chant of “ooga chaka, ooga, ooga, ooga chaka” was an earworm from day one. Thankfully, its sequence in the film itself is even more memorable.
After being arrested on Xandar, Quill, Gamora, Groot, and Rocket are imprisoned in the Kyln. A prisoner officer helps himself to Quill’s Walkman and listens to the track in question – one that Quill protests “belong to [him].” It’s a wonderfully quirky introduction to a wonderfully quirky group.
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“The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac – Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 (2017)
“The Chain” gets the rare honor of playing twice in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. Its first play comes when Quill, Gamora, and Drax leave Rocket, Groot, and Nebula behind to board Ego’s ship, and the second occurs when Quill uses memories of his friends to motivate himself during the film’s final battle.
Basically, the Guardians are the “chain” – which was the whole point, according to Gunn. “It is about the Guardians, at least in the way we use it,” he told Rolling Stone in 2017. Fleetwood Mac croon, “I can still hear you saying you would never break the chain,” as Quill, motivated by the thoughts of his loved ones, finally overpowers Ego. It’s a powerful reminder of the strength of found family, friendship, and love.
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“No Sleep till Brooklyn” by Beastie Boys – Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 (2023)
Even without “No Sleep till Brooklyn,” this scene would’ve ranked as one of the best in the entire MCU. The hard-hitting soundtrack, however, tips it over the edge, proving that Gunn really is the master of directing unique, electric, hand-to-hand combat.
This sees the Guardians regroup on the High Evolutionary’s ship before overpowering his army. Each Guardian gets their moment to shine during the fight scene, showing off their own strengths but also working in perfect unison as a team. A masterclass in superhero action.
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“Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra – Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 (2017)
The second Guardians of the Galaxy movie faced the challenge of reintroducing its characters not as individuals but as a now well-gelled team. Gunn chose to do so in an unorthodox (but very Guardians) way by having Baby Groot dance his way through a fight scene to Electric Light Orchestra’s “Mr. Blue Sky.”
Groot is very much the focus here, bounding and jumping across the screen while Quill, Gamora, Drax, and Rocket fight in the background. It does everything the film’s intro needs to do – showcasing the refined chemistry between the Guardians and emphasizing that this movie will be just as weird and fun as the last.
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“Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone – Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Does anything scream Guardians of the Galaxy more than this? After an opening scene that shows viewers how Quill ended up in space in the first place, we’re reintroduced to our main character – now known as Star-Lord – 26 years later as he steals a mysterious Orb.
What would’ve been a straightforward heist scene in any other director’s hands becomes a total bop, thanks to Gunn. As Star-Lord turns on his Walkman and presses play on Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love,” we watch as he dances across an abandoned Morag, complete with goofy lip-syncing. It’s no surprise that Gunn chose this song to bow out the franchise in the credits of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3. This scene is Peter Quill – and the essence of Guardians of the Galaxy – down to a tee.