Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

• This is such a ridiculously good soundtrack, no matter how childish you might think it is. It’s full of so much magic, mystery, love, and fun. It’s not really one I can describe, because it’s such a fantastic mixture of all those things. This won’t be a long review, because I’ll probably just be going in circles about how good it is. So, I’ll just point out a few songs that I love, and leave it at that. You get to hear the timely classic “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket” in both the opening track, and the version sung by Charlie and Grandpa Joe. You also get “The Candy Man”, performed by Aubrey Woods. Although Sammy Davis Jr. easily has the best rendition, Woods does a great job as well. All the Oompa Loompa songs are really fun, but there is one standout song among the whole soundtrack: “Pure Imagination”. To me, it’s the greatest song ever written for a movie, and no one can change my mind. It’s so breathtakingly beautiful, and it’s also one of the most beautiful songs ever written. You get to hear it several times throughout the soundtrack/movie. Gene Wilder sings it so nicely, and you can hear the warmth he puts into it. It’s also present in the boat ride scene, as well as the ending. The strings put a great emphasis of beauty on it, and I truly can’t get enough of it. Overall, this soundtrack is gorgeous, as well as silly and fun. It’s literally perfect. This soundtrack is officially Berry Approved, so go listen to it now!