Rocky IV (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

If you want to know what the '80s sounded like, look no further than this bracing collection. Director/star Sylvester Stallone pulled no punches with this soundtrack’s catchy, over-the-top synth-pop ("Double or Nothing," "The Sweetest Victory") and pulse-quickening hard rock with screaming guitar solos ("Burning Heart," "Hearts on Fire"). Composer Vince DiCola exhilaratingly conveys the 1985 film's Cold War high stakes through innovative sampling and sequencing in the chillingly transcendent instrumental anthems "War" and "Training Montage."