Released in 1995, the Clueless soundtrack captures a specific moment in pop culture when alternative rock was crossing into the mainstream, and teen movies were starting to reflect a broader range of sounds and moods. Like the film itself, the soundtrack balances bright surfaces with more thoughtful undercurrents, pulling together a mix of guitar-driven pop, indie rock, and a few curveballs that feel rooted in the quirks of mid-’90s radio. For its 30th anniversary, Ume is reissuing the iconic soundtrack on both standard black and limited edition pink vinyl.
The Muffs kick things off with a sharp, fuzzed-out cover of “Kids in America,” updating the Kim Wilde hit with scrappy energy that suits the film’s upbeat but off-center tone. It’s an opening track that sets the tone well: familiar but slightly skewed, cheerful but not overly polished. Coolio’s “Rollin’ With My Homies” is the most directly tied to the film’s plot and one of the few hip-hop inclusions. The song’s mellow West Coast vibe feels relaxed, but in context, the song has taken on a kind of ironic weight, one of those cases where a throwaway moment in a movie gives a track an unexpected afterlife.
Other standouts include Supergrass’ “Alright,” Cracker’s take on “Shake Some Action,” which brings a ragged charm to the Flamin’ Groovies’ power-pop classic, and Counting Crows’ cover of The Psychedelic Furs’ “The Ghost in You.” The latter is subdued and reflective, showing up at just the right moment in the film to give the story some depth without pulling too far away from its lighter touch. Radiohead’s acoustic version of “Fake Plastic Trees” is the soundtrack’s emotional anchor. Stripped down and understated, it offers a moment of genuine weight in an otherwise upbeat tracklist. It’s a rare case where a song’s inclusion elevates both the scene it’s used in and the album as a whole. Jill Sobule’s “Supermodel” leans into satire with a bright, ironic spin on beauty culture. While the track is intentionally playful, it avoids becoming a novelty song, thanks to Sobule’s smart delivery and the way the film uses it to highlight Cher’s changing sense of self-awareness.
Not every track lands; Lightning Seeds’ “Change” and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ “Where’d You Go?” feel more like placeholders than essential cuts, but even those misfires speak to the era’s eclecticism. The soundtrack isn’t cohesive in a traditional sense, but that’s part of its charm. It’s less about flow than about capturing the different moods that pass through a teenager’s day: boredom, confidence, vulnerability, excitement.
Nearly three decades later, the Clueless soundtrack still holds its own, not just as a companion to the film, but as a surprisingly thoughtful cross-section of mid-‘90s pop culture, when alternative music was finding its place on the mainstream stage, and teen movies were finally starting to sound like the people they were about. For fans of the eclectic sound of the 90s and those that loved Amy Heckerling’s take on the novel Emma, this vinyl reissue is a must-have. Just like Paul Rudd’s character, Josh, the music has aged like a fine wine.
