Today’s SNDTRK is straight out of the Nineties, and it literally embodies everything about one of the best decades ever. Nobody may ever remember, or give a shit about 1995’s Empire Records by itself (Liv Tyler and that badass outfit notwithstanding), but thanks to Edwyn Collins’ “A Girl Like You” from the film’s soundtrack*, it’s saved from the mediocre 90s movie abyss. If you’re most people…
If you’re like me, Empire Records goes down as a beloved movie that basically captures what it was like to be a teen or young twenty-something in the mid-Nineties. I mean, Tyler’s character Corey Mason was basically my spirit human at the time. I really got her the most out of all the female characters in the film. Gina (Renee Zellweger) and Debra (Robin Tunney) were cool, but Corey was the homegirl. She had the best everything as far as I was concerned. Being a stan for her dad and Aerosmith didn’t hurt either.
Empire Records was about as Generation X as you could possibly get, and while there are other good songs on the soundtrack, you could probably only get away with playing Collins’ “A Girl Like You” at a party today, and not have people look at you like you’re an asshole. And that’s without any trap or dubstep versions. That’s because it employed a timeless amalgamation of rock, soul, and blues; the latter having birthed rock anyway. That combo hasn’t ever gotten old, and it never will. It’s always on point.
I love how diverse the chicks in the video are. On a side note, I’ve found myself in a conundrum. Go as Aaliyah (circa “One in a Million” days), or a black Liv Tyler from Empire Records for Halloween.
*It was also featured on the soundtrack for Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle starring Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu, and Drew Barrymore’s assets.