Shaft

Beyond the classic signature tune there's a baffling amount of lift music on this. Some funky bits I guess but it's pretty bland.

Torenhoge verwachtingen die niet waar gemaakt werden. Behalve die eerste track viel alles vies tegen. Jammer.

Het openingsnummer is briljant! Dus ik had echt zin in een plaat vol van dit soort funky spul. Maar helaas blijkt de rest van deze soundtrack vol te staan met instrumentale R&B liftmuziek. Wat een suffe bende.

Couldn't find lots of the tracks

I know Curtis Mayfield's Superfly will be coming up on the list later, which to my mind, is a much stronger choice for "blaxploitation movie soundtrack" if someone felt that niche genre had to be included. Here's the difference between Superfly and Shaft: Superfly actually works as a standalone album, not just as a soundtrack. Shaft is one iconic song - "Theme from Shaft" is rightfully legendary - and then a lot of instrumental filler. It's not bad music at all, but it doesn't really work outside of the context of the film.

Agree with others here that this is a questionable addition outside the context of the movie – several tracks are enjoyable and decently funky, but this OST was written to literally provide background music for the film. There are definitely musical chops shown here, but as a standalone listen it just doesn't break above surface level.

Great theme- proper 70's soul but a lot of the rest of the album is orchestral wallpaper with a couple of good tracks in between. Hot Buttered Soul is better by far.

Ohhh yeah, he's the man. But saying that other than the theme tracks, the other tracks sound a bit like elevator music. Maybe it would be better while I'm making sweet sweet love to my woman

Yritin kuunnella avoimin mielin, mutta tää funkkihomma, yyh. En osaa kuvitella olevani koskaan niin tšilli, ettei tällainen musiikki kuulostaisi lähinnä vittuilulta. Tunnistan hyvin tehdyksi, siitä yksi piste.

I have never seen or even heard of the movie. It’s a nice soundtrack album, funky jazz with really nice rhythmic section. But that’s all there is to me. It lacks context of the movie. And therefore I’m really puzzled if this should even be on that list?

Relic

2/5. Some great instrumentals but mostly very similar styles without much diversity among them. The opening track is great but I would rather just watch the movie.

Title track is iconic for sure but the rest of the album isn't particularly noteworthy.

Theme is great, but the rest is not anything amazing, I'd rank a bunch of soundtracks higher than this. The Theme gets it out of 1 star though, so there is that.

Lekker vet maar niet mijn stijl

theme from shaft forever goated, shoutout knowhow by young mc the rest is okay. the movie's legacy is complicated. isaac hayes has some good stuff in his catalogue but eh

A little boring on its own... Sparse mixing which makes it extra uninteresting.

I understand this album is on the list due to its impact on popular culture and the landmark in time. But, it's a soundtrack. And it sounds like one. Probably sounds well as background music for whatever is happening on screen. But aside from the killer opening track and the 20 minute jam-session on Do Your Thing, without the visuals, this album is mostly just funky elevator music. Right on.

Despite its iconic title track, its still an OST, so its uninteresting despite its musicianship

Haha…I can’t even take this album seriously. The Shaft theme song has always seemed comical to me, probably because it has been referenced in pop culture so many times. Most of the album feels like elevator music to me. Reminds me of music that would have been playing when my mom would drag me shopping with her through Pic N Save in the 80’s. It would have been a 1 star, but the 20-min long “Do Your Thing” barely gave me enough to give it 2 stars.

Definitely has a 70s-show-background-music sound. I didn't love it, but at least it was easy to ignore.1

Funky. But never saw the movie so...

Boring

Made it part way thru. Probably should watch the movie

Not bad. But it's movie music. It must sound great in the film.

The main Theme Song is absolutely amazing...the rest I could leave alone. Too much movie soundtrack. 1.5/5

Funk

The main theme is fun, and there’s a sort of airy, happy-go-lucky feeling to the instrumentals which is endearing (no idea how a lot of these translate to a crime/action thriller though…) But as an album in its own right? Can’t see myself sticking this on in any situation really. The Super Fly soundtrack is better.

It's a perfectly fine soundtrack, but I think the only reason I would listen to this is if I had some nostalgia for the movie, which I don't. It was a bit long and I don't think I could distinguish anything besides the title track.

chef from South Park made a movie soundtrack

That seemed like a really strange choice for top albums, but I don't really know the context. All I could hear was chef from South park as that's where I know Isaac Hayes from.

Cool groovy music, I can get why its on the list but not something I’d care to listen to unless its in a movie. Aso Isaac Hayes is a bitch for leaving south park

Title track good. Otherwise.. well its a soundtrack.

I'm confused by the inclusion of film soundtracks on here... what is the criteria? Why are there no John Williams scores if soundtracks are fair game?

Main tune is a tune, the rest is (admittedly funky) instrumentals.

Pretty boring. The 20-minute Do Your Thing is great though.

Good vibes. Once a year listen.

Unfortunately, this doesn't do much for me.

Was pretty good. It was interesting hearing the wah pedal on an earlier piece of music than I'm used to hearing. The songs probably worked better as a part of the movie though, some songs were a bit too repetitive for casual listening.

Its not bad but its far from great.

I mean the music was fine... good even. Maybe I'd like it more if I'd watched the film but it didn't really seem to be a cohesive thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkfLKiYIfL4

That main theme sure is a classic. The rest is not great. It's not super terrible but I'd be lying if I didn't think of elevator or hold music while portions of this album played. I get that it's a soundtrack so there's a reason for so many instrumentals but Isaac Hayes had such a cool voice and I wish it had been used here more often. Come for the main theme and check out after. The movie is pretty good too.

Wow, this one was really really lame. I understand that this soundtrack is historically relevant in terms of what movie soundtracks can be. But I really don't care for listening to nearly any soundtrack as an album. The point of a soundtrack is to accompany something. Without the accompanying something you're just left with context-free yet context-specific background sound. I liked Soulsville. It was one of the only tracks with lyrics and to me the only track that could stand on its own (apart from Do Your Thing if it were 6 instead of 19 minutes). The guy has a nice voice, so I'm all for a proper album by Isaac Hayes. But please no more soundtracks.

It was really good but surprisingly long. "Do Your Thing" is 19:27. WTF! Plus it starts to sound like one continuous album of like 30 musicians who got together and jammed. That may not be a bad thing if you are into 1hr 10 minutes (roughly) of that jam. I wasn't and could think of many more Movie albums that belong on this list then Shaft. Finally Isaac Hayes has much better records out where he actually sings on more then two of the songs.

he did better things than this

Meh

Damn, I’m not familiar with this kind of music except for the parody usage we are used to by now… to me sounds dated AF even if I can recognize the talent and creativity. Couldn’t finish it. Not my jam.

Not bad, but I didn’t really enjoy it.

Track 01 - 2.75/5 Track 02 - 2.5/5 Track 03 - 1.5/5 Track 04 - 2.5/5 Track 05 - 2.5/5 Track 06 - 2/5 Track 07 - 2.5/5 Track 08 - 2.25/5 Track 09 - 2.25/5 Track 10 - 2.75/5 Track 11 - 2.5/5 Track 12 - 2.25/5 Track 13 - 2/5 Track 14 - 2.25/5 Track 15 - 2/5 Overall: 2.25/5 Album Art: 3.75/5

Schwachsinnige Idee, Filmmusik in solch eine Liste aufzunehmen, noch dazu, wenn es sich um Instrumentalmusik handelt: wie soll das funktionieren, wenn man den Film nicht kennt? Gefällig, aber keine 3 Sterne

Not all songs were available in Italy

Good album

funk

Alright, but not my style. Main track is a classic though. 2 Stars

Shafted

It is exactly as it says it is... a soundtrack, and a very good one at that... but I don't want to sit at home and listen to background music.

It was pretty good, but everything sounded the same after a while.

first song is the only good one, couldn't finish

The main theme is a classic. The rest of it is as 70s as it gets. But without context, most soundtrack music doesn't really work as listening material. A soundtrack that consists of actual songs (Almost Famous, Saturday Night Fever) would have been a better suggestion from this site.

meh

alright, but besides the shaft theme song lets a bit down on the other ends

Elevator music

Для фона сойдёт

I like a bit of soul but this is a bit TOO much soul for me

Mostly instrumental

No Chocolate Salty Balls? Bummer. This music is awesome - a nice jazz/funk blend and great arrangements. The whole thing is varying shades of sexy (from corny to porny). I recommend not listening to is while you drop your kid off at the bus stop if you don't want to get weird, judgmental looks for the "good" parents. I could rate this album as high as a 4, but I won't on principle. It's a theatrical score and was never meant to be listened to as an album. As great as the music is, it was created as one piece of a larger puzzle, meant to be enjoyed in the context of the film. No one should have to listen to this album before they die - they should watch the movie with the sound all the way up.

Meh

Love that tune. Good soundtrack. Stops there.

Not my cup of tea.

well, it's a soundtrack. Needs the show to shine.

No esperaba encontrar una BSO en la lista. Algunos temas míticos y otros que se me han hecho largos.

weird that a soundtrack made it on here

A little too slow for me. Easy listening but nothing memorable.

Upbeat, largely instrumental music. "Groovy"! Theme from Shaft was my favorite.

Rien que le thème de Shaft justifie un album

Cool ass grocery store music. Mervins music. Grand Theft Auto music. Felt great walking around LQA with this in my ears. Cold sunshine. Got a sandwich from a deli. Bought some cottage cheese. Ate the cottage cheese. C+

Wah wah madness

uhh, its shaft. its basically a porn soundtrack from 70s malaise movie era

Not on Spotify. Title track is a banger though.

Int så bängeri Bra soul, men kanske lite ensidigt

Indeed it is a soundtrack from the 70's. Theme from Shaft is the most entertaining... both lyrics and background vocals that chant "SHAFT!"

Little boring

Just not into instrumentals and this was very long.

It's like listening to a 70s TV show theme song for an hour

2 stars.

A lot of songs not available. But some nice 70's funk, a lot of duff dated stuff now though.

Wasn’t focused on this too much, good background music.

1. zhaft - 2 2. bumpy - 2 3. uualk - 2 4. love - 1 5. ride - 0 6. cafe - 1 7. zunday - 2 8. be - 1 9. place - 2 10. zoul - 1 11. bar - 0 12. bluez - 1 13. ztrike - 1 14. thing - 0 15. end - 2

lowky cheeks 2 out of 10

Great opening song... And then it's just a movie soundtrack. Soundtracks shouldn't be on this list - otherwise The Dark Knight would be on it too.

Soundtrack

Bleh. Maybe if I'd seen Shaft before I would care more but I haven't so I didn't. Soundtrack without context is not my cup of tea.

Soundtrack album with soul music.

it's a soundtrack

What a waste of time. This music was meant to accompany a visual: the movie. Without that, it’s just background noise, and not very interesting noise at that. If we’re doing movie soundtracks, there’s a whole lot that need to come before this one. ⭐️

Apparently 70 minutes of Shaft's 100 minute runtime is scored. All of it completely necessary, I'm sure. But I don't know that any soundtrack needs to be a double album. I can't think of many others. Tommy and Quadrophenia, I suppose. Maybe Saturday Night Fever. However, those are mostly song based. The type of repeating instrumental music that makes up most of a film score and, therefore, makes up most of the Shaft OST is called incidental music for a reason. 1.5 It’s a very good main theme and it should be because that’s where all the effort went. The rest of the album sounds like it was thrown together in a couple of days. I’ve never seen the film but if Shaft didn’t go shopping in the mall, hang out in the elevator and host a game show then Isaac Hayes can surely feel that his music wasn’t given the dramatic setting it deserved. 1/5

Kinda dumb

Jesus

70's noir action movie background music. Oh, it actually is a movie soundtrack. Making this a 1 to protest its inclusion, or at least, the fact it was included but no Bill Conti Rocky soundtracks were also included.

Meh

Dreadful, to be honest. Absolutely aimless background smooth soul, which is either non-descript or annoying to the extent that I simultaneously don't really remember even listening to it and yet I'm still extremely irritated.

I did not enjoy this. I knew the theme from Shaft. The rest was mostly instrumental which I don’t like, and one song was 15 minutes long!! Ugh!

Wrm is een film soundtrack in de 1001 beste albums???

Mmm

The title track and do your thing are cool as hell and the other songs with vocals are solid jazzy soul social realism.tracks, but the rest is supermarket Muzak level smooth jazz. I'm sure it worked well for the movie, but it's not at all interesting outside that context, until it got chopped and samples a billion times for hip hop beats.

👎🏻

Very 70's.

I don’t know is there anothe Hayes’ albums here, but if not — it’s just stupid. “Hot Buttered Soul” sounds like an Abbey Road compairing to this OST. And yes, why the fuck “Saturday Night Fever” isn’t here, if you including OSTs? It’s my 400-something album, and it’s the second worst thing on this list (Kid Rock still the worst). Love Isaac, love Shaft theme, love Cheff, fuck scientology, hate this inclusion.

definitily skipping this. haven't seen the movie and i guess i'll die before listening to the soundtrack

Not sure this deserves to be in the list.

Only really enjoyed the theme song. The rest were not likeable

elevator music type shit. makes me cry in agony

Ei saatavilla kaikkia kappaleita

Meh ….

Look, I get that Shaft is iconic as a movie — but having the soundtrack show up on an all-time albums list feels like a stretch. Aside from the theme song (which is admittedly catchy in a kitschy way), the rest plays out like background music you'd hear in an elevator that thinks it’s cooler than it is. It’s fine if you’re throwing a 70s-themed party, but for everyday listening? Hard pass.

Nothing special about this, not at least in 2024. Also, I didn't see the movie so I don't even consider this fun, as other reviewers pointed out.

I've listened to a third of this about three times and I just can't listen to more at any one time. There's no way I've listened to this whole album and this is the first time I'm not finishing one. I just can't.

It draaaaags. Pointless.

Did not like this. Is this album here because it was influential in the elevator music genre? Do Your Thing is a long bloated mess. Cafe Regio is probably the only redeemable song here.

Apart from the theme song this could be the soundtrack of almost any 70's action movie. I have no idea why it is on this list. 1 star or F.

I thought this was OK. Theme From Shaft is a great tune but otherwise, a musical soundtrack to movie was not something that was very enjoyable. Some funky beats and sounds, but pretty forgettable album. 1.5

bro im not listening to an OST from a movie from 1971 what? why? NNN

Reminds me of drunken Thursday nights at the Mecca in Wakefield which in itself is a good memory spoilt by having to endure music like this all night. Never saw nor want to see the film either. 1/5 15/8/24

It's a soundtrack what did you expect? Irritating, uninteresting, bland, tedious. Can't imagine why anyone would listen to this. Even the cover art is shit.

Not for me

I recognize that this is a soundtrack however I still was incredibly bored listening to the entire thing. I give credit because of its history but from a blank slate point of view I disliked it entirely because I just felt no connection nor no desire to continue listening. I felt it was so boring which honestly makes sense because it’s a soundtrack so it’s not the main point but that’s exactly why I didn’t like it.

The Theme from Shaft is a great song. The music from the film Shaft is things to listen to in the background whilst watching the film Shaft. Otherwise it's just a boring pile of nothing.

Veo pistola en la portada, automaticamente 5/5. No doy mas explaining Nada sorry lo retiro, es una castaña, los nombres de las canciones tene pinta de ser las distintas escenas conforme van saliendo en la peli se va de un restaurante, se encuentra con la novieta, se sube a un taxi... re raro que este disco esté aqui

probably should have just watched the movie...

Vorwiegend eintöniger Instrumental progressive Soul.

Not very many of the songs were on Spotify, so I couldn’t really get his vibe, fully.

Not my type

I'm sorry Mr. Hayes but after the Shaft Theme i couldn't hear anything else on this album cause the constant buildup on Shaft was giving me ANXIETY!!!!!

40 something albums in and this first one I didn’t make it through. What are we doing here?? How is this an album I need to listen to? I’m sure there is some cultural context that I’m not aware of. Either way I’m not interested in instrumental music to a guy walking to and from regio’s. 1.5/10

Okay, when people say "elevator music," they are usually highly exaggerating for the point of saying they find an album or song is boeing, but most of this is literally the equivalent of elevator music. Boring, Kenny G. like woodwind, generic brass blasts, and singing (when it rarely appears) that fails to make any sort of impression. I understand that this is a soundtrack, and in turn is perfect background music, but that's just the issue! It's meant for a film, not for me to spend my day casually listening to. It has the gall to tack a twenty minute track near the end to really seal the deal that this is "nothing" music. Perhaps in the context of the film this is great, but this isn't 1001 films (in which it is also on that list) it's 1001 albums. This wasn't made to be music to listen to solely and consume, it's a soundtrack, and I can name far better soundtracks if we're doing that.

It's a soundtrack with one song! No!

לא אוהב לא אוהב לא אוהב

Kyllä kai leffan taustalla kuuntelisin. Mutta miksi PITÄISI kuulla?

Meh

Couldn't do it. Definitely not my style.

Det var för tråkigt

I don't know. This whole album feels like it was cheesy when it was new. It's well put togeather and some of it is catchy but really only because of the movie it is the audio for.

Awful

Not for me.

Not a big fan. Majority of it was elevator music. Far too long and caused me to put this project on hold for weeks

1/5 hated the movies/series and what it represents.

Je comprends que la chanson Shaft est une grosse chanson importante de film et que c’est une chanson importante pour Isaac Hayes, mais écouter un soundtrack, c’est long et plate. Probablement que ça fonctionne super bien dans le film, mais je ne réécouterai pas cet album.

Pronounced “meh.”

Terrible, only decent track was the shaft theme

If all the songs where audible on Spotify I could have rated this album 😉

other than the title track this one is pretty dull

Not great.

Can appreciate it sonically, but did not enjoy listening to it.

Nothing special. Soundtrack album that’s mostly funk instrumentals. 2.3/10

I'll make sure to listen to this one when I feel like hating myself

Not really my kind of music. Super repetitive.

„Dir ne Feder in den Arsch zu stecken, macht dich lange nicht zum Huhn!“ Ein Soundtrack ist kein Album. Als würde ich mit geschlossenen Augen fernsehen. Verfehlte 1.0

This had a hit song and then a bunch of forgettable filler.

Not for me.

Wasn’t on Spotify

It feels like I was watching a bad porno... It's a miracle I went through the whole album to be honest...

- Started out with an orchestral piece, but then jumped into Dance or Die which is a boppin piece. - 1/3 of the way through, sounds like a dance pop album? - "a soaring orchestral trip enlivened with blockbuster vocals, mysterious imagery and notes of Sixties pop and jazz"