Shaft

A banger soundtrack to start the day with. They don’t make them like this anymore!

Nice

Superb soundtrack from a great film - funk to the max!

Nothin' like a little Isaac Hayes! Fun to listen to and will live right along side the legend and the movie. I think some of his other stuff is a better indication of his talents, but this put him on the map for a lot of people. 3+

Iconic title song, disappointing rest of the album.

Boring at times but can't really go wrong with Isaac Hayes, some great grooves

Funky et sympa !

Nice instrumentals

Can you think of anything that evokes a certain style of early-1970s cool more effectively than the music of Isaac Hayes? I sure can't. He's absolutely at the top of his game here.

Pure FUNK!

It's difficult to rate a soundtrack album without the film! But I do like this one, and I reckon I can hear its influences in other film and TV soundtracks.

not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue

❤️ Stax

A little weird to have a movie soundtrack on here. But this was an enjoyable listen nonetheless

Spy themed movie-like soundtrack. Quiet, mellow, fine dining restaurant music. Favourite track: Soulsville

I feel like I'm listening to the background music from a 1970's movie. Maybe at the time this was really great? Is it something that has become the stereotype, even if at the time it was innovative and exciting, now it's just exactly what you think it is (if that makes any sense)

One of the best soundtracks of all time. Its wild. Its sexy. Its psych and soul. Its so freakin good. I know Isaac Hayes from South Park, where he played Chef. But I got really into Hot Buttered Soul a few years ago, and I've been obsessed ever since. Something about his style of soul just gets me. I could jam this all day.

>15 minute track == 1 *

I did enjoy music by Isaac again. I think I liked it even more than the last album, 7,4/10

Iconic album

Good album

Solid soul record from Stax. A bit on the long side, though. I can only take funk/soul music like this in doses; so, it's not really my bag. 3 stars.

A good album but slightly disappointing at the same time. It starts with a cracker in Theme From Shaft but then nothing else on the album came within miles of it. Maybe if I’d seen the movie it would have clicked more with me. Top Track - Theme From Shaft

Number: 288 Familiarity: Aware (2) Rating: 3 Before: ======= This is my 6th straight album from the 70's. First one in the current series that features funk. I love funk from the 70's. During: ======= First up is Theme From Shaft which reminds of the skating rink. My mom would drop me and my brothers off there in the morning and pick us up in the afternoon. We were 7 and 8. Ah, the gold old days. After : ======= Works pretty good as background music

Decided to watch the movie along with listening to the soundtrack. It's a solid blaxploitation flick that's carried by a strong lead performance from Richard Roundtree and of course Isaac Hayes' fantastic soundtrack. As a soundtrack it's basically perfect. As an album it's really good, but not really worthy of being on this list. It isn't designed to be consumed the same way these other albums are so its hard to compare. Like I said though, this is everything you could want from a film soundtrack. The main theme is the obvious stand out with its hilarious lyrics. Favorite track: Theme From Shaft 3.5/5

Isaac Hayes work on the Shaft soundtrack is legendary. Can you dig it? He didn’t need to go so hard for an ost, but I’ll take it. It sounds great separate from the film too! I listened to it on a bike ride, and it lent itself well to a warmer-than-usual October day. Unfortunately, some instrumentals do feel like they’re meant to be background music for a film, rather than standalone compositions.

I was thinking this was kind of mid soul until Soulsville and Do Your Thing hit.

It sure is some well produced, funky soul music. But yeah, maybe the full length soundtrack isn't the best thing for a full listen. A lot of less interesting incidental music, surely great background music!

Wah-wah guitar - yes! 70's grocery store muzak - meh. Isaac Haye's voice - yes! 70's orchestra - meh. Do Your Thing - groovy! Overall impression - shrug.

We've had both Shaft and Superfly soundtracks. Both are a little more... restrained than I expected, but I suppose that's an effect of them being a movie soundtrack rather than a standalone musical expression.

Not sure there's anything we could listen to that sounds more like the 70's than this...

Yes, Chef! 🧑‍🍳

I'd forgotten how brilliant this is.

This is a collection of killer tunes, and much more varied than I had imagined. I've seen some gripe on this project about this being a soundtrack, so not worthy of inclusion. I would dispute that, though suggest that it doesn't quite work together as a coherent body, hence knocking it down to 4 stars.

Ellie's Love Theme is so calm and amazing, only I'm Gonna Make Love To You Woman is a better Isaac song

I love blaxploitation soundtracks

Groovy for sure maybe a little long

7/10… soul / funk / *1971

Nice music, nice album, but would prefer more vocals

Not my bag

Two good songs on a full movie soundtrack doesn't justify being on the 1001 albums list. Besides the main theme and Do Your Thing, it's all just pleasant soul/jazz meandering. "But it was culturally significant!" Crazy Hits by Crazy Frog was too. Rating: light 5/10

Bad motha-shut your mouth!

This is a composed soundtrack album to accompany the famous blaxploitation film of the same name. The album is 95% funky instrumental tracks that don’t really go anywhere or make any sense outside of being background music for visual scenes that we can’t see when listening to the audio only. There are only two songs that have any lyrics, and they put one of them on here twice (the famous ‘Shaft Theme’). There are two issues I have with putting soundtracks on the 1001: One, these are meant to be linked to a film, so without watching the movie in tandem, the music’s impact is lessened in my eyes (this is the same issue with Air’s soundtrack to ‘The Virgin Suicides’ being on this list). And two, if soundtracks/film scores are eligible, where is anything from the likes of John Williams or Hans Zimmer? I’ll give this a 2/5 simply because the Shaft Theme is good, everything else can be skipped.

There's a lot of good stuff here, but too long and too many instrumentals.

Сара 4 Марко 4

I haven't seen that one.

Kinda funky. Kinda fucky. Meh

Incredible band, sensational playing, great film score. 'Nuff said really

Tuesday, 6 October, 2026 Killer funk set!

Sexy

Not what I expected.. Gets a little old without the movie though.

A smooth, soothing, trippy funk odyssey. Most of it is just background music for the movie, but it’s damn fine background music.

shaft -> tarantino -> blaxpotation...? c

Groovy

Not many great soundtracks, but this might be the best ever.

I knew Hayes was cool, but MAN, this is an incredible album. Every song was on par with Chocolate Salty Balls and that says a lot.

extended track funk and soul that is emblematic of the blacksploitation movie genre. Hard to not groove out to the funk.

The title track is obviously iconic, and there is also lots to enjoy in Do Your Thing, but the rest doesn't often rise above the background music it is designed to be

The soundtrack that made Isaac a household name, for good reason.

Fuck yes

I can dig it

There’s nothing wrong with this and in fact the soulful strings, excellent guitar playing and the baritone joy of Hayes voice means there’s a lot right with. But other than the title track this music that lacks the images they were intended for

Cool ost, I would listen to it gladly more ngl…

A soundtrack can be great, but this one was ok. I think there may have been som brilliance and creativity, but too repetitive.

Do your thing.

Cool Stax groove

Chill stuff. I have not seen the movie and certainly do not have the relevant knowledge or context for what made Shaft so important, but I do know that this is some nice, funky soul. Do Your Thing was one hell of an experience. Doesn’t quite reach Hot Buttered Soul, but it’s a nice time all the same.

I love the use of wah-pedal, it sounds so great to funky music.

It shaft, what can I say?

How did Chef get a spot on this list? Best Song: Theme from Shaft Rating: 4/10 Stars: 2

A movie soundtrack? Not bad, but it had the flow of a movie soundtrack. Some real dull moments in the middle

It's exactly what you would expect. Funky black movie music. It's aight

The song Shaft is obviously great. Not sure the other incidental music, pleasant as it is merits including in this project

Nice stuff but closer to Gaye's Trouble Man than Mayfield's Superfly - ipso facto hard to really enjoy this without the context of the film and doesn't really stand out as an album in own right. Also..1hr 15 for a soundtrack - does music really play constantly throughout or - is Shaft really that long?!

Meh, it’s a soundtrack and not really an album. The handful of true songs are great and would be heading for. a 4* but the reality is the volume of instrumental fillers drags this way down. Shouldn’t really be on the list IMO it’s a daft inclusion.

Not sure if I’d put this on again for a dedicated listen, but it’s a strong, sharply produced soundtrack. Not a note out of place. Made me want to check the movie out, which is praise in itself. Missed Hayes’ vocals when he wasn’t singing, but it is a soundtrack after all.

There are few albums that ooze cool. This is one of them.

This was good, nice and funky and soulful. Four stars.

How many reviews begin or end with the phrase 'Shut your mouth'? Shaft is just cool like that. Theme from Shaft, Be Yourself, Do Your Thing, Soulsville... hey, this album has more substance than usually credited given how much style it exudes. A lot of it passes by pleasantly, almost too laid back with its pleasing horns and gentle funk. It's likely that most people don't pay enough attention to Hayes's compositional skills. Although maybe I'd rather be listening to Places & Spaces by Donald Byrd — though you gotta admit that record doesn't appear for another four years and owes a debt to Shaft (even if Byrd had been getting funky on his own). And yet, probably due to its popularity and impact, much of the Hayes album sounds a bit dated too... Shut your mouth.

Want to like it so much, so catchy

SHAFT

SHAFT

I found the length to be a little overwhelming, but we're talkin' 'bout Shaft, so I guess that should have been expected. *You're damn right* Seriously though, while I do think Isaac Hayes was able to successfully create a "cool" vibe here, and there's no denying the theme song is a killer classic, this unfortunately falls into the same trap all progressive/progressive-adjacent music falls into for me: it meanders too much to be engaging. I get it. It's a soundtrack. It's meant to be meandering background music. But without the context of the movie, I fear it's just too complicated for me to understand - even if I had the benefit of being John Shaft's woman.

I can’t believe I’ve never seen this movie. I should watch it. This entry didn’t incite the same feeling I missed out on never listening to the music. It was fine, and maybe if I had seen the movie this would have hit better. I guess I’m inspired either way so there is that.

He can dig it

It's not really all that bad but I can't get rid of the feeling, that it'd be essential to at least see the movie once before you listen this album. And since I haven't seen it, I feel like just listening to this is severely lacking something from the overall experience.

Fun and funky album

4.5

What album starts off OK but drops off in quality quite quickly? SHAFT! What album is largely background filler? SHAFT! Which album probably shouldn't have been on this list? SHAFT!

Solid, not sure under what circs i'd listen to it again tho.

Silky smooth with some strong lyrical themes hidden within to boot. Enjoyed this funky soundtrack

incompleto está, pero meh

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

While I appreciated parts of this "album," I think I could have died without listening. I'm sure it is more iconic in a movie format than listening through the whole thing as an album. Shaft didn't ask to be on this list, and I don't think it's a great fit. 4/10

Incredible album and soundtrack, masterfully done from start to finish, ethereal and fun.

For a soundtrack of a movie I havent seen pretty good

I was vibing. 3.4.

Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

The long track sold me on the idea, but I found flaws in it to give it a 5, so its a 4/5

I imagine if I were watching the movie and this soundtrack was playing, I'd massively enjoy it, but on its own, it wasn't exactly thrilling or held my attention. Some bangers on the second disc though. Would rather have seen other Hayes albums on here.