COOL SOUNDTRACKS FROM THE 80s/90s:

Almost everyone has a subscription to a streaming music service these days.

Spotify. Apple. Amazon. Taidal or Qobuz.

Take your pick.

They all offer incredible catalogues which span seemingly every genre and every era of recorded music from all around the world.

From Bach to Bad Bynny.

It's amazing to have instant access to almost anything you might want to hear at any moment.

Well ... almost anything.

Go down the streaming music rabbit hole deep enough and you'll inevitably end up searching for something that just isn't there.

You know it exists. Where the fuck is it?

The answer, of course, is simple. These services can only share the music they are licensed to distribute.

And they don't own everything, yet.

Those financial considerations are likely the reason why some of my favorite (and yes, a bit obscure) soundtracks from the 1980s and 1990s are not available.

These albums featured various artists, which were signed to different record labels and also frequently included songs which were not actually used in the movie.

Enterprising users have created playlists in an effort to recreate the original track listing for these soundtrack albums.

I appreciate their efforts, but often they have to use alternative (or live) versions of songs, while other tunes are just completely unavailable.

So, when I want to hear these soundtracks - in their original format - there's just one option.

I blow the dust off the original compact disc (remember those?) or record and crank up the stereo.

I hope one day these albums will be on streaming services. Until then, I'll keep listening to them the old school way.

BILL AND TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY (1991)

In the final days of Hair Metal's glory, the Wyld Stallyns delivered a fitting tribute to the era - while also giving us a glimpse into the future of music.

The soundtrack for the second Bill and Ted movie featured an interesting mix of artists.

Winger and Slaughter get the party started, thrash metal legends Megadeth crank up the volume, while Faith No More, Primus and King's X pump some funkiness into the mix.

Ritchie Kotzen - who was just 21 at the time - delivers a soulful, bluesy performance with "Dream of a New Day," and guitar god Steve Vai shreds on "The Reaper" and the "The Reaper Rap."

Kiss had an unexpected hit with a cover of the 1973 Argent tune, "God Gave Rock and Roll To You II," which is the movie's closing theme. The song was also one the band's last to feature drummer Eric Carr, who passed away later that year.

Almost all of the soundtrack is prominently featured in the film.

Primus performs "Tommy The Cat" at the battle of the bands before the Wyld Stallyns take the stage for the dramatic finale.

And Megadeth rips through "Go To Hell" as Bill and Ted are killed by their evil robot counterparts.

In the end, the lovable, goofy metalheads save the princesses, defeat DeNomolos and crank up some cool tunes while reminding us all to "Be excellent to each other."

THE ADVENTURES OF FORD FAIRLANE (1990)

Comedian Andrew "Dice" Clay had already been banned from MTV before he made his big-budget, big-screen debut as a leading man.

As a result, the video for Billy Idol's "Cradle of Love," featured clips from "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane," but none of them included the Diceman.

The song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and highlights a soundtrack which sprawls out across a weird, but wonderful, musical spectrum.

Consider this line-up — 1950's doo-wop idol Dion, rapper Tone Loc, Shelia E, Teddy Pendergrass, Motley Crue, Queensryche, Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora and Swiss electronic band Yello.

And then there's Dice.

The infamously foul-mouthed comedian slips into lounge singer mode - on the soundtrack and in the film - for a surprisingly smooth version of "I Ain't Got You."

Motley Crue's "Rock N' Roll Junkie" is featured in the film also, with Vince Neal playing the ill-fated singer of the fictional band Black Plague.

Queensryche had chart success with the single, "Last Time in Paris," and Sambora wraps up the eclectic collection of music with a fantastic cover of Jimi Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary."

The soundtrack, though, sadly does not include Ed O'Neill singing "Booty Time."

Unbelievable.

WAYNE'S WORLD 2 (1993)

Many of the songs on this soundtrack have been in heavy rotation on every classic rock radio station in America for decades.

And that's OK.

Those tunes are still pretty "excellent" after all these years.

"I Love Rock n Roll" - Joan Jett and Heartbreakers

"Spirit In The Sky" - Norman Greenbaum

"Radar Love" - Golden Earring

"Can't Get Enough" - Bad Company

"Frankenstein" - Edgar Winter

And of course ...

"YMCA" - The Village People

All classics.

In between those familiar tunes, though, there's some new stuff, along with live tracks and interesting covers, which make this collection something more than simply just nostalgia.

Robert Plant delivers an enthusiastic version of "Louie, Louie," before Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders joins with members of Urge Overkill on a sultry rendition of "Superstar" - a song which has been recorded many times, by many artists, most famously by The Carpenters.

Aerosmith - the band which headlines "Waynestock" in the movie - contribute live versions of "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" and "Shut Up and Dance" on the soundtrack.

Gin Blossoms reflect on an "Idiot Summer," Dinosaur Jr. takes us "Out There," and we accompany the 4 Non Blondes on a trip to "Mary's House."

It's a soundtrack worthy of listening to again!

Party on!

IRON EAGLE (1986)

A soundtrack from the 80s which features Queen, Ronnie James Dio, Helix, George Clinton and Katerina and the Waves ... that sounds totally awesome, right?

It's an another album, though, you are not going to find on your favorite streaming service.

In fact, only six of the 10 songs are currently available on Spotify.

The most glaring omission is "Hide In The Rainbow."

Sadly, this Dio epic has kind of been lost to time. It was later included on an expanded, remastered edition of the album "Sacred Heart," and was featured on "Diamonds - The Best of Dio (1993)," but you'll have to pull it up YouTube or break out a physical copy of the soundtrack to hear it again.

"It's Too Late," from Helix, "Love Can Make You Cry," by Urgent and Jon Butcher Axis' "This Raging Fire" are also missing from the streaming world.

The highlight of the album is, of course, "One Vision," by Queen. Freddie Mercury's soaring vocals and Brian May's powerful guitar playing provide the perfect accompaniment as Doug Masters rescues his father from evil forces with a daring raid in a stolen F-16.

(Yes ... it is a completely ridiculous premise for the plot to a movie, but it was the 80s)

The song, which was originally inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr., was also released on the band's "A Kind of Magic" album and is still a favorite of fans all over the world.

King Kobra attacks with the movie's anthem/theme song, "Iron Eagle (Never Say Die)," Adrenlin leads a trip down the "Road of the Gypsy," and Eric Martin reminds us that "These are the Good Times."

"Maniac House" by Katrina and the Waves and George Clinton's "Intense" round out a soundtrack which peaked at 54 on the album charts.

VISION QUEST (1985)

This movie may not have been very memorable, but the soundtrack features some of the biggest selling - and most beloved - artists of the 1970/80s.

Journey. Foreigner. Madonna. Sammy Hagar. Don Henley and John Waite.

Dio and Red Rider are part of this all-star line-up too.

It's a record filled with some big-time hits.

Madonna's "Crazy For You" was written for Vision Quest and turned into an international smash, hitting No. 1 in the United States, Canada and the UK.

Journey's version of "Only the Young" appeared first on the movie's soundtrack, before being released by the band as a single - which reached the Top 10 in America).

Foreigner's "Hot Blooded" (1978), Sam Hagar's "I'll Fall in Love Again," (1982), and Red Rider's "Lunatic Fringe" (1981) were already FM rock radio favorites prior to being included in this compilation.

John Waite re-recorded "Change" for the soundtrack, while Dio's "Hungry for Heaven" was originally meant for the movie and also appeared in a slightly different version than on the album "Sacred Heart."

If you don't have a physical copy of this album ... well, you won't need to go on a spiritual quest to find these songs.

Nine of the 10 songs are available on Spotify, with only Don Henley's "She's On The Zoom" not currently available.