Going into the long-overdue remake of Stephen King's It [1], I had some expectations. I expected to be delighted by the band of misfits in the cast [2] and to be terrified of Bill Skarsgard's Pennywise [3]. You know what I didn't expect? To bob my head along to some seriously sweet tunes between all the heart-stopping scares. Lo and behold, I was surprised and delighted by the incredible soundtrack, which incorporates a full spectrum of late 20th century brilliance that ranges from New Kids on the Block to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Even if you can't stomach the sight of that terrible, terrible clown [4], I implore you to pop in some headphones and drown in these splendid sonic selections.

"Love Removal Machine," The Cult

"You Got It (The Right Stuff)," New Kids on the Block

"Bust a Move," Young MC

"Six Different Ways," The Cure

"Antisocial," Anthrax

"Dear God," XTC

"Never Tear Us Apart," INXS

"The Passenger," Siouxsie and the Banshees

"Cruel Summer," Bananarama

"Town Called Malice," The Jam

"Tears of a Clown," The English Beat

"Back to the Old House," The Smiths

"I Will Dare," The Replacements

"Even the Losers," Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

"Life in a Northern Town," The Dream Academy

"Good Times Roll," The Cars

"Whisper to a Scream (Bird Fly)," The Icicle Works

"The Promise," When in Rome

"Wave of Mutilation," Pixies

"We Care a Lot," Faith No More