The Perks of Being a Wallflower: A complete list of the music and it's significance in Emma Watson's coming-of-age drama

Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower has one of the most memorable soundtracks that will get you all in the feels. It captures the essence of the early 1990s when people couldn't stream their music anytime they wanted. They would need to scour through the record stores to find tracks that suit their taste or expand their palate.

The music didn't act just as a filler as they went on with their routines. Instead, it was an inseparable part of their lives. It was how they would see the world, express, and discover themselves.

Chbosky's film, based on his eponymous novel, understands this quite well. That's why it is filled with a healthy mix of moody, nostalgic, and peppy tracks that capture the anxieties, the thrill, and the melancholy in its teenage characters' lives. It makes complete sense since in these formative years, music often means more than any other part of life.

That's how Charlie (Logan Lerman), Sam (Emma Watson), and Patrick (Ezra Miller) navigate the uncertainties of their youthful years while finding a piece of themselves in music. So, The Perks of Being a Wallflower soundtrack hits a little harder every time you see it.

Whether diegetic or non-diegetic, the music echoes what the characters feel at any given moment. Let's unpack their significance.

---

Here's a complete list of The Perks of Being a Wallflower soundtrack:

"Could It Be Another Change" - The Samples

"Asleep" - The Smiths

"Teen Age Riot" - Sonic Youth

"Love Him" - Perfect

"Come On Eileen" - Dexys Midnight Runners

"What You've Got" - Valentine's Revenge

"Low" - Cracker

"Falling Elevators" - MC 900 feat. Jesus

"No New Tale to Tell" - Love and Rockets

"Tugboat" - Galaxy 500

"Temptation" - New Order

"Here" - Pavement

"Hot Wax" - Alex Silverman

"Heroes" - David Bowie

"Don't Dream It's Over" - Crowded House

"All Out of Love" - Air Supply

"Dear God" - XTC

"Don't Dream It" - Tim Curry from The Rocky Horror Picture Show

"Toucha Toucha Touch Me" - Susan Sarandon from The Rocky Horror Picture Show

"Perly Dew Drops Drop" - Cocteau Twins

"Seasick, Yet Still Docked" - Morrissey

"Bust a Move" - Young MC

"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" - Joey Ramone

"Ye Olde Backlack" - Bongwater

"Eternity with You" - Robert and Johnny

"Counting Backwards" - Throwing Muses

"Evensong" - The Innocence Mission

"Pretend We're Dead" - L7

"Araby" - The Reivers

---

Here's why the soundtrack plays a significant role in The Perks of Being a Wallflower

As explained before, The Perks of Being a Wallflower soundtrack plays a big part in revealing more about the characters. They act as vignettes of their big personalities. They offer subtext to every stage in their coming-of-age journeys and echo their ever-evolving emotional landscapes.

Initially, the film includes some moody and melancholic tracks. Take The Smiths' Asleep for example. Morrissey's evocative vocals offer a window into Charlie's sentimentality. Later on, music also becomes a way he connects with Sam, Patrick, and others. Sam loves The Smiths' music, and so does Charlie.

Sonic Youth's Teen Age Riot breaks its gloomier sonic landscape with a noisy and energetic sound, reflecting Charlie leaning into the group's rebellious side. Later on, Cocteau Twins' Pearly-Dewdrops’ Drops captures the dreaminess of all its moments.

What stands out the most is the musical moment in the famous tunnel scene. Initially, it shows Sam standing up at the back of her car with her arms outstretched, listening to David Bowie's Heroes. In the end, Charlie nearly replicates this moment, standing just as she did. It made them feel "infinite", like they're almost flying through this liminal space.

The tunnel might just be a symbol for their transformation as they both get to the other side, feeling more assured in the possibilities of their lives than before. They stand as if they're on top of the world just when Bowie sings, "I, I will be king And you, you will be queen."

It encapsulates their life-affirming sense of liberation. They don't know what the future holds for them, but for the moment, they "can be Heroes, just for one day."