T2 Trainspotting: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life” was the opening track on the soundtrack for the original Trainspotting so it’s only fitting that 20 years later it’s the opening track for its sequel, T2 Trainspotting. Like the film itself, the song has been given a slight makeover. The entire soundtrack is a mix of new and old, featuring classics from Iggy Pop, Queen, and Blondie alongside new songs from High Contrast and Young Fathers. Underworld returns as well for a couple of tracks. It’ll make you reminisce about the old times with old friends, wondering how quickly 20 years have gone by.

The original soundtrack for Trainspotting is considered one of the best soundtracks in film history and T2’s soundtrack does a good job at matching it in tone. Whereas Underworld captured the tone of the first film, it’s Young Fathers who does the same for the sequel. The band came from “the same estates around Edinburgh that Irvine Welsh came from and where his stories are based from 25 years ago when these guys, Young Fathers, weren’t even born, and yet their stuff just fits in the film, so we used three or four of their tracks on the film,” director Danny Boyle told us in an interview. “It’s the heartbeat of the new film that sustains you most, and that was this relationship with Young Fathers.” That heartbeat is represented most by their song, “Only God Knows,” a high intensity new song created specifically for the film.

T2 Trainspotting’s soundtrack is constantly flipping between new and old as it pays homages to its predecessor while still bringing something new to the album. Listening to Queen’s “Radio Ga Ga” will always produce a smile on my face while “Dad's Best Friend” by The Rubberbandits is an absurdly sounding high intensity trip. There’s a good amount of variety. Whether you’re a diehard fan of the original film or are new to the franchise, the T2 Transpotting soundtrack has something worth listening to for everyone.