You Can Listen To The Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Soundtrack Right Now, Weeks Before The Movie Is Released

The Guardians of the Galaxy haven't said their big goodbyes yet, but if you want to get a sense for how emotional the third volume of Marvel's plucky underdog series could get, look no further than the just-released Spotify playlist featuring songs from "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3." Writer-director James Gunn shared a link to "Guardians of the Galaxy: The Official Mixtape" on Twitter today, along with a retro-looking poster that includes the tracklist for the soundtrack.

"The #GotGVol3 soundtrack is now live," Gunn tweeted. "Listen to the music before seeing the film in theaters on May 5." While the Spotify mix appears to include songs from all three "Guardians" films, including Electric Light Orchestra's "Mr. Blue Sky" and Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around And Fell in Love," it also features all the major tracks we've yet to hear in the space-set action comedy franchise. The complete tracklist for the third film appears to feature 17 titles, ending with Redbone's "Come and Get Your Love" — the song that kicked off the trilogy in 2014.

While I'm sure that full-circle reprisal will hit long-time Guardians fans straight in the heart, it isn't the only song on the new soundtrack that's emotional. The acoustic version of Radiohead's "Creep" and Florence + The Machine's "Dog Days Are Over" are two bittersweet selections on a list that seems to include more modern music than either of its predecessors, with 2012 alt rock jam "San Francisco" by The Mowglis also appearing. 

Lest fans worry that Starlord (Chris Pratt) and his crew have matured too much, it's definitely worth noting that the majority of the tunes on the tracklist were recorded circa the mid-'80s. Bruce Springsteen, Beastie Boys, Alice Cooper, Earth, Wind & Fire, and The Replacements are among the fantastic artists featured here. While it's probably too soon to tell which songs will become "the big ones" on the "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3" soundtrack, becoming synonymous with the film in the way "Come And Get Your Love" did with the first installment, it's worth noting that the song from the film's emotional first trailer is included here. "In the Meantime," the 1995 song from Spacehog, pops up at number four on the tracklist.

While I love a surprise needle drop that makes an intense moment even better (see also: "Immigrant Song" in "Thor: Ragnarok"), I actually appreciate the heads up about what music we should expect from "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3." After all, it's pretty clear at this point that someone's going to die in this movie; we may as well brace ourselves for the perfectly gut-wrenching musical cue that might drop in just as the waterworks start.

"Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3" hits theaters on May 5, 2023. You can listen to the soundtrack now on Spotify and Apple Music.