Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 Soundtrack Guide - Every Song On Awesome Mix 1

One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's most iconic soundtracks, here is every song from the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack - Awesome Mix Vol. 1.

Here is every song on the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack, Awesome Mix Vol. 1. When director James Gunn’s first Guardians movie was released in 2014 as part of Phase 2 of the Marvel movie timeline, the rag-tag group of heroes instantly became a fan favorite. Part of what made the film so beloved was the deliberate use of popular songs from the 1960s and ‘70s. Not only did this appeal to the audience’s nostalgia, but it also helped propel these old classics back into the mainstream.

A defining part of Peter Quill’s character in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy is his love of music. His cherished Walkman was one of the few things from Earth that he kept after his abduction, and undoubtedly the most important. Awesome Mix Vol. 1 is filled with songs found directly on Peter’s mixtape in the film. Reflecting the charts of the late ‘60s and ‘70s, Peter’s mixtape is one of the few ways he can feel connected to his family on Earth. Here is every song that appears on the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack and when it plays in the movie.

Guardians of the Galaxy 1 Full Soundtrack - Every Song On Awesome Mix Vol 1

“Hooked on a Feeling” by Blue Swede (1968)

“Go All The Way” by Raspberries (1972)

“Spirit in the Sky” by Norman Greenbaum (1969)

"Moonage Daydream" by David Bowie (1971)

"Fooled Around and Fell in Love" by Elvin Bishop (1975)

"I'm Not in Love" by 10cc (1975)

"I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5 (1969)

"Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone (1973)

"Cherry Bomb" by The Runaways (1976)

"Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" by Rupert Holmes (1979)

"O-o-h Child" by Five Stairsteps (1970)

"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (1967)

Exactly When Every Song Plays In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1

With a total of 12 songs on the mixtape, Gunn said that he used songs from the ‘60s and ‘70s that were “cultural reference points” (via IGN). The shortest tracklist of any soundtrack in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Awesome Mix Vol. 1’s success was crucial to setting up the running theme of music in future Guardians films. Songs like “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” even helped directly tease Awesome Mix Vol. 2.

“Hooked on a Feeling” by Blue Swede (1968) plays when the Guardians first enter The Kyln, the high-security prison run by the Nova Corps. Peter tries to interfere when he sees a prison guard using his beloved Walkman, claiming that “Hooked on a Feeling” belongs to him. The guard tasers for stepping out of line, and the song continues to play as the Guardians suit up in their prison uniforms. The song also plays in the Guardians of the Galaxy trailers.

“Go All The Way” by Raspberries (1972) plays when Peter boards the Milano and escapes Morag after stealing the Orb, with his lover Bereet in tow. This scene is the first look at how beloved Peter’s Walkman truly is to him, with it getting a special place on the Milano.

“Spirit in the Sky” by Norman Greenbaum (1969) doesn’t appear in the actual Guardians of the Galaxy film, but it is the main song of the second trailer released by Marvel. The Guardians films were some of the first in the MCU to pair hardcore, intense action with a light-hearted pop soundtrack.

"Moonage Daydream" by David Bowie (1971) plays when the Guardians first approach the planet of Knowhere. This song directly introduced Bowie’s character of Ziggy Stardust, an alien rockstar, for the first time. It is only fitting that the song played over the Guardians’ discovery of an unknown space planet.

"Fooled Around and Fell in Love" by Elvin Bishop (1975) plays when Peter and Gamora share their first intimate moment. Though intrigued by his Walkman, Gamora claims that she doesn’t dance. Peter then puts his headphones on her and the two slow dance to the Elvin Bishop song. It is a romantic moment until Gamora pulls her knife on Peter, but it sets up one of the MCU’s most beloved yet tragic romances.

"I'm Not in Love" by 10cc (1975) plays at the very first introduction of Peter at the start of Guardians of the Galaxy. A young Peter listens to the song as he waits outside of his mother’s hospital room, preparing himself for the inevitable as she loses her battle with cancer. His brief moment of respite is interrupted as his grandpa takes his headphones off, telling him that his mother wants to speak to him.

"I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5 (1969) plays during the outro of Guardians of the Galaxy as the group leaves Xandar after saving the planet and taking the Power Stone from Ronan. It is their first real accomplishment as a team and the song is a joyful conclusion to their journey, leaving with a rebuilt ship and a sapling of Groot. The regrown baby Groot then dances to the song when Drax isn’t looking.

"Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone (1973) plays in the opening credits of Guardians of the Galaxy. While on his way to steal the Orb on Morag, Peter jams out to this song on his Walkman. In just one scene, this song helped to convey Peter’s fun-loving, light-hearted character perfectly.

"Cherry Bomb" by The Runaways (1976) plays in a montage of the Guardians preparing to take on Ronan. Knowing that obtaining the Power Stone could be a death wish, they all decide to go for it as a team. The Runaways song is successful in building up hype throughout the montage, complete with a slo-mo shot of the Guardians walking down a hallway with full confidence in themselves.

"Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" by Rupert Holmes (1979) plays when the Guardians make their prison break. After knowing that their plan worked, Peter’s priority is of course retrieving his Walkman back from the prison guard, who is listening to the Rupert Holmes song. The song then fitting plays as Peter escapes, flying back to the ship to rejoin the Guardians.

"O-o-h Child" by Five Stairsteps (1970) plays in one of the most well-known Guardians of the Galaxy scenes. In an attempt to confuse and distract Ronan in their stand-off, Peter starts dancing to “O-o-h Child.” It is successful as Ronan is completely baffled, and the Guardians manage to get a hit on him.

"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (1967) plays in Guardians of the Galaxy’s ending sequence. Peter finally has the courage to open a gift from his mother that he stowed away on his ship. The gift includes a letter with Meredith Quill’s last words to her son, calling him “her little Star-Lord.” The main gift is a new cassette tape titled Awesome Mix Vol. 2, with the first song playing being “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

The Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack found huge success in its release, topping the Billboard Top Soundtracks chart for 11 weeks straight and being certified Platinum. It was the second most successful soundtrack of 2014 and is still regarded as one of the best uses of pop music in film. Awesome Mix Vol. 1 helped pave the way for the MCU to incorporate pop music into their films, with the most recent examples being the Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania and The Marvels trailers. The soundtrack introduced old classics to a younger audience, with “Come and Get Your Love” and “Hooked On A Feeling” specifically finding success.

Where To Listen To Guardians of the Galaxy 1 Soundtrack

Since its initial release in 2014, Awesome Mix Vol. 1 is available to stream on both Apple Music and Spotify alongside the film’s original score composed by Tyler Bates. The soundtrack was later released as an exclusive vinyl record and an audio cassette, matching the theme of the mixtape. For those wanting the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack in a physical form, the vinyl, cassette, and CD are still available for purchase.