Judy Garland Discography: Movie Soundtracks

Alphabetical listing of all Discography pages

March 7, 1947 MGM Records promotional newspaper advertisement. The "soundtrack album" of songs taken directly from the original studio pre-recordings did not come into existence until MGM formed "M-G-M Records" in 1946 and released selections from Till The Clouds Roll By on 78 rpm in 1947. "Billboard" magazine's February 22, 1947, edition notes that MGM Records was to release its first shipment of 78 rpm discs on March 1, 1947. In today's parlance, the album "dropped" on Tuesday, March 11, 1947. Clouds was their very first album with a record number of "MGM-1".

Prior to 1947, the only soundtrack performances available to the public were a couple of 78s from RCA Records of selections from Walt Disney's Snow White And the Seven Dwarfs (1937), and a few commemorative 78s in 1933 with parts of Max Steiner's ground-breaking score for King Kong (RKO - 1933). But neither of these were released as "cast" or "soundtrack" albums.

Record critics welcomed the new label and the Clouds set was given good reviews. MGM was off and running with a new revenue stream while also creating a new market, the original soundtrack album. MGM Records released soundtracks to just about all of their musicals, and a few dramatic films, in the next 20+ years. All of Judy’s MGM musicals from 1946 through the end of her tenure with the studio in 1950 had MGM Records soundtracks created to complement them.

Originally the soundtracks were four 78 rpm discs with two sides each meaning only eight songs from the films could be included. This means that there was a lot of editing of the musical numbers to fit the short time constraints of the 78s and also some cherry picking of the “best” numbers from films with more than eight numbers, as most of them were. It wouldn’t be until the long-playing records were developed that MGM began to include more songs from their recent musicals, Kiss Me Kate (1953), was one of the first in the long-playing format.

Oddly enough, MGM Records never released updated and expanded versions of their originally-78rpm-albums in the LP era. They were content to re-release the existing soundtracks, over and over again. In the late 1980s and early 1990s CBS Special Products (later Sony Music Entertainment Inc./Sony Music Special Products), released expanded soundtracks which were taken directly from the actual film soundtracks and not the pre-recording sessions. Some included a few outtakes added from the old bootleg records of the 70's. The sound quality varied from good to mediocre to bad. They did what us fans had been doing for a long time: making our own "complete" soundtracks by recording directly from the films - first from TV broadcast and then home video. It wasn't until the mid-1990's when Rhino Records, in arrangement with Turner Classic Movies Music and Turner Entertainment, began releasing the MGM Musicals on CD that we finally got to hear the complete unedited pre-recordings - restored and remastered - and many in true stereo.

Recent technology in audio restoration software has resulted in the revisiting of some of these pre-recordings. The results are phenomenal. Hopefully, Warner Bros., who now owns the Rhino soundtracks and the pre-recording sessions, will revisit all of the soundtracks and remaster them with today’s technology giving us the ultimate in audio clarity and sonic enjoyment.

The most recent example of what our new technology is capable of is the FANTASTIC two-CD set "Soundtracks” from Mint Audio Records. The set features not just a great compilation of Judy's film performances, but also several new-to-CD versions of Garland film favorites including some MGM Records album versions, film versions, and stereo versions previously unavailable on CD. This is the compilation that fans of Judy's film soundtracks have been waiting for! More details on each recording and how some of the audio magic of these tracks was accomplished, can be found here: http://www.mint-audio-restoration.co.uk/judy.

Prior to, and after, Rhino Records began releasing the new soundtrask, most of Judy's pre-recordings, including alternate takes, had been featured on the alternate audio channels of the laser disc sets Judy Garland The Golden Years at MGM, The Ultimate Oz, That's Entertainment - The Ultimate Musical Treasury, That's Entertainment! III - Special Edition and the double feature Thoroughbreds Don't Cry/Listen Darling. These laser discs are still the only place to find many of these rare pre-recordings and are listed here in spite of the fact that they're technically not soundtrack albums.

There is one Judy Garland soundtrack album that has never been out of release and that's A Star Is Born (1954). The Columbia Records soundtrack was originally released in 1954 to coincide with the release of the film. The album was unique in that it featured two outtakes without any explanation that they were outtakes. This is due to the fact that after the album was created, the film's studio, Warner Bros., deleted chucks of the film to shorted the running time. Included were the two the two musical numbers ("Here's What I'm Here For" and "Lose That Long Face"). It was no real secret to most of the fans and the moviegoing public that the cuts hurt the film and that the numbers on the album were a part of the cuts. The deleted musical numbers were not seen until almost a full 30 years later when Ronald Haver spearheaded a reconstruction and restoration of the complete version, released in 1983. The soundtrack album finally got an expanded release in 1988 (on compact dics and in stereo for the first time) and finally an expanded "complete" (well, almost complete) version in 2004.

There are also the compilations which began with MGM Records' own Judy Garland compilations created to take advantage of her post-MGM success at The Palace Theater and her subsequent "Concert Years." Garland compilations seemed to be released by MGM Records on an almost yearly basis.

The 1960s, 70s, and early 80s brought us quite a few bootleg releases of Judy Garland soundtracks of her films that were released prior to the 1947 MGM Records premiere. The sound quality on these bootlegs varied from very bad to pretty good. They were all recorded directly from the soundtracks of the films, some featuring outtake recordings taken from playback discs provided by disc collectors. Some were quite "deluxe" in that they were in the gatefold format with many wonderful photos while others were only a cover and nothing else, not even text on the back.

In the 1990s Rhino Records took up the baton and released newly remastered complete soundtracksand compilations featuring content derived mostly from the original pre-recording session. These CDs were subsequently copied by European bootleg CD companies some in shoddy releases and others that were quite well done. To date, the Rhino soundtracks have not been revisted with today's technology which could greatly improve the sound quality and aural experience of these amazing recordings.

A few notes about these pages:

Discrepancies in titles and even track listings is inherent to the many bootleg soundtracks released over the years, and more than a few ligitimate "official" releases. We have made note of these inconsistencies on the pages for those soundtracks.

Films such as That's Entertainment! that feature Garland vocals are listed in the Compilations Section section below.

In recent years Garland soundtrack performances have been remastered and released on various Garland compilations including the stellar 2-CD set "Soundtracks” from Mint Audio Records. It's hoped that Warner Bros. will enter into a new contract with a label to revisit the audio masters with today's amazing technology. Just think how they would sound! If "Soundtracks" is any indication, they would be incredible.

There are still several Judy Garland films that have never had soundtracks released for them and several others that have never been remastered and released on CD. With today's amazing technology it would be wonderful if all of her film soundtracks could be remastered and released on both CD and digital formats.

Read all about Judy's MGM Records releases in this article from the December 2012 issue of the "Garlands for Judy" webzine.
Click here or on the images below to download the PDF (16mb)

Judy's films are listed in chronological order. Each image is a link to the first soundtrack release for that film.
Pages for that film's subsequent soundtrack releases are accessible by clicking on the album thumbnails featured on each page.

Gumm/Garland Sisters Shorts	Every Sunday (1936)	Pigskin Parade (1936)	Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937)	Thoroughbreds Don't Cry (1937)
Silent Night (1937 Short)	Everybody Sing (1938)	Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)	Listen Darling (1938)	The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Babes in Arms (1939)	Andy Hardy Meets Debutante (1940)	Strike Up The Band (1940)	Little Nellie Kelly (1940)	If I Forget You (1940 Short)
Ziegfeld Girl (1941)	Life Begins for Andy Hardy (1941)	We Must Have Music (1941 Short)	Babes on Broadway (1941)	For Me and My Gal (1942)
Presenting Lily Mars (1943)	Girl Crazy (1943)	Thousands Cheer (1943)	Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)	The Clock (1945)
The Harvey Girls (1946)	Ziegfeld Follies (1946)	Till The Clouds Roll By (1946)	The Pirate (1948)	Easter Parade (1948)
Words and Music (1948)	In The Good Old Summertime (1949)	Annie Get Your Gun (1949 Unfinished)	Summer Stock (1950)	A Star Is Born (1954)
Pepe (1960)	Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)	Gay Purr-ee (1963)	A Child is Waiting (1963)	I Could Go On Singing (1963)

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1950 Till The Clouds Roll By (boxed set)	1950 Till The Clouds Roll By (extended play)	1950 Summer Stock	1950 Words And Music	1951 Judy Garland Sings
1953 Easter Parade	1953 Excerpts From Easter Parade	1953 Get Happy	1953 If You Feel Like Singing	1954 Judy Garland
1954 Look For The Silver Lining	1954 MGM's 30th Anniversary Album	1954 A Star Is Born (2 disc)	1954 A Star Is Born (3 disc)	1955 A Star Is Born
1955 A Star Is Born	1955 A Star Is Born	1955 A Star Is Born	1955 A Star Is Born	1955 A Star Is Born
1955 A Star Is Born (78rpm disc)	1955 A Star Is Born	1955 Judy Garland	1955 The Wizard Of Oz	1959 Girls and More Girls
1962 Judy Garland Canta	1963 The Judy Garland Story

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1949 M-G-M's Silver Anniversary	1951 Judy Garland Sings	1951 Judy Garland Sings	1952 Merry Christmas	1954 MGM's 30th Anniversary Album
1954 If You Feel Like Singing	1954 Ballet Music From MGM Musicals	1955 Born To Sing	1959 Girls And More Girls	1960 Great Moments Of The Movies
1961 The Star Years	1962 Magnificent Moments From MGM Movies	1961 The Judy Garland Story Vol. 1 - The Star Years	1962 The Judy Garland Story Vol. 2 - The Hollywood Years	1962 The Judy Garland Story Vol. 2 - The Hollywood Years
1962 The Judy Garland Story Vol. 2 - The Hollywood Years	1963 The Very Best Of Motion Picture Musicals	1964 The Very Best Of Berlin	1964 The Very Best Of Gershwin	1964 The Very Best Of Jerome Kern
1964 The Very Best Of Rodgers & Hart	1964 The Very Best Of Judy Garland	1965 Judy Garland	Circa mid-1960's Star Spectacular	1966 Judy Garland In Song
1967 Los Inolvidables Del Cine Musical	1968 24 Karat Gold From The Sound Stage	1969 Forever Judy	1969 Happy Anniversary	1969 The Golden Years At MGM
1969 An MGM Television Special	1970 Golden Archive Series	1970's Judy Garland	1970's L'Age D'Or De La Comedie Musicale	1972 The Judy Garland Story The Hollywood Years
1972 The Judy Garland Story Vol. 2 - The Hollywood Years	1972 The Golden Age Of Movie Musicals	1973 Temas De Oro Del Cine	1973 The MGM Years	1974 That's Entertainment!
1974 More Than A Memory	1979 More Than A Memory	1982 More Than A Memory	1976 That's Entertainment, Part 2	1976 Cut! Outtakes From Hollywood's Greatest Musicals
1976 Cut! Outtakes From Hollywood's Greatest Musicals Vol 2	1977 Cut! Outtakes From Hollywood's Greatest Musicals Vol 3	1977 The Wit And The Wonder of Judy Garland	1977 Those Glorious MGM Musicals	1977 Those Glorious MGM Musicals (Boxed Set)
1970's Hollywood Gold	1978 The Great Song Stylists	1970's Broadway! Broadway! Broadway!	Late 1970's The Hollywood Years	Late 1970's Over The Rainbow With Judy Garland
Late 1970's Great Duets from MGM Musicals	Singin' In The Rain	Circa 1980 MGM Musical Original Soundtrack	Circa Early 1980's Choice Cuts	1986 Great Music From MGM Vol 1
1987 That's Entertainment!	1987 That's Entertainment!	1987 Great Songs From MGM Classic Films Volume One	1987 Great Songs From MGM Classic Films Volume Two	1987 Great Songs From MGM Classic Films Volume Three
1987 The Best Of Judy Garland	1989 Love Songs	1990 That's Entertainment Part 2	1990 Movie Musicals Volume 2	1990 The Best from the MGM Musicals
1990 Thos Magnificent MGM Musicals	1990 The Definitive Garland	1991 The Great MGM Stars	1991 Magic Moments from the Musicals	1993 Steppin' Out: Fred Astaire at MGM
1993 Gotta Dance! The Best Of Gene Kelly	1993 The Golden Years Of MGM	1993 Child Of Hollywood	1994 The Hollywood Years	1994 That's Entertainment III
1994 That's Entertainment III	1995 That's Entertainment! The Ultimate Anthology of M-G-M Musicals	1994 The Golden Years At M-G-M	1995 Hollywood's Most Precious Jewels	1995 That's Entertainment! The Ultimate Anthology of M-G-M Musicals
1995 The Judy Garland & Mickey Rooney Collection	1995 25th Anniversary Retrospective	1995 Christmas Through The Years	1996 M-G-M Composers Collection	1996 Collector's Gems from The M-G-M Films
1996 'S Wonderful Gene Kelly at M-G-M	1997 Fred Astaire at M-G-M	1997 The Sounds Of TCM	1997 Now Playing In A Stereo Near You!	1997 George And Ira Gershwin In Hollywood
1998 In Hollywood Her Greatest Movie Hits	1998 That's Entertainment! The Very Best of The M-G-M Musicals	1998 Academy Award Winners	1998 Leading Ladies	1998 Judy aka "The Box"
1998 Judy aka "The Box" sampler CD	1998 Biography: A [Musical] Anthology	1999 Irving Berlin In Hollywood	1999 The Quintessential Judy Garland	2000 21 Hollywood Hits
2000 The Sound Of The Movies Judy Garland Betty Grable	2000 The Sound Of The Movies Judy Garland	2000 The Sound Of The Movies Judy Garland Vol. 2	2001 Over The Rainbow	2001 Life With Judy Garland Me & My Shadows
2002 Somewhere Over The Rainbow	2002 The Big Picture	2002 Over The Rainbow And Beyond	2003 Two's Company	2003 Classic Movie Hits
2005 The Very Best Of Judy Garland	2006 That's Entertainment!	2006 That's Entertainment! The Ultimate Anthology of M-G-M Musicals	2006 Songs From Her Movies	2007 Singin' In The Rain Original Songs From Turner Classic Movies
2007 Judy Garland Film By Film	2013 Creations 1929-1962 Songs She Introduced	2014 The Garland Variations	2014 Swan Songs, First Flights	2016 Judy Garland Sings Harold Arlen
2017 Soundtracks	2017 Classic Duets	2019 Judy Garland Lost Tracks 2 - 1936-1967	2020 The Best of Lost Tracks 2 - 1936-1967