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Given the national funk the USA was in, the songs in Grease was also a longing for a funner, simpler time, when rock wasn't so complicated. Stylishly, it's 50's music, some with 70's disco sensibilities, 70's non-disco pop, and songs whose sound harken back to the stage play, clearly meant to stay within the confines of the movie.

The order of songs on the soundtrack frontloads the theme song and singles in the first part before getting back in movie order for the rest. Note: songs reviewed in order of film, not CD.

After the brief "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing," comes the title song, the perfect marriage of the 50's, exemplified by singer, Frankie Avalon, and the catchy disco-like rhythms of the 70's, hardly surprising given that Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees penned this song.

"Summer Nights" the first duet between John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, featuring members of the cast, harkens back to its stage origins, with the differing versions of what went on in Danny and Sandy's fateful summer marked by vocal tradeoffs between the two, highlighted by predominantly male voices in Travolta's segment, female ones in Newton-John's.

"Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee" too is a stagey song, sung by Stockard Channing when making fun of Sandy, with references to Elvis, Troy Donahue, and Doris Day making it a look back at the late 50's. The sugary pop ballad "Hopelessly Devoted To You" was tailor-made for Newton-John, a ballad alternately with steel guitars one moment, strings the next. One of her best songs.

"Why this car is automatic, it's systematic, it's hydromatic. Why it's greased lightning!" For downright fun and energy, "Greased Lightning" bears the hallmark of Elvis and Eddie Cochrane-type rockers, an ideal song accompanying the spanking red hot rod fantasy sequence.

"It's Raining On Prom Night," sung by Cindy Bullens, is another vintage 50's-type slow ballad, and is the song that plays when Sandy goes to the jukebox, only to have Danny make fun of her relationship with the jock she's hanging out with.

Frankie Avalon's slow-dance "Beauty School Dropout" is a nod back to the days when his "Venus" was a big hit, strings laden doo-wop style female accompaniment including Stockard Channing. This number was done in the guardian angel (Avalon) telling Frenchie to get her act together and go back to school.

"Rock And Roll Party Queen" can be briefly heard in the dance segment when the people start entering the decorated gym.

Another example of 50s/70s dynamic is Sha-Na-Na, who spearheaded a rock and roll revival movement. Their songs is one fun track after another, from Danny and the Juniors' "Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay," the slow dance of "Those Magic Changes," Little Anthony's "Tears On My Pillow," Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog," the climactic and fun-brimmed "Born To Hand Jive," and then a cover of "Blue Moon."

Travolta's solo song "Sandy," done after Sandy storms out of his car after his manhandling her, is more a defense than an apology, as he says in the monologue that she hurt him. The monologue he has inbetween the singing segments is more a hallmark of girl group songs like "Leader Of The Pack." Solo, Travolta's actually not bad, replicating 50's-style falsetto at times.

Next, is another Stockard Channing solo, "There Are Worse Things I Could Do" and a reprise of "Sandra Dee" by Olivia Newton-John, before the final blowout. In the interview segment of the video, Olivia Newton-John herself knew that with the bouncy bassline throughout the energetic "You're The One That I Want," the second Travolta duet, was going to be a hit, and it was. And in the movie, it's followed by the equally vivacious "We Go Together," which could've been a single.

Other notes: A kewpie doll for whoever can figure out when the instrumental "Alone At the Drive-In," "Mooning," "Freddy My Love" and "Rock N Roll Party Queen" were in the movie, because I don't remember them. At least two numbers, Ritchie Valens' "La Bamba," and Jerry Lee Lewis's "Whole Lotta Shakin'," heard before and during the action at the Frosty Palace hangout, are missing. Oh yes, and for those wanting to programme their CD player so that it plays the exact sequence in the movie, try 23,24,2,7,3,8,9,6,19,12,13,16,14,15,11,5,20,21,4,22,1. Another exemplary soundtrack from the 70's and perhaps of all time.

This soundtrack album is the second biggest-selling in pop music history. The first is the SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER soundtrack. And both films starred John Travolta. Not only that,they were both originally released on the defunct RSO(Robert Stigwood Organization) label. I went through 2 LP copies of this album,as I said in the review for the DVD movie. There are actually 23 different recordings on the album. Track 24 is a repeat of the title theme(track 1). The title theme was written by ex-Bee Gee Barry Gibb and performed by Frankie Valli of The Four Seasons. The song is heard during the playing of the opening and closing credits in the film. SUMMER NIGHTS is about the summer romance of Danny Zuko(Travolta) and Sandy Dombrowski(Olivia Newton-John). ONJ performs HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO YOU,later recycled for her GREATEST HITS VOLUME 2 album. YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT is another duet between Travolta and ONJ,also appearing on GHV2. SANDY is Danny's ode to his sweetheart(he sings this after being abandoned by Sandy at a drive-in theater in the film). BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT is Frankie Avalon's advisory to Frenchy(Didi Conn). LOOK AT ME,I'M SANDRA DEE is sung by Rizzo or her portrayer,Stockard Channing. GREASED LIGHTNIN' is about the power of automobiles,sung by Travolta with moral support from Jeff Conaway(Kenickie). IT'S RAINING ON PROM NIGHT is OK,so is ALONE AT A DRIVE-IN MOVIE. Sha-Na-Na,as Johnny Casino & The Gamblers in the film,performs BLUE MOON,ROCK & ROLL IS HERE TO STAY,THOSE MAGIC CHANGES,HOUND DOG,TEARS ON MY PILLOW and BORN TO HAND-JIVE. MOONING,FREDDY MY LOVE and ROCK AND ROLL PARTY QUEEN are OK. Channing superbly performs THERE ARE WORSE THINGS I COULD DO(the song is heard in "Connie & Carla" also,but not Channing's recording of it). There's a reprise of LOOK AT ME,I'M SANDRA DEE performed by ONJ. The Rydell High School seniors perform WE GO TOGETHER,heard in the final scene. LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING is an instrumental easy listening classic,heard in the very first scene before opening credits. This album is packed with still photos from the film. The one on the back cover of the LP and CD booklet is of the overall film cast. It would have been great if the title track was recorded by the Bee Gees. ONJ's manager John Farrar wrote or co-wrote some of ONJ's recordings on this album.

For all you Grease fans, this CD is a must!! The first time i saw this movie i was 7 and after that, i probably watched it every weekend for the next 6 months. I found the CD in my dad's collection of oldie CDs and I listened to it. After that i never put it down. I'm only 13 and i've known the words to every song on that CD since i was 8 and there's 24 tracks!!!!!<br /> This CD is a must!!!!!!!!!!!!!