In 1995, Warner Bros. released Empire Records, a coming-of-age drama that flopped at the box office but has since gained a cult following. The movie, directed by Allan Moyle (Pump Up the Volume), features an all-star cast and a stacked soundtrack.
Each year, on April 9, fans of the movie celebrate Rex Manning Day with a rewatch of the movie and a relisten to the soundtrack. The day is celebrated in the film, which is set in an independent record store, Empire Records.
Rex Manning, portrayed by Maxwell Caulfield, is a washed-up 1980s pop icon who holds an autograph session at the store, much to the chagrin of the employees too young to have known Manning in his heyday.
Empire Records soundtrack is tremendous
Years after the movie's release, actor Ethan Embry, who stars in the film, explainswhy this date was chosen for Rex Manning Day: “The reason we picked April 8th as the day to have the powdered/coifed Rex Manning visit Empire is because Kurt was found on the 8th of April, the day the music of the 90s lost its mascot."
The movie begins as employees learn that the store is set to be absorbed into the dreaded Music Town chain which leads to the chant, "Damn the man. Save the Empire!" The film features one day in the life of the ragtag group as they try to save their beloved store.
Despite tanking at the box office, generating only $150,800 during its opening weekend, the movie has since gained a dedicated following. Empire Records also served as a launching pad for several of the movie's stars. Notable cast members include Anthony LaPaglia, Maxwell Caulfield, Debi Mazar, Rory Cochrane, Johnny Whitworth, Robin Tunney, Renée Zellweger, and Liv Tyler.
Since the setting of Empire Records is a record store, the soundtrack, released by A&M Records, had to be impressive. This was the job of Mitchell Leib, music supervisor for the movie, which Variety called a "soundtrack in search of a movie."
This was good news for Leib, whose response was: "My job was to have hit singles and a giant soundtrack that was supposed to not only enhance the playability of the movie but also act as a marketing asset and launch the film."
This was achieved by the success of the film's lead single, the Gin Blossoms' "Til I Hear It From You," which charted at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album also included two previously released singles, including Edwyn Collins' "A Girl Like You" and "Ready, Steady, Go" by the Meices. Collins' single peaked No. 32.
The album also included Francis "Coyote" Shivers' single "Sugarhigh," but the movie version differed significantly from the original to keep the PG rating. The original appears on the album. In the movie, additional lyrics and vocals were contributed by Renée Zellweger. Zellweger portrayed Gina in the film, and Shivers, who was Liv Tyler's stepfather then, portrayed the aspiring musician, Berko.
Other notable bands featured on the soundtrack include Better Than Ezra, Cracker, the Cranberries, Toad the Wet Sprocket, and Evan Dando, who covers Big Star's "The Ballad of El Goodo," with Liv Tyler singing backup vocals.
The Empire Records soundtrack charted at No. 63 on the Billboard 200 album chart. In an interview, Leib stated, "I think we did end up selling 2 million records, which is f**king unbelievable for a movie that did $147,000 at the box office."
Take a listen to the Empire Records soundtrack below.