text: Background Sofia Coppola wanted to convey the theme of adolescence in the suburbs in the soundtrack. She did not want to use standard hits from the 1970s music, but opted for a "consistently other-worldly soundtrack" produced by Air, whom Coppola had listened to while writing the screenplay. She opined that the album, despite being influenced by the 1970s music, also had a modern feel. She found that Air shared many of her suburban memories and experiences even though they grew up in a different country. According to music consultant and former member of Air, Brian Reitzell, he wanted to select songs "that were not the songs that everyone thinks of at first, but ones that are a little more obscure. It was important to strike that intimate chord that transports you back to that period. But we also didn't want to be obvious with our choices. We didn't pick any stoner rock for the film, which is what everyone seems to be doing."
  Reception and analysis
  The soundtrack received positive response from critics. Reviewing for AllMusic, Gina Boldman wrote "The soundtrack replays the myriad emotions of adolescence and those of the Lisbon girls in particular." Pitchfork's Mark Richardson wrote, "This soundtrack seeks to replicate the feel of mainstream mid-'70s radio, and to that end, it's a wild success. This is what it sounded like — from the banal pop of 10cc to the raw (okay, medium-rare) power of Heart to the epic romanticism of Styx. Forget disco, CBGB's, punk, and new wave. That stuff didn't play in Peoria until much later. For a real taste of what a suburban kid playing "Space Invaders" was likely to hear pumping over the arcade sound system, this collection is the real thing. The problem is, no one ever said mainstream '70s radio was particularly good. It was like the mainstream radio of any other time, with a few true innovators, a glut of imitators, and a handful of the truly awful. All are represented here in their proper proportions." "The Virgin Suicides is Godin and Dunckel at their best – entirely removed from logic and gleefully, wickedly free to roam their own, unique world."