In 1977, Smokey and the Bandit raced into theaters and unexpectedly became one of the biggest pop culture sensations of the decade.
Now, the film has earned another major honor after being included in Paste’s ranking of the greatest movie soundtracks of all time, thanks to its unforgettable blend of country, rock and Southern road-trip energy.
Directed by and starring Burt Reynolds, the film follows the Bandit and his partner Cledus "Snowman" Snow as they attempt to illegally transport Coors beer across state lines while evading law enforcement led by the hilariously relentless Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played by Jackie Gleason.
"That picture ["Smokey"] was some kind of strange little miracle in a way, for the fact that it made so much damn money and it was so much fun to do," Reynolds told Business Insider. "As soon as we got [Jackie] Gleason and Sally [Field], I knew we were off."
But beyond the car chases and comedy, music became one of the movie's defining ingredients.
The soundtrack prominently featured songs by Jerry Reed, who also co-starred in the film as Snowman. Reed's energetic country songs, including "East Bound and Down," helped establish the movie's fast-moving, rebellious spirit and became deeply associated with the film itself.
The soundtrack's success helped turn Smokey and the Bandit into more than just a hit comedy. The film became a cultural snapshot of 1970s Southern Americana, blending outlaw country music, CB radio culture and muscle cars into one wildly entertaining package.
The movie also famously sparked a real-life Hollywood romance between Reynolds and co-star Sally Field, who played Carrie, better known as "Frog."
Their chemistry onscreen quickly became one of the movie's most memorable elements, and the pair later became one of Hollywood's most beloved celebrity couples of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
"About a third of the way into filming, I was in the car with Sally and there was this little moment where we kind of looked at each other, and then we both turned and looked over at [stuntman] Hal [Needham]," Reynolds told Car and Driver. "He gave us a thumbs up and said, 'Yeah!' And we kind of knew there was some magic going on."
At the box office, Smokey and the Bandit became a massive surprise success, eventually turning into one of the highest-grossing films of 1977 behind only Star Wars.
Over the decades, the movie's influence only continued to grow. Its soundtrack, quotable dialogue and rebellious charm helped make it a staple of nostalgic American pop culture.
Its inclusion among the greatest movie soundtracks of all time reflects how essential the music was to the film's identity.
Nearly 50 years later, Smokey and the Bandit still feels loud, fast and unmistakably fun, a movie where the soundtrack became just as iconic as the car chases themselves.
Related: 1973 Classic Horror Film, Originally a Box Office Flop, Ranked Among ‘Best Movie Soundtracks’ of All Time
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