Whenever I write about film, I leave soundtracks and scores out of my analysis unless they determine a flick’s ultimate success or failure.

Consequently, the music in “Guardians of the Galaxy” deserves high praise, as it plays an instrumental role in the movie.

Peter Quill, a.k.a. Starlord, an intergalactic bounty hunter with a price on his head, possesses a Walkman that contains a sole cassette — a mix-tape carefully arranged by his late mother. The songs within the tape appeal to one undying sentiment that Quill holds onto in order to retain his humanity: nostalgia.

“Hooked on a Feeling,” the first track, packs a punch. Widely deemed a guilty pleasure, Blue Swede’s cover of B.J. Thomas’s late ‘60s hit’s memorable chorus remains within one’s thoughts for weeks.

The Raspberries’ “Go All the Way” keeps the momentum going with further catchiness, despite gripping an irrevocable sense of gloom.

I’ve heard Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky” countless times — to the point that I grunt whenever it plays on my favorite radio station — but it prospers within the soundtrack and creates an appropriate flow, though it fails to appear in the movie.

David Bowie’s classic “Moonage Daydream” makes an appearance as the fourth track. Its addition is an obvious one given the film’s genre and themes, yet it seems off — the psychedelic, sci-fi-oriented nature of Bowie’s music somewhat hinders the mix-tape’s mission to celebrate the past.

On the other hand, Elvin Bishop’s “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” triumphs in bringing back the melancholia that this soundtrack entails, and allows the listener to take a breather.

10cc’s “I’m not in Love,” one of my favorite oldies, is perhaps the smartest choice for a mix-tape of this nature. Given its slower tempo, it serves as a perfect midpoint in a soundtrack that teems with upbeat songs. As it turns out, it precedes the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back,” a danceable tune that exhibits joy, despite the sorrowful lyrics.

Perhaps one of the most amusing scenes in “Guardians of the Galaxy” owes much to Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love’s” cheerful nature and unforgettable beat. It introduces the film’s title with surprising euphoria — something unknown to most superhero films nowadays.

Nevertheless, The Runaways’ Cherry Bomb ruins the atmosphere crafted by previous tracks. Not only am I immune to the band’s allegedly stimulating songs; the genre itself seems ill-fitted on a soundtrack that employs sentimentality as its premise.

If one ignores Cherry Bomb, the rest of the compilation plays out with elegance. Rupert Holmes’ Escape, a woeful track with a haunting, familiar chorus, stands at the core of the album’s theme, and furthers its objective.

O-o-h Child, The Five Stairsteps’ 1970 hit, attempts to end the despair set up by the previous tracks. The hopeful essence of soul music is a welcome presence towards the end of the album.

Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s Ain’t no Mountain High Enough provides an appropriate conclusion to the mix tape. However, were I in charge of putting it together, I would have chosen a more poignant tune, such as Spandau Ballet’s True.

Throughout the film, the protagonist explains that his mom included classics from her younger days — she wanted him to relive the songs she had once danced to.

As it turns out, several of the tunes included in this album allow me to reminisce on my own childhood, as my parents rarely heard anything other than 70s ballads.

This album was conceived in order to evoke a feeling of re-discovery. All the way from Wichita, KS to the Nova Corps home world Xandar, everyone deserves to indulge in a little nostalgia.