Bootleg Betty
On This Day In History: Beaches, The Soundtrack, Was Released, November 22, 1988
By Mister D
November 23, 2025
Released on November 22, 1988, by Atlantic Records, Beaches: Original Soundtrack Recording features Bette Midler performing most of the tracks, with production by Arif Mardin, who had previously collaborated with her. The album seamlessly blends pop and adult contemporary styles throughout its 33-minute runtime, effectively capturing the film’s themes of friendship, loss, and enduring love. Its centerpiece is the soaring ballad “Wind Beneath My Wings,” which became a number-one hit and one of Midler’s signature songs. Another standout is her cover of “Under the Boardwalk,” which opens both the film and the album, nodding to the beachside setting where the characters first meet. Marc Shaiman, Midler’s longtime music arranger, served as music supervisor, shaping the soundtrack’s emotional arc. Though the original script only called for “traditional music,” the final album became a defining element of the film’s legacy, helping cement its status as a tearjerking classic.
