[4][5] Michael Brook composed the film's incidental underscore, published by Lakeshore Records on September 25, that featured nine tracks.

"[11] The track "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" from The Stars, for the tunnel sequence, while for the first kiss between Charlie and Sam, he used the song "Samson" by Regina Spektor.

"[14][16] In one sequence, when Sam and Charlie attend the dance, the former hears Dexys Midnight Runners' single "Come On Eileen" and says, "They’re playing good music".

[18][19] Calling it "a soundtrack that added to its authenticity and emotional impact", Heather Phares of AllMusic wrote, "With mixtape-like intimacy, the album echoes the connections between the film's characters, but that heartfelt vibe reaches listeners as well.

"[20] Claire White, in her analysis for Junkee Media, said, "No film quite understands the power of music during your teen years quite like The Perks of Being a Wallflower".

"[25] Kevin Jagernauth of IndieWire wrote that "the music, with a carefully curated soundtrack by Alexandra Patsavas, ... hits the necessary emotional cues while never overselling them".

"[27] In a contrasting review, Rex Reed of Observer wrote, "The soundtrack is so drenched in bubblegum pop that it sounds like an iTunes library".

[28] Ty Burr of Boston.com wrote, "The soundtrack’s impeccable playlist of ’80s indie-rock classics seems more the choice of a writer in his early 40s than teenagers in the 1990s".

[29] Several publications such as MTV,[30] Den of Geek,[31] IndieWire,[32] Film School Rejects,[33] Fact[34] and Entertainment Weekly,[35] called The Perks of Being a Wallflower one of the "best soundtracks 2012".