The soundtrack to the Paul Newman - Robert Redford blockbuster The Sting popularized Scott Joplin's classic ragtimes for a new generation, thanks to Marvin Hamlisch's ingenious arrangements and orchestrations. Joplin's brilliance takes the forefront, which is the way it should be, but it's easy to underestimate what Hamlisch achieved with his orchestrations. His incidental music fit the period and Joplin's ragtimes perfectly, and the arrangements of Joplin's works are faithful to the originals while opening them up for new audiences. And that's why the soundtrack feels at once timeless and fresh, which is quite a compliment indeed.