5 Key Facts About Isaac Hayes’ Shaft Soundtrack

Released July 23, 1971 The soundtrack came out on Stax Records’ Enterprise label.

Won an Academy Award Hayes won the Oscar for Best Original Song for “Theme from Shaft.”

Broke new ground for Black artists It was the first soundtrack by a Black composer to win a Grammy for Best Original Score.

Defined the Blaxploitation sound The album’s funky, orchestral style set the template for 1970s Blaxploitation film music.

A commercial and critical hit It reached number one on the Billboard 200 and sold over a million copies.