I have my entire collection of soundtracks loaded into iTunes and iTunes Match, so I can listen on the go. And I often hit shuffle and let the software choose what's coming next. Often something comes up that feels a bit unfamiliar but if I like it, I drop it instantly to a Playlist called 'The Neglected.'
I don't put tracks on there that I know well, only the more obscure stuff. The tracks buried in an album that I might not have fully appreciated at first, or ignored somehow. Then I often listen to the Neglected playlist for a great little romp through great music that I've not noticed enough before.
The only time I discover stuff I already own is when I blind buy a score to a movie I have never seen and years later actually watch the movie. I will say to myself that I liked the score and reach for it in my collection. Even though I have heard it before, it takes on a whole new life.
I don't make playlists - I just play CDs. So I can't say that my experience is the same as yours, pooter. But I do occasionally listen to a soundtrack on shuffle, and it can be quite surprising when a track appears which I never really noticed before, sometimes because it's towards the end of a long or generally unimpressive CD. Hearing it "up front" can make a difference.
Just yesterday I was listening to the the score to the Full Metal Alchemist feature. My original listen left me with the feeling that it was a something of a 'greatest hits' from the series, but this listen revealed to me quite a bit of original material..
I'll have the same feeling when I listen to something in the car as opposed to playing in the background while I read or cook. In the car I listen with a bit more focus and am finding out different things about even familiar scores. I guess it;s what I get for not paying closer attention upon receiving and adding albums to my collection.
