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Some songs are forever married to the silver screen. Join us as we count down our picks for the most iconic music tracks we simply can't separate from their movie scenes! Our countdown includes classic hits like "Don't You (Forget About Me)," "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Danger Zone," "Stayin' Alive," and many more unforgettable musical movie moments!
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00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the popular songs we can't
00:10help but associate with scenes from films.
00:24Aerosmith's hit single is also known for its incredible sound and complicated relationship
00:29with the LGBTQIA plus community.
00:31However, its use in this scene transcends everything.
00:41This is Doubtfire follows Daniel Hillard, a divorced father who pretends to be the titular
00:45British nanny to stay in his kids' lives.
00:47The use of Dude Looks Like a Lady in a montage of Robin Williams in drag and old age makeup
00:52is indisputably more famous than the song's real music video.
00:55I am not a crook.
00:57I am not a crook.
00:59And let's be real, who hasn't used a broom like a guitar before?
01:03Number 49.
01:04Like a Prayer.
01:05Deadpool and Wolverine.
01:06Imagine our surprise when one of Madonna's biggest hits showed up in a Deadpool movie of
01:10all places.
01:11And not just once, but twice.
01:13Life is a mystery.
01:18Everyone must stand alone.
01:22On the first occasion, the original version plays as Deadpool and his new best buddy Wolverine
01:27slice, dice, and shoot their way through a horde of alternate Deadpools in one continuous
01:31shot.
01:31We're then treated to a reprise of the song, this time sung by a gospel choir as the duo
01:36of unkillable protagonists hold hands to save the multiverse.
01:44Regardless of which scene you remember more, what doesn't change is that we now associate
01:48one of the Queen of Pop's greatest tunes with a couple of foul-mouthed immortal superheroes.
01:53Number 48.
01:54Flashdance, What a Feeling.
01:56Flashdance.
01:57A song written for the film it shares a name with, Flashdance, What a Feeling may have
02:01charted incredibly and been covered by other artists, but it is forever tied to Flashdance.
02:13It both opens and closes the film, and while the opening is fine, it is most associated
02:18with the final scene.
02:20Protagonist Alex Owens auditions before a panel of judges while the song plays, throwing
02:24everything into her performance.
02:26What a feeling.
02:29Feels to be the end.
02:33From classical ballet pirouettes to modern moves like breakdancing, Alex puts it all on
02:38the line in one passionate dance.
02:40After all this time, it still makes us feel things.
02:43And what a feeling.
02:45Number 47.
02:46Pocket Full of Sunshine, Easy A.
02:48Olive Pendergast claims to have spent a weekend with a college boyfriend, but what she was
02:52actually doing was almost as embarrassing as the eventual destruction of her reputation.
02:56Do what you want, but you're never gonna break me.
03:03Olive hangs out at home, listening to Natasha Bedingfield's Pocket Full of Sunshine on a
03:08musical greeting card.
03:09While Olive brushes the song off as terrible at first, she just keeps being drawn back to
03:13it over and over again.
03:15Songs make for great montage fodder and as the punchline for jokes.
03:19Take me away, a secret place.
03:23This scene combines both strengths into one, while also being the definitive example of
03:28how earworm songs can go from hated to loved in a short time.
03:32Number 46.
03:33What is Love?
03:34A Night at the Roxbury.
03:35If you associate this song more with the Saturday Night Live sketches that inspired this movie,
03:40you wouldn't be wrong.
03:41Cindy!
03:42Hi!
03:42You want me?
03:43Me!
03:44Yeah!
03:44However, this Eurodance tune is effectively the theme song of Steve and Doug, the famous
03:49Roxbury guys.
03:50The two brothers' big screen debut opens with the pair engaging in all of their usual activities,
03:55namely bobbing their heads along to the beat of the song in their car, gyrating exaggeratedly,
04:00and striking out with women at various clubs.
04:02What is Love?
04:03has become synonymous with not only the Roxbury guys, but also clubbing in general.
04:17I broke the window again.
04:18Number 45.
04:20Lust for Life.
04:21Trainspotting.
04:21Sometimes a song can set the whole tone for a movie.
04:24That is basically what Iggy Pop's Lust for Life does for Trainspotting.
04:28The song plays over the film's opening sequence, which introduces Mark Renton and his friends
04:32as they engage in their chaotic lives.
04:34Choose good health, lower cholesterol, and dental insurance.
04:37Running from drug dealers, games of football, and lazing around are the order of the day.
04:42Meanwhile, Renton's narration rejects all the traditional aspects of everyday life,
04:46home, work, marriage, mortgages, and so on, in favor of drugs.
04:51I chose not to choose life.
04:52I chose something else.
04:54Despite releasing in the late 70s, Lust for Life saw a huge resurgence in popularity after
04:59Trainspotting, and its legacy is now forever tied to this opening.
05:03Number 44.
05:04Bittersweet Symphony.
05:05Cruel Intentions.
05:06Revenge is a dish best served to this song.
05:10The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony made a tremendous splash in the 90s, but many still associate
05:14it with the conclusion of this teen drama film.
05:17You'd want me to say, Catherine, I'm sorry.
05:22What is going on?
05:23Catherine Mertoy's eulogy for her brother Sebastian is interrupted when dozens of students
05:28walk out of it.
05:28When she leaves to see why, Cecile, one of Catherine's former victims, reveals she and
05:33Sebastian's girlfriend Annette have copied his journal, detailing all of his and Catherine's
05:37misdeeds, ruining her reputation, and making her more emotional than her brother's death.
05:51Meanwhile, Annette rides off into the sunset, Sebastian's journal at her side.
05:56It is a transcendent anthem to a peak moment of vengeance.
06:03When Q Lazarus wrote this synth-pop new wave song, we doubt she imagined it would have this
06:08kind of legacy, because all anyone can think of when they hear it is this scene.
06:19Serial killer Buffalo Bill listens to the song while putting on makeup and dressing in drag,
06:23while one of his kidnapped victims tries desperately to lure his dog closer to the pit where she's
06:27trapped.
06:28This is a scene that's impossible to forget, or not to think of, in the same thought as
06:32Goodbye Horses.
06:41Number 42, Fight the Power, Do the Right Thing.
06:44Public Enemy's famed protest rap song got its start with this Spike Lee joint,
06:48and continues to be inseparable from the film.
06:50Although used as a recurring song throughout Do the Right Thing,
06:53Fight the Power is perhaps most associated with the climactic argument in Sal's pizzeria.
07:01Radio Raheem and Buggin' Out exchange heated words with Sal while Fight the Power blasts on
07:05the former's boombox.
07:06It's a tense scene, with the harsh words and slurs escalating along with the music,
07:11until Sal puts a stop to the music.
07:17And although things arguably get even more chaotic and ultimately tragic, once the song stops,
07:23the spirit of Fight the Power is perhaps best exemplified in this scene.
07:27Number 41, Just Dropped In, To See What Condition My Condition Was In, The Big Lebowski.
07:32Kenny Rogers has played in many different styles, but this psychedelic rock song is one of his
07:36more unusual, and it has become synonymous with this dream sequence in The Big Lebowski.
07:41I woke up this morning with the sun down, shining it in.
07:47Apathetic hero, the dude, dreams of a sexually charged bowling-themed encounter with Maude Lebowski,
07:53daughter of the titular character.
07:54It's elaborately choreographed, bizarrely costumed, and features references to various previous
08:00parts of the movie.
08:01And is that Saddam Hussein?
08:02The scene is so perfectly weird on its own, but Just Dropped In gives it the mind-bending
08:07edge it needed to become iconic.
08:09I just dropped in, to see what condition my condition was in.
08:15Number 40, Sister Christian, Boogie Nights.
08:18This Night Ranger power ballad is fantastic, but anyone who's seen Boogie Nights will immediately
08:23think of this suspenseful scene.
08:25Dirk, Reed, and Todd arrive at the house of a drug dealer named Rahad, intent on scamming
08:30him with fake drugs.
08:31Hey, Rahad!
08:33Our friends!
08:35Which one is Todd?
08:36Yeah, that's me.
08:38What do you mean by the board?
08:39Rahad is loudly listening to Sister Christian, whose building drums and piano help underscore
08:44the escalating tension, along with firecrackers being set off in the background.
08:48While Jessie's Girl, which plays during the climax, is another song that's inseparable
08:53from the scene, the build-up of anxiety being timed almost perfectly with Sister Christian
08:57works better in our opinion.
09:06Number 39, These Days, The Royal Tenenbaums.
09:10There are a few songs performed by German artist Nico in this family dramedy by Wes Anderson,
09:15but the most impactful is the use of These Days in this scene.
09:29Richie Tenenbaum is picked up by his adopted sister Margot after his return to the country.
09:33From the moment she steps off the bus and this melancholic tune plays, it's clear these
09:38two are in love with each other.
09:40The slow-motion camera work, excellent framing, and the wistful, regret-filled lyrics of these
09:45days all help elevate what is a relatively simple scene into one that is absolutely unforgettable.
09:51What's so funny?
09:55Well, it's nice to see you too.
09:58Number 38, Born to be Wild, Easy Rider.
10:01It's not often a song becomes the anthem of an entire subculture, but somehow, the opening
10:06scene of this landmark 60s counterculture movie managed it.
10:14As the introductory credits roll, we watch Peter Fonda's Wyatt and Dennis Hopper's Billy
10:19ride their motorcycles as Steppenwolf's Born to be Wild plays.
10:22The Hard Rock song's lyrics touch on the freedom and adventure of the open road, providing the
10:26perfect theme song for not only the bikers in the film, but also for everyone who follows
10:30the motorcycle lifestyle in real life.
10:32And that has been the case practically since Easy Rider first released.
10:41Number 37, Freebird, Kingsman, The Secret Service.
10:44Leonard Skinner's classic rock song has long been a staple of pop culture due to its wailing
10:49guitar solo and epic 14-minute length.
10:51However, its inclusion in Kingsman, The Secret Service brought Freebird to a new generation
10:56and tied it forever to this exceptional fight scene.
11:04Kingsman agent Harry Hart, along with the rest of an extremist church, have their aggression
11:09levels turned up to 11, leading to them killing each other.
11:12Harry is quite a bit better trained, though, and proceeds to slaughter his way through the
11:16rest of the churchgoers with guns, gadgets, and whatever else he can get his hands on.
11:20And all in several long takes, the use of Freebird turns an already insanely cool fight
11:26into something legendary.
11:33Number 36, Hip to be Square, American Psycho.
11:36Do you like Huey Lewis and the News?
11:38It seems like an innocent enough question, but thanks to this scene, it takes on a sinister
11:42edge that we cannot shake.
11:44In 87, Huey released this.
11:47Four, their most accomplished album.
11:49I think their undisputed masterpiece is Hip to be Square.
11:52Serial killer Patrick Bateman has brought his drunken co-worker Paul Allen back to Paul's
11:56own apartment.
11:57Envious of Paul over his perceived success, Bateman puts on Hip to be Square and discusses
12:02the merits of the song and the band, as he blatantly plans to kill him, and then does.
12:07It's one of the movie's most accomplished scenes, and it's not just about creating a contrast
12:12between upbeat music and brutal murder.
12:14It's also a, quote, personal statement about Patrick Bateman himself.
12:18Hey, Paul.
12:19It's Hip to be Square.
12:22It's Hip to be Square.
12:25Number 35, Closer to Fine, Barbie.
12:28While often used as a road trip song, the Indigo Girl's Closer to Fine has a little more
12:33depth to it in this existential fantasy movie, although it is still used in road trip scenes.
12:38I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains.
12:42The song appears multiple times in the film, usually with Barbie or other characters traveling
12:47to or from Barbie Land, and often with a comedic element.
12:50However, it also acts as a way of interpreting Barbie's journey within the film, as the song's
12:55lyrics emphasize the importance of letting go of definitive explanations and complicated
12:59realities.
13:00Similarly, Barbie ultimately decides to leave Barbie Land, letting go of the static comfort
13:05of where she's from, to embrace the real world with its messy ambiguity.
13:09You said it could see through me.
13:11I've spent four years prostrate to the higher mind.
13:15Got my paper and I was free.
13:18Number 34, I Got You, Babe.
13:20Groundhog Day.
13:21Okay, campers, rise and shine.
13:23Sonny and Cher's I Got You, Babe may be a pop song from the 1960s, but it has become as
13:28synonymous with the movie Groundhog Day as the film itself has become with time loops.
13:41Whenever Phil Connors wakes up again on February 2nd, he does so to the tune of I Got You, Babe
13:46on his clock radio.
13:47In fact, it isn't until Phil gets his babe that the time loops eventually stop.
13:52Was Cher the one putting Phil through the loops all along?
13:55Maybe she could turn back time after all.
13:57Then put your little hand in mine.
14:01There ain't no ill about it.
14:04Number 33, The End, Apocalypse Now.
14:07A remixed version of the classic rock song by The Doors plays multiple times during Apocalypse
14:12Now.
14:12It first plays in the film's intro, with its chaotic, psychedelic vibe playing over imagery
14:17of burning jungles, helicopters, and protagonist Captain Benjamin Willard.
14:21I'll never look into your eyes again.
14:28The End is also played, fittingly, during the film's final scene, which sees Willard carry
14:33out his brutal assassination of Colonel Kurtz.
14:36Come on, baby, take a chance with us.
14:39Whichever scene you most associate the song with, The End's bleak, frenzied tone perfectly
14:44sums up not only Apocalypse Now, but also the Vietnam War as a whole.
14:49Number 32, Afternoon Delight, Anchorman, The Legend of Ron Burgundy.
14:54Starland Vocal Band's ode to the pleasures experienced after Midday has long been famous
14:59for its innuendo-laden lyrics.
15:00But thanks to the titular character of this comedy film and his news team, we always think
15:05of this scene.
15:05Gonna find my baby, gonna hold her tight, gonna grab some afternoon delight.
15:12Ron's declaration of love for his co-anchor Veronica has his friends curious about what
15:16love is like.
15:17While their own attempts at relating, particularly Bricks, are hilarious and iconic, Ron's own
15:23attempt to describe it results in an acapella performance of Afternoon Delight.
15:27The fact that the rest of them join in effortlessly suggests it's a regular thing for them too.
15:31We love this scene, and it's delights almost as much as Brick Loves Lamp.
15:37Afternoon Delight.
15:38Wanna make a phone call here.
15:40Number 31, Danger Zone, Top Gun.
15:42This military action movie has a number of great songs that we will always associate with
15:47it.
15:47The karaoke scenes featuring You've Lost That Love and Feelin' and Great Balls of Fire are
15:51iconic.
15:52You broke my will?
15:53Oh, what a thrill!
15:55Goodness gracious, Great Balls of Fire!
15:57But the one song that remains inseparable from Top Gun was also written for it.
16:02Kenny Loggins' Danger Zone plays several times during the film.
16:05And if you're gonna commission a song this awesome, you're gonna get your money's worth.
16:09While it's used to great effect in the opening scene on the aircraft carrier, it's arguably
16:13most associated with Maverick's arrival at the eponymous Navy Academy Top Gun.
16:19Highway to the Danger Zone.
16:23The image of Tom Cruise on a motorcycle next to a jet while Danger Zone plays is burned
16:28into pop culture's collective memory.
16:31Number 30, Time in a Bottle.
16:33X-Men, Days of Future Past.
16:35If I could save time in a bottle.
16:39Quicksilver is among the speediest Marvel superheroes around.
16:42However, his appearances in the X-Men movies wisely slow things down for us mere mortals.
16:47His debut appearance in Days of Future Past sees the mutant take down a kitchen full of guards
16:52as Jim Croce's 70s classic Time in a Bottle plays.
16:55If I could make days last forever.
16:59The contrast between the nearly frozen surroundings and Quicksilver's light-hearted rapid-fire
17:04defense of the others helped make the scene an instant classic.
17:07Sure, Croce's folk tune is sweet and tender, but it has become cemented in our collective
17:11minds as being the anthem of a speedster kicking butt.
17:14Quicksilver almost pulled it off again in the sequel with Sweet Dreams Are Made of
17:18This, but that song's a bit more known from other things.
17:25Number 29, I Say a Little Prayer, My Best Friend's Wedding.
17:29The moment I wake up.
17:34Before I put on my makeup.
17:37There have been many singers associated with this R&B song from Dionne Warwick to Aretha Franklin
17:42to Diana King, the last of which even features in this movie.
17:46However, the most memorable performance of I Say a Little Prayer is by actors.
17:55At a wedding lunch, George, who is pretending to be Jules' fiancé, launches into a performance
18:01of the song.
18:02He's soon joined by practically the whole wedding party, who managed to put on a surprisingly
18:07great rendition of the hit.
18:12It's almost like they had rehearsed it beforehand.
18:14Regardless, we'll think of this scene when we hear the song Forever and Ever.
18:27Number 28, Canned Heat, Napoleon Dynamite.
18:37English band Jamiroquai is famous enough in their own right, and they have never let themselves
18:42be tied down by Jara.
18:49However, perhaps their most famous song is Canned Heat, and probably from this scene alone.
18:55To promote his buddy Pedro's class president campaign, the titular Napoleon Dynamite performs
18:59a dance set to Jamiroquai's disco number.
19:08Napoleon seems to lose himself in the dance, and his dorky yet skilled moves inspire nearly
19:13everyone to vote for Pedro.
19:15The dance may have been improvised by actor John Heater in the moment, but it's now forever
19:20impossible to separate from Canned Heat.
19:43Number 27, Don't Stop Me Now, Sean of the Dead.
19:55We doubt Freddie Mercury had a zombie comedy in mind when he wrote Don't Stop Me Now, but
20:01the upbeat rock anthem has nevertheless become associated with this cult classic.
20:09While trapped in a pub, Sean and his friends are short on weapons and decide to use pool cues
20:14against the zombified bartender as Queen's hit song plays on the jukebox.
20:24From their hits being timed along with the song to the improvised light show with the fuses
20:29being lit, the scene makes perfect use of Don't Stop Me Now to the point where we don't want
20:33it to stop at all.
20:36Number 26, Shout, Animal House.
20:44The original National Lampoon movie is a classic for many reasons, not the least of which is
20:50because it features a scene that has become inseparable from the Isley Brothers' song, Shout.
20:58Performed by Lloyd G. Williams and lip-synced slash acted out by the fictional Otis Day and the
21:03Knights, this rendition gets all of Delta House's party singing, shouting, and turtling along with it.
21:10The call-and-response nature of the tune practically begs you to get involved and throw your hands up
21:15any time it plays, but we will always associate it with a bunch of drunk college students in togas.
21:24Number 25, Stayin' Alive, Saturday Night Fever.
21:28The opening scene to this 70s disco-drenched dance movie is iconic and was made so by this song by
21:40the Bee Gees.
21:45Stayin' Alive plays as John Travolta's Tony Monero struts his way through the streets of Brooklyn.
21:54Sure, the song was written for the movie, but the Bee Gees went on to great success with the disco
21:59number
21:59and even had their own music video for it.
22:02And yet, it's this intro and Monero's effortless charisma that have helped Stayin' Alive stay alive
22:06in our minds for over half a century.
22:09Stayin' Alive
22:17Number 24, Layla, Goodfellas.
22:22Given that it's an epic seven-minute song by Eric Clapton, Layla has a lot of moods throughout.
22:28However, its final portion features a wistful piano that you might associate with a going-away party or graduation.
22:34Months after the robbery, they were finding bodies all over.
22:37Honestly, Martin Scorsese's mob movie, Goodfellas, surprisingly manages to maintain that impression.
22:42Except in this case, the song plays over a montage of the discovery of gangsters who have been whacked.
22:47Hi!
22:48Mom, where are you?
22:49Oh, here I am.
22:50And while protagonist Henry Hill may not be among the dead, Layla helps make it clear that the party's over
22:56now.
22:57But what will never be over is our association of the song with dead wise guys in meat trucks.
23:02Number 23, The Sound of Silence, The Graduate.
23:05Hello darkness my old friend, I've come to talk with you again.
23:14While the song and especially its opening lyrics have since become associated with various memes,
23:19it remains inextricably tied to this regret-filled ending.
23:23And the vision that was planted in my brain still remains.
23:32Benjamin interrupts his ex-girlfriend Elaine's wedding, leading them both to escape her wedding and joyfully board a departing bus.
23:39But after a few moments, it hits them.
23:41Now what?
23:42The Sound of Silence, indeed.
23:43Within the Sound of Silence.
23:49Using a pre-existing popular song in a film wasn't common at the time.
23:53But The Graduate proved a trendsetter for movies going forward.
23:56And helped make us remember this melancholy conclusion whenever we hear the Simon and Garfunkel tune.
24:01And touch the sound of silence.
24:09Number 22, Stuck in the Middle with You, Reservoir Dogs.
24:13Well, I don't know why I came here tonight.
24:16Director Quentin Tarantino's jukebox soundtracks are a well-known part of his style.
24:20And it all started with his first theatrical film.
24:24Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right.
24:27There are plenty of scenes to choose from, but thanks to the sadistic Mr. Blonde,
24:31we can no longer think of Steeler's Wheels stuck in the middle with you
24:34without thinking of a cop getting tortured and getting his ear cut off.
24:37Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.
24:40Mr. Blonde's theatrical singing along with the tune
24:43before engaging in the most savage barbarity
24:45is just the kind of thing that epitomizes Tarantino's oeuvre.
24:48And has this scene stuck in our heads right along with this song.
24:52I'm corny, well, I'll be right back.
24:55Number 21, Twist and Shout, Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
25:03This song has been covered many, many times.
25:06Perhaps most famously by the Beatles.
25:08And while the fab form may have produced the version performed here,
25:11it's Ferris Bueller lip-syncing the words.
25:17His energetic performance and charisma are so infectious,
25:21it gets the entire parade, the crowd, and bystanders singing along
25:24and performing dances, both impromptu and clearly choreographed.
25:32The unadulterated joy throughout the scene
25:34has become entangled completely with Twist and Shout
25:36to the point where practically everyone
25:38will think of Bueller, Bueller,
25:41whenever they need to shake it on out.
25:49Number 20, A Thousand Miles, White Chicks.
26:03Let's admit it,
26:04most of us immediately think of Terry Crews
26:06the moment we hear the opening notes of this song.
26:09Two decades since the film's release,
26:11Crews has become synonymous with Vanessa Carlton's breakout hit.
26:14While Carlton originated the song,
26:16Crews brought it to life.
26:18And I need you
26:21And I miss you
26:23And now I wonder
26:26His character's over-enthusiastic reaction,
26:29the way he plays out each lyric,
26:31and the overall absurdity of it all
26:32make for a truly unforgettable moment.
26:34Sure, our first response would be similar
26:37to how Marlon Wayans reacts in the scene.
26:39Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles
26:43If I could just see you tonight
26:49But Crews' energy and wholesome charm
26:52quickly add an endearing quality to his performance.
26:55Today, the song's legacy stretches far beyond the film,
26:58with Crews dropping multiple other renditions over the years.
27:01If I could just hold you
27:07Tonight
27:11Number 19
27:12Shake a Tail Feather
27:13The Blues Brothers
27:14Originally recorded in 1963 by the Five Dew Tones group,
27:18this foot-stomping banger of a song
27:19is generally linked with Ray Charles.
27:21In his cover for this cult classic film,
27:23the singer plays a music store owner
27:25with the power to get anyone grooving.
27:27Shake it on, baby
27:30Here we go, loop-de-lock
27:33I know I'll let me see you shake a tail feather
27:36Its irresistible beat compels everyone around
27:38to start dancing like their lives depend on it.
27:41And it's not just the characters on screen.
27:43With Charles in full flow,
27:45we can't help but hip to the jive ourselves.
27:47The scene inspires us to leave all care behind
27:49and submit to the vibe,
27:51tying into the overall theme of The Blues Brothers.
27:54Come on, let's do the trick
28:01I'm twisty
28:03Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it, baby
28:06Number 18
28:07Eye of the Tiger
28:08Rocky III
28:19Want to feel like a winner?
28:20One listen to this timeless masterpiece will do the trick.
28:23Eye of the Tiger doesn't just pump you up,
28:25it inspires you to reach for your dreams
28:27no matter how wild they may be.
28:29Don't lose your grip
28:30on the dreams of the past
28:32You must fight
28:34just to keep them alive
28:37It's deep
28:38Eye of the Tiger
28:39It's the thrill of the fight
28:41Rising up
28:42to the challenge of our rival
28:45The Rocky franchise excels at soundtracks
28:48evoking the central theme of each installment
28:50and this one definitely doesn't miss.
28:52Fittingly, we get a montage of Rocky making it big
28:55while Clubber Lang moves up the ranks to challenge him.
28:57The parallels between the characters
28:59and how they apply to real life
29:00amplify the song's powerful message.
29:02Each build-up to the chorus convinces us
29:04that just like Rocky
29:05we can punch our tickets to the top.
29:08And the last of those survivors
29:10knows he's praying the night
29:12and he's watching us
29:14go in the eye
29:18of the tiger
29:24Number 17.
29:25Mr. Blue Sky
29:26Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
29:28If you're in the mood for some classic
29:30yet underrated songs
29:31the Guardians series has you covered.
29:33Each film opens with a track that sets the mood
29:35and Mr. Blue Sky does the honors for the second entry.
29:55On the face of it,
29:56battling a violent space monster
29:58doesn't exactly sound like the setup for a good time.
30:00But with soft, upbeat tunes from Electric Light Orchestra
30:03keeping us company
30:04we can see why Baby Groot's having so much fun.
30:06He might be a tiny baby alien
30:08but Groot shows us how to dance all our troubles away.
30:10Welcome to the human race
30:14The celebration
30:15It's the blue skies up there waiting
30:18And today
30:19Is the day we've waited for
30:22The song matches the team's knack
30:24for landing themselves into trouble
30:25while capturing their ability
30:27to find a way out every time.
30:29Number 16.
30:30Deo
30:30The Banana Boat Song
30:32Beetlejuice
30:43Ever find yourself cutting loose
30:45to a song that just gets you?
30:46Something sort of like that happens in Beetlejuice.
30:49Hoping to scare off the house's new residents,
30:51ghostly duo Adam and Barbara
30:53take them for a wacky musical ride.
30:55Before anyone knows it,
30:56they're compelled to sway along
30:57to wherever Harry Belafonte's vocals take them.
31:00Daylight come and be one go home
31:03Come Mr. Tallyman
31:06Tally me banana
31:07Though as bizarre as intended,
31:10its vibe provides a sense of peace
31:11we can't shake off.
31:13It also helps that everyone
31:14seems to be having the time of their life.
31:17Thanks to the cast's eccentric choreography,
31:19fans now associate the song
31:20with the wonderfully weird world of Beetlejuice.
31:23Day
31:24He's a day
31:27Daylight come and be one go home
31:30Number 15
31:31Old Time Rock and Roll
31:32Risky Business
31:33Tom Cruise's death-defying stunts
31:36have cemented him as an action icon.
31:38But for many fans,
31:39he'll always be the boy singing and dancing his heart out
31:42to Bob Seger's ode to rock and roll.
31:44Cruise had previously appeared in a few notable roles,
31:46but Risky Business catapulted him into the big leagues.
31:49And if there's any scene immortalized from this movie,
31:52it has to be this one.
31:53Just take those old records off the shelf
31:56I said listen to him by myself
32:00For many teenagers,
32:02getting the house to themselves
32:02is like a wonderful dream come true.
32:05Here, Cruise's character portrays that sense of freedom,
32:08embodying an infectiously relatable youthful energy.
32:11That kind of music just soothes my soul
32:14I reminisce about the days of old
32:18With that old time of rock and roll
32:21Thanks to the actor's iconic moves,
32:23the song has come to symbolize the carefree spirit
32:26that reminds us to live in the moment.
32:28Number 14
32:29All-Star
32:30Shrek
32:31Somebody once told me
32:33the world is gonna roll me
32:35I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed
32:39You couldn't ask for a better song
32:41to launch the Shrek franchise.
32:43The intro encapsulates everything that makes Shrek,
32:46well, Shrek.
32:47This ogre is as unapologetically himself
32:49as the track that accompanies the scene.
32:51Smash Mouth's chart-topping hit
32:53blends mischief with a whole lot of fun,
32:55setting viewers up for the series' brand of humor.
33:05Because of its meme-able quality,
33:08All-Star has remained alive and kicking decades later,
33:10but the song owes much of its popularity to Shrek himself,
33:14as the protagonist's antics bring out the song's oomph factor.
33:17His unfiltered charm and rebellious spirit
33:19springboarded the song into its own corner in pop culture history.
33:22Hey now, you're an all-star
33:24Get your game on
33:26Go play
33:27Hey now, you're a rock star
33:29Get the show on
33:30Get paid
33:32And all that little you've got
33:35Number 13
33:36I've Had the Time of My Life
33:38Dirty Dancing
33:39Nobody puts baby in a corner
33:42Some, it's fine, crazy
33:44Patrick Swayze's classic quote
33:46leads into an equally unforgettable performance.
33:49While the song is about young love blossoming,
33:51it was Swayze and Jennifer Grey
33:52who inspired an entire generation to follow their hearts.
33:55The film's climactic scene hits all the right notes,
33:58with the protagonists bearing their love for the world to see.
34:01So I'll tell you something
34:06This could be love
34:08Because
34:11I had
34:12The time of my life
34:15I never felt this way before
34:19The marriage between music and dance strikes an emotional chord,
34:23and that sentiment persists to this day.
34:26By the time the curtain falls on their triumphant performance,
34:28the actors had permanently etched their names in film history.
34:32Because
34:34I
34:36The time of my life
34:39Oh, I never felt this way before
34:43This I swear
34:45This I swear
34:46It's your truth
34:47And I
34:49Owe it all to you
34:51For
34:53Number 12
34:54Oh, Pretty Woman
34:55Pretty Woman
34:56Not going with the song would have been a big mistake.
34:59Big.
35:00Huge.
35:01Especially since it inspired the film's title.
35:03Fast forward a few decades, though,
35:05and the first person you think of with the song is Julia Roberts.
35:08Set against the backdrop of her character's makeover,
35:10Vivian overcomes her fears and embraces the finer life that Beverly Hills offers.
35:14Pretty Woman
35:16Walking down the street
35:18Pretty Woman
35:19The kind I like to meet
35:22Pretty Woman
35:24I don't believe you
35:26It's optimistic, celebratory vibe mirrors Vivian's character arc,
35:30putting her on the path to reinventing herself.
35:33The song's old-time charm exudes a sense of class that her heroine demonstrates,
35:37turning heads along the way.
35:38Pretty Woman
35:47While all that glitz and glamour plays its part,
35:50it's her newfound self-confidence that truly makes this woman pretty,
35:54inside and out.
35:55I was in here yesterday.
35:57You wouldn't wait on me?
35:58Oh.
35:58You work on commission, right?
36:00Yes.
36:02Big mistake.
36:04Big.
36:04Huge.
36:05I have to go shopping now.
36:09Pretty Woman
36:11Don't walk on bikes
36:12Pretty Woman
36:14Number 11.
36:15Johnny B. Goode
36:16Back to the Future
36:17How do you make an old song feel new?
36:19You hop back 30 years on a time-traveling DeLorean, that's how.
36:23With the central conflict resolved,
36:25Marty finally gets to play the type of music he's passionate about.
36:28Alright guys, listen to some blues riff and be,
36:30watch me for the changes and try and keep up, okay?
36:32Of course, he gets a bit too enthusiastic about it,
36:35as his rendition of Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode goes off the rails.
36:39Berry's original was already a classic by the time of Back to the Future's release.
36:42Way down in Louisiana, down in New Orleans,
36:45Way back up in the woods among the evergreens,
36:48There stood a long cabin made of earth and wood,
36:51Where lived a country boy named Johnny B. Goode,
36:54Who never ever learned to read or write so well,
36:56He could play a guitar just like he's ringing a bell, go, go.
37:00But its inclusion in the film cemented its legacy for future generations.
37:05Marty's unrestrained, electrifying performance perfectly sums up the song's thematic qualities.
37:09And if it ever gets too much for you,
37:11just remember, your kids are definitely gonna love it.
37:14I can't guess you guys aren't ready for that yet.
37:18But your kids are gonna love it.
37:27Few directors use music in their films to such iconic success as Quentin Tarantino.
37:38His music selection is as varied as it is perfect for each scene.
37:45It's because of Mr. Tarantino that whenever Chuck Berry's You Never Can Tell starts to play,
37:50our body automatically starts to do the twist.
37:58Followed by some pretty impressive hand swipes in front of our eyes moves as well.
38:02Not only did Pulp Fiction rejuvenate John Travolta's career,
38:05it also gave audiences a chance to see him dancing again.
38:14And that dance and that song are now forever linked.
38:23Number 9. Try a Little Tenderness, Pretty in Pink.
38:34Without a doubt, the greatest performance of Otis Redding's Try a Little Tenderness
38:38is by Andrew Strong and the rest of the band in the 1991 film The Commitments.
38:52However, as amazing as it was,
38:54our forever connection to the song had already been imprinted in our movie minds
38:58five years earlier with the release of the film Pretty in Pink.
39:08And while John Cryer, unlike the Commitments band, doesn't actually sing the song,
39:13his lip-sync performance around the record store was one for the ages.
39:26As if we needed another reason to love Ducky, right?
39:29This is a very good tune.
39:30My mother used to sing this.
39:31This is Otis.
39:32I love Otis.
39:33We're closed.
39:34Number 8. Wise Up, Magnolia.
39:36What you want?
39:38For some people, it's jarring in musicals when characters randomly break into song.
39:43When I was nine, I fell in love, this Peace Corps guy.
39:48So imagine when it happens in a film that isn't a musical.
39:52It's not good to start till you was love.
40:02Well, at least in the case of Paul Thomas Anderson's 1999 masterpiece Magnolia,
40:07it's both jarring and mesmerizing, and completely unforgettable.
40:23At first, it appears like it might just be one character singing in her apartment.
40:27But then, as we cut to another person, and another, and another,
40:30Prepare a list for what you need before you sign away the deed
40:37Cause it's not going to stop
40:42The reality of the situation dissipates, and the cinematic artistry grabs hold.
40:47Hearing Amy Mann's Wise Up will always bring to mind the images of this grief-filled sing-along.
40:52No, it's not going to stop
40:55So just give up
40:59Number 7. In Your Eyes, Say Anything
41:10Did you know that the famous boombox scene from Say Anything
41:13was originally scored with the song Question of Life by the brilliant band Fishbone?
41:24And while it might be a good song, we agree with Cameron Crowe, who, after watching the scene,
41:29decided that it just didn't work.
41:30That's when Crowe decided to go with Peter Gabriel's In Your Eyes,
41:34and the rest is movie music history.
41:45As Gabriel himself has even admitted, he and John Cusack are now, quote,
41:50sort of trapped together in a minuscule moment of contemporary culture.
42:02Number 6. Unchained Melody
42:04Ghost
42:05I'll just let the clay slide between your fingers.
42:08Unchained Melody was originally written for the 1955 prison movie Unchained.
42:13Time goes by so slowly
42:20And time can do so much
42:24And until 1990, there might have been movie fans who couldn't separate the song from that film from decades earlier.
42:30But in overall pop culture, those Unchained associations went out the window with the release of Ghost and one now
42:37legendary scene.
42:50You know the one.
42:51What are you doing?
42:52And not only did the film forever cement our associations with this beautiful song, particularly the Righteous Brothers version,
42:58It has also forever heightened our appreciation for the romantic power of working with clay.
43:03Who knew that pottery could be so darn sexy?
43:08Oh no. I hope it wasn't a masterpiece.
43:13Well, it's not now.
43:18I think we'll go with a little Bohemian Rhapsody, gentlemen.
43:26Good call.
43:27Why do so many 90s kids know the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody?
43:31Why do we always headbang during the guitar solo?
43:36Two words.
43:37Wayne's World.
43:44And we have Mike Myers to thank for this one.
43:49Both the studio and Lorne Michaels were pushing for a Guns N' Roses song to be used for the now
43:54iconic headbanging car scene.
43:55But Myers was not having it.
43:57No way.
43:58Way.
44:13He even threatened to quit the movie if they didn't use Bohemian Rhapsody for the scene.
44:17Obviously, he got his way, and we got one of the greatest moments in comedy, movie, and music history combined.
44:31Number 4. Tiny Dancer. Almost Famous.
44:40Elton John's beautiful song has been a part of the pop culture landscape since its release in 1971.
44:45However, it was the song's inclusion in the film Almost Famous, almost three decades after its initial release,
44:51that has since ingrained it into our cinematic subconscious.
45:04And director Cameron Crowe knew he had something from the first take.
45:09As he said in an interview, quote,
45:13Indeed, they could feel it on set, and we can feel it each and every time we watch the scene.
45:18Lookin' on, she sings her songs, the words she knows, the tune she owns.
45:29And since then, every time we hear the song, we're back on that bus.
45:33To paraphrase Penny Lane, we're home.
45:36Hold me close, a tiny dancer.
45:40I have to go home.
45:42Count the headlights on the highway.
45:47You are home.
45:49Number 3. Where is my mind? Fight Club.
45:51Everything's gonna be fine.
45:57Yes, we know the first two rules.
45:58The first rule of Fight Club is, you do not talk about Fight Club.
46:02But for this next song, we have to talk about Fight Club.
46:05When you're feet on the air, you'll get it on the ground.
46:11Because since 1999, we haven't been able to hear Where Is My Mind by Pixies,
46:16and not think about, remember, contemplate, talk about Fight Club.
46:20Try this trick and spin it.
46:24Yeah.
46:24Particularly that last scene over which the song plays,
46:27as Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter stand there holding hands,
46:31watching the city explode around them.
46:32It might have been a strange time in Norton's character's life,
46:36but whenever we hear Where Is My Mind,
46:38we immediately go back to that time in our lives when we watch this movie.
46:41And if you haven't seen it yet, you will too.
46:47Number 2. Can't Take My Eyes Off You.
46:5010 Things I Hate About You.
46:56There are so, so many things we love about rom-coms.
46:59Do you even know my name, screwboy?
47:02I know a lot more than you think.
47:04But one of the best tropes these films provide is the big apology and or declaration of love scene.
47:09Cat, it wasn't like that, okay?
47:11Really, what was it like? A down payment now and then a bonus for sleeping with me?
47:14No, I didn't care about the money, okay? I cared...
47:17I cared about you.
47:18And in 1999's 10 Things I Hate About You,
47:22we get one from each of our main characters.
47:24From Julia Stiles' Katarina Kat Stratford,
47:26we get the famous poem from which the film gets its name.
47:29I hate it when you're not around and the fact that you didn't call.
47:33But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you.
47:36Not even close.
47:37Not even a little bit.
47:39Not even at all.
47:41And from Heath Ledger's Patrick Verona,
47:43we get his grand rendition of Can't Take My Eyes Off You
47:46with the help of the high school marching band.
47:48I love you, baby.
47:51And if it's quite alright,
47:53I need you, baby.
47:55To warm the lonely night.
47:57For a generation of teen rom-com lovers,
47:59this song will always go hand-in-hand with Ledger dancing,
48:02singing, and eventually running from security in the stands.
48:05Let me love you.
48:17Whether you're a brain, an athlete, a basket case,
48:20a princess, or a criminal,
48:22If you've seen The Breakfast Club,
48:25then the Simple Minds song Don't You Forget About Me
48:27will always be emotionally attached to said film.
48:30Don't you forget about me
48:35The song plays,
48:36and it's an almost involuntary action that our right arms make,
48:39fist-pumping into the air like Judd Nelson's does
48:42in the final moments of the movie.
48:44Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't you forget about me
48:50The movie and song are so entwined with each other
48:53that Pitch Perfect honored the pairing
48:55in their climactic musical scene some 27 years later.
49:07Is there a movie scene whose song
49:09you immediately thought of that we forgot?
49:11The hippest slash squarest thing you can do
49:13is share your picks in the comments.
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