Music transforms movies. I’m not talking about the score, or songs written for movies like anything Lin-Manuel Miranda does, but the great songs that when you hear them later on the radio or on Spotify, you can’t help but immediately think of a scene from the movie they made better and more memorable. These are the 21 movie songs that I can only associate with a specific scene in a movie.
Bittersweet Symphony - Kathryn Gets Busted In Cruel Intentions
I’ll start here because the scene is just so fantastic. The building momentum of the strings in The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony” fits so well with the slow reveal of Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar) getting her mean girl life turned completely on its head in Cruel Intentions. Not only is her reputation completely trashed, but she’s busted with the cocaine in her crucifix. I could watch the scene over and over with that music. It's a good thing the production paid the insane amount of money they did for the song; nothing else would've worked.
Where Is My Mind - The End Of Fight Club
A perfect example of a classic track, in this case it's The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind” blending into a dramatic scene that elevates the moment to new heights at the end of Fight Club. As the walls literally come down around The Narrator (Edward Norton) and Marla (Helena Bonham Carter), he tells her she’s met him at a very strange time in his life, as Pixies lead singer Black Francis asks everyone “Where is my mind?” Unless you see it in China, where the movie ends very differently.
Layla - Covering Up The Heist In GoodFellas
“Layla,” by Derek and the Dominos was almost 20 years old when GoodFellas was released in 1990, but it still ends up in what I think is actually the best use of a popular song in a movie. In case you’ve forgotten, Jimmy (Robert DeNiro) is cutting all ties between him and the others involved in the Lufthansa heist. One by one, bodies are discovered in a montage as the piano-and-guitar coda of “Layla” plays over it. It almost makes murder look cool.
The End - The Opening Of Apocalypse Now
There may be any opening scene in any movie that sucks you in quite like the opening scene of Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece Apocalypse Now. The wide shot of the jungle being napalmed as the haunting beginning of The Doors' classic "The End" plays over it. Just as the music gets chaotic, so does the movie with Martin Sheen busting his hand open in his hotel room. Brilliant.
Mr. Blue Sky - Opening Scene Of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2
There are a whole bunch of music moments from Guardians of the Galaxy I could choose from the trilogy, as songs are, of course, a key component of the storytelling. For this list, I’ve chosen “Mr. Blue Sky” by the great Electric Light Orchestra that opens Vol. 2. It sets the tone for the movie perfectly. These movies are most of all about having fun, and there’s nothing more fun than this opening scene, and when I hear the tune, I always see Groot dancing.
Fight The Power - Sal Destroys Radio Raheem’s Radio In Do The Right Thing
The use of Public Enemy’s “Fight The Power” in Do The Right Thing is anything but fun. After a long, hot, stressful day, Buggin’ Out (Giancarlo Esposito) and Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn) confront Sal (Danny Aiello) in his pizzeria while blasting the song from the boombox. Not only do the lyrics fit the scene well, but the chaotic nature of it adds a level of desperation to the argument that eventually leads to the tragedy that follows.
Everything In It's Right Place - The Opening To Vanilla Sky
There's a very good chance that I would not have liked Vanilla Sky if not for the epic beginning of the movie with Radiohead's Everything In It's Right Place playing over the montage of Tom Cruise's character starting his day. The song has just the right amount of excitement mixed with forboding to set the tone for the whole movie.
Stuck in the Middle With You - Mr. Blonde Cutting A Cop's Ear Off In Reservoir Dogs
Another movie that brilliantly uses music is Reservoir Dogs, and nowhere is that more true than the happy-go-lucky tones of Steelers Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle With You” during the most violent scene of a very violent movie, when Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) cuts off the ear of a cop he’d tied up and tortured. Something about the contrast between the sweet song and the ultra-violence just works.
Goodbye Horses - Buffalo Bill Getting Dressed In Silence Of The Lambs
There is no way anyone, anywhere, hears the song “Goodbye Horses” by Q Lazzarus and thinks of anything except Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine) getting dressed and dancing in front of the mirror in The Silence of the Lambs. The scene is so iconic that I can’t help but shiver a little when I hear the song, no matter where I am.
Time To Pretend - The Opening Of 21
The opening scene of 21, as the audience is taken on a quick tour of Boston and Cambridge by way of the Charles River is great. The music, "Time To Pretend" by MGMT fits perfectly. It's an upbeat song about having the time of your life, and it's about pretending to be someone else, just like the MIT blackjack team in the movie.
Old Time Rock And Roll - Tom Cruise Dancing In His Underwear In Risky Business
Bob Seger wrote “Old Time Rock and Roll” in 1979 and it became a moderate hit for him, but it was four years later when it was used as the music Tom Cruise dances in his underwear to in Risky Business that it became an American classic. How many times have you heard it and thought about dancing around in your underwear? I know I have, many times.
O-o-h Child - Doughboy Gets Busted In Boyz N The Hood
“O-o-h Child” by the Five Stairsteps is a soul music standard, and when I hear it now, I immediately think about the scene in Boyz N the Hood, when Furious (Laurence Fishburne in a performance that should have gotten him an Oscar) is returning home after a nice day fishing with his son Tre. At first, the song is a nice moment for Furious, but in the context of the movie, it changes almost immediately when they drive by young Dough Boy’s house as he’s getting arrested. Things are going to get better according to the song, but they don’t, really.
Hurricane - Wooderson Walks Into The Emporium In Dazed & Confused
I love Bob Dylan, but now whenever I hear his classic call for justice song, “Hurricane,” I can only think of how cool Wooderson (Matthew McConaughey) and Pink (Jason London) look as they stroll into the Emporium and meet up with the other characters just as the legendary night is getting underway.
In Your Eyes - Outside The Window In Say Anything
An old crush once asked me if I’d ever stood outside a girl’s window and played a song on a jukebox like Lloyd (John Cusack) does in Say Anything. I told her no, but she would’ve been the first to know if I had. You simply cannot hear Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” without immediately picturing Lloyd with the radio above his head in front of his Chevy Malibu.
The Times They Are A-Changin - Opening Credits Of Watchmen
I’m not going to debate whether Zach Snyder’s adaption of the graphic novel Watchmen is well done or not (it is). What I will debate is how great the opening scene is accompanied by Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changin.” 20 years ago it was unthinkable to me that I would think of anything but the 1960s when I heard that song, now all I see is the bloody Smiley Face button.
Flower Duet - Clifford’s Death In True Romance
The most powerful use of music on this list comes from one of the best scenes in movie history. It’s when the “Flower Duet,” from the Léo Delibes opera Lakmé, is played over the True Romance scene between Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken. The music swells as Hopper realizes that no matter what, this confrontation is going to lead to his death. It is an immensely commanding moment and while the music may be over 100 years old, it will, at least for me, be forever connected to this one amazing moment.
Hip To Be Square - Paul Allen’s Murder In American Psycho
Do you like Huey Lewis and the News? If you do, and you’ve never seen American Psycho then you might think twice, because after you do, you will only associate their 1986 hit, “Hip To Square,” with one thing: the murder of Paul Allen (Jared Leto) by Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale). Try getting a reservation at Dorsia now!
Sister Christian - Drug Deal In Boogie Nights
Maybe the most tense I’ve ever felt from a film scene is in Boogie Nights when Dirk (Mark Wahlberg) and the others attempt to con Rahad (Alfred Molina). The stress of the scene, with the fireworks going off and the incredible performance by Molina is enhanced by Night Ranger’s “Sister Christian.” I still get the jitters when I hear the song.
Hurdy Gurdy Man - The First Murder Scene In Zodiac
Speaking of getting the willies, Donavan’s “Hurdy Gurdy Man” will never be the same for me after seeing it used in Zodiac. The way the volume rises on the song as the killer’s car approaches the soon-to-be-murdered couple, then fades as it pulls away, to the relief of the couple, only to rise again as he returns. Yikes! Brilliant!
Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) - Dream Sequence In The Big Lebowski
The Coen brothers are masters of using music to set the tone of their movies. In The Big Lebowski they up the ante by adding two musical vignettes, almost like music videos as dream sequences. The second, with the song “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” has become so classic that when I saw Kenny Rogers in concert (who sings the song with his old band The Third Edition) he even acknowledged it’s what’s made the song so timeless.
Tiny Dancer - The Bus Ride In Almost Famous
“Tiny Dancer” by Elton John is a great song to sing along to. When I’m hitting those high notes all by myself in the car, I feel just like the band Sweetwater in Almost Famous as they travel down the highway on tour in their big bus. It’s just a fun scene after a tense moment, which is perfect for that song.
Pocket Full Of Sunshine - The Opening Scene Of Easy A
In Easy A Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone) declares “Pocket Full of Sunshine” by Natasha Bedingfield to be the “worst song ever” before she hears the earworm of a tune so many times that it becomes her favorite song. That’s kind of exactly how I feel about it, and now when I hear it, the guilty pleasure I enjoy is justified because Olive said it was okay to love it.
Bohemian Rapsody - The Car Ride In Wayne’s World
You knew I couldn’t end this list without including “Bohemian Rhapsody” from Wayne’s World. I’ll fully admit Queen is not my favorite band, and this is not one of my favorite songs, but the scene is so classic that you can’t help but immediately be transported back to seeing it for the first time. Look, see? I’ll bet you’re banging your head right now.
You Should Be Dancing - The Famous Dance Scene In Saturday Night Fever
You can't have this list without including one of the best music movies of all time, and there is no way to here "You Should Be Dancing" by The Bee Gees without thinking of the icon scene of John Travolta taking over the nightclub.
Shipping Off To Boston - Billy Goes Undercover In The Departed
There is no more iconic song about Boston than the Dropkick Murphys' "Shipping Off To Boston" so Martin Scorsese's decision to not only use it in The Departed but where uses it, as Billy (Leonardo DiCaprio) goes into jail to start his undercover work, is perfect.
Tequila - The Bar Scene In Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
There are rumors that a time existed when the song "Tequila" by The Champs was known for some other than Pee-Wee Herman's famous dance in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, but that's hard to believe. The scene is so iconic now, that it's all anyone thinks of, and it's sure to get people dancing like Pee-Wee.
Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) - Dinner Scene In Beetlejuice
Harry Belafonte had a huge hit with "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" back in the day, but it was Beetlejuice that opened it up to a whole new generation. That generation always associates with the amazing scene when the ghosts try to scare the new homeowners off.
Also Sprach Zarathustra - The Opening Of 2001: A Space Odyssey
Composer Richard Strauss could never have predicted what would become of his music work, "Also Sprach Zarathustra" as conceived by the brilliant mind of director Stanley Kubrick. In 2001: A Space Odyssey, it probably becomes very different than what Strauss had in mind. It's so iconic today, that people usually refer to the music as "2001."
You Can't Always Get What You Want - The Funeral In The Big Chill
One of the things that makes the use of The Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" so cool in The Big Chill is that instead of the choir that opens the original version before fading into the song, the movie does it on organ. It's perfect and now the only way I ever want to hear it.
I Got You Babe - The Alarm Clock In Groundhog Day
If there are two things I hate in this world, it's alarm clocks and the Sonny & Cher song "I Got You Babe." It's likely because I connect the two so closely in my mind because of Groundhog Day.
Lust For Life - Opening Scene Of Trainspotting
Director Danny Boyle using "Lust For Life" by Iggy Pop at the beginning of Trainspotting makes it one of the most bombastic openings ever and the chaotic music is perfect for the chaotic nature of the movie.
These Days - Margot Gets Off The Bus In The Royal Tenenbaums
Wes Anderson has a deft touch when it comes music in his movies, and I love a lot of the songs he choses, but for my money, using Nico's "These Days" is probably the best. I love the song, and now I always picture Gwyneth Paltrow in her fur coat.
Great film scores transform movies, but nothing transcends like a well-placed classic pop song like the ones on this list. There are so many more songs I could’ve chosen that I could have 100 more entries. Adding the right song at the right time is the easiest way to make me nostalgic for a time and place, and that includes on film and on television, as well.
