I was just surfing around the web tonight and I came across this interesting list. Actually, the topic is more interesting than the list itself, but the list provides a nice launching point for the discussion. The list (which I found over at JamsBio) addresses the best music moments in film.
Music has always played an important role in movies (back to the silent film era) and yet it’s not really something talked about on film websites all that often. Anyway, here is the list they give:
1. Say Anything – In Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel) – Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) wants to get the girl (Ione Skye) back. Four words: Boombox over the head.
2. Reality Bites – All I Want is You (U2) – Lelaina Pierce (Winona Ryder) and Troy Dyer (Ethan Hawke) suffer a setback in their relationship, All I Want is You chronicles their separation and ultimately, their reunion.
3. Almost Famous – Tiny Dancer (Elton John) – The singing bus ride is infectious and optimistic.
4. A Life Less Ordinary – Leave (R.E.M.) – Climatic moment of the movie in which Celine (Cameron Diaz) and Robert (Ewan McGregor) face impending death. The car chase set to the song is brilliant.
5. Trainspotting – Lust For Life (Iggy Pop) – Best intro to a movie, ever.
6. Any James Bond theme (with a few exceptions) – You can’t hear the songs on the radio without imagining the suave James Bond.
7. The Breakfast Club – Don’t You Forget About Me (Simple Minds) – Best roll the credits song choice, ever.
8. Pulp Fiction – Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon (Urge Overkill) – The lead-up to Uma Thurman’s overdose is a sensual masterpiece thanks to UO’s remake of the Neil Diamond classic.
9. Romeo + Juliet – Kissing You (Des’ree) – The gorgeous introduction of the two star-crossed lovers, Juliet (Claire Danes) and Romeo (Leonardo DiCaprio).
10. Wayne’s World – Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen) – An entire generation rocked out to this hit in their car with their friends after seeing this movie.
Now this isn’t the list I would have put together. Any list I would have done on this same topic would have certainly included the score from the Luke vs Vader lightsaber fight in the Emperor’s throne room in Return of the Jedi, the “This Is Your Song” segment from Moulin Rouge and “The Rainbow Connection” from the Muppet Movie (laugh at me all you want you heartless bastards).
So what about you guys? What are some of your favorite movie music moments of all time?
Death is the Road to Awe – Clint Mansell. from the fountain. The end of the film uses this song to perfection.
In the waiting line – Zero 7. From Garden State, the spin the bottle scene.
Dont Panic – Coldplay. From Garden state, opening scenes.
Let Go – Fro Fro. Garden state final scene/credits.
Too many to mention from Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums.
Locked out – on the lost soundtrack (not quite a film). played at the end of the Boon death episode. Brilliant.
@ Dylan:
I’m so glad to see that someone else thought of Sounds of Silence in The Graduate, as that’s what I was just about to post. The song is played three times in the movie, and each time it’s just perfect.
Jon Brion and Polyphonic Spree – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind. And let’s not forget the wonderful soundtrack of Garden State…when Sam gives her headphones to Largeman and he hears the wonderful music of the Shins playing. Sweet sweet memories……..
Transformers (animated) has some great music movie moments and while the Optimus/The Touch is awesome my fav’s gotta be the Dare! scene with Hotrod, the highlight being when Cup shows up to help Hotrod the music dips out a lil bit then comes back in when Cup transforms and ruins the tanks shit. I love that film.
I also like the use of Bon Jovi in the Young Gun movies and more recently the hard rock used in Iron Man.
Springtime for Hitler from the original The Producers
Putting on the Ritz from Young Frankenstien
I’m Tired from Blazing Sadles
Always look at the Bright side of Life from Monty Python’s Life of Brian
Every Sperm is Sacred from Monty Python’s Meaning of Life
Hooray for Captain Spaulding from Animal Crackers
lion king- be prepared…shit was amazing
lion king 2- deception…youtube it….seriously classic, the antelope solo at the end was classic…
transformers (animated movie)…opening credits theme (still brings a tear to my eye)…and you got the touch scene with optimus kicking ass…
the end of the original matrix with neo on the phone…
men in black 1 opening credits
kill bill 1 and 2…revenge theme
Harold and Kumar 2- My Dick
Oh, I forgot ‘The End’ by The Doors, also in Apocalypse Now.
Helicopters blaring out Ride Of The Valkyries during a raid on a village in Apocalypse Now.
The Kinks – “This Time Tomorrow” The Darjeeling Limited when they’re running towards the train (used in the trailer as well).
“Judy is a Punk” (The Ramones) – The Royal Tenenbaums
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow – The Wizard of Oz
Transformers – the music when the Transformers come to earth
Clerks 2 – every song is used to perfection
Donnie Darko – every song is used to perfection
Young Sherlock Holmes – the song the cult sings
Jackass the Movie – almost every song is used to perfection
Jurassic Park – the music when “welcome…to Jurassic Park!” is said
Indiana Jones theme
James Bond theme
I’m sure I can think of more if I put my mind to it…
One more:
Paul Simon – Sounds Of Silence from The Graduate (and Old School)
what’s with me and Paul Simon today?
a couple not mentioned yet:
Muse – New Born from Haute Tension (probably just because I love that song so much)
Paul Simon – Me & Julio Down By The Schoolyard from Royal Tenenbaums
-Harold and Kumar listening to the Xtreme mix tape after they jack that car. They start singing that Wilson Phillips song “Hold On”. Great stuff.
-Dan In Real Life – “Let my love open the door”
the only thing that comes close to “where is my mind?” at the end of fight club is “ooh la la” at the end of rushmore..
I forgot one. Sorry.
Lets mention a three-peat.
“Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head”, BJ Thomas….
For Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
AND Spider-Man 2 AND
“Clerks II”
My favorite music moment in film and also one of my favorite movie scenes of all time is Rebeka del Rios singing LLorando (Crying) in Mulholland Drive.
Also, what’s up with some of you guys talking about musical scores? The list is about the best music MOMENTS in films ie how a song is used in a particular scene to make the scene more great. Am I wrong in this?
The entire score to “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”..I know that’s a little vague, but its my favorite musical score to a film.
There are lots of excellent mentions. I’d like to add….
The Princess Bride – Once Upon a Time….Storybook Love
The Crowe – Burn by The Cure
The Red Violin – the entire score by John Corigliano
Almost Famous – Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters by Elton John
On The Waterfront – Ending Scene
The Third Man – The Harry Lime reveal
The Big Lebowski – Trippy Dream Sequence
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly – The Ecstasy of Gold/The Trio
There Will Be Blood – The Oil Derrick Explosion
2001: A Space Odyssey – The Blue Danube Waltz
Jaws – “Show Me The Way To Go Home”
Monty Python and the Holy Grail – Knights Of The Round Table
This Is Spinal Tap – Big Bottom
Goodfellas – Layla Exit Theme
Amadeus – The Requiem
Dazed and Confused – Sweet Emotion
V For Vendetta – 1812 Overture
The Warriors – Opening Theme
The Royal Tenenbaums – Hey Jude
The Sting – The Entertainer
Cinema Paradiso – Ending Song
Singing in the Rain, Clockwork Orange
Bright Eyes, Watership Down
The Blues Brothers – the entire movie
Once Upon a Time in the West – Morricone’s best score.
Just about any scene in any Paul Thomas Anderson film, he is a genius at fusing song/music with plot and character in a non-musical. Just one example that pops to mind: The “Jesse’s Girl”/”Sister Christian” scene in “Boogie Nights” was fucking brilliant, using a souple of the most dreadful songs of the 80’s, and just blasting them at full volume as the background while Dirk is trapped in a nightmare drug deal that is spiralling out of control, the songs made you feel as uncomfortable and anxious as his character was in the scene. They helped to create an amazing tension.
hey what about the matrix and rage against the machine at the end credits. pretty awesome.
what about when bombtrack – rage against the machine is used in natural born killers?
That is probably my favourite use of music in any film, the timing with the shotgun hit is perfect.
Top Movie Scores
1. Edward Scissor Hands
2. Glory
3. Last of The Mohicans
4. All of John Williams
5. Braveheart
6. Backdraft
7. Gladiator
8. Lord of The Rings
the good, the bad, and the ugly : by Ennio Morricone
I gotta agree with Joone and Michael, pixies – where is my mind, at the end of fight club. It was the perfect song to end that movie and it was my first time I had ever heard of the pixies and I became a huge fan after hearing that song.
Also the scene in the middle of Magnolia where all the characters start singing that Aimee Mann song, that was so different but so great.
“Trouble” Harold and Maude
I find Cameron Crowe’s use of music in films to be superficial and ham-fisted. I actually like many of the songs he uses, but it’s like he uses them to wrap a cliched aura of awe around scenes that usually seem emotionally lacking otherwise. I realize that this was sort of the whole point in Vanilla Sky, at least, but usually his films just reek of pop culture oversaturation, like he can’t imagine any particular person’s particular emotions without wrapping them within a well-known song from a well-known band that has the hipster-seal-of-approval. “Let us WORSHIP these songs constantly!”–that’s what his films tell me over and over again.
If this is “best use of music in movies” then why don’t we broaden our scope a little bit and think about the small spectrum of music that isn’t composed of routine 3-4 minute pop songs, jeeesh. Amadeus obviously used classical music incredibly well, as did so many of Stanley Kubrick’s movies. The Blade Runner soundtrack/score was also incredible.
I have to admit, though, “Where Is My Mind” at the end of Fight Club was awesome.
Two that instantly come to mind:
Ikiru
The Lives of Others
The Lion King. All of it.
The ballroom scene in Beauty and the Beast.
Moulin Rouge. All of it.
Every Song in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Don’t forget yet another absolute classic….
“Head Over Heels” by Tears For Fears – “Donnie Darko” School Intro.
Bah! Movies that use contemporary music are not worthy of consideration.
Scores like the LOTR, SWs, SuperMan, Braveheart, ST:TMP etc that’s where the true magic lies.
Most of that list, even in that order, I have hardly a problem with. The only two possible exception is the song from A Life Less Ordinary, and Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo +Juliet, but that’s about it.
In place I put this:
“Stuck In The Middle With You” Steelers Wheel Resevior Dogs
“If You Leave”, OMD, Pretty In Pink
And here are my honorables :
11. “Blue Shadows”, The Blasters Streets Of Fire (note: I am a ‘Streets Of Fire’ nut)
12. “Spybreak!” Propellerheads, The Matrix
13. “Atlantis” Donovan Goodfellas Hell, we could be here all fookin’ day on Scorcese…
14.”The Neutron Dance”- Pointer Sisters, Beverly Hills Cop.
and where would life be without
15. “Shout” The Isley Brothers. Animal House
“Ride of the Valkyries” – Apocalypse Now
“Hammer to Fall” by Queen in Highlander
“The End” by the Doors in Apocalypse Now
“The Godfather Theme” by Henry Mancini – Just plain WOW!
The entire Lord of the Rings Soundtrack
“Cavatina” by the Shadows from the Deer Hunter
“You’ve lost that loving feeling” from Top Gun
“Free Falling” by Tom Petty in Jerry Maguire
“Hip to be Square” (I think) by Huey Lewis in American Psycho
and, last one for now, “My Love” by Mark Knoffler in the Princess Bride
One vote for “Johnny B Good” – Chuck Berry – Back to the Future!
Mr Loco – Religious Man, Nacho Libre!!!
Well i haven’t seen half the movies on the list. Of the movies i have seen, Trainspotting, Pulp Fiction and Wayne’s World are obvious choices. And as mentioned before the Fight Club ending with Pixies should be up there. Another one i liked a lot was Donnie Darko ending with Gary Jules-Mad World.
And i believe this is about music not made specifically for movie so we won’t include the Star Wars opening :).
Cheers from Portugal.
Your Song (sung by Ewan McGregor) in Moulin Rouge! Powerful song
and
The Darkness: – I believe in a thing called love (Bridget Jones Diary: The Edge of Reason – When Firth and Grant are fighting….again)
“Aquarius / Let the Sun Shine in” at the end of 40 year old virgin.
Circle of life – elton john in the lion king????
I agree with JOONE:
“Where is my Mind?” (Pixies) in Fight Club
also I’d like to add:
“Don’t You (Forget About Me)” (Simple Minds) at the end of The Breakfast Club
Um…. “Ghost”, the “hot” pot scene?
– “Don’t stop me now” (Queen) in Shaun of the Dead: beating a zombie with cue sticks to the rhythm of that song – how awesome is that?
– “Where is my Mind?” (Pixies) in Fight Club – Best roll the credits song choice, ever.
– “Montage” in Team America – having a song explaining a montage during a montage is just priceless.