Here are my favourite songs that you can hear in the movies...there are a couple of cover versions of previously famous tunes which have been reinvented and made famous by the movie in which they appear but most were written for/first appeared in its respective movie.
**Please note I have deliberately omitted music from animated movies such as Disney or actual musicals (such as movie adaptations of Broadway shows or established musical films like Mary Poppins). This list would have been too hard to compile if I included music rich movies like those.
10. Take My Breath Away - Berlin
This song is famous as being the big love scene song between Kelly McGillis (Charlie) and Tom Cruise (Maverick) from "Top Gun". It's incurably romantic, catchy and instantly recognisable by the synthesiser riff and bass line. Big vocals too from Terri Nunn which I think are quite underrated when you think about all the singers with the big ballads in the 1980s. I'm not sure Berlin did much more than this - not of any major note, anyway. They didn't need to. This was a huge hit! And I love it. The only thing is, now I can't watch that scene without thinking of this recut trailer some cleverdick did on Youtube! Brilliant!
9. The Neverending Story - Limahl
"The Neverending Story" is one of my favourite movies of all time and how can you go past that title track? It is one of the most sing-able songs around with Beth Anderson's vocal hook in the chorus. It conjures up images of magical creatures, drowning horses, beautiful Bavarian landscapes and cute child actors with terrible haircuts! It was written by Georgio Moroder who wrote the whole soundtrack and it has the same intricate, catchy synthesized orchestration as the rest of the score (incidentally, I love the score too and bought the original German soundtrack - I can't even understand the German liner notes!). No wonder it was a No. 1 hit. Limahl (which I found out recently is an anagram for Hamill, the lead singer's surname!) probably never had another hit on his own but I also learned that he was the original lead singer of Kajagoogoo ("too shy shy, hush hush, eye to eye"....he he)
8. It Had To Be You - Harry Connick Jr
It Had To Be You has been covered by hundreds of performers from Frank Sinatra to Elvis Costello, from Ella and Louis to (shudder) Kenny G. Some are great and some are terrible. But I LOVE this version probably the most. The opening is AWESOME with some great playing as usual from the amazing horn players that seem to gravitate towards Harry on everything he puts out. He's the ultimate romantic crooner. And this song is a perfect fit for "When Harry Met Sally" and its cute, quirky little story of friendship and love. H.C.Jr just can't do anything wrong!
7. Standing By - Willis
The "Never Been Kissed" soundtrack is one of my guilty pleasures. I bought it the day after seeing the movie in the cinema, particularly for the John Lennon, Semisonic and Beach Boys tracks on it but ended up loving every song on it (a little bit pathetically!). I particularly love this one. As the opening track on the CD, it makes me want to dance, it's so cheery and happy. It has a prominent piano introduction which is unusual for a pop song. The singer reminds me a bit of John McCrae from Cake with a slightly deadpan voice (who I also love). I can't find anything about this band/singer at all so I'm assuming this was just a one-off or he went on to bigger and better things with another band. It features in the scene where Josie and her teacher Sam (the gorgeous Michael Vartan - always a bonus!) ride the ferris wheel at the school fair. I can't find a music video anywhere on the Net, not even a clip of the scene. Oh well...
6. Wild Wild Life - Wailing Souls
I love this cover of the 1980s Talking Heads song (although I am a fan of Talking Heads). The song is already pretty catchy anyway (even with David Byrne's usual slightly monotonous vocals - he's not the most developed vocalist around!) but this version from the Jamaican bobsledding extravaganza "Cool Runnings" manages to top that already happy, boppy feel and it encapsulates everything that the movie set out to do - make you smile! It fits perfectly! There is something so inherently cool about reggae and I secretly love when reggae artists cover pop/rock songs! :)
5. Don't You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds
I actually knew this song before the first time I saw "The Breakfast Club" in the mid-nineties and I already loved it. But now, the movie is the first thing that pops into my head when I hear the opening bars of that classic Simple Minds introduction. It is a great karaoke classic and brings up such great memories of that iconic ending of the film when geeky Brian's voice over reads the detention kids' letter to their assistant principal Vernon as we see bad boy John Bender walks across the sports field, which I've posted above. One of my favourite movies and a great song!
4. Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life - Eric Idle
The glorious musical joke right at the end of "The Life of Brian" is golden. From its catchy little whistling riff which prompts singalongs to the extreme irony of a man singing it while strung up on a cross, this song and scene are pure cinematic gold. Eric Idle's voice is hilarious. It is totally worth it simply for the line "Life's a piece of shit, when you look at it..."
I know, I'm going to Hell. :)
Although, the opening parody of the film nearly made this list instead for its hilarious piss-take of Bond themes, complete with Terry Gilliam's animation! See it here! "And his face was all spotty..." Hahahaha!
3. Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr
I love love LOVE the synthesized bass riff in this song! It makes the whole song worth it. I really like "Ghostbusters" as a movie; I find Bill Murray simply hilarious, it's silly with some great one-liners, has terrible but amusing special effects involving Marshmallow Men and corpses driving taxis, has a great eighties ensemble cast and this song is a great addition to the movie.
I even arranged it recently for clarinet quartet! :D
The song is worth it even just for the falsetto "Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah" harmonies about halfway through!
2. Miss Celie's Blues (Sister) - Tata Vega
This great Quincy Jones track from Spielberg's "The Colour Purple", a book and film all about female empowerment, is a song I have loved ever since I saw the film when it first came out. Tata Vega has a gorgeous bluesy voice and it encapsulates the character of Shug Avery perfectly, even though Vega is only the voice, not the actress! I remember hearing a school friend once sing this song as a solo in senior music class and loving it, although I'm not sure she did it justice. I would love to perform it myself one day if I ever have the guts. The Colour Purple is close to my heart anyway - I studied the book in school by choice - and so this is a deserving addition to the list.
1. Underground - David Bowie
How could I not include a song from "Labyrinth" here?!! Underground has always been my favourite song in the movie. It appears both at the start when Sarah is running in the rain home and also graces the end credits. It's a crazily orchestrated, almost musical theatre-like number whilst maintaining its hideously embarrassing, cheesy eighties flair, complete with sexy sax solos that make me proud to be a sax player. I friggin' love it! Eighties guitar solos, A-MA-ZING busy basslines in the chorus to accompany to the over-the-top gospel choir and come on! It's Bowie GOLD!
Best song ever!
Hon mention goes to The Ground Beneath Her Feet - U2. Whilst it is in my top ten songs of ALL TIME, I think the movie from which it originates (The Million Dollar Hotel) sucked. So I don't count it in this list as I think it's a song that stands on its own (away from its inferior movie).
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