Music and movies go together like spaghetti and meatballs.
Throughout the years, movies have featured songs that forever become linked with key scenes or even the film as a whole. “Almost Famous” featured a singalong scene that revived Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer,” while “My Heart Will Go On,” will always remind people of the tragedy depicted in “Titanic.”
As “Almost Famous” turns 16 on September 13, here’s a look at songs that immediately bring up memories of the film it was featured in.
Elton John – “Tiny Dancer” from “Almost Famous”
Elton John had a hit with his song “Tiny Dancer” in 1972, but it was “Almost Famous” that brought the song back to life and helped it reach both Gold then Platinum status.
In “Almost Famous,” the band moves on from a fight after they all break out into song on their tour bus while “Tiny Dancer” plays. It’s hard to imagine this scene with any other song and the two are now forever linked thanks to Cameron Crowe.
Peter Gabriel – “In Your Eyes” from “Say Anything”
Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) holding the boom box with “In Your Eyes” blasting remains an iconic music moment in movie history.
The movie moment not only set forth a new romantic gesture precedent, but “In Your Eyes” also took off commercially because of the film.
“In Your Eyes” became the first Gold certified single in Gabriel’s solo career in 2005 and the song continues to callback to “Say Anything.”
Berlin – “Take My Breath Away” from “Top Gun”
“Top Gun” had an excellent soundtrack in 1986 highlighted by Kenny Loggins “Danger Zone” and of course Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away.”
“Take My Breath Away” was the love song of the film and always serves as a reminder of the romance between Maverick (Tom Cruise) and Charlie (Kelly McGillis).
The track earned an Academy Award for best original song and was later certified Gold. “Take My Breath Away” also went down as one of the biggest tracks of the 80s.
Celine Dion – “My Heart Will Go On” from “Titanic”
Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” will always serve as reminder of the love story between Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet) in “Titanic” and the fact that there was room for two people on that door, Rose.
“My Heart Will Go On” took the country by storm in 1997 and quickly became Dion’s biggest hit. It’s also one of the biggest selling singles of all-time.
“My Heart Will Go On” and “Titanic” were both major blockbusters and will always go hand-in-hand with one another.
Queen – “Bohemian Rhapsody” from “Wayne’s World”
“I think we’ll go with a little ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ gentlemen.”
Queen’s popular single became a worldwide hit in 1975 and many grew up with the song blaring from their stereos. The song would regain it’s prominence with later generations thanks to its use in the movie “Wayne’s World.”
The song plays as Wayne (Mike Myers) and his friends drive around their hometown of Aurora, Illinois. Whenever you hear the track played now, you can see people banging their head along with the song just as the characters did in the car in the movie.
Bee Gees – “Staying Alive” from “Saturday Night Fever”
The Bee Gees were all over the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack and it’s easy to trace back songs like “You Should Be Dancing,” “How Deep is Your Love,” and “More Than A Woman,” back to the film.
However, whenever “Stayin’ Alive,” is played it’s hard to not flashback to the opening credits of the movie where John Travolta’s character Tony Manero walking down the street as the song plays.
Just like you can’t have peanut butter and jelly without each other, it’s hard to not always tie together “Stayin’ Alive” and “Saturday Night Fever.”
Seal – “Kiss From a Rose” from “Batman Forever”
Val Kilmer as Batman might be easy to forget, but Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose” from the soundtrack is not. The singer went on to have a No. 1 single and one of the most memorable songs from the 90s.
“Kiss From a Rose” went on to win Grammy Awards for record of the year, song of the year and best male pop vocal performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards following the release of the movie in 1995.
Good luck hearing the song and not having the image of Seal singing in front of the Bat-signal from the music video pop into your brain.
Simon and Garfunkel – “Mrs. Robinson” from “The Graduate”
It’s really hard to think about Simon and Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson” without thinking of 1967’s “The Graduate.”
Ben Braddock gets involved in an affair with Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bacroft) in the film, hence the name of the song. Different variations “Mrs. Robinson” are sprinkled all throughout the movie, leading up to the famous ending where Ben speeds to stop the wedding of Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, Elaine (Katharine Ross).
“Mrs. Robinson” remains one the most popular songs of the folk duo and Simon and Garfunkel took home a Grammy Award for record of the year in 1969 for the track.
Survivor – “Eye of the Tiger” from “Rocky III”
The first “Rocky” movie gave birth to one of the most memorable movie theme songs and a track that will forever be played in sports stadiums. “Rocky III ” then helped deliver another song sure to get people fired up with Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger.”
While he’s training to face off against Thunderlips (Hulk Hogan), “Eye of the Tiger” plays in one of the best training montages of the film series.
The song has been certified Platinum twice and went on to basically be Survivor’s lone hit song. Stallone originally wanted Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust,” for the scene, but after being denied by Queen Stallone settled on “Eye of the Tiger.”
Thanks God!
Night Ranger – “Sister Christian” from “Boogie Nights”
Night Ranger’s power ballad “Sister Christian” was a hit single when it came out in 1984 and spent 24 weeks on the Billboard charts. When “Boogie Nights” came out in 199, the song found new life and in a way a different way for people to remember it.
When Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) and Todd Parker (Thomas Jane) went to the house of drug dealer Rahad Jackson (Alfred Molina) to rob him, “Sister Christian” was the song that played throughout the house.
Jackson loved the song and air drummed the big build up to the chorus in one of the best parts of the movie.The drug dealer would eventually put on Rick Springfield’s “Jessie Girl” before Diggler and Parker’s robbery goes wrong.
Franke Previte and Rachele Capelli – “(I’ve Had) The Time of my Life” from “Dirty Dancing”
Before the Black Eyed Peas nearly ruined the song, Frank Previte and Rachele Capelli’s “(I’ve Had) The Time of my Life” was a go-to love song likely played at hundreds of weddings.
The song has “Dirty Dancing” to thank for it becoming such a popular and iconic track. “(I’ve Had) The Time of my Life” forever became immortalized in one of the most memorable scenes from the movie.
When Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) gets Baby (Jennifer Grey) out of the corner and the two dance together on stage in the movie’s climax, it’s the track the two make waves with at Kellermans.
The song went on to win an Academy Award for best original song in 1988 and also a Grammy for best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals.
