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Movies that monopolize a song

post #1 of 199
6/30/10 at 12:03pm
Thread Starter 
Apologies if this has been covered before; I did do a search.

What I'm thinking of: songs that are used so iconically in a film they're forever linked to that film in a way that practically forbids any other movie to use them, other than perhaps parodic use. (Also, songs that weren't written specifically for the film, which disqualifies theme songs or stuff like Aimee Mann's "Save Me" or basically any song that was eligible for a Best Song Oscar nomination.)

The obvious ones to start off:

"Stuck in the Middle with You" - Reservoir Dogs
"Layla" (piano coda) - GoodFellas
"In Your Eyes" - Say Anything

In the classical realm, "Also Sprach Zarathustra" from 2001, though that's been re-used tons of times parodically.
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post #2 of 199
6/30/10 at 12:06pm
My wife so loves Singin' in the Rain, I'm genuinely afraid to show her A Clockwork Orange.
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post #3 of 199
6/30/10 at 12:08pm
Thread Starter 
Yeah, that's an example of a song so iconic you forget it wasn't written for the movie; "Singin' in the Rain" was first heard onscreen in Hollywood Revue Of 1929.
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post #4 of 199
6/30/10 at 12:12pm
'Tiny Dancer' by Elton John: 'Almost Famous'.
'Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen: 'Wayne's World'.

I wouldn't call it iconic, but Van Halen's 'Dance the Night Away' always reminds me of 'Mission to Mars'.
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post #5 of 199
6/30/10 at 12:13pm
Let's not forget Jeremy Smith's pretty great article on the subject from a few years back.
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post #6 of 199
6/30/10 at 12:14pm
It's just funny how our minds are wired that you mention that title, she thinks of Gene Kelly and I think of Malcolm McDowell raping someone.
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post #7 of 199
6/30/10 at 12:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson View Post
It's just funny how our minds are wired that you mention that title, she thinks of Gene Kelly and I think of Malcolm McDowell raping someone.
You say potato...

And yeah, 'A Clockwork Orange' DID ruin the song for my Dad. You probably made a good call, Richard.
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post #8 of 199
6/30/10 at 12:36pm
Not that it turns up on the radio much, but a whole lotta Beethoven got monopolized by A Clockwork Orange.
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post #9 of 199
6/30/10 at 12:39pm
I can't listen to Vivaldi's Winter without immediately wanting to pull some fool's teeth out with a hammer.
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post #10 of 199
6/30/10 at 12:39pm
In a similar vein, Ravel's "Bolero" in "10".

EDIT: In response to Phil, not nooj.
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post #11 of 199
6/30/10 at 12:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson View Post
In a similar vein, Ravel's "Bolero" in "10".

EDIT: In response to Phil, not nooj.
I say Rashomon owns it title and deed.
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post #12 of 199
6/30/10 at 12:46pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Coombs View Post
Let's not forget Jeremy Smith's pretty great article on the subject from a few years back.
Well, shit. Sorry bout that.

I'll come up with an original thread topic one of these days...
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post #13 of 199
6/30/10 at 12:47pm
Seger's "Old Time Rock'n'Roll" and RISKY BUSINESS.
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post #14 of 199
6/30/10 at 12:49pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil View Post
Not that it turns up on the radio much, but a whole lotta Beethoven got monopolized by A Clockwork Orange.
Not to mention Purcell's "Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary," aka the opening-title music and unofficial Alex theme song. When it turned up years later, un-Moog-ized, in The Young Poisoner's Handbook it made me sit up a bit.
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post #15 of 199
6/30/10 at 12:49pm
Also went to the link: excellent call on CCR's "Bad Moon Rising." Irrevocably linked to Baker's fantastic work in AMERICAN WEREWOLF.
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post #16 of 199
6/30/10 at 12:54pm
Thread Starter 
Yeah, that article really points up that there are certain directors (or at least their music coordinators) who have a great sense for what song will work for a particular moment.

I'd say Rules of Attraction now owns "Faith" and "Without You," but I recognize I'm one of two fans of that film, Roger Avary being the other.
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post #17 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:01pm
Five Easy Pieces owns quite a few Tammy Wynette songs (though the Lyle Lovett cover of "Stand By Your Man" is used to great meta effect in The Crying Game).

"Hurdy Gurdy Man" is pretty much done after Zodiac.

Honestly, I'm always bummed when any song is used effectively in a film, only to turn up again elsewhere.
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post #18 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Judas Booth View Post
'Tiny Dancer' by Elton John: 'Almost Famous'.
Ooh, yeah. That's also one of those "scenes that remind me why I love movies" for me.

I'll throw in "Woo Hoo" by the 5,6,7,8s. I don't care if its being used by Vonage now, I can't hear that song without Japanese teens bopping around in the House of Blue Leaves.
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post #19 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:05pm
In addition to Also Sprach Zarathustra, I can't think of the Blue Danuebe Waltz without making the connection to 2001.
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post #20 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Blank View Post

I'd say Rules of Attraction now owns "Faith" and "Without You," but I recognize I'm one of two fans of that film, Roger Avary being the other.
Count me in as well.
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post #21 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:12pm
"Just Like Honey" by The Jesus and Mary Chain - Lost in Translation

"Gimme Shelter" - The filmography of Martin Scorsese. I don't think anyone else is allowed to use this song, but Marty can use it in every god damn movie he wants.
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post #22 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:13pm
I think just about anything from Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction falls into this category.

Also that Roger Waters / Van Morrison version of Comfortably Numb from The Departed.
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post #23 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:14pm
Christmas in Hollis (Run DMC) - Die Hard
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post #24 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:14pm
'You've Lost that Loving Feeling' from 'Top Gun'
'Unchained Melody' from 'Ghost'
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post #25 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:19pm
"Sussudio" belongs to "American Psycho."
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post #26 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bradito View Post
"Sussudio" belongs to "American Psycho."
Nice call. I kinda feel like it also owns "Walking on Sunshine".
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post #27 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:23pm
Was that song from Ferris Bueller's Day Off (you know the one dammit... chikka chikaaaaahhhh) made specifically for the movie? I have no idea what the name of it is...

ETA: How bout Power of Love from Back to the Future?
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post #28 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:25pm
Hell, "American Psycho" ruined plenty of Phil Collins for me. I'm ok with that.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattioli View Post
Nice call. I kinda feel like it also owns "Walking on Sunshine".
Just about to type that!
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post #29 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gobblox View Post
Was that song from Ferris Bueller's Day Off (you know the one dammit... chikka chikaaaaahhhh) made specifically for the movie? I have no idea what the name of it is...
"Oh Yeah" by Yello. Not made for Bueller, but certainly owned by it.
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post #30 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil View Post
Honestly, I'm always bummed when any song is used effectively in a film, only to turn up again elsewhere.
They weren't songs, but I felt the same way when John Murphy reused his cues from Sunshine and 28 Days Later in Kick-Ass, and when Gustavo Santaolalla used Iguazu in Babel when I had fully identified that piece with The Insider.
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post #31 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gobblox View Post
ETA: How bout Power of Love from Back to the Future?
As the resident Huey Lewis expert, I can tell you that "Power of Love", if not written for Back to the Future, was an exclusive to that film. So, I'm not sure if it counts.
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post #32 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:29pm
Chungking Express and California Dreamin'. Though that might be a case of a song monopolising a movie rather than the other way around. I enjoy both the song and film, but a man can only take so much California fucking Dreamin' in one sitting!!
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post #33 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattioli View Post
As the resident Huey Lewis expert, I can tell you that "Power of Love", if not written for Back to the Future, was an exclusive to that film. So, I'm not sure if it counts.
Wasn't that song nominated for Best Song?

eta: confirmed, it was nominated.
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post #34 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:34pm
I don't think it was ever used IN the movie, but dammit if MIA's "Paper Planes" didn't fit perfectly with the trailer for Pineapple Express.

Oh, how about that "I Need a Hero" song used in Short Circuit 2!

OHOHOH, and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" for Mannequin. Probably used for Mannequin 2: On the Move as well.
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post #35 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:37pm
Let it Snow. Die Hard.
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post #36 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:40pm
"When Johnny Comes Marching Home" - Die Hard With a Vengeance
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post #37 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gobblox View Post
OHOHOH, and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" for Mannequin. Probably used for Mannequin 2: On the Move as well.
That was written specifically for the first movie.
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post #38 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:44pm
Was it really? Dammit. My one excuse to type out Mannequin 2: On the Move is a fail.

Probably doesn't fit this thread... but that damn "Walk the Dinosaur" song is forever linked to the Super Mario Bros. movie. For me.
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post #39 of 199
6/30/10 at 1:46pm
Paper Planes was used in Slumdog Millionaire to great effect (the musical cues in that film were brilliant). I thought I was getting sick of that song, but nope, worked like gangbusters in it. And yeah, the PE trailer uses it fantastically, too.

And I definitely can't listen to 'Stuck in the Middle with You' and not want to take some fool's ear off. Tarantino has a gift for putting in music that you probably never heard before and making it a classic. That god damn 'whoo-hoo' song from KB was used in that Vonage commercial and again, wanted to kill me some fools whenever I saw it.
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post #40 of 199
6/30/10 at 2:23pm
HELLBOY 2 owns the shit out of "Can't Smile Without You".

Not a movie, but aside from GHOSTBUSTERS, the It's Always Sunny episode "The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis" now owns the shit out of "Ghostbusters".
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post #41 of 199
6/30/10 at 2:28pm
If we're going to bring TV into it, we have to acknowledge the fact that the various CSI shows have monopolized the Who.
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post #42 of 199
6/30/10 at 2:30pm
"Sister Christian" and "Jessie's Girl" in Boogie Nights.

That Popeye song used in Punch Drunk Love.
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post #43 of 199
6/30/10 at 2:32pm
Back to the Future's infamous use of "Johnny B. Goode".

In your face, Anthony Michael Hall and Johnny Be Good.
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post #44 of 199
6/30/10 at 2:33pm
"Puttin' On The Ritz" - I can't not think of Peter Boyle whenever I (rarely) hear that song.

"Battle without Honor or Humanity" will always be married with Kill Bill, and if I never hear it again I'll manage to survive.

ETA: "Born to be Wild" - Easy Rider. And if this is in that article, I didn't read it.
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post #45 of 199
6/30/10 at 2:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott View Post
HELLBOY 2 owns the shit out of "Can't Smile Without You".

Not a movie, but aside from GHOSTBUSTERS, the It's Always Sunny episode "The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis" now owns the shit out of "Ghostbusters".
That's okay. Nowadays when I think of Ghostbusters, the first song that pops in my head is ""Cleanin' Up The Town" by the Busboys.

Not as iconic as the others on this thread but whoever thought to put Queen's "The Hero" in "Observe and Report" is a fucking genius. God, I love that scene.
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post #46 of 199
6/30/10 at 2:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gatorboy View Post
That's okay. Nowadays when I think of Ghostbusters, the first song that pops in my head is ""Cleanin' Up The Town" by the Busboys.

Not as iconic as the others on this thread but whoever thought to put Queen's "The Hero" in "Observe and Report" is a fucking genius. God, I love that scene.
Also, "Don't Stop Me Now" in Shaun of the Dead was a master lesson in how to use popular music in a movie.
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post #47 of 199
6/30/10 at 2:42pm
I always liked Donnie Darko's use of "Head Over Heels".

Doubly so when you rewatch and the whole "tiiiiiiime fliiiiiiiieeeesss" bit at the end of the song.

ETA: "Rhythm of the Night" for Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon.
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post #48 of 199
6/30/10 at 2:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gatorboy View Post
Not as iconic as the others on this thread but whoever thought to put Queen's "The Hero" in "Observe and Report" is a fucking genius. God, I love that scene.
I've yet to see 'Observe and Report', but this little bit of info just put it to the top of my list. Thank you.
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post #49 of 199
6/30/10 at 2:57pm
"Dont Stop me now", Shaun of the Dead.

Yelling "Kill the Queen!" will never be the same.
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post #50 of 199
6/30/10 at 3:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Judas Booth View Post
I've yet to see 'Observe and Report', but this little bit of info just put it to the top of my list. Thank you.
"It's Late" is another Queen song in that movie and it's placed perfectly. Fucking amazing flick.
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