As I’ve acknowledged before, us pop culture geeks love our best-of lists. That’s one of the main joys I got from the High Fidelity book and movie (I haven’t watched the Hulu series), for I too can give you my top 5, say Pearl Jam songs, on a moment’s notice. We love it when a best-of list matches our own sentiments or reminds us of something forgotten. We also say, “hey wait, how can you leave off – (insert, song, movie, TV show, or book here)?
For this list, there were three main things I was looking for. Those movie scenes where the accompanying song really moved me. Those scenes where the song fit perfectly into the action on the screen. And those scenes where the song does not fit; in fact, the song is in direct contrast to what’s happening before your eyes. So, at the risk of offending some of you, and hopefully delighting a few, here’s my top 20 songs in movie moments. (It wasn’t too difficult for me to come up with a top 20, but the ranking was. With the exception of #1, the rankings on this list would probably change a little on any given day.)
#20 – “A Town Called Malice” by The Jam in High Fidelity (2000) – This movie seemed destined for the list, and hey, it’s The Jam!
#19 – “Hard Sun” by Eddie Vedder in Into the Wild (2007). As I’ve mentioned before Eddie’s voice really moves me, from songs like Pearl Jam’s “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town” to the soundtrack for this movie, most of which is his own. His voice and mournful tunes are the ideal accompaniment to the lonely and fateful journey of Chris McCandless into the Alaskan wilderness.
# 18 – “Gut Feeling” by Devo in Dogtown and the Z-Boys (2001). I’m often the last guy in the theater and when this rocking Devo song erupted during the closing credits, I wasn’t going anywhere. This Southern California documentary focused on spots where I skateboarded and learned to surf as a teen and will always be a special movie for me.
#17 – “Shoot to Thrill” by AC/DC in Ironman 2 (2010). To have this song crankin’ in the movie theater as Ironman drops into the sky was indeed a thrill ride.
#16 – “Youth of a Nation” by P.O.D. in Blue Crush (2002). This song’s ominous thumping adds to the adrenaline rush when the lady surfers are paddling for a big Hawaiian set. (Probably about as close to a rap song as you’ll ever hear in these pages.)
#15 – “Ordinary World” by Duran Duran in Layer Cake (2004). A scene of startling disparity as this beautiful tune plays as Daniel Craig is engulfed in a fight for his life amidst a bloodbath of violence. I’ve never been a huge fan of Duran Duran, but this gorgeous song is a favorite.
#14 – “The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel in The Graduate (1967). “Hello darkness my old friend, I’ve come to talk to you again.” As Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) arrives at LAX, this song personifies his lonely, searching soul. The movie returned to this song a couple more times and highlighted Simon & Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson,” as well. The use of previously-released songs was almost unprecedented 50+ years ago, as most filmmakers relied on traditional musical scores.
#13 – “The End” by The Doors in Apocalypse Now (1979). Jim Morrison’s voice (“this is the end”) at the beginning and ending of a film called Apocalypse Now and based on the novel Heart of Darkness. Hauntingly perfect.
#12 – “School’s Out” by Alice Cooper in Dazed and Confused (1993). It was already the classic summer rock song for 20 years when this movie came out and reminded us all again of one of life’s happiest moments.
#11 – “Born to be Wild” by Steppenwolf in Easy Rider (1969). Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper on a motorcycle road trip in 1969. Another one of those, “what other song could it be?”
# 10 – “Layla” by Derek and the Dominoes in Goodfellas (1990). This classic guitar song (Eric Clapton and Duane Allman) is played to a continuous display of gangster bloodshed. Another one where the jarring contrast makes it unforgettable.
#9 – “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield in Forrest Gump (1994). If there’s ever a song that evokes the 60s, this is it.
#8 – “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel in Say Anything (1989). The scene of John Cusack and his boombox is iconic, but it’s the song that brings it home.
#7 – “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John in Almost Famous (2000). In Cameron Crowe’s film about his musical and sexual awakening, the tour bus scene can’t help but bring a smile to your face.
#6 – “Just Like Honey” by The Jesus and Mary Chain in Lost in Translation (2003). It’s a memorable final scene when Bob (Bill Murray) says something to Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) on the streets of Tokyo while this fuzzy slow burner sets the tone.
#5 – “Lust for Life” by Iggy Pop in Trainspotting (1996). As soon as the drums roll on the intro song to Trainspotting you know you’re in for a ride…and the toilet scene.
#4 – “Goodbye Horses” by Q Lazarrus in The Silence of the Lambs (1991). After using the song in Married to the Mob in 1988, Jonathan Demme came back in 1991 and incorporated it again to even greater effect. The transcendent song plays as Buffalo Bill applies his makeup while Catherine is trying to lure the dog from her hole. Pure terror.
#3 – “Plainsong” by The Cure in Marie Antoinette (2006). As the King and Queen come down the stairs together, the royal flavor of the moment cannot be expressed any better than with this beautiful, orchestral song. The movie’s opening number, “Hong Kong Garden” by Siouxsie and the Banshees lets you know immediately that this isn’t going to be your usual portrayal of the 1790s. Some people hated the new wave music for this era, but if The Cure and New Order are involved, I’m going to like it. I thought the juxtaposition worked well in this case.
#2 – “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” by David Bowie in Inglorius Basterds (2009). I was sold at, “See these eyes so green.” Bowie’s tingling baritone encapsulates Shoshanna preparing for confrontation with the Nazis (and ultimately burning down the cinema). A golden moment in cinema.
#1 – “Heroes” by David Bowie in JoJo Rabbit (2019). “Heroes” had to be my #1. One of my all-time favorite songs by one of my all-time favorite artists. The song has been used in several films – The Perks of Being a Wallflower when the freshmen first discover the song on the radio and the dazzling dolphin-swimming scene at the end of The Cove. The clincher for me is the German version at the end of JoJo Rabbit. The Americans have arrived and the war in Germany is over. JoJo and Elsa slowly begin dancing in the street and the song starts. The scene is cute, poignant, hopeful, and remorseful all at once. Priceless.
p.s. I originally planned to embed the video of the scene from the movie. It would have made a long article to get through, but maybe not too bad since I don’t bombard you all with any ads (☺). Upon further review of the YouTube videos, however, it was clear that while the famous scene may quickly be in the video, they are mostly trailer-like and a visual summary of the movie. Also, several of my songs ran in the closing credits of the movie, which wouldn’t have made a pleasing video. So, since we all know where to look I’ll leave it up to you all to hopefully revisit a song and/or movie from the list.