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View Full Version : Memorable Music Scenes in Movies


ChronoGrl
02-01-2012, 12:55 PM
One of my favorite things about movie soundtracks is that the movie can create some pretty interesting connotations to songs. Sometimes movies can make mediocre songs fun and fantastic when paired with memorable scene. Sometimes the contrast between the song playing in the background and the visuals on screen can burn an image into an audience's head. I know that Tarantino, for example, often contrasts his ultra-violent movies with an eclectic mix of songs.

What are some examples of songs that you LOVE based on the role that they play in movies - These could be songs that you had never heard of before you saw the film... Or songs that you were ambivalent to until you saw this certain scene...

One that comes to mind for me is Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" from Shaun of the Dead - I had never heard of this song prior to the movie, but I absolutely love the role that it plays in the climactic moment in the bar. It's funny but also nail-biting at the same time.

For my boyfriend, this scene turns what he always thought was a "mediocre" song to something fun and memorable.

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Scene is at 1:50

--- Kill the Queen!
--- The What?!
--- The jukebox!

Sistinas666
02-01-2012, 01:50 PM
Cool topic and excellent example. The first thing that popped into my mind is the scene in The Lost Boys with the greased up sax player. I have no idea what his name is or the songs name but it has always stuck out. A lot of the songs in that movie are memorable to me and take me back to the scene that it played.

Straker
02-01-2012, 03:34 PM
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Playing with the Boys...

TheWickerFan
02-01-2012, 03:37 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGqB6JIUzBo&feature=related

ChronoGrl
02-01-2012, 04:47 PM
Sistinas666 - TOTALLY agree. That movie has some fantastic iconic songs. Also, it's been too long since I've seen it - I might have to check it out this weekend... BTW, I (finally) responded to your note about Red State (sorry for the delay; apparently I have no idea when people write on my wall) - Sent a PM to you earlier.

...

Straker - Ok, that made me LOL a bit. Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy....... ;)

...

Wicker - Absolutely. That is possibly my favorite when thinking of this topic - I have to say that the way that Tarantino wove songs in Reservoir Dogs really made me think twice about how to interact with a movie's soundtrack. Utterly brilliant.

...

Another big one for me... I have to say, I was never really into The Pixies until the utterly brilliant and climactic finale...

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It's a love story for today's modern sadomasochist.

Sistinas666
02-01-2012, 05:26 PM
Sistinas666 - TOTALLY agree. That movie has some fantastic iconic songs. Also, it's been too long since I've seen it - I might have to check it out this weekend... BTW, I (finally) responded to your note about Red State (sorry for the delay; apparently I have no idea when people write on my wall) - Sent a PM to you earlier.

...

Straker - Ok, that made me LOL a bit. Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy....... ;)

...

Wicker - Absolutely. That is possibly my favorite when thinking of this topic - I have to say that the way that Tarantino wove songs in Reservoir Dogs really made me think twice about how to interact with a movie's soundtrack. Utterly brilliant.

...

Another big one for me... I have to say, I was never really into The Pixies until the utterly brilliant and climactic finale...

vVof0qj7SOw

It's a love story for today's modern sadomasochist.


If this was FB I would "like" this comment...........

ChronoGrl
02-01-2012, 06:24 PM
BUBBLES has given me an appreciation for Rush that I don't think I ever would have had without Trailer Park Boys...

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Sistinas666
02-01-2012, 06:26 PM
And another "like" for a Chrono-post.....

Straker
02-01-2012, 08:14 PM
OK, a few more sensible offerings this time...

Deer Hunter- Can't take my eyes off you
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Platoon- Adagio for strings
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The Pianist- Ballad No. 1 in G minor, Opus 23
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Blue Velvet- In dreams
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Deliverance- Dueling Banjo's
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There really are so many great examples, these are just a few that came to mind....Hell, I didnt even mention footloose yet.

Elvis_Christ
02-02-2012, 12:05 AM
Definitely agree with Elias scene from Platoon. It's the first thing that came to mind for me. One of my favourite scenes of all time and the music just makes it.

The mighty Skynyrd's tune was put to good use in The Devil's Rejects. It actually chokes me up a little:

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Buffalo Springfield's Learning To Fly in Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas was great too... couldn't find a decent video :mad:

Donovan's tune Atlantis really made this scene in Goodfellas (starts 1:04). I seriously get goosebumps every time I watch it:

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Johnny Boy's entrance in Mean Streets to The Stones' Jumpin' Jack Flash:

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You could argue Scorsese really wrote the book on this shit.

One more...

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TheWickerFan
02-02-2012, 01:45 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4WJlLNIsyY

and to make up for trashing a John Zorn song in another thread:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgczUZXVKWA&feature=related

newb
02-02-2012, 08:15 AM
Blue Moon

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newb
02-02-2012, 08:21 AM
Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries

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newb
02-02-2012, 08:23 AM
Blues in Hoss Flat by the Count Basie Orchestra

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_____V_____
02-02-2012, 10:38 AM
Gotta love:

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One of my recent favorites:

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Of course, one of my favorite intros in recent times:

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Love the Adagio For Strings Elias scene from Platoon to bits, as well.

Will think of more later.

ChronoGrl
02-02-2012, 11:25 AM
OK, I have to admit, I've never seen Deer Hunter, Platoon, Goodfellas, Mean Streets, OR Easy Rider. :o

EC, I definitely agree about Scorsese, though - I thought that his use of songs in The Departed was brilliant as well (I'd argue that his placement of Drop Kick Murphies in his movie kickstarted their career again).

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Dueling Banjos is CLASSIC.

Newb and Wicker - Good call with the Apocalypse Now scenes - Those definitely come to mind for me when I think about this topic.

V - Love, love, LOVE Pulp Fiction... This also comes to mind:

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neverending
02-02-2012, 01:59 PM
All these directors owe everything to Kubrick. Just watch through 2001 and Clockwork Orange for multiple examples of startling and clever uses of music for mood and commentary on the action.

Sistinas666
02-02-2012, 02:22 PM
EC, I definitely agree about Scorsese, though - I thought that his use of songs in The Departed was brilliant as well (I'd argue that his placement of Drop Kick Murphies in his movie kickstarted their career again).


I know its a bit off topic but what do you mean about the Dropkicks? Did someone say that? Way before and after The Departed the Dropkicks have been on my radar, one of my favorite bands since the late 90's.

Another song that comes to mind:

People Who Died by The Jim Carroll Band in The Basketball Diaries.

The Villain
02-02-2012, 02:33 PM
All these directors owe everything to Kubrick. Just watch through 2001 and Clockwork Orange for multiple examples of startling and clever uses of music for mood and commentary on the action.

I'm not much of a fan of Kubrick but i'll definitely agree with you there.

newb
02-02-2012, 03:28 PM
Everybody's Talking...Midnight Cowboy

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newb
02-02-2012, 03:32 PM
Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells

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newb
02-02-2012, 03:39 PM
B J Thomas "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head"--Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

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newb
02-02-2012, 03:46 PM
ONE MORE


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newb
02-02-2012, 03:49 PM
I LIED


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ChronoGrl
02-02-2012, 06:06 PM
All these directors owe everything to Kubrick. Just watch through 2001 and Clockwork Orange for multiple examples of startling and clever uses of music for mood and commentary on the action.

Siiiiiiiiiiiiinging in the rain...



I know its a bit off topic but what do you mean about the Dropkicks? Did someone say that? Way before and after The Departed the Dropkicks have been on my radar, one of my favorite bands since the late 90's.



Right - sorry - I don't think I expressed what I meant very well...

I know that the Dropkicks were popular in the 90s (I liked them then as well), but I always considered them more "indie" as they weren't really played on the bigger radio stations (more on college stations)... I remember, at the time I had to go out of my way to consume them and they eventually fell off my radar.

When The Departed came out, "Shipping Up to Boston" was on the radio all the time... It was awesome - And there was a lot more radio advertisement for their tours... Whereas before I had to go out of my way to hear them, they would just come on the radio now in my car... I think, ultimately I was trying to say that the movie really significantly boosted their popularity and really got their name out in the "Popular" space, whereas they were more "underground" before. It probably more accurate to say that the movie lead to a surge in their popularity.

I LIED


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YES

ChronoGrl
02-02-2012, 06:08 PM
Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells

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I keep reading this as "Tubular BALLS."

sfear
02-03-2012, 03:11 PM
Tuco running around the graveyard in THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY.

_____V_____
02-03-2012, 08:46 PM
Excellent, sfear!

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And who can forget the fantastic score for the final showdown?!

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sfear
02-03-2012, 09:46 PM
Agreed. Push comes to shove THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY is probably my favorite movie. Thanks for the video excerpts.

Elvis_Christ
02-04-2012, 03:20 AM
OK, I have to admit, I've never seen Deer Hunter, Platoon, Goodfellas, Mean Streets, OR Easy Rider. :o


:eek: Really? You should put Goodfellas at the top of your list of things to watch.

Fearonsarms
02-05-2012, 01:23 AM
Gotta agree about Oldfield's Tubular Bells and The Banana Boat Song in Beetlejuice also add Bobby Vinton's Blue Velvet from Blue Velvet and Lady In The Radiator song from Eraserhead.

ChronoGrl
06-04-2013, 10:25 AM
Bumping this as I figured we could have fun with it...

While not as iconic as other scenes mentioned, I figured I'd bring up songs from movies that have really stuck with me...

"Find You Waiting" by The Shaggies - I've already raved about the movie "The Revenant" - This song plays during the credits and I can't get it out of my head - Reminds me of the final scene in Fight Club with The Pixies...

***WARNING - YOUTUBE VIDEO CONTAINS ENDING SPOILER***

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"When he Calls me Kitten" by The Kelly Deal 6000 - LOVE the movie May - Great scene too... I just had to download this song based on the connotations...

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"Stuck in the Middle with You" by Steelers Wheel - Wow, can't believe I haven't brought this up yet (or Tarantino in general) - Tarantino was really the first director that made me pay attention to songs in movies and how they impact mood... Also how the movie impacts listening to these songs...

PGqB6JIUzBo

knife_fight
06-04-2013, 03:36 PM
I have seen Ghostbusters more times than I have seen any other movie. I quit counting at 100, and that was before I was 10 years old.

This scene, and the music with it, still fills me with dread. I've said it elsewhere before, but it's the beginning of the End (both of the world and of the movie). You just know the big showdown with the big boss is right around the corner.

As a side note, if you've ever heard the complete soundtrack to Ghostbusters, this song is weird as hell. This cool part is probably less than 1/5 of the whole song. The rest of it sounds like if Hall & Oates did the soundtrack to The Neverending Story.

-DpPicOZOig

ChronoGrl
06-05-2013, 06:36 AM
^^ Awesome reference - What I always remember about Ghostbusters is that it is truly dark in some parts (Winston quoting "And the seas boiled...")

Definitely an unsettling scene.

knife_fight
06-05-2013, 08:41 PM
^^ Awesome reference - What I always remember about Ghostbusters is that it is truly dark in some parts (Winston quoting "And the seas boiled...")

Definitely an unsettling scene.

Great scene, one of my favorites. Driving across the Brooklyn Bridge with the Twin Towers in the background. Talking about Judgement Day.

It was always a very serious moment in the film, but perhaps made a bit more poignant these days. Regardless, I love that shot of New York, and Ghostbusters is certainly a very New York movie. In fact, I'm pretty sure that the last line of the film (besides random chatter during the credits) is, "I love this town!"

Sorry if I went off on a tangent there, but that Magic song has always filled me with dread and , to me, is still one of the best uses of a song in a movie ever.

Despare
07-18-2013, 11:59 AM
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I also liked the use of Patsy Cline and "Jesus Loves Me" in Phantoms. There are quite a few more but I had to throw the Breakfast Club in there as soon as I saw this thread.

neverending
08-11-2013, 11:03 AM
This clip was actually posted on the first page of this thread, but the video has been deleted, so I thought I'd post it again.

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Things that impress me about this clip:
Watch Dennis Hopper as he mouths the lyrics to the song. You can really feel the pain behind his eyes, which lends a lot of depth to his character.
Watch the guy on the couch in the back. He's moving in slow motion. Everyone around him is at regular speed- it's just him in slow mo.

ChronoGrl
08-14-2014, 07:17 AM
vqfY6KyEHvU

Would you fuck me? I'd fuck me. I'd fuck me hard. I'd fuck me so hard.

120DaysofSodom
10-04-2014, 11:20 AM
How about True Faith by New Order in 1 Lunatic, 1 Ice Pick? ::big grin::

horcrux2007
10-04-2014, 11:25 AM
"Tiptoe Through the Tulips" from Insidious.

Amalthea_unicorn
07-30-2015, 04:18 AM
This Is Halloween

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpvdAJYvofI

Repo'd
07-30-2015, 06:53 AM
Yes, yes, one thousand times, YES!!::love::::love::

ChronoGrl
10-12-2015, 03:39 PM
Bumping this thread... Looking for recommendations for a Halloween party playlist.

TheBossInTheWall
10-12-2015, 04:25 PM
Bumping this thread... Looking for recommendations for a Halloween party playlist.

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ChronoGrl
10-14-2015, 07:06 AM
NICE! I actually put in Tenebra - I'm not a huge Giallo fan but that's a solid piece of music.

Lord Voldemort
12-05-2015, 07:03 PM
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mDLTxQHdFEo

Not a movie; an episode of Vampire Diaries that served as a backdoor pilot for The Originals. The song is Terrible Love by The National.