Film pundits say the music scores or songs in films can break or make a movie. Here is a quick list of 10 of the best songs made for moves ever.
1. “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor (“Rocky III”)
Sylvester Stallone originally wanted to license the Queen song “Another One Bites the Dust” for the theme song of “Rocky III,” but, unable to get permission, he gave rock band Survivor their chance.
2. “Mrs. Robinson” by Simon and Garfunkel (“The Graduate”)
Obsessed with the band Simon & Garfunkel while making “The Graduate,” director Mike Nichols hoped to license a few of their songs for the movie. But instead Paul Simon agreed to write a few new songs for the movie. Nichols wasn’t feeling the songs presented to him at a meeting, but after a quick break, the duo returned with a rough version of “Mrs. Robinson,” and history was made.
3. “Stayin’ Alive” by The Bee Gees (“Saturday Night Fever”)
The song didn’t just elevate the movie — it also defined the disco era. One of the biggest hits by the Bee Gees, the track was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks.
4. “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker Jr. (“Ghostbusters”)
Ray Parker Jr. only had a few days to create a song for the new Bill Murray/Dan Aykroyd comedy in which they play scientists chasing ghosts. But inspired by a commercial he watched late one night, he came up with the song’s catchy “Who you gonna call?” hook. The song has since stomped all over pop culture, with references cropping up to this day on shows like “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and “Key & Peele.”
5. “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins (“Footloose”)
Kenny Loggins is back, and this time his song became one of the biggest hits of 1984 with Billboard ranking it as the No. 4 song of the year. It won the song of the year Grammy, and Blake Shelton covered it when the movie was remade in 2011.
6. “Theme from Shaft” by Isaac Hayes (“Shaft”)
Isaac Hayes actually wanted to audition for the movie’s lead, but instead he went and created one of the most memorable theme songs in movie history. The song hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1971 and won the best song Oscar for Hayes, making him the first African-American to win in that category.
7. “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins (“Top Gun”)
Another song that you can’t hear without thinking of images from the movie. Kenny Loggins sealed his reputation as “King of the Movie Soundtrack” with this song that hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
8. “Lose Yourself” by Eminem (“8 Mile”)
Along with starring in the movie, Eminem performed, wrote, and produced this hit song that would become the first of five singles in his career that would top the Billboard Hot 100. The song won the best song Oscar, making it the first time ever a rap song won the award.
9. “Flashdance … What a Feeling” by Irene Cara (“Flashdance”)
Irene Cara’s big hit won an Oscar, Golden Globe, Grammy, and was the No. 3 single of 1983. When Billboard did its all-time top 100 in 2008, it was ranked No. 26.
10. “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy (“Do The Right Thing”)
Spike Lee went to Public Enemy specifically for a song for the movie. Both would go on to become iconic pieces of African-American culture. “Fight the Power” was one of the biggest hip-hop singles of 1989, and it’s still the group’s best-known song.
Source: Businessinsider.com
