We've all been there. You're sitting down to watch a movie, when you hear a song you never heard before. Once the movie is over, the first thing you want to do is find out the name of that song, who sang it, and why you haven't heard it till now. In recent years, shows and movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and 13 Reasons Why have used their soundtracks in order to create a unique feel for their protect (GOTG with 70's and 80's rock and 13RW with indy music). This is nothing new, as entertainment has made many songs iconic through their exposure in film and TV. Today, we are gonna focus of five of the greatest songs that became famous through movies>
*Note: This list does not include songs from musicals, since those songs are inseparable from their films (and exist to further their movies' stories).
5. "All Star" By Smash Mouth (Shrek)
Despite being among the most popular animated characters of all time, the internet has developed a certain fascination with Shrek in recent years. As such, the hit song "All Star"(which gained iconic status through its use in Shrek) has also been the subject of many memes. Besides the association with Shrek, the song is ridiculously catching. When you hear the lyrics "some-BODY", you are ready to sing the rest of the song. For introducing us to this song, we must acknowledge that *Shrek is love, Shrek is life.
* I apologize, I'm above that joke (no, I'm not).
4. "Hero" By Family of the Year (Boyhood)
This song is arguably the perfect fit for this movie. Aside from the fact that this movie was filmed over the course of 12 years, it isn't trying to be "epic". The movie features a simple, relatable story told through simple, relatable characters. Much like the movie, this song is not about a conquering hero or glorious prodigy, but rather a person who simply wants to live life like everyone else.
3. "Danger Zone" By Kenny Loggins (Top Gun)
I can't be the only person in the world who gets hyped up by this song. Every time I hear the first few notes, I am ready to get in a fighter jet and play shirtless volleyball in my spare time. Simply put, this song can be my wing man any time.
2. "Sound of Silence" By Simon and Garfunkel (The Graduate)
The Graduate actually has two great songs on its soundtrack, this and "Mrs. Robinson". I decided to go with "Sound of Silence" because of its significance to the story. The song plays three different times in the film, including the ending shot. Without giving anything away, if you understand the meaning of the song, it will change the way you look at the ending (the expressions of the characters helps too, but you'll have to see for yourself).
1. "Don't You (Forget About Me)" By Simple Minds (Breakfast Club)
This is simply a perfect song. There is a reason every movie and TV show based in high school takes some form of inspiration from this movie. Every time I hear this song, I think back to the great times I've had with my friends, even if I haven't seen some of them in years. There's no forgetting about this song once you've heard for the first time.