Movies are meant to be seen; the aesthetic visuals provide our eyes and minds with beautiful shots and unforgettable scenes. However, the score and soundtrack add to and enhance a movie exponentially. From composers like John Williams, Zimmer, and Morricone, timeless film scores work hand and hand with the visuals to create masterpieces that last a lifetime. In 1967, Mike Nichols and Simon and Garfunkel changed the game when they used pre-recorded songs for "The Graduate" to get the same point across as an original score. From then on out, pop music has been so intertwined with cinema that it almost seems like they were born together.
There have been so many popular songs that have been directly written for a particular movie that we as an audience sometimes forget where it originated. This is part one of a list that showcases the ten best songs written directly and originally for a movie (excluding movie musicals), and so with out further adieu:
10. "Footloose" from "Footloose"
Kevin Bacon dances like he just doesn't care in this stereotypical '80s film. Kenny Loggins dominated cinema with his songs in the '80s like this one and also his fantastic (and quite similar) "Danger Zone" from "Top Gun" in 1986. So whether you're needing to punch-dance out your rage or you're just a counselor at a fairly popular summer camp in Tyler, TX, this is a great song to dance to and remember the '80s for what they truly were: great music but mediocre movies.
9. "My Heart Will Go On" from "Titanic"
11. Freaking. Oscars. Only two other movies have done that, so it is quite impressive. Dion won an Oscar for her performance and rightfully so. While it has come to be quite cliche as a song to be interpretively danced to alongside Enya's "Only Time," the song is a truly beautiful one that continues to be a great song both for cinema and for music in general.
8. "Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head" from "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"
Within the context of the movie, does it fit? Absolutely not. But its a beautifully written song so it had to make the list. And while most of the millennial generation will recognize the song from the 2004 "Spiderman 2," it actually appeared in a movie 35 years earlier. Both the song and the movie are timeless classics and they will continue to go hand-in-hand for a long time.
7. "Fight the Power" from "Do the Right Thing"
In one of the most powerful and simplistic opening scenes to a movie, Public Enemy's song comes blaring through the speakers and the audience hears it loud and clear. Laced with politically and racially charged lyrics, the song perfectly sets up the tone for the rest of the movie. Spike Lee does an excellent job of incorporating this song throughout the whole movie, thus solidifying it as a cinematic masterpiece and creating a timeless fusion of two pieces of great art.
6. "Moon River" from "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
Audrey Hepburn dominated the cinema in the late '50s and early '60s. One of the beautiful things about her was that she was a phenomenal actress but also a fantastic singer. This is terrifically showcased in the 1961 hit "Breakfast at Tiffany's." With the help of lyricist Henry Mancini, Hepburn managed to solidify herself as part of silver screen deities. The excellent use of simplistic instrumentation allows for it to be a great song to listen to on a rainy day, but it also gives this movie it's edge and thrusts it into a spotlight otherwise unknown without the song.
Well, that's part one of my list. Stay tuned next week to see which songs make the top five.
As always, feel free to leave comments and suggestions below.
