comment #1

George Prager says ...

Where's "Once I Was" in Coming Home? All the great songs in all of the great scenes in all of the great Martin Scorsese movies? "The End" in Apocolypse Now? This list sucks! Beautiful Girls? That's really weak.

comment #2

Josh Massey says ...

"Layla" in Goodfellas immediately springs to mind - and of course is nowhere near the list.

comment #3

VoiceOfReason says ...

Cameron Crowe, please come back.

comment #4

Mark says ...

No dogging Beautiful Girls, please. Tis a mini-masterpiece, and Ted Demme's best flick. Though i don't think you need two Demme flicks on the list, especially when you omit Wes, Ritchie, and the scores of other directors who know really know how to use an existing song.

Thankfully no one had yet mention Stuck in the Middle with You from Dogs. That song should be erased from existence.

comment #5

George Prager says ...

I will dog Beautiful Girls. If that's a mini-masterpiece, then every episode of "Diagnosis Murder" is a mini-masterpiece. Ted Demme's best film? That's like saying "No dogging For the Boys, please. Tis a mini-masterpiece, and Mark Rydell's best flick.

comment #6

Jeremy Smith says ...

He forgot "Body Rock" from BODY ROCK.

comment #7

Mark says ...

These insults are unfortunately over my head as I've never seen Diagnois Murder or For the Boys. Beautiful Girls, however, is one of my favorites. You may not relate to it, but that's on you.

comment #8

Floyd Thursby says ...

"Be My Baby" in MEAN STREETS
"You Never Can Tell" in PULP FICTION
"Everyone" in THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS
"Old Time Rock and Roll" in RISKY BUSINESS

comment #9

dangovich says ...

Spill the Wine, Boogie Nights.
Gimme Shelter, Goodfellas
Eaten by the Monster of Love, Valley Girl

So many others. This thread could go on forever.

comment #10

George Prager says ...

"Frankie Teardrop" in In a Year with 13 Moons

comment #11

Josh Massey says ...

The Ref is Ted Demme's best film. A near-classic. Every December, I try to watch it and Die Hard back-to-back to celebrate the Christmas spirit.

comment #12

DavidF says ...

To echo Dangovich. This will go on all day. If you're gonna throw out Boogie Nights, you have to say Jessie's Girl too.

The columnist probably should have kept the list to sing-a-long moments, since it seemed it's where he was going. You also need to establish parameters since Scorcese's awesome use of well-known pop songs is a very different use of music than PTA's use of Wise Up. I could toss in some awesome moments from Blues Brothers (and the otherwise-horrific sequel) but once you have performers, it's a different category, isn't it?

Anyway, "Gimme Shelter" seems to get used (always well) in every post-1990 Scorcese movie. Marty and Cameron Crowe are the best in the game at this, IMHO.

Off the top of my head, the latter has several other great moments in Almost Famous alone (Rock n Roll, Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters) not to mention Free Fallin and Secret Garden in Jerry Maguire, Good Vibrations in Vanilla Sky and - I don't know how it's not on the original Top 10 - In Your Eyes from Say Anything.

QT is worthy of mention but his use of music is a bit more tinged with irony and kitch.

And I can't believe we've gone this deep without someone tossing out Bobby Brown's "On Our Own" from Ghostbusters II. Really gets things moving towards the climax.

comment #13

DavidF says ...

p.s. On two things: 1) Josh is right about The Ref 2) I forgot to mention the use of Cat Stevens' "The Wind" in Almost Famous. It was on the tip of my tongue.
And, if you can't relate to Jerry Maguire's desperate search to find something he can shout along to on the radio, only to find Free Fallin', you have no soul.

comment #14

George Prager says ...

"What Would They Say?" in The Boy in the Plastic Bubble.

comment #15

arturobandini2 says ...

Has a pop song EVER worked better in a movie than "The Sounds of Silence" from The Graduate? Or any one of Cat Stevens' numbers in Harold & Maude? Or, even though I detest the movie, The Deer Hunter's "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" sing-along? Slowikowski's list reveals a stunning lack of film knowledge.

PS - Prager, thanks for the nod to Tim Buckley's "Once I Was" and Coming Home.

comment #16

Nick Rogers says ...

"The Ref" is a brilliant Christmas movie, and "Beautiful Girls" is great, too - this coming from someone who loathes both Rosie O'Donnell and Michael Rapaport with every fiber of his being. Off topic, I know, but I think "BG" is being unfairly dogged by some.

comment #17

Ghost072 says ...

There are a million great examples, many of which have already been mentioned, but the first one that popped into my head was Donnie Darko's use of "Mad World" by Gary Jules. It is such a haunting rendition of the song and fits the film and that moment and ending so perfectly.

comment #18

Mark says ...

Agree on the somewhat nebullous rules for this list. Where is My Mind should be removed and should start its own list. Best Pop Song Lead-In to End Credits. Add Miss Misery (Good Will H), Ooh La La (Rushmore), God Moving Over the Face of Waters (Heat), etc.

comment #19

Nick Rogers says ...

Ghost072: Agreed. A perfect fit.

comment #20

Tim says ...

Updated:

http://mentaldefective.wordpress.com/

comment #21

JapAdapters says ...

Monument Ave is Ted Demme's masterpiece, IMO, and a masterpiece it is.

comment #22

Cinematically-Correct.com says ...

I am going to go with anything from "Breakin".

comment #23

Chase Kahn says ...

I do love that scene from 'Magnolia' -- surprsing, I thought I was the only one.

comment #24

rgmax99 says ...

Just watched Magnolia again for the first time in a few years this week. What a beautiful movie...love that scene.

comment #25

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

I'd still go with "Jumpin' Jack Flash" from Mean Streets if I had to pick just one Scorsese/Stones collaboration (I know it ain't easy)...just a perfect moment of cinema there.

Nice call on "Best of My Love"/Boogie Nights...what a tremendously visceral tracking shot. Anyone with a film-savvy bone in his body knew he was in the hands of an up-and-coming visionary after that scene unspooled.

comment #26

Tim says ...

Paul Thomas Anderson has taken the torch from Cameron Crowe (who took the torch from Scorsese) as best user of songs in a movie. I could have very easily done an entire list of his songs only (and, in fact, I will soon).

Thanks for reading and I hope my Alternate Universe picks clear up my glaring omissions and "stunning lack of film knowledge" (hat tip arturobandini).

Though of course, I'm pissed at myself [again] for missing Donnie Darko - nice call Ghost072.

comment #27

Josh Massey says ...

I agree the list needs to be more focused. How about a list of songs you'll never hear the same way again after they were used in a movie?

"Sister Christian" and "Jessie's Girl" top that list for me. And anything used in American Psycho isn't too far behind.

comment #28

pmnapoli says ...

No "Stuck in the Middle with You" from Reservoir Dogs? And no "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" from Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid? Come on.

comment #29

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

He's right. You could strictly do a list from the work of P.T. Anderson, C. Crowe, Tarantino, or Scorsese and *still* leave a couple great scenes/songs out.

Even in their smaller, lesser films, there's still usually 2 or 3 scenes that really nail the moment (i.e. "Jeepster," "Hold Tight," "Baby, It's You" in QT's Death Proof).

comment #30

George Prager says ...

And how about that catchy Penderecki tune in The Shining:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJxlynKO8L0

comment #31

Chase Kahn says ...

I assume you guys are talking about the "William H. Macy" tracking shot in 'Boogie Nights'. If so, I agree that is cinematic perfection. P.T. Anderson has several moments in all of his films that make my hair stand up -- In 'There Will Be Blood' it was damn near the whole thing.

comment #32

115thDreamer says ...

The whole segment from "Goodfellas" where Liotta is driving around trying to unload the guns, pick up his brother, etc. should be on there....more than one tune is used, but "Jump Into the Fire" by Harry Nilsson is the standout. "What Is Life?" by George Harrison is one of the others...amazing sequence.

As for "The Wind" by Cat Stevens, it's well used in "Almost Famous", but I prefer it when it pops up in "Rushmore", when Max suddenly says "Dirk, take dictation please..." and Dirk's eyes widen because he knows the old Max is back. Beautiful moment. Also, when Max & Herman Blume decide to partner up and "Oh Yoko!" suddenly starts playing while the ride bikes. Shit, you could do a whole list like this just for "Rushmore", really, or "Tennenbaums".

comment #33

BurmaShave says ...

It seems like this guy wanted to make a list of best Sing-a-Longs and then got lazy?

comment #34

SpinDozer says ...

iN dREAMS - bLUE vELVET

comment #35

Nick Rogers says ...

115thDreamer: Not to mention wonderful use of the Kinks in "The Darjeeling Limited."

comment #36

arturobandini2 says ...

Apologies, Tim, that was nasty on my part. As a blogger, you're clearly doing something right to have raised so much dander.

Still, I would argue that Hal Ashby was more innovative than his contemporary Scorsese when it came to placing pop songs in movies. Mike Nichols may have been the first to do it (if you don't count the Elvis/Beatles musicals), but Ashby was the first director to make a pop song score work with editing. Ashby was a better DJ, too. He introduced Cat Stevens with Harold & Maude (Stevens is playing piano just off-screen while Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon dance in one scene BTW), re-introduced the Tijuana Brass in Shampoo, and resurrected forgotten '60s artists like Buckley, Richie Havens the Chambers Brothers in Coming Home. Scorsese's pop music selections have always been more obvious and Classic Top 40. I still can't believe he put a fucking U2 song at the end of Gangs of NY.

You should blog about the worst use of a pop song in a movie, too. Or the most overkill -- starting with Forrest Gump. I think the movie jukebox changed three times while Tom Hanks crossed a rice paddy in one scene. Or the most cliche use of a pop song to depict the Vietnam era (Hendrix's cover of "All Along the Watchtower"), etc.

comment #37

George Prager says ...

"Manic Depression" in Shampoo is the best.

comment #38

George Prager says ...

The use of the Kinks in The Darjeeling Limited is about as inventive as the screenplay for Bride Wars. Take a Kinks song, contrive a scene to go along with Kinks song. Wes Anderson should just throw in the towel and direct One Tree Hill episodes. Actually he's not yet qualified to direct television dramas, maybe he should direct some informercials first.

comment #39

Tim says ...

arturo, you make great points in regards to ashby. slightly off topic, but The Last Detail is one of my all-time favorites.

I am working up a worsts list and I was thinking the exact same thing about gump. that movie was pretty much "paint by numbers" when it came to music. zemeckis on auto-pilot.

comment #40

George Prager says ...

Worst list? How about every scene with music in Garden State?

comment #41

JapAdapters says ...

How about "She's Gonna Be Somebody's Baby Tonight" from Fast Times?

comment #42

sellusWallace says ...

Sisters of Mercy -- McCABE AND MRS. MILLER
can't hear the song without thinking winter, beatty, julie julie christie

comment #43

Dan Revill says ...

Sorta off topic, but that Magnolia clip reminds me of something that should be said: Tom Cruise, work with PTA again!

comment #44

Arran says ...

Free Bird from The Devil's Rejects. WINNER.

Actually, I'm pleased the top two is how it is because those are probably my two favourite movies. Though purely in terms of music I would give the edge to Magnolia, if only because it introduced me to Aimee Mann, who rapidly became my favourite songwriter in the world ever.

comment #45

p.Vice says ...

Apologies if this has already been stated but: WHY THE FUCK IS THIS DOUCHBAG'S RETARDED LIST EVEN BEING DISCUSSED? Some fucknut starts a blog and posts a list of scenes from the 15 movies he's seen in his ridiculously short lifetime and somehow we're supposed to take it seriously? Come the fuck on Jeff! Right now YOU are the one responsible for dumbing cinema down into nothing by lending the "respectability" of a HE link to this moron.

comment #46

lipranzer says ...

pVice, no matter how good or lame the list is, it's gotten us on a discussion of our favorite uses of music in movies. What's lame about that?

I still occasionally write for a fanzine, and back in the 90's, I wrote a couple of articles listing some of my favorite uses of songs in movies, which include too many scenes to list here, along with filmmakers I thought used music well (this predated PTA, but Scorsese and Crowe of course were well featured in this regard. If writing today, I'd add Wes Anderson to the list), so I'll just mention my favorite uses of music in movies last year:

U2's "With or Without You," TELL NO ONE: Yeah, it may be kind of obvious, but not only does it relate to a plot point, but it makes an already emotional scene that much more powerful.

Ratt's "Round and Round," THE WRESTLER: I was never a big metal fan in the 80's (though I admit a fondness for Def Leppard and Night Ranger), but I loved this song, and having Mickey Rourke not only give Marisa Tomei a lap dance to this, as well as use the occasion to reminisce about 80's music, was perhaps the most joyous movie moment of the year.

comment #47

K. Bowen says ...

The Hurdy-Gurdy Man in Zodiac.

The Love song in Bottle Rocket, when Anthony heads back to the hotel to see Inez the maid.

The Stranger Song in McCabe and Mrs. Miller.

Joy Division's Transmission in either Control or 24 Hour Party People.

comment #48

BurmaShave says ...

The way Sweet Child O' Mine was cued up in THE WRESTLER was absolutely heartbreaking. On my second viewing that's when the mistiness started for me.

comment #49

Hallick says ...

The Sigur Ros song used for the end of Mysterious Skin is devastating.

comment #50

lipranzer says ...

Burma, did you know Rourke originally wanted "Sweet Child O' Mine" in that bar scene with him and Tomei? Apparently, he hates hair metal, and is friends with Axl Rose, but by the time Rose gave them permission to use the song, it was too late to use it for that bar scene. And I agree, it's perfectly placed where it is (just as "Round and Round" is perfect for the bar scene).

comment #51

Chapman Carruthers says ...

Most anything from Dancer in the Dark.

The scene in the piano store from Once.

comment #52

Movie Watcher says ...

Full metal jacket, at the end, when all the soldiers were singing the mickey mouse song.

comment #53

Tim says ...

someone else had a great suggestion that i'll relay here:

Werewolves of London from Color of Money

"And his hair was perfect."

comment #54

ThriceDamned says ...

Creedence's "Bad Moon Rising" in "An American Werewolf in London"

"As times goes by" from "Casablanca"

"Thus Spake Zarathustra" from "2001: A Space Oddyssey"

"Singing in the Rain" in "Clockwork Orange"

"Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"

"Somewhere over the rainbow" from "The Wizard of Oz"

Eddie Vedder's "Long Nights" from "Into the Wild"

And of course "Always look on the bright side of life" from Monty Python's "Life of Brian"

Just to name a few....

comment #55

T. S. Idiot says ...

"I Put a Spell on You" in STRANGER THAN PARADISE.

comment #56

George Prager says ...

Let's get real. The best music in movies is no music. Too much music in movies these days. It's lazy, lazy, lazy shit. Movies like NOTHING IN COMMON and WILDCATS were packed with music because they sucked and needed the music to patch together the anemic screenplay. The same still holds true today.

comment #57

lipranzer says ...

Sorry, but I would say it's more like directors, producers or studio execs have no idea how to use music in a movie. Just because so many of them are lazy doesn't mean it can't be well used by people who know how.

comment #58

BurmaShave says ...

Prager that was a brilliantly subtle MilkMan impersonation.

comment #59

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