Songs that originated in movie soundtracks, stage musicals, or TV shows but whose popularity exceeded the source to the point that most people are unaware of the connection.
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan, from Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, 1973
Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969
“Unchained Melody”, which nobody seems to know was originally the theme to a movie called Unchained.
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” sung by Judy Garland for the movie Meet Me in St. Louis
“That’s What Friends Are For,” originally sung by Rod Stewart for the Night Shift (Henry Winkler comedy) soundtrack
“Theme from New York, New York,” from New York, New York (1977)
“Tubular Bells” did not originate on The Exorcist soundtrack
EDIT: Let’s widen the criteria to include stage musicals and TV shows
Songs that originated in movie soundtracks, stage musicals, or TV shows but whose popularity exceeded the source to the point that most people are unaware of the connection.
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan, from Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, 1973
Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969
“Unchained Melody”, which nobody seems to know was originally the theme to a movie called Unchained.
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” sung by Judy Garland for the movie Meet Me in St. Louis
“That’s What Friends Are For,” originally sung by Rod Stewart for the Night Shift (Henry Winkler comedy) soundtrack
“Theme from New York, New York,” from New York, New York (1977)
“Mrs. Robinson,” Simon and Garfunkel. Originally titled “Mrs. Roosevelt” but repurposed for the movie “the Graduate.”
Songs that originated in movie soundtracks, stage musicals, or TV shows but whose popularity exceeded the source to the point that most people are unaware of the connection.
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan, from Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, 1973
Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969
“Unchained Melody”, which nobody seems to know was originally the theme to a movie called Unchained.
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” sung by Judy Garland for the movie Meet Me in St. Louis
“That’s What Friends Are For,” originally sung by Rod Stewart for the Night Shift (Henry Winkler comedy) soundtrack
“Theme from New York, New York,” from New York, New York (1977)
“Mrs. Robinson,” Simon and Garfunkel. Originally titled “Mrs. Roosevelt” but repurposed for the movie “the Graduate.”
“On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson
He wrote it for the soundtrack of his now mostly forgotten movie Honeysuckle Rose.
Songs that originated in movie soundtracks, stage musicals, or TV shows but whose popularity exceeded the source to the point that most people are unaware of the connection.
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan, from Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, 1973
Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969
“Unchained Melody”, which nobody seems to know was originally the theme to a movie called Unchained.
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” sung by Judy Garland for the movie Meet Me in St. Louis
“That’s What Friends Are For,” originally sung by Rod Stewart for the Night Shift (Henry Winkler comedy) soundtrack
“Theme from New York, New York,” from New York, New York (1977)
“Mrs. Robinson,” Simon and Garfunkel. Originally titled “Mrs. Roosevelt” but repurposed for the movie “the Graduate.”
“On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson
Another Christmas song: “Silver Bells,” from Bob Hope’s The Lemon Drop Kid
Songs that originated in movie soundtracks, stage musicals, or TV shows but whose popularity exceeded the source to the point that most people are unaware of the connection.
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan, from Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, 1973
Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969
“Unchained Melody”, which nobody seems to know was originally the theme to a movie called Unchained.
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” sung by Judy Garland for the movie Meet Me in St. Louis
“That’s What Friends Are For,” originally sung by Rod Stewart for the Night Shift (Henry Winkler comedy) soundtrack
“Theme from New York, New York,” from New York, New York (1977)
“Mrs. Robinson,” Simon and Garfunkel. Originally titled “Mrs. Roosevelt” but repurposed for the movie “the Graduate.”
“On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson
Another Christmas song: “Silver Bells,” from Bob Hope’s The Lemon Drop Kid
You’ve Got Possibilities, from It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s Superman (1966)
Songs that originated in movie soundtracks, stage musicals, or TV shows but whose popularity exceeded the source to the point that most people are unaware of the connection.
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan, from Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, 1973
Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969
“Unchained Melody”, which nobody seems to know was originally the theme to a movie called Unchained.
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” sung by Judy Garland for the movie Meet Me in St. Louis
“That’s What Friends Are For,” originally sung by Rod Stewart for the Night Shift (Henry Winkler comedy) soundtrack
“Theme from New York, New York,” from New York, New York (1977)
“Mrs. Robinson,” Simon and Garfunkel. Originally titled “Mrs. Roosevelt” but repurposed for the movie “the Graduate.”
“On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson
Another Christmas song: “Silver Bells,” from Bob Hope’s The Lemon Drop Kid
You’ve Got Possibilities, from It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s Superman (1966)
“If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out” by Cat Stevens, from Harold & Maude
Songs that originated in movie soundtracks, stage musicals, or TV shows but whose popularity exceeded the source to the point that most people are unaware of the connection.
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan, from Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, 1973
Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969
“Unchained Melody”, which nobody seems to know was originally the theme to a movie called Unchained.
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” sung by Judy Garland for the movie Meet Me in St. Louis
“That’s What Friends Are For,” originally sung by Rod Stewart for the Night Shift (Henry Winkler comedy) soundtrack
“Theme from New York, New York,” from New York, New York (1977)
“Mrs. Robinson,” Simon and Garfunkel. Originally titled “Mrs. Roosevelt” but repurposed for the movie “the Graduate.”
“On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson
Another Christmas song: “Silver Bells,” from Bob Hope’s The Lemon Drop Kid
You’ve Got Possibilities, from It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s Superman (1966)
“If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out” by Cat Stevens, from Harold & Maude
“California, Here I Come” from Bombo (1921)
I’d say both Harold and Maude and The Graduate are pretty well known films and those songs are still strongly associated with them, but I’ll let it go.
Songs that originated in movie soundtracks, stage musicals, or TV shows but whose popularity exceeded the source to the point that most people are unaware of the connection.
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan, from Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, 1973
Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969
“Unchained Melody”, which nobody seems to know was originally the theme to a movie called Unchained.
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” sung by Judy Garland for the movie Meet Me in St. Louis
“That’s What Friends Are For,” originally sung by Rod Stewart for the Night Shift (Henry Winkler comedy) soundtrack
“Theme from New York, New York,” from New York, New York (1977)
“Mrs. Robinson,” Simon and Garfunkel. Originally titled “Mrs. Roosevelt” but repurposed for the movie “the Graduate.”
“On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson
Another Christmas song: “Silver Bells,” from Bob Hope’s The Lemon Drop Kid
You’ve Got Possibilities, from It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s Superman (1966)
“If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out” by Cat Stevens, from Harold & Maude
“California, Here I Come” from Bombo (1921)
“Love Will Turn You Around” by Kenny Rogers, from Six Pack (1982)
Songs that originated in movie soundtracks, stage musicals, or TV shows but whose popularity exceeded the source to the point that most people are unaware of the connection.
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan, from Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, 1973
Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969
“Unchained Melody”, which nobody seems to know was originally the theme to a movie called Unchained.
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” sung by Judy Garland for the movie Meet Me in St. Louis
“That’s What Friends Are For,” originally sung by Rod Stewart for the Night Shift (Henry Winkler comedy) soundtrack
“Theme from New York, New York,” from New York, New York (1977)
“Mrs. Robinson,” Simon and Garfunkel. Originally titled “Mrs. Roosevelt” but repurposed for the movie “the Graduate.”
“On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson
Another Christmas song: “Silver Bells,” from Bob Hope’s The Lemon Drop Kid
You’ve Got Possibilities, from It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s Superman (1966)
“If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out” by Cat Stevens, from Harold & Maude
“California, Here I Come” from Bombo (1921)
“All the Way” by Frank Sinatra, from movie “The Joker Is Wild”
I pass