# Best use of music in a movie **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 22, 2001, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215 "2001-01-22T04:05:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dustMagnate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/fbc32d/32.png) [@dustMagnate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dustMagnate)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215/21 "2001-01-22T13:05:39Z")
**Shampoo** Good period music throughout. Particularly at the party, Sgt. Pepper had just come out. ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’: “…look for the girl with the sun in her eyes and you’re gone (boom, boom , boom) LUCY…” Someone was walking in the garden and their footsteps were in cadence with Ringos drum. **Bringing Out the Dead** Scorcese must have a soundtrack in mind and then film for it. When the Clash early ‘Janie Jones’ came on I knew I was in the presence of a master. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215/22 "2001-01-22T14:37:26Z")
**Magnolia** , where each of the characters in the movie sing along to Aimee Mann’s “Wise Up” on the soundtrack. It was an amazingly bold device in an amazingly bold movie. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215/23 "2001-01-22T15:02:24Z")
I’ll agree with **oldscratch**. RZA’s soundtrack to _Ghost Dog_ is jawdroppingly good. How about Cooder’s work on _Paris, Texas_? ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215/24 "2001-01-22T15:07:01Z")
The entire soundtrack to **The Crow** was _so_ fitting. Fantastic. Whatever the industrial sounding music during the opening credits of **Se7en** is called. Bonechilling. I’ll second **Das Boot**. Fantastic. Warren Zevon singing _Blue Moon_ during the closing credits of **An American Werewolf in London**. So wickedly misplaced, yet totally spot-on. The soundtrack to **Romeo and Juliet** was beautiful as well. ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215/25 "2001-01-22T15:25:58Z")
I loved the music in Central Station (Central do Brasil). I like Ennio Morricone film scores (not surprising, as I’m a big fan of GSYBE). ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215/26 "2001-01-22T15:32:38Z")
Orca, it’s _Little Green Bag_, by the George Baker Selection. It is a great song. I own the soundtrack; i bought it last year…I would recomend it. Sure, not a lengthy as Pulp Ficton’s soundtrack, but the songs are definitely as good. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Zumba\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/779978/32.png) [@Zumba\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zumba_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215/27 "2001-01-22T15:37:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bad Hat \* > \*\*I agree with Oh Brother Where Art Thou, that was unbelieveable!!! \*\* Uggh! Are you in a large city Bad Hat? I am dying to see that movie and they still aren’t playing it here. My nomination is from Boogie Nights. It was the scene where Scotty sees Dirk for the first time. Dirk is laying shirtless by the pool and light halos around him. (Where you from) You Sexy Thing by Hot Chocolate is playing. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215/28 "2001-01-22T15:42:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > \*\*Whatever the industrial sounding music during the opening credits of **Se7en** is called. Bonechilling. > \*\* It was a remix of Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer” done by some famous remix duo whose names escape me at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![GoldenGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8edcca/32.png) [@GoldenGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoldenGael)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215/29 "2001-01-22T15:45:34Z")
Of course, I was just an impressionable little tyke when this motion picture came out, but I think the score for Lawrence of Arabia, by Michel Jarre, was a perfect melding of music and mood throughout. Or is this just too, too ancient a reference? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215/30 "2001-01-22T15:56:28Z")
I thought **Rushmore** had the best use of a soundtrack in recent years. The director dug up a bunch of obscure, but very good 60’s and 70’s tunes. Much of the movie is essentially silent film, with the action playing out to music, _sans_ dialogue. Beautifully done. I’ll also vote for **Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?**. ---
**Author:** ![Lyllyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@Lyllyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lyllyan)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215/31 "2001-01-22T15:58:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by OrcaChow \* > Most of the **Star Wars** soundtrack, but most of all, the music to the scene in which Luke is staring longingly at the double sunset. > > \*\* I **love** that part! It gets me every time! In **Always** - when Holly Hunter and Richard Dryefuss are dancing and the band plays “Smoke gets in your eyes”. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215/32 "2001-01-22T16:04:05Z")
Oh yeah, and just to prove I’m a sappy sentimentalist, I thought the balalaika version of “Somewhere My Love” was used to great effect in **Dr. Zhivago**. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215/33 "2001-01-22T16:05:52Z")
Thanks **Phil** , I’ll check that NIN song out. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoggie \* > \*\*Orca, it’s _Little Green Bag_, by the George Baker Selection. It is a great song. I own the soundtrack; i bought it last year…I would recomend it. Sure, not a lengthy as Pulp Ficton’s soundtrack, but the songs are definitely as good. 😛 \*\* Dutch pride! George Baker (or, Hans Bouwens in real life) is a multi-millionaire because of _two songs_: **Little Green Bag** and the even more famous **Una Paloma Blanca**. Great story. This actually happened a few years ago: during a Super Bowl Final, George Baker is present in the stadium as a spectator (IIRC, he lives in Florida these days). At half time, some band starts playing _Una Paloma Blanca_. The crowd, really into the game and the atmosphere, start dancing in the stands. So does George’s neighbour. George nudges him and says: - “I wrote that song, you know!” - “Yeah, right. That’s a classic, man. You didn’t write that.” - “No, honestly, I’m George Baker! I wrote that!” - “Sure buddy, whatever you say.” - “Grrrrr…” Nobody believed him! 🙂 At the end of the day, he couldn’t care less. The royalties of _Una Paloma Blanca_ alone make him more than USD 1 million per year! OK, I suppose that’s enough for that hijack! ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215/34 "2001-01-22T16:11:01Z")
One more: The movie **Matewan** is about the coal miner’s strike in West Virginia (in the 20’s, I believe). Th coal miners consisted of rural whites, southern blacks and recently immigrated Italians. These three communities do not get along with each other, and the movie shows how they overcome their differences to band together in a union. There is a scene where an Italian miner sitting on his porch starts playing a mandolin. A couple of white crackers sitting out on their porch hear it, and join in with a fiddle and guitar. Then a black man on his porch joins in on harmonica. Beautiful metaphor. ---
**Author:** ![BunnyGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BunnyGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyGirl)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215/35 "2001-01-22T16:35:05Z")
Well, I can’t remember the specific scenes but **The Man From Snowy River** had some excellent merges of music and scenery. I used the title track in my wedding. ---
**Author:** ![Danimal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Danimal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danimal)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215/36 "2001-01-22T17:04:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by OrcaChow \* > \*\*“ **Ride of the Valkyries** ” in _Apocalypse Now_. > The shot of the formation of choppers coming in low over the surf was awesome. The music made the scene unforgettable. > > “ **The End** ” (The Doors) in the same movie. Haunting. The lyrics about patricide mirror the death of Col. Kurtz. > > “ **As Time Goes By** ” in _Casablanca_. > > Most of the **Star Wars** soundtrack, but most of all, the music to the scene in which Luke is staring longingly at the double sunset.\*\* I would agree with every one of these. > [@](#): > > \*\*Also loved the music played during the showdowns in most of the Sergio Leone films. \*\* In _Once Upon A Time in the West,_ the “Man with a Harmonica” theme played both in the final showdown and in the scene where Cheyenne meets Harmonica is great. Also in _For A Few Dollars More,_ the music during Indio’s bank robbery is perfectly used. The mechanical watch’s music is also a perfect (if contrived) device to build tension. I’d also include the landscape shots in _The Last of the Mohicans_ with Trevor Jones’ majestic score booming in the background. Jerry Goldsmith’s score in _Star Trek: The Motion Picture_ is very well matched with the shots of the new _Enterprise_ preparing to pull out of space dock. (Note: both of the movies I just mentioned are mediocre at best; they just make nice use of their scores). The music of _Jaws_ played against the background of swimmers viewed from underwater is so famous that it’s become cliche. ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215/37 "2001-01-22T17:37:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pldennison \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > > \*\*Whatever the industrial sounding music during the opening credits of **Se7en** is called. Bonechilling. > > \*\* > > It was a remix of Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer” done by some famous remix duo whose names escape me at the moment. \*\* The **Dust Brothers**? ---
**Author:** ![B\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@B\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B_P)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215/38 "2001-01-22T17:38:51Z")
Some of these have alrady been mentioneed, but they are so good, I’ll mention them again… **Magnolia** - “Wise Up”. An amazingly beautiful sceen. Either you loved the movie or you hated it. I loved it. **Braveheart** - Arguably, the most beautiful and most haunting score ever written. **Jaws** - Perfectly scored. It’ll always creep me out. **Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind** - The ending “conversation” was an amazing piece of music. **The Shawshank Redemption** - A very close second to “Braveheart” as the best score ever written (IMHO) **Seven** - the opening credits NIN song completely sets the mood for the rest of the movie. **Titanic** - that hauntingly beautiful Celene Dion song… sorry, just kidding! ---
**Author:** ![egkelly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/db5fbb/32.png) [@egkelly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/egkelly)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215/39 "2001-01-22T18:03:13Z")
The score from “ALLTHE PRETTY HORSES” was just awesome-especially as it plays-and the three cowboys are riding across the dramatic landscape of west Texas-brought back the memory of great western movies of the past! ---
**Author:** ![sliv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@sliv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sliv)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215/40 "2001-01-22T18:51:35Z")
I’ve got one for you all. “Hall of the Mountain King” from the Peer Gynt suite by Grieg, as used in Friz Lang’s M. It’s the only music in the entire film, making it all the more powerful. I can’t think of more effective use of music than in this film. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-music-in-a-movie/51215.md?page=3)