Greatest Musical Moments in Film

Singing in the Rain - Malcolm McDowell - A Clockwork Orange

Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield - The Exorcist

Everybody’s Talking at Me - Harry Nilsson - Midnight Cowboy

Cat People (Putting Out The Fire) - Inglorious Basterds

Basil Polidouris’ score playing under the opening sub scene in “The Hunt for Red October”.

Once Upon a Time in the West - music by Ennio Morricone

Jill arrives at the station. Gradually she realizes that there’s no one there to meet her. At about 1:50, the corny honky tonk piano music stops and Jill’s theme begins. At about 3:01, Jill walks out the back door of the station, the music starts to swell and the camera pans upward. As the music peaks, the camera rises above the station roof to reveal the town.

Crowning moment of awesome.

There are some great scenes of the band playing in The Commitments, but I can’t pick just one that stands out above the rest.

For Ennio Morricone, I’d have to go with the scene near the end of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly when Tuco is running through the graveyard searching for a particular headstone; brilliant music, brilliant visuals.

Ecstasy of Gold.

No one’s mentioned the score to Lawrence of Arabia yet? The desert sings!

oh, yes. great scene, and the song is perfect.

Kill Bill vol I, when Hattori Hanzo hands the Bride his newly made sword. Lot’s of great music in those movies, but that’s my favorite.

But nothing, ever, in the history of movies, can beat the main title of North by Northwest.

Ooooh, the instrumental section of Please don’t let me be misunderstood playing while Beatrix battles O-Ren Ishii. Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

He’s so damn good that you get jaded by his music in the Leone films, but when you hear his music out of context, it’s breathtaking.

The NFL ran a commercial a year or two ago, featuring IIRC Troy Polamalu and Ladainian Tomlinson doing their thing, i.e. running and tackling. But they used “Ecstasy of Gold” for the background music. Every time that ad came on, no matter where I was — home, in a bar, in an airport, wherever — I had to stop and listen. What’s more, everybody else did, too, and a lot of people said, “What IS that?”

I saw a great live show some years ago that was nothing but Morricone - the Spaghetti Western Orchestra.

They were great. If you love Morricone’s music, catch their show if it is in your part of the world. I loved it - it was a lot more bizzare and creative than simply playing the music (though they did that of course).

Two scenes, both from “Purple Rain” (1984)

I went to see the film with my girlfriend during its original theatrical run. When the musical group “The Time” took the stage and performed “Jungle Love” I swear everyone in the theater was dancing in their seats!

And at the finale Prince brought everyone to tears with “Purple Rain”
For those unfamiliar with the film, Prince had dedicated the song to his dad (played by Clarence Williams III)… …who lay in the hospital after having attempted suicide.
By the time he got to his solo at 4:50 I was weeping like a baby.
“Only wanna see you… Only wanna see you… In the Purple Rain!” :frowning:

I was in Las Vegas once and heard Ecstasy of Gold playing with the fountain show in front of the Bellagio. Great stuff.

Speaking of Spaghetti Westerns (sort of), you must check out I KINGS vs. I PELATI in
Per un Pugno di Canzoni, circa 1966. Huge WTF but cool 60s garage band music.

so many good moments listed in this thread. what fun to revisit the great “Good the Bad and the Ugly” music. I have the soundtrack - had friends who thought I was nuts for that. not dopers, obvs.

don’t think the song at the end of “Paths of Glory” was mentioned. a great musical moment, but you’re crying by then already.
so many musicals have great moments - even “The Time Warp” in Rocky Horror has a giddy power to it.

and the music in “Fellowship” - from the moment Frodo is at the river by himself, ready to go on alone, to the very end credits. that music is perfection for me. I can close my eyes and be carried to Middle Earth.

The “Ode to Joy” flashback from Immortal Beloved.

Schroeder playing the Pathetique Sonata.

I always liked the sock-hop scene in American Graffiti. It sounds just like a band that would be playing a high school dance and not some overproduced studio band like a lot of movies would have stuck in there. Really makes it feel authentic.

introduction of the king’s children in “the king and I.”
“i have confidence” by julie andrews
the first sighting of dinos in the very first jurassic park movie
“batman 1” theme song during the last scene
“hedwig’s theme” during the last scene of HP DH2
thieleman’s harmonica in “midnight cowboy.”

and, i’m surprised no one has mentioned it,

“the duelling banjos.”

Still watch White Christmas every year - Best musical ever!!! (46 and a guy so its not a chick flick :dubious:)