# Greatest Use of Pop Songs in Film **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 1, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-use-of-pop-songs-in-film/636359 "2012-10-01T04:18:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-use-of-pop-songs-in-film/636359/41 "2012-10-02T01:48:21Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > The naked Gun - “Something Tells Me I’m Into Something Good.” > > I like the way they’re laughing their heads off coming out of the movie theatre, and then the camera pans back to reveal they were watching “Platoon.” > > I miss Leslie Nielsen. Found [it](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEIeja2VRGo), Can’t do Youtube at work. Priceless. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-use-of-pop-songs-in-film/636359/42 "2012-10-02T01:55:40Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Depends on what you mean by “written for a [movie](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unchained_(film))”. Fair point, it was written for a film. I did not know that. But it’s best known in a totally different film. [Sixteen tons](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytS4yFM4Oxw). ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-use-of-pop-songs-in-film/636359/43 "2012-10-02T02:09:00Z")
_[Stayin Alive](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WXVaChA3Q0)_ in **Airplane!** ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-use-of-pop-songs-in-film/636359/44 "2012-10-02T02:14:41Z")
Oh, man. That is still very, very, funny after all these years! Thanks. “I had to ask the guy next to me to pinch me, in case I was dreaming.” ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-use-of-pop-songs-in-film/636359/45 "2012-10-02T02:28:59Z")
To this day, whenever I hear “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” I immediately think of Real Genius. Every song in Moulin Rouge! (I’ll be seeing Gentlemen Prefer Blondes tomorrow night in the theater, so I’ll finally get to see Marilyn’s version of “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” in its original context.) ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Hartwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-use-of-pop-songs-in-film/636359/46 "2012-10-02T02:40:59Z")
The first one that came to mind for me was “Mrs Robinson” although The Graduate only had fragments of the song. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-use-of-pop-songs-in-film/636359/47 "2012-10-02T02:48:33Z")
“In Dreams” scene from **Blue Velvet** that I mentioned earlier. There’s a scene before this where Dean Stockwell lip-syncs to to the song, but this clip features my favorite Dennis Hopper scene from the movie. 🙂 (NSFW) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/u5VU8GJcg24/hqdefault.jpg "Jeffrey on a joy ride with Frank Booth in "Blue Velvet"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5VU8GJcg24) ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-use-of-pop-songs-in-film/636359/48 "2012-10-02T03:28:31Z")
I know it’s kind of sappy, but I’ve always liked this: “This Woman’s Work” by Kate Bush in _She’s Having a Baby_. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f0Pi66X5VY) It wasn’t actually a scene from the movie, but I thought using “Last” by Nine Inch Nails during the credits for _The Cabin in The Woods_ was really good. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-use-of-pop-songs-in-film/636359/49 "2012-10-02T04:20:14Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > “Don’t Fear the Reaper” from The Stand Miniseries. Along with _Don’t Dream it’s Over_ by Crowded House to finish the first part (I think). ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-use-of-pop-songs-in-film/636359/50 "2012-10-02T05:15:30Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > _[Stayin Alive](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WXVaChA3Q0)_ in **Airplane!** I just had a flashback to **Saturday Day Fever**. The best soundtrack that had a movie attached to it. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-use-of-pop-songs-in-film/636359/51 "2012-10-02T05:44:00Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > “In Dreams” scene from **Blue Velvet** that I mentioned earlier. There’s a scene before this where Dean Stockwell lip-syncs to to the song, but this clip features my favorite Dennis Hopper scene from the movie. 🙂 (NSFW) > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5VU8GJcg24](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5VU8GJcg24) NSFW? That scene is not safe at any time. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-use-of-pop-songs-in-film/636359/52 "2012-10-02T06:17:02Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > I know it’s kind of sappy, but I’ve always liked this: > “This Woman’s Work” by Kate Bush in _She’s Having a Baby_. > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_f0Pi66X5VY](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f0Pi66X5VY) > > . Never knew the name of the song, but I agree, and knew the scene before even clicking the link. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-use-of-pop-songs-in-film/636359/53 "2012-10-02T06:18:47Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Fair point, it was written for a film. I did not know that. But it’s best known in a totally different film. > . Never knew either, thanks for the ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-use-of-pop-songs-in-film/636359/54 "2012-10-02T11:45:13Z")
Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World” in _Good Morning Vietnam_ ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-use-of-pop-songs-in-film/636359/55 "2012-10-02T12:34:45Z")
I’ll second Layla in Goodfellas and I’ll add Venus as a Boy in The Professional. ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-use-of-pop-songs-in-film/636359/56 "2012-10-02T14:02:43Z")
Addintg Just Once by James Ingram in The Last American Virgin. Oh No was the music for the sex scene. Just Once was the music for the ending. You should watch the whole movie to understand the pain but here’s the ending. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dkPQinEEB94/hqdefault.jpg "Last American Virgin ending") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkPQinEEB94) ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-use-of-pop-songs-in-film/636359/57 "2012-10-08T21:38:13Z")
{head smack} Moulin Rouge [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-use-of-pop-songs-in-film/636359.md?page=2)