Greatest Use of Pop Songs in Film

The Big Chill directed by Lawrence Kasdan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Chill_(soundtrack)

Jackson Browne’s Somebody’s Baby in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Paulhas some great soundtrack tunes, especially ELO’s All Over The World used for the character wrap-up collage at the end.

“Don’t Fear the Reaper” from The Stand Miniseries.

Tarantino, Anderson (Wes), Anderson (PT), Crowe…

I’m trying to think of where Malick’s used pop songs. Do you have any examples?

“The Times they are a Changing” over the intro to Watchmen.

They used that song one too many times, each time Stacy was getting laid. The one that everybody remembers from that movie was Moving In Stereo by The Cars. Phoebe Cates was (and still is) a goddess, and that scene made her career.

“Blue Velvet” in Blue Velvet

“Singin’ in the Rain” in Singin’ in the Rain.

The “We Will Rock You” intro in A Knight’s Tale. :slight_smile:

Yeah, I read somewhere that rented video cassettes of this movie used to get worn out from dudes who were rewinding that scene over and over.

Some of my favorites:
OMD’s “If You Leave” at the prom in Pretty in Pink.

Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me” from The Breakfast Club.

The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout” during the parade in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

Jesus and Mary Chain’s “Just Like Honey” at the end of Lost In Translation.

Huey Lewis “Hip to be Square” in American Psycho.

“Spybreak!” by Propellerheads in The Matrix.
“The Killing Moon” by Echo and The Bunnymen in Donnie Darko.
“The Carny” by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds in Wings of Desire.
“In Dreams” by Roy Orbison in Blue Velvet.

Any of Sofia Coppola’s soundtracks, really (before Somewhere, I suppose). Her reputation seems a bit controversial but would anyone dispute that she’s got a perfect ear for how pop songs will work with her images? My favorite is the Cure’s “Plainsong” during the coronation scene in Marie Antoinette.

Watching The Big Chill as we speak.

Unchained Melody?

As Time Goes By, Casablanca

All Along The Watchtower, Forest Gump

Yakety Yak (Don’t Talk Back), Stand By Me

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, The Execution of Private Slovik (as Slovik is being led to the firing squad)

Depends on what you mean by “written for a movie”.

Okay, here’s the third (and in my opinion, the best) use of a ‘pop song’ in the SAME flick:

Then He Kissed Me (The Crystals in Scorcese’s Goodfellas).

I mean, is there any doubt?

^That’s a great scene.

And the song reminds me: Who didn’t fall a little bit in love with Elisabeth Shue in the opening to *Adventures in Babysitting*?

Clearly it is “Die Motherfucker, Die” by the Geto Boys in the movie Office Space

Printer Scene

Anyone who has had to deal with a pain in the ass printer can appreciate this scene.