Watchmen featured the earworm “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. The same tune used in Shrek and one episode of Scrubs, as well as tons of other TV shows and assorted broadcasts. Different version though - I checked around and Watchmen apparently used the original Cohen version.
This particular song has about a zillion covers (seriously - iTunes shows 150 hits for the name, though slightly less than half are this actual song, and some are dupes, but I’d bet there are at least 20-25 different versions). And they all sound good, dammit, and as a result it’s been playing in my mind for days :smack:.
Any piece of classical music will have many, many different recordings available, though most aren’t as omnipresent as, say, Pachelbel’s Canon.
Nominations for other overdone / overused / GETITOUTOFMYHEADALREADY music?
Smashmouth’s You’re an Allstar, also used in Shrek but a bunch of other movies, too
The Romantics That’s What I Like About You - featured in movies like Freaky Friday, was used as a sitcom show title, a ton of commercials. I love the song, but come on.
from the 80’s there was Oh Yeah, by the band Yello (YouTube link to video). Great hook but used in a ton of movies, one of which was the Michael J. Fox movie where he climbed up the corporate ladder…
I recall there being a thread on this topic last year.
The one that really pops my nerves is Armstrong’s “What a wonderful world”. Get over this song already!
“Battle Without Honor or Humanity”, most famous from Kill Bill, was used in all sorts of ways a few years later.
“Don’t worry be happy” of course. In the same vein, some James Brown songs like “Sex machine”.
Seconded. In fact, there were so many versions of this song, trying to track down one mix or the other proved to be impossible.
a few years back, High School marching bands started playing “Kernkraft 400” by Zombie Nation.
The Atlanta Braves used it for a stint when ever a homerun was hit.
It Jummped the shark.
and it was actually a good song too. :mad:
Also, in the same Genre, “Sandstorm” by Darude.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t state:
“Harder, Better, Fater, Stronger” by Daft Punk is starting to get there. – I believe Kanye West sampled the track in one of his songs. A masterstroke for Daft Punk, to be sure, just those of us who knew the song way back when, are getting tired of it.
And to piggy-back off that one, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s “Wonderful World” and “Over the Rainbow” medley, in which one part or the other, or the entirety, has been used so so many times.
Aside from “Hallelujah,” which was everybody’s first thought in this thread…
Anytime a movie takes place in the late 1960’s, you are sure to hear:
Somebody to Love - Jefferson Airplane (one of my favorite songs, but there are others you can use)
For What It’s Worth - Buffalo Springfield
Incense and Pepperments - Strawberry Alarm Clock