# Unlikely movie music that works **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 16, 2004, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460 "2004-05-16T19:16:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2004, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460/1 "2004-05-16T19:16:43Z")
Most movies and TV shows use just the same soundtrack every other show in the genre has used before - crime shows set in the 1920s and 1930s have blues or old-style jazz, romances have lots of strings, and so on. On the other hand, some have music you’d never expect, but that works really well as soon as you get over the initial surprise. The two I can think of offhand are _Wayne’s World_ with the guys singing a bit of _Bohemian Rhapsody_, and better yet, _A Knight’s Tale_ with _We Will Rock You_. Are there more out there with ‘inappropriate’ music that turns out to be a perfect choice? ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2004, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460/2 "2004-05-16T19:47:14Z")
You do have the purposefully mismatched music to create irony such as the obligatory “What a Wonderful World” over bombing (a la _Good Morning Vietnam_) which is more of a soundtrack than “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Of course, I can’t think of any more examples off the top of my head (I blame the hamsters) ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460/3 "2004-05-16T19:53:12Z")
The classical music (sorry, I don’t know the names of the pieces) played over the scenes of violence in _A Clockwork Orange_. ---
**Author:** ![kellner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c2a13f/32.png) [@kellner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellner)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2004, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460/4 "2004-05-16T19:57:17Z")
While we are at bombing, there is also “We’ll meet again” from Dr. Strangelove… ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2004, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460/5 "2004-05-16T19:57:37Z")
> [@Nightwatch Trailer](#): > > The classical music (sorry, I don’t know the names of the pieces) played over the scenes of violence in _A Clockwork Orange_. Okay, on second thought…maybe not, considering that the emphasis on classical music is a major point in both the movie and the book. So it’s not exactly unexpected. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2004, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460/6 "2004-05-16T23:30:49Z")
> [@Nightwatch Trailer](#): > > The classical music (sorry, I don’t know the names of the pieces) played over the scenes of violence in _A Clockwork Orange_. How could I have missed that one! Ludwig van’s immortal Ninth, of course, although it is tied to the plot, as you say. _Singin’ in the Rain_ during the house-invasion scene is a better fit for what I was thinking of. I should also have thought of **kellner** ’s example from _Dr. Strangelove_. That matches the inonic purpose **Chairman Pow** mentions. Just to highjack my own thread a little, does anyone have any suggestions as to the first time this was used? ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460/7 "2004-05-17T00:03:18Z")
Of course that’s “the i **r** onic purpose Chairman Pow mentions.” ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460/8 "2004-05-17T00:06:21Z")
_Being John Malkovich_. Lightweight, humourous, self-referential silly surrealism, that even my mum could understand. How did that happen? ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460/9 "2004-05-17T00:08:09Z")
Of course there’s the purposely absurd “Look on the Bright Side of LIfe” during the crucifixion scene of _Life of Brian_ / ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460/10 "2004-05-17T00:13:54Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > _Being John Malkovich_. Lightweight, humourous, self-referential silly surrealism, that even my mum could understand. How did that happen? :smack: :smack: :smack: note to self: read the title of the thread properly Please ignore me ☹ ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460/11 "2004-05-17T00:16:53Z")
I’m personally totally shocked that no one’s mentioned _Moulin Rouge_. The whole soundtrack was incongruous and anachronistic. But it WORKED! ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460/12 "2004-05-17T00:55:14Z")
Queen doing the soundtrack for _Flash Gordon._ ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460/13 "2004-05-17T01:23:29Z")
**Dark Star** , the only SF film that used a country and western tune (“Benson, Arizona,” written for the movie) as its theme song. Worked very well. I also second **Moulin Rouge** ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460/14 "2004-05-17T02:04:45Z")
Not sure if it ‘dosen’t match’ but IIRC The Third Man uses the same music throughout the entire movie. Try listining to just the ‘soundtrack’ and it would drive you nuts after a while. ---
**Author:** ![Engineer\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@Engineer\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engineer_Dude)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460/15 "2004-05-17T12:45:16Z")
> [@rjk](#): > > How could I have missed that one! Ludwig van’s immortal Ninth, of course, although it is tied to the plot, as you say. _Singin’ in the Rain_ during the house-invasion scene is a better fit for what I was thinking of. > > I should also have thought of **kellner** ’s example from _Dr. Strangelove_. That matches the inonic purpose **Chairman Pow** mentions. > > Just to highjack my own thread a little, does anyone have any suggestions as to the first time this was used? Then, of course, there’s _Midnight, the Stars, and You_ at the end of the _Shining_. Good ol’ Kubrick. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460/16 "2004-05-17T13:15:30Z")
I always thought that Vangelis’ score for _Chariots of Fire_ was totally improbable, and totally worked. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460/17 "2004-05-17T14:21:48Z")
_Kill Bill_ used bits and pieces of televison themes, and, more notably, the opening to a Latin Disco cover of “Please Don’t Let me be Understood” to start off a samurai duel. Worked brilliantly. ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460/18 "2004-05-17T15:00:46Z")
Scott Joplin (1868-1917)/ragtime music used in “The Sting” (set in the early 30s). Kinda like using 40s jitterbug in a James Bond flick, but certainly worked for “The Sting”. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460/19 "2004-05-17T15:13:05Z")
The rap in _Office Space_ worked very well in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Gartog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/22d042/32.png) [@Gartog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gartog)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460/20 "2004-05-17T15:24:32Z")
I propose _Singing In the Rain_, From _A Clockwork Orange_. Much more inapropriate than the classical stuff, and much more powerfull… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unlikely-movie-music-that-works/245460.md?page=2)