Top 10 Movie Songs That Defined Characters

A movie hero needs an appropriately heroic theme, even if it almost sounds like a parody. Indiana Jones may end up in some of the most dangerous situations, but he’s not always the most serious guy. Composer John Williams took the liberty of giving him a theme that was almost cartoonishly triumphant. It’s an iconic theme, but it’s also an incredibly versatile one. “The Raiders March” motif often acts as an exciting way to lift up and emphasize one of Indy’s great escapes, or even as a jaunty soundtrack to his globetrotting in search for obscure artifacts. No matter what context we hear it in though, it screams Indiana Jones.

With its scratching bass line and its funky beat, the Oscar-winning “Theme from ‘Shaft’” is already a great listen. Although no words appear until roughly a couple minutes into the song, Isaac Hayes’ sparse and somewhat dated lyrics spell it out for us pretty clearly. Detective John Shaft is a multifaceted individual. He’s got sex appeal, he’s a loyal friend, and he’s a very complicated man. Hayes’ call-and-response with the backup singers is as cool as it is hilarious. What the song does is introduce the trenchcoat wearing private detective as a new kind of movie hero, and we’re here for it.

Jimmy, whose stage name is B-Rabbit, spends much of the movie unsure if his skills will be enough to win respect in the hip hop genre. Playing the Detroit-born aspiring rapper trying to prove himself, Eminem was able to use his own experiences and talents in this role. So it’s hard to separate the actor from the character. The Oscar-winning song, “Lose Yourself,” is as much Eminem’s anthem as it is Jimmy’s, whose desire to push through and to seize the moment is not just a matter of inspiration. It’s a matter of survival.

There are a few songs from “The Graduate” that have ended up becoming synonymous with the film’s characters. Interestingly, “Mrs. Robinson” was not intended for the movie or the character it’s come to represent. Amid the writing process, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were left with some vacant spots on the soundtrack, and decided to revamp a song Simon had written about the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt. A few simple tweaks was all it took to give Mrs. Robinson her own song. It’s a deceptively upbeat tune with lyrics about simpler times, middle class complacency, and fading symbols of Americana. No wonder it became synonymous with the morally questionable suburban woman who seduced the title college graduate. Her life, while seemingly perfect, is a lie.

This foreboding and charging John Williams theme made its first “Star Wars” appearance in an early “The Empire Strikes Back” scene. The music plays as the Galactic Empire scours the galaxy for signs of rebel leader Luke Skywalker. Watching the procession, Darth Vader oversees the search and destroy mission from his spaceship. Of course, the theme carries military march energy. However, it would become forever linked to the character. Motifs from the track would recur through future installments, signaling Vader’s presence or foreshadowing the character’s eventual villainy. Due to its connection with one of the most popular movie characters of all time, the number would become a fan-favorite.

Here’s another iconic John Williams track. The “Jaws” theme is mostly a repetition of two musical notes, and they’re probably the scariest alternating notes in all of cinema. The maestro composed the music from the point of view of the movie’s predator fish. With the repetitive theme, Williams succeeded in conveying the fictional shark’s primal bloodlust. It is uncomplicated, insistent, and persistent, only becoming louder and more urgent as the shark nears its unsuspecting target. Of course, the theme would reappear in the sequels, but it became so iconic it was even used in a spoof or two.

Composed by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer, the featured theme song from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” has gone on to become a standard. Yet there’s no question for anyone who’s seen the movie why it belongs to Holly Golightly. The devastatingly fashionable and lonely Holly fears commitment, forming as few emotional attachments to people as she can. But the song she sings longingly from her apartment fire escape belies her constructed persona as a cosmopolitan woman purely out for herself. She may want to see the world and sample life’s finer things, but the song’s blatant southern imagery is a meaningful nod to the character’s roots.

We’re first introduced to the suave and self-absorbed Tony Manero as he struts down the streets of New York City in the opening scene of “Saturday Night Fever.” He admires the women who pass him by, and sometimes, they admire him back. In his leather jacket and fancy shoes, he clearly thinks he’s the hottest thing that’s ever existed. The Bee Gees song “Stayin’ Alive” is the soundtrack of his unfailing confidence. Its narrator’s bravado clearly mirrors his own inflated view of himself. As Manero, John Travolta provided the face and mannerisms of the character who would become the epitome of disco era coolness.

In the 1976 Best Picture winner, the relentless boxer, Rocky Balboa, became the very image of hardheaded perseverance and achieving your dreams. He’s also one of the few movie characters with two defining songs. His training montage in the first movie linked him forever with the Bill Conti composition “Gonna Fly Now”. But it was Survivor’s catchy and hard-driving rock anthem “Eye of the Tiger” from “Rocky III” that came to most accurately represent Rocky’s determination to win. Since its debut, the song’s distinctive beat and opening notes have become instantly recognizable and linked to the protagonist. The song was such a crowd pleaser, it was even reused in “Rocky IV.”

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” Baby Houseman & Johnny Castle
The Dance Partners-Turned-Lovers of “Dirty Dancing” Performed to This Unforgettable Duet

“Flashdance… What a Feeling,” Alex Owens
The Welder & Aspiring Dancer Nails an Audition with This Irene Cara Track

“Bohemian Rhapsody,” Wayne Campbell & Garth Algar
It’s Hard Not to Associate This Classic Queen Track with These Headbangers

“Axel F,” Axel Foley
This Electronic Theme Became the Unconventional Detective’s Calling Card

“Tequila,” Pee-wee Herman
The Unique Character Danced for a Group of Bikers to This Song by the Champs

This explosive theme song has been setting film lovers’ hearts racing since the moment it was first heard in 1962’s “Dr. No.” Written and composed by Monty Norman, and arranged memorably by none other than John Barry, the “James Bond Theme” is like an adrenaline injection for the ears. Although his theme often changes with the times, this catchy tune is a promise of the kind of excitement and danger that only Agent 007 can provide. No matter what era, locale, or actor is at the wheel of a James Bond adventure, the signature theme is sure to follow.

Is there a movie song that always reminds you of an iconic character? Let us know in the comments.