Top 20 Songs That We Can't Separate from Movie Scenes

“White Chicks” (2004)
Let’s admit it: most of us immediately think of Terry Crews the moment we hear the opening notes of this song. Two decades since the film’s release, Crews has become synonymous with Vanessa Carlton’s breakout hit. While Carlton originated the song, Crews brought it to life. His character’s overenthusiastic reaction, the way he plays out each lyric, and the overall absurdity of it all make for a truly unforgettable moment. Sure, our first response would be similar to how Marlon Wayans reacts in this scene. But Crews’ energy and wholesome charm quickly add an endearing quality to his performance. Today, the song’s legacy stretches far beyond the film, with Crews dropping multiple other renditions over the years.

“The Blues Brothers” (1980)
Originally recorded in 1963 by The Five Du-Tones group, this foot-stomping banger of a song is generally linked with Ray Charles. In his cover for this cult classic film, the singer plays a music store owner with the power to get anyone grooving. Its irresistible beat compels everyone around to start dancing like their lives depend on it. And it’s not just the characters onscreen – with Charles in full flow, we can’t help but hip to the jive ourselves. The scene inspires us to leave all care behind and submit to the vibe, tying into the overall theme of “The Blues Brothers.”

“Rocky III” (1982)
Wanna feel like a winner? One listen to this timeless masterpiece will do the trick. “Eye of the Tiger” doesn’t just pump you up – it inspires you to reach for your dreams, no matter how wild they may be. The “Rocky” franchise excels at soundtracks evoking the central theme of each installment, and this one definitely doesn’t miss. Fittingly, we get a montage of Rocky making it big while Clubber Lang moves up the ranks to challenge him. The parallels between the characters and how they apply to real life amplify the song’s powerful message. Each build-up to the chorus convinces us that, just like Rocky, we can punch our tickets to the top.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” (2017)
If you’re in the mood for some classic yet underrated songs, the “Guardians” series has you covered. Each film opens with a track that sets the mood, and “Mr. Blue Sky” does the honors for the second entry. On the face of it, battling a violent space monster doesn’t exactly sound like the setup for a good time. But with soft, upbeat tunes from the ​​Electric Light Orchestra keeping us company, we can see why Baby Groot’s having so much fun. He might be a tiny baby alien, but Groot shows us how to dance all our troubles away. The song matches the team’s knack for landing themselves into trouble, while capturing their ability to find a way out every time.

“Beetlejuice” (1988)
Ever find yourself cutting loose to a song that just gets you? Something sort of like that happens in “Beetlejuice.” Hoping to scare off the house’s new residents, ghostly duo Adam and Barbara take them for a wacky musical ride. Before anyone knows it, they’re compelled to sway along to wherever Harry Belafonte’s vocals take them. Though as bizarre as intended, its vibe provides a sense of peace we can’t shake off. It also helps that everyone seems to be having the time of their life. Thanks to the cast’s eccentric choreography, fans now associate the song with the wonderfully weird world of “Beetlejuice.”

“Risky Business” (1983)
Tom Cruise’s death-defying stunts have cemented him as an action icon. But for many fans, he’ll always be the boy singing and dancing his heart out to Bob Seger’s ode to rock 'n' roll. Cruise had previously appeared in a few notable roles, but “Risky Business” catapulted him into the big leagues. And if there’s any scene immortalized from the movie, it has to be this one. For many teenagers, getting the house to themselves is like a wonderful dream come true. Here, Cruise’s character portrays that sense of freedom, embodying an infectiously relatable, youthful energy. Thanks to the actor’s iconic moves, the song has come to symbolize the carefree spirit that reminds us to live in the moment.

“Shrek” (2001)
You couldn’t ask for a better song to launch the “Shrek” franchise. The intro encapsulates everything that makes Shrek, well, Shrek. This ogre is as unapologetically himself as the track that accompanies the scene. Smash Mouth’s chart-topping hit blends mischief with a whole lot of fun, setting viewers up for the series’ brand of humor. Because of its meme-able quality, “All Star” has remained alive and kicking decades later. But the song owes much of its popularity to Shrek himself, as the protagonist’s antics bring out the song’s oomph factor. His unfiltered charm and rebellious spirit springboarded the song into its own corner in pop culture history.

“Dirty Dancing” (1987)
[“Nobody puts baby in the corner”] Patrick Swayze’s classic quote leads into an equally unforgettable performance. While the song is about young love blossoming, it was Swayze and Jennifer Grey who inspired an entire generation to follow their hearts. The film’s climactic scene hits all the right notes, with the protagonists baring their love for the world to see. The marriage between music and dance strikes an emotional chord – and that sentiment persists to this day. By the time the curtain falls on their triumphant performance, the actors had permanently etched their names in film history.

“Pretty Woman” (1990)
Not going with this song would’ve been a big mistake, big, huge – especially since it inspired the film’s title. Fast-forward a few decades, though, and the first person you think of with the song is Julia Roberts. Set against the backdrop of her character’s makeover, Vivian overcomes her fears and embraces the finer life that Beverly Hills offers. Its optimistic, celebratory vibe mirrors Vivian’s character arc, putting her on the path to reinventing herself. The song’s old-time charm exudes a sense of class that our heroine demonstrates, turning heads along the way. While all that glitz and glamor plays its part, it’s her newfound self-confidence that truly makes this woman “pretty” – inside and out.

“Back to the Future” (1985)
How do you make an old song feel new? You hop back 30 years on a time-traveling DeLorean, that’s how. With the central conflict resolved, Marty finally gets to play the type of music he’s passionate about. Of course, he gets a bit too enthusiastic about it, as his rendition of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” goes off the rails. Berry’s original was already a classic by the time of “Back to the Future”’s release. But its inclusion in the film cemented its legacy for future generations. Marty’s unrestrained, electrifying performance perfectly sums up the song’s thematic qualities. And if it ever gets too much for you, just remember: your kids are definitely going to love it.

“Pulp Fiction” (1994)
Few directors use music in their films to such iconic success as does Quentin Tarantino. It’s because of him that we can no longer hear “Stuck in the Middle With You” without thinking about a guy getting his ear cut off. And it’s also because of Mr. Tarantino, that whenever Chuck Berry’s “You Never Can Tell” starts to play, our body automatically starts to do the twist (followed by some pretty impressive hand swipes in front of our eyes moves as well). Not only did “Pulp Fiction” rejuvenate John Travolta’s career, it also gave audiences a chance to see him dancing again. And that dance and that song are now forever linked.

“Pretty in Pink” (1986)
Without doubt the greatest performance of Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness” is by Andrew Strong and the rest of the band in the 1991 film “The Commitments.” However, as amazing as it was, our forever connection to this song had already been imprinted in our movie minds 5 years earlier with the release of the film “Pretty in Pink.” And while Jon Cryer - unlike “The Commitments” band - doesn’t actually sing the song, his lip-synch performance around the record store was one for the ages. As if we needed another reason to love “Duckie,” right?

“Magnolia” (1999)
For some people it’s jarring in musicals when characters randomly break into song. So imagine when it happens in a film that isn’t a musical. Well, at least in the case of Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1999 masterpiece “Magnolia,” it’s both jarring and mesmerizing - and completely unforgettable. At first it appears like it might just be one character singing in her apartment. But then, as we cut to another person, and another and another - the “reality” of the situation dissipates and the cinematic artistry grabs hold. Hearing Aimee Mann’s “Wise Up” will always bring to mind the images of this grief-filled sing-a-long.

“Say Anything…” (1989)
Did you know that the famous boombox scene from “Say Anything…” was originally scored with the song “Question Of Life” by the brilliant band Fishbone? And while it might be a good song, we agree with Cameron Crowe who, after watching the scene, decided that it just didn’t work. That’s when Crowe decided to go with Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes,” and the rest is movie music history. As Gabriel himself has even admitted, he and John Cusak are now “sort of trapped together in a minuscule moment of contemporary culture.”

“Ghost” (1990)
“Unchained Melody” was originally written for the 1955 prison movie, “Unchained.” And until 1990, there might’ve been movie fans who couldn’t separate the song from that film from decades earlier. But in overall pop culture, those “Unchained” associations went out the window with the release of “Ghost” - and one now-legendary scene. You know the one. And not only did the film forever cement our associations with this beautiful song - particularly The Righteous Brothers version - it has also forever heightened our appreciation for the romantic power of working with clay. Who knew that pottery could be so darn sexy?

“Wayne’s World” (1992)
Why do so many ‘90s kids know the lyrics to “Bohemian Rhapsody?” Why do we always head bang during the guitar solo? Two words… “Wayne’s World.” And we have Mike Myers to thank for this one. Both the studio and Lorne Michaels were pushing for a Guns N’ Roses song to be used for the now-iconic head-banging car scene. But Myers wasn’t having it. No way. Way! He even threatened to quit the movie if they didn’t use “Bohemian Rhapsody” for the scene. Obviously he got his way and we got one of the greatest moments in comedy movie and music history combined.

“Almost Famous” (2000)
Elton John’s beautiful song has been a part of the pop music landscape since its release in 1971. However, it was the song’s inclusion in the film “Almost Famous” - almost three decades after its initial release - that has since ingrained it into our cinematic subconscious. And director Cameron Crowe knew he had something from the first take. As he said in an interview: “It was one of those situations where you just felt it.” Indeed, they could feel it on set and we can feel it each and every time we watch the scene. And since then, every time we hear the song - we’re back on that bus. To paraphrase Penny Lane, we’re home.

“Fight Club” (1999)
Yes, we know the first two rules, but for this next song we HAVE to talk about “Fight Club.” Because since 1999 we haven’t been able to hear “Where Is My Mind?” by Pixies and not think about, remember, contemplate, talk about “Fight Club.” Particularly that last scene over which the song plays - as Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter stand there holding hands watching the city explode around them. It might’ve been a… strange time in Norton’s character's life - but whenever we hear “Where Is My Mind?”, we immediately go back to that time in our lives when we watched this movie. And if you haven’t seen it yet, you will, too.

“10 Things I Hate About You” (1999)
There are so, so many things we love about rom-coms. But one of the best tropes these films provide is the big apology and/or declaration of love scene. And in 1999’s “10 Things I Hate About You” - we get one from each of our main characters. From Julia Stiles’s Katarina "Kat" Stratford, we get the famous poem from which the film gets its name. And from Heath Ledger’s Patrick Verona we get his grand rendition of “Can't Take My Eyes Off You” with the help of the high school marching band. For a generation of teen rom-com lovers, this song will always go hand in hand with Ledger dancing, singing and eventually running from security in the stands.

“The Breakfast Club” (1985)
Whether you’re a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess or a criminal - if you’ve seen “The Breakfast Club” then the Simple Minds song “Don't You (Forget About Me)” will always be emotionally attached to said film. The song plays and it’s an almost involuntary action that our right arms make - fist pumping into the air like Judd Nelson’s does in the final moments of the movie. This movie and song are so entwined with each other that “Pitch Perfect” honored the pairing in their climactic musical scene some 27 years later.


Can you think of any other songs and scenes that go hand in hand? Sound off in the comments.