As a teenager I had a pretty impressive CD collection of movie and TV soundtracks. To this day, I still love watching the Top 100 Movie Songs on VH1 and MTV. Hearing a song like “Romeo and Juliet” by Dire Straits on the radio takes me back to my teen years when my friends and I would watch Empire Records, drink Bacardi Breezers (the orange flavour) and crash at a friend’s house whose backyard happened to look out onto a spooky graveyard. A pretty good setting for a girl who loved watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Music can elevate a mediocre film to something good. Take Fifty Shades of Grey for example. Thanks to Ellie Goulding’s “Love Me Like You do” and Beyonce’s slow version of “Crazy in Love”, this film was a lot more enjoyable to watch.
For tonight, I’ve chosen a few songs from films I always enjoy listening to. The list is pretty random; these were the first to pop into my head when I thought of doing this post.
“Even Angels Fall” by Jessica Riddle from 10 Things I Hate About You.
“Stay (I Missed You)” by Lisa Loeb from Reality Bites. I could have picked so many songs from this film: “My Sharona”, “Locked Out,” “I’m Nuthin'”…, but this one is my favourite. I loved this song long before I’d ever seen Reality Bites.
“Promentory” – from The Last of the Mohicans. Epic film. Half the characters die while this song is played. It’s a tragic scene set to beautiful music. I always get the goosebumps when watching this part. Here’s that scene.
“Good Enough” by Cyndi Lauper – from The Goonies.
“Higher Love” by Steve Winwood – from Big Business.
“Man in Motion” by John Parr – from St. Elmo’s Fire.
Others I love: “Twist and Shout” – from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, “Take My Breath Away” from TopGun, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop us Now” from Mannequin, “It Must Have Been Love” from Pretty Woman, “Eyes on Fire” from Twilight, “Hungry Eyes” from Dirty Dancing, “Show me Heaven” from Days of Thunder, and the list goes on and on and on.
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I could keep writing , but those were the first that came to mind. Are you a fan of any of these? Have you seen these films?
What are some of your favourite songs from the movies?
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Emma's Ramblings on Supernatural Fiction 
“Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” from Armageddon.
Love that song. My big sister had her first dance at her wedding to it.
Omg, talk about memories! I’ve seen almost all of the movies and love most all of the songs. My favorite from your list is Steve Winwood’s Higher Love. I used to love Bacardi Breezers (ah, the memories) and I’m so jealous of the setting you enjoyed in your friend’s yard with the spooky graveyard in the background. About the only thing I couldn’t wrap my head around is Fifty Shades of Grey. I have no intention of seeing the movie and wouldn’t waste my time on the book, but that’s just me 😉
I realise almost every song I picked and movie are from the 80’s. 🙂
I love Higher Love. Have you heard the slow version by Vincent McMorrow? It’s really good.
A Bacardi Breezer is the perfect summer holiday drink for me.
Yeah, I was quite envious of my friend having a graveyard so close by. Me and my Buffy obsession!
Mae, you’re not alone when it comes to Fifty Shades. Lots of people can’t be bothered with them and I totally get why.
“Good Enough,” brings back memories…
Hope they’re good ones.
“Stay (I Missed You)” -yes! “Man In Motion” – absolutely yes. I liked the song more than the movie. I would add off the top of my head “All I Want Is You” also from Reality Bites, “Everybody’s Talking” from Midnight Cowboy, “Tiny Dancer” from Almost Famous, “Stand By Me” from Stand By Me, and “Cry To Me” from Dirty Dancing. Oh! Also “Try A Little Tenderness” and “If You Leave” from Pretty in Pink.
“All I Want is You” – yes! That’s a good one. I’ve never seen Midnight Cowboy (the shame), but I love the song. “Stand By Me” is a great one, and that film is in my top ten favourite films of all time. I should have included “Cry to Me” here. Love love love that song. It’s sad and sexy, all at same time. Solomon Burke’s voice!!!
I ended up watching Save the Last Dance last night for the first time in years and wanted to get up dancing to all the songs, especially “Murder She Wrote”. Great soundtrack from my teen years.
You’ve picked some great songs, Shannon.
OMG Emma I love this post! 😀 OK, here goes, Last of Mohicans what can I say?!! EPIC! Poor Uncas & Alice! 😦 St. Elmo’s Fire, another classic, as well as ‘Don’t you forget about me’ from Simple Minds in The Breakfast Club. This one isn’t well known but ‘Storybook Love’ from The Princess Bride. All of Dirty Dancing soundtrack, Take my Breath Away – Top Gun, Show me Heaven – Days of Thunder, ‘Romeo & Juliet’ from Dire Straits and ‘How’ from the Cranberries in Empire Records, Nothing’s gonna stop us now – Mannequin, All of Pretty Woman soundtrack, All of Practical Magic soundtrack! I’ll leave you with 3 of my favourites:
PRACTICAL MAGIC – ‘If you ever did Believe’ by Stevie Nicks & Sheryl Crow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE2g_l5rHGk
Empire Records – ‘How’ The Cranberries
Empire Records – Romeo & Juliet by Dire Straits
The Princess Bride – Storybook Love by Willy deVille
I thought this post would be right up your alley, Laura. I was humming “Don’t You Forget About Me” alright when writing this post, but it was because I’d watched Pitch Perfect recently! I was so disappointed when I got the Empire Records soundtrack years and years ago after paying €20 + for the CD only to find “How!” wasn’t on it. Great song.
Love that Stevie Nicks song. Listening to it right now on YouTube. Thanks.
I love everything about this post. What a stroll down my fave movies to watch growing up. All these songs are so epic! I would also add “Cruel to Be Kind” from 10 Things I Hate About You and “Supermodel” from Clueless. And I’m sure I’m missing a bunch. But you got so many of my faves!
We grew up in the same era, Jess. “Cruel to be kind in the right measure, cruel to be kind…” Very good song, and I love “Wings of the Dove” too from that soundtrack.
I never get tired of watching Clueless. Yep, “Supermodel” brings back memories.
I loved all those Brat-Pack movies – oh the crushes I had on that cast! And yes, the sons which when with them were stellar too. My little sister used to think I looked like Lisa Loeb and she’d sing the song to me on my visits, which complained were too infrequent. 🙂 Great post.
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