I was actually looking for the songs that are most frequently used in movies, but so far I haven’t come across an accurate list yet. I always wonder who picks the songs for some of these movies, because if “Respect” comes on during another female empowerment scene, in yet another chick flick, I swear I’m gonna switch genders. I might come back to the most overused songs later, but it needs some digging around. Instead, let’s have a look at the songs that topped the American Film Institute’s list of best songs featured in movies.
1. “Over the Rainbow”, The Wizard of Oz (1939)
2. “As Time Goes by”, Casablanca (1942)
3. “Singin’ in the Rain”, Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
4. “Moon River”, Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
5. “White Christmas”, Holiday Inn (1942)
6. “Mrs. Robinson”, The Graduate (1967)
7. “When You Wish Upon a Star”, Pinocchio(1940)
8. “The Way We Were”, The Way We Were (1973)
9. “Stayin’ Alive”, Saturday Night Fever (1977)
10. “The Sound of Music”, The Sound Of Music (1965)
Mmm, dusty. The majority of songs on the AFI’s list of a hundred are from long before Tom Hanks was known as more than just ‘the curly haired one from Bosom Buddies’. It seems, the more we get to the top of the chart the older the tunes get, but I guess it has to have the weight of many years of success and reverence by the general public to truly earn the title of classic, at least according to the AFI. Most of these songs set a mood of sad reflection or hope for the future. So if you want to write a hit movie song be sure it will sound good over a close up of a pondering Barbara Streisand, a jubilant Julie Andrews, or a sullen Humphrey Bogart.
Here are two bands that proof that a truly great songs will always be celebrated:
Happy Mondays – Stayin’ Alive
The Flaming Lips – Over The Rainbow
Filed under: Music, Those Zany Charts ... Tagged: | Movies, Musicals, Trivia
