Greetings,
Maybe it's just me, but it seems that movie soundtracks aren't as big of a deal as they once were. Sure, we still have the Best Song category at movie award shows, and soundtracks are still made, but it is not something that people look forward to as much as the film anymore. Maybe it's because of downloading, maybe it's something else. I don't know. I, however, recall a time when movies tended to have a tie-in song, which practically served as a kind of advertisement. And even if a song wasn't a tie-in, it could still be featured on a collection of great songs for a film, and even become a hit. I miss those days. So I thought I should do a list of my favorite songs from movies.
Now, keep in mind, I will not be including any songs from movie musicals, such as Oklahoma! or West Side Story. To me, songs from musical aren't just songs. They are a part of the scripts, the story, so I don't actually think of them so much as stand alones or something that could be heard on the radio. But these songs are.
So enough of that. Let's get down to business. Spoiler alert, I hope you guys really like the 80's . . . and the Stallone family.
#10. "That Thing You Do!" by The Wonders from That Thing You Do! - Okay, so technically, The Wonders are not a real band and the actor who played the lead singer did not do the singing (thanks Mike Viola!), but this is still a catchy tune. When I heard that Tom Hanks was going to do a movie about a sixties band, I wondered if he was just going to breeze by the music aspect of it and just put whatever in there. He didn't. The songs in this film were actually really good, and this was the best of the lot. When something is catchy, almost to the point of annoyance, you know it's got some good to it.
#9. "Gran Torino" (featuring Clint Eastwood as Walt Kowalski) by Jamie Callum and Clint Eastwood from Gran Torino - Yeah, that's how it appears when you download it. That's actually an accurate way to put it if you've seen the film and heard the way that the song is used in it. It has the feeling of an older man passing something on to a younger one. Well done. Now this was not a song that was ever going to be a so-called hit, not nowadays anyway, and I don't think that was the goal. But whilst it was not what would be considered popular now or at the time of its release, the song is one of the best tie-ins to a film, and I don't just mean where the title is concerned.
#8. "Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova from Once - I reviewed this film and made a big deal about the soundtrack, with good reason. It's excellent, and this song is excellent, even in its simplicity. Actually, the fact that it is so simple, I think, lends much to its appeal. It shows that, whilst there is usually nothing wrong with songs with big production, it is absolutely not necessary to make a song really good. And it truly sounded like something that two people who just met could sit down and develop on the spot, so it goes perfectly with the spirit of the film.
#7. "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News from Back To the Future - I think there are few songs that can be so associated with a film, whilst literally having nothing to do with the plot. You cannot hear this song without thinking of Michael J. Fox on his skateboard. I dare you to try it. And this may be a song that has become a cliche of the 80's in some people's minds, but that does not mean it isn't good. It is. Very good. And after nearly thirty years, it has not worn out its welcome.
#6. "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls from City of Angels - So I did not become an official admirer of the Goo Goo Dolls until 1999, which was well into their commercially successful career. And I didn't really like this song at first, either. It took seeing their featured episode of Behind the Music and finding out how John Rzeznik came to write it and all that he was going through up until the time he did so. Turns out, we had some things in common when it comes to our history of writing, so I've loved him and his band ever since. So much so that he has a high ranking spot on my list of people with whom I want to write a song. Here's hoping.
#5. "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor from Rocky III / "Heart's On Fire" by John Cafferty from Rocky IV - Yeah, it's a tie, because I couldn't decide between the two. But it's all in the family of Rocky, so I can get away with it. Anyway, let's tackle these individually. "Eye of the Tiger" is the obvious pick of the two, since it is considered more of a classic. I'd even go so far as to say it's iconic. But strip everything away that surrounds it, and it still is a darn good song. (P.S. Watch the episode of The Cosby Show entitled "The Birthday Party" to hear a little dude named Jonathan give an awesome rendition!) Now, "Heart's On Fire", on the other hand, is bit less known, but, if you've seen Rocky IV, you've definitely heard it. Honestly, there were a lot of good songs on that soundtrack, but this is my favorite. And unless my ears are deceiving me, they replaced the typical guitar solo with a synthesizer, because it was the 80's, and you are not permitted to forget that. But if there is one thing that these songs have in common, it is that they both make you want go and work out. Not actually do it, but certainly think about it. And thinking about it is half the battle.
#4. "Rainbow Connection" by . . . Kermit(?) from The Muppet Movie - Yeah, I guess Kermit would be considered the contributing artist, though it is the voice of Jim Henson. So whoever, I love this song. I grew up a fan of The Muppets, and I still am to this day. For all these years, I have been very impressed by the music that came from the movies and the show. I know when some people make stuff that is technically meant for kids, they might not try so hard to make it good, but that was never the case here. Jim Henson and those with whom he worked always seemed to put so much care into the music, making it very top notch, and it never was shown more than with this song.
#3. "Shooting For the Moon" by Amy Holland from Teen Wolf - Okay, you all may think that you don't know this song, perhaps, due to not recognizing the name of it or the artist, but if you watched Teen Wolf and stuck around until the end, you have heard it. Not saying you remember it, but you've heard it. Now this is not the song that played during the obligatory and predictable basketball game, but during the obligatory and predictable "getting together" of the two characters who should have been together since the beginning. Look, this is a song drenched in full on 80's-ness and it's also kind of girly, to be honest. Either way, I seriously love it. Perhaps, though, it is a case of loving something I can't have. Yeah, I can't find it anywhere to download, and I don't think it prudent to spend $125 for a used copy of the soundtrack on Amazon. I'm not kidding. Oh, well.
#2. "Meet Me Halfway" by Kenny Loggins from Over the Top - Hey, let's play a game called "Find the 80's Soundtrack That Did Not Feature Kenny Loggins" It's a hard game! Yeah, Mr. Loggins was once a major contributor to film soundtracks, and, as a fan, I am certainly glad that he was. Some of his songs are downright synonymous with the films from which they came, and, to me, this one is no different. The song does a great job of conveying the emotional struggles within the shaky relationship between a father and son. BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THE MOVIE IS ABOUT!!! Yeah, it's not an arm wrestling movie. Sure, that's a part of it, and it has to do with their destination, but that's not what the story is all about. And herein lies where the people behind it made a big mistake. The original title, if my info is correct, was Meet Me Halfway, which is a good title for the story of these two people trying to build a relationship. Calling it Over the Top, which was an arm wrestling move that Sylvester Stallone's character used to win matches, makes people think that's the point. It's not. So, anyway, back to the song. In my humble opinion, it was perfect for this film. And if I were to make a list of my favorite Kenny Loggins songs, this would definitely be at the top. It's just really beautiful, and it is truly this artist at his best.
#1. "Peace In Our Life" by Frank Stallone from Rambo: First Blood, Part II - Yeah, that's right. So I could take this opportunity to point out how much I hate talented people being underrated, because I happen to think that Frank Stallone is very talented and very underrated. Did he get help with his career from his famous brother? Probably. But who cares? Does that mean he's not gifted? No, it does not. Look, people get help from other people all the time. Sophia Coppola totally got help from her dad when she was trying to make her first movie, and no one ever questioned her talent. As a writer/director, I mean, not an actress. Yeah, we all know where things stand there. But anyway, I just don't see why we should hold it against anyone else. And, in my opinion, if anyone can write a song as superb as this, they win. Time for back story. When I was growing up, Sylvester Stallone movies were basically playing on a loop in my house. And even before I was old enough to watch Rambo II, I knew this song. I would tell whoever was watching the movie to call me back me back when it was almost over so I could hear this song. Even as a child, I knew it was good. It wasn't until I got older and I really listened to it that I truly got it. It seems to me that what it is saying is very much like what the character in the films was trying to express, but from a different point of view. In case you don't know, Rambo was a guy who fought in the war, and then came back home and was basically treated like crap, to say the least. Now whilst this song was in the second film, and in said film, Rambo does say a lot at the end, like the part about these soldiers wanting their country to love them as much as they love it, I feel like what this song conveys is more connected with what was said at the end of the first movie. You can easily see how that speech was made from frustration and anger over the fact that he had done all these important and courageous things, and yet got treated like he was worth nothing upon his return home. And he speaks so much on behalf of all these brave men and women who fight for us. The song, in a way, takes all that was said there, and then turns to us as a nation and says, "Okay, what are we going to do for these people now? How are we going to treat them?" The lyrics beautifully say how they are fighting to make our nation strong, and they need our support, at home and abroad, so their job won't be that much harder. So the result of their work, and what happens to our country because of it, really depends on all of us. And clearly, though this song was made decades ago, it is not dated, and it is very, very relevant today. And it is just plain amazing.
So there are my favorite movie songs. You may agree or disagree or have no idea what I was talking about in some cases, but here they are. And if there are any here with which you aren't familiar, I invite you to check them out. They are certainly worth it. And who knows? They may end up on a top ten list of your own.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
