Every now and then, a movie uses a song in such a way, that everyone seems to be singing that song for months to come. That particular track becomes grafted to that film forever, making it “the song from [that movie]”. There are so many cases for this that it warranted a list.
5. “Tiny Dancer” – Almost Famous
I must admit, I don’t love this scene. I find it forced every time I see it, and I can’t help but wonder how they all know to skip a verse as they sing. That being said, this list is about songs being brought back to popularity through film. That’s exactly what happened here. Almost Famous brought “Tiny Dancer” up to being one of the most played Elton John songs out there. It earned the song a place in the hearts of this generation and a place on this list.
4. “I Touch Myself” – Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery
I was just a kid when this movie came out, making me more vulnerable to the hilarious, forbidden, nipple-rubbing mania that was brought on from this scene. What could reignite a song like a dancing Austin Powers, Fembot heads exploding, and British flag undies? I never hear this song without thinking of this scene, and that’s the whole point of this list.
3. “Total Eclipse of The Heart” – Old School
First of all, a word about Old School: no one saw this film coming, but it reinvented the comedy genre and paved the road for the Apatowian comedy that we all know and love. That being said, thanks to The Dan Band, and their moving performance as Will Ferrell’s wedding band, most of us can’t decide whether or not to throw the “F” bomb into Bonnie Tyler’s song at various places. This classic scene has earned the Dan Band cameos in films such as Starsky and Hutch and, this summer’s smash success, The Hangover. Every time these guys show up on film, I think back to “Total Eclipse of The Heart”.
2. “These Eyes” – Superbad
Who can forget Michael Cera singing this hit from The Guess Who in Superbad? The scene, for those who don’t remember, consists of Evan, our meek yet heroic protagonist, being forced to sing for a few fight-craving cocaine fiends. I can’t help but wonder where a seventeen-year-old kid pulled this ditty from, but it makes for comedic genius. He brings the cokeheads to tears with his poor-at-best performance, and us to tears of laughter, earning his place on this list. To the current generation, The Guess Who’s hit from 1969 will forever be “the song from Superbad”.
1. “Bohemian Rhapsody” – Wayne’s World
This was a tough decision for me. I mean, who could ever say that this song, by Queen, could ever need “reigniting”? However, in the end, what is this list without this scene? When Wayne pops that cassette into the Mirth Mobile’s tape deck, history is made. It’s a classic “chicken egg” scenario: Did we start reacting to this song on the radio because of this scene? Or, was this scene made because of the way we all react to this song on the radio? Either was, if you haven’t had a full-car sing-a-long to “Bohemian Rhapsody”, you’ve led an incomplete life. That fact puts the song at number one.
