There are some songs that people automatically correlate to a movie. Personally, I find it impossible to listen to the song “Cups” without immediately thinking about the scene in “Pitch Perfect” where Beca is sitting on the stage trying out for the “Barden Bellas” while flipping a cup around. There are so many songs that immediately conjure up a memory of a movie. Some of the more popular ones that come to mind include “Rocky,” “Despicable Me” and “Saturday Night Fever.”
Rocky
“Rocky” is widely known for its theme song “Eye Of The Tiger” by Survivor, a song that shows Rocky’s perseverance as an underdog. According to elitedaily.com, the movie portrays “one of the greatest training sequences that evented in the epic knockout of big mutant Russian dudes – because Rocky had the eye of the tiger. It’s about getting knocked down, but getting back up again and letting no one keep you down. That is what life is about.” “Eye Of The Tiger” reached the top spot on the Billboard charts in July 1982 following the release of “Rocky III” in May 1982.
Despicable Me
Do the lyrics “Because I’m happy . . . Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof,” ring any bells? The song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams reached the top of the Hot Billboard chart in March 2014 after being featured in the movie “Despicable Me.” The movie contains scenes featuring Gru, the evil protagonist, gleefully strutting through the streets with the song “Happy” playing in the background. Thanks to this, it’s difficult to hear Williams’ song without thinking of Gru and his minions.
Saturday Night Fever
“Saturday Night Fever” is notorious for the song “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees, which was ranked number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks straight in 1978. A part of the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack, the song “Stayin’ Alive” went on to win Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards after it’s exposure in the film. The movie and songs are heavily responsible for the comeback of disco, and according to The Dissolve, “For some, the film will always be inextricably, unforgivably tied to its soundtrack.”
Songs play a huge role in how movies are received, as shown in “Rocky,” “Despicable Me” and “Saturday Night Fever.” According to GovTech, “Music guides your audience and invokes the emotions behind your film’s story, the action and the words. It is a great enhancement to any film.” Without music, movies would be much duller and a lot less memorable.
