Not all successful movies rely on music specifically composed for them, and plenty of songs have become hits following their use in films.
Many classic tracks down the years have become synonymous with certain movies, whether they’ve been used in an iconic end credits scene, or perhaps during the climax of the film.
Every now and then you’ll hear a song in a shop, on TV or on the radio and immediately be transported to a specific moment in a film.
Here are six songs that instantly remind you of the movie that they were most famously used in:
Moby’s ‘Extreme Ways’ – The Jason Bourne Series (2002-2016)
Moby has crafted some truly excellent songs down the years, but who knew that ‘Extreme Ways’ would become best-known for soundtracking the end credits in all of Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne films. The peak of its use in the series is in The Bourne Supremacy when Damon delivers the line “get some sleep Pam, you look tired”. Chills.
Simple Minds’ ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ – The Breakfast Club (1985)
This classic track plays during the final scenes of the cinematic classic The Breakfast Club and wow does it ever still take me back to the first time I watched the movie. As each of the film’s relationships reach a peak at the end of the day, the track fits like it was made for it.
Don Omar’s ‘Danza Kuduro’ ft. Lucenzo – Fast 5 (2011)
Okay fine i’m sure you didn’t know which move from the general Fast & The Furious Franchise this track was feature in, but tell me you don’t immediately get the itch to watch Vin Diesel mumble-growl his way through some clunky dialogue following by a car chase scene?
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Kenny Loggins’ Danger Zone – Top Gun (1986)
This might be cheating a tad, because the song was actually created for Top Gun, but it has become such a massive part of pop culture on its own and isn’t your typical film composition. Still, I dare you to listen and not immediately picture Tom Cruise riding a motorbike down a runway while a fighter pilot flies above him.
Rob Dougan’s ‘Clubbed To Death’ – The Matrix (1999)
So you might not recognise it from the start, but just wait for that beat to come in. It’s a track that sends you back to 1999 when Neo was forced to choose between the red pill and the blue pill. A perfect blend of dissonant chords creates the unresolved tension, and all of a sudden it’s Neo vs Mr Smith all over again.
