Bands Talk About Their Songs Used In Classic Movie Scenes

Wayne’s World remains one of the most iconic comedy films of the 1990s, in large part because it features the unique comedy stylings of (and undeniable chemistry between) Mike Myers and Dana Carvey, who play the characters Wayne and Garth, respectively. It also includes a remarkable moment in which Wayne, Garth, and their friends lip-sync to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” one of the band’s most enduringly popular songs.

Though Queen’s lead singer Freddie Mercury was terminally ill at the time, he was actually able to see a cut of the film, thanks to band guitarist Brian May. May recalls, “I took it round to Freddie not long before he went and showed it to him. He loved it, he laughed and laughed. He was very weak, but he just smiled and laughed.” As it turns out, not only did the scene become a staple of popular culture, but it also led to a resurgence of the band’s popularity in the United States (which had begun to flag throughout the early part of the 1990s). The song re-charted at #2 in the U.S. after Wayne's World - higher than it ever actually charted upon its initial release.

Beetlejuice is a very strange film, showcasing many of the traits that would come to be forever associated with director Tim Burton. Focusing as it does on a pair of ghosts who wish to get rid of the new inhabitants of their home, it also features a very funny performance from Michael Keaton as the title character. In one of the film’s most memorable scenes, the new inhabitants of the house are forced to gyrate along to Harry Belafonte’s famous song “Day-O.” 

“I never had a request like that before,” Belafonte remarked in an interview. “We talked briefly. I liked the idea of Beetlejuice. I liked him. And I agreed to do it.” Though pragmatic concerns might have been the motivation for the inclusion of his work in the film - his songs were relatively cheap to license - Beetlejuice’s success introduced Belafonte to a whole new generation of fans, many of them young. “Everywhere I went, for about a year, I had kids all over me,” he remarked, “and I enjoyed the whole excursion.”

Directed by Taika Waititi, Thor: Ragnarok bears many of the director’s hallmarks, including a wry sense of humor. Thus, even though it has the epic grandeur and narrative stakes commonly on display in the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it also doesn’t take itself too seriously. In one of the film’s most notable scenes, Thor begins to fight back against Hela, just as Led Zeppelin’s “The Immigrant Song” plays on the soundtrack. In fact, it is used twice, including in the trailer. 

While the band was very much in favor of the way the song was used, they were very firm when it came to changing it. The score composer noted the band’s response as being “no one's allowed to touch our song in any way musically.” This effectively halted some plans the composer had in mind to have an orchestra supplement a part of the song in its second appearance. 

Throughout his career, Quentin Tarantino has demonstrated his skill at cultivating his own particular visual style. His films tend to be almost painterly in the way they utilize stylized violence. And, as the director has noted, he recognizes the power of music to transform the meaning and emotional impact of an image. For example, the scene in Reservoir Dogs where Mr. Blonde tortures a police officer possesses such power in part due to it being set to the Stealers Wheel song “Stuck In the Middle with You."

What did Gerry Rafferty, the song's co-writer and lead vocalist, think of the brutal contrast between his song and the scene? Tarantino noted in an interview, “​​I don’t know if Gerry Rafferty necessarily appreciated the connotations that I brought to ‘Stuck in the Middle with You’ - there is a good chance he didn’t.” But Rafferty says he did grant approval for the song - even if he “nearly fell out of the bed” when he first read the script. But he eventually came around. “When I saw the finished thing, it made a bit more sense,” he said. “It was a very powerful scene in what turned out to be a great movie.” 

Some moments in film stand head and shoulders from the rest, and the moment in Say Anything when John Cusack’s Lloyd Dobler holds up a boombox to woo his love with Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” is one of the most recognizable moments in the history of the romantic comedy. However, it almost didn’t happen because of a case of mistaken identity. 

As director Cameron Crowe relates it, during a conversation with the singer, the latter declined to allow him to use the song. When Crowe asked him why, Gabriel responded, “Well, when he takes the overdose, it just didn’t feel like the right kind of use of the song.” As it turns out, Gabriel was under the mistaken impression Crowe was directing a film about John Belushi, and wanted the song to score the actor's death scene. When he learned the truth and actually watched Say Anything, he granted his permission, and a key moment in film history was ensured.

With its heady mix of sex, drugs, and violence, Boogie Nights remains one of Paul Thomas Anderson’s best-known films and an unflinching examination of both the porn industry and the excesses of both the 1970s and 1980s. In one of the film’s most shocking scenes, a drug deal goes quickly awry and, as Rick Springfield’s hit song “Jessie’s Girl” plays in the background, a gunfight ensues, leading to a brutal death. The juxtaposition of the song’s peppy sound with the spiraling violence is key to the scene’s visceral power. 

Springfield has himself noted the aptness of the song’s inclusion. “I thought it was very cleverly used,” he said in an interview. “Because it’s a dark song. Lyrically, it’s very dark - sexual angst, not getting something, and being upset about it. It’s just housed in a kind of a bright melody. But I think it suited it very well - it was a great use of the song.” It’s a remarkable bit of commentary from a musician, and it helps bolster the film’s well-earned reputation.