The Best Movies Named After Songs
Vote up on your favorite movie named after an existing song (sorry Purple Rain).
The best movies named after songs don't always have to emulate its lyrical predecessor but they most certainly take inspiration from it. Finding a good title for a movie maybe hard but one smart way of coming up with a film title is looking to music. That is why there are amazing movies that are named after some of the greatest songs. On this list you will find obvious choices like the ‘80s classic Stand By Me, named after the Ben E. King hit or Mamma Mia!, named after one of ABBA’s most notable ditties.
Some films on here you might not realize are named after songs, like the comedy Bustin' Loose starring Richard Pryor which was named after the song by Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers. Simon & Garfunkel and The Beatles pop up a few times on this list, though films about the the bands using their lyrics do not. Biopics about your favorite musical artists are also on this list like La Bamba, Rocketman, and I Am Woman. Is your favorite movie based on a song on this list? If not feel free to add it.
- 1Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman
- Released: 1986
- Directed by: Rob Reiner
Named After: 'Stand By Me' by Ben E. King
After learning that a stranger has been accidentally killed near their rural homes, four Oregon boys decide to go see the body. On the way, Gordie Lachance (Wil Wheaton), Vern Tessio (Jerry ...more - 2Steve Carell, Timothée Chalamet, Maura Tierney
- Released: 2018
- Directed by: Felix van Groeningen
Named After: 'Beautiful Boy' by John Lennon
Teenager Nicolas Sheff seems to have it all -- good grades, editor of the school newspaper, actor, artist and athlete. When Nic's addiction to meth threatens to destroy him, his desperate father does ...more - NEW
- Released: 2022
- Directed by: Ol Parker
Named After: 'Two Tickets to Paradise' by Eddie Money
A man and his ex-wife race to Bali, Indonesia, to stop their daughter from marrying a seaweed farmer. As they desperately try to sabotage the wedding, the bickering duo soon find themselves ...more - 3Hilary Swank, Chloë Sevigny, Peter Sarsgaard
- Released: 1999
- Directed by: Kimberly Peirce
Named After: 'Boys Don't Cry' by The Cure
Young female-to-male transgender Brandon Teena (Hilary Swank) leaves his hometown under threat when his ex-girlfriend's brother discovers that he's biologically female. Resettling in the small town ...more - 4Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth
- Released: 2008
- Directed by: Phyllida Lloyd
Named After: 'Mamma Mia' by ABBA
Donna (Meryl Streep), an independent hotelier in the Greek islands, is preparing for her daughter's wedding with the help of two old friends. Meanwhile Sophie, the spirited bride, has a plan. She ...more - 5Lou Diamond Phillips, Esai Morales, Rosanna DeSoto
- Released: 1987
- Directed by: Luis Valdez
Named After: 'La Bamba' by Ritchie Valens
Los Angeles teenager Ritchie Valens (Lou Diamond Phillips) becomes an overnight rock 'n' roll success in 1958, thanks to a love ballad called "Donna" that he wrote for his girlfriend (Danielle von ...more - 6Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Ralph Bellamy
- Released: 1990
- Directed by: Garry Marshall
Named After: 'Pretty Woman' by Roy Oberson
In this modern update on Cinderella, a prostitute and a wealthy businessman fall hard for one another, forming an unlikely pair. While on a business trip in L.A., Edward (Richard Gere), who makes a ...moreAvailable On:
