When the perfect song finds its way into the right movie, the results can be magical. Take a look at our list of the ten best music moments in movies this year.
Using popular music in a movie can be a risky choice. The wrong song can completely ruin a scene and take the audience out of the movie. If a movie relies too heavily on popular hit songs, it can make the film feel like a cheap parody — just take a look at this year’s Kong: Skull Island. The film that uses almost every radio hit from the ’70s that you’ve heard a dozen times before, in a way that feels just unnecessary.
However, when a film is able to strike the right balance between scene and song, the results can be really special. The right song can make a good scene great and make a great scene one of the best. In honor of tricky yet rewarding union of music and movies, we took a look back at this year’s movies to find the 10 best music moments.
‘Baby Driver’
‘Bellbottoms’ by the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
The opening of Edgar Wright’s new film Baby Driver sets up the film’s high energy, high stakes attitude and does so to the rhythm and tune of “Bellbottoms” by the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Wright’s concept of an action movie specifically choreographed and timed to match a curated collections of songs made it a break out hit this summer. His vision for the film is never clearer than it is in the opening sequence, one that excellently captures an undiluted sense of fun and thrill.
The use of “Bellbottoms” signals the film’s creative and unconventional use of music, one in which the characters listen along with the audience. There is something unique about the way the characters in Baby Driver interact with the music – they don’t just hear it, but they move with it. Wright’s choice to kick off Baby Driver with the “Bellbottoms” is still one of the most exciting music moments in movies this year.
‘Atomic Blonde’
‘Father Figure’ by George Michael
Starring Charlize Theron, Atomic Blonde delivered an edge-of-your-seat, female-led spy thriller with a killer soundtrack. Arguably the best music moment in the film is when Lorraine (Theron) finds herself cornered in an apartment as several of her adversaries are closing in. Rather than hide, she turns up the stereo blasting George Michael’s “Father Figure.”
The song continues to play as she takes on not one, not two, but four armed officers using a rope as her primary weapon. It’s a fantastically choreographed scene that uses George Michael’s song to great effect, giving the scene an added energy and rhythm. It’s one of the most fun and entertaining music moments of the year, cuing the audience into the time period and giving the action on screen an added flair.
‘A Ghost Story’
‘I Get Overwhelmed’ by Dark Rooms
David Lowery’s A Ghost Story tells the story of a man who returns from the dead as a ghost. He’s no Casper or even Patrick Swayze in Ghost, but instead a figure cloaked by a large white sheet. The film follows this ghost as he watches the lives of his loved ones and strangers pass him by. Steeped in a distinct, moody atmosphere, the use of the Dark Rooms song, “I Get Overwhelmed” adds an extra emotional weight to the story.
Lowery bookends the use of the song in the film. We hear it first when the man is still alive, playing it for his wife. Later we hear it again as he tries to reach out and connect with hear after his death. In a film that is almost entirely absent of dialogue, the song provides a connection between two characters who will not or cannot communicate with another. The use of the song in the film is proof of the way music can evoke a strong emotional response from the audience even when the story itself is lacking.
‘Girls Trip’
‘Bling Bling’ by B!G & ‘Bad Bitches’ Lil Jon, Kronic, Onderkoffer, Keno
Of all the laugh-out-loud hilarious moments in Girls Trip (warning if you haven’t seen it: there are a lot of them), the club dance-off ranks pretty high on the list. It’s one of the funniest scenes of the year and it’s set to the perfect music. In the midst of their wild night out, the girls find their way into a club complete with neon-colored wigs and find themselves confronted by an enemy girl group. Naturally, they find themselves in a dance-off.
In a scene that might remind some of the dance-off in White Chicks, the two girl groups go back and forth showing off their best dance moves. If you ever wanted to see Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah break it down on the dance floor, now is your chance. It may be cheating to include both of the songs in the scene, but they’re both so crucial to the scene that it’s not right to leave one of them out. Girls Trip is the must-see comedy of the year and this music moment is just one of its high points.
‘Lady Bird’
‘Crash Into Me’ by Dave Matthews Band
Greta Gerwig’s hit film Lady Bird has reclaimed the Dave Matthews Band song “Crash Into Me.” The song, which has somewhat deservedly earned a reputation of being generally uncool and kinda creepy, is used perfectly in the film to denote heartbreak, loss, and teenage vulnerability. In one scene, Lady Bird and her best friend Julie cry in the car as the song plays after a shocking realization.
In another scene, the song plays over the radio as Lady Bird is on her way to prom with a group of people that she doesn’t even really get along with. In both scenes, the song is an earnest reminder of Lady Bird’s identity, her friendship with Julie, and the close emotional bond she shares with her best friend. In using “Crash Into Me,” the film is able to key the audience into this emotional experience while also dredging up a health dose of nostalgia, making it one of the more relatable music moments of the year.
‘Battle of the Sexes’
‘Crimson and Clover’ by Tommy James & The Shondells
Emma Stone shines in this year’s Battle of the Sexes, a film that follows the events leading up to the historic tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. Although centered on the tennis match, the film also explores King’s personal life, particularly her relationship with Marilyn Barnett.
In one of the best scenes in the film, Marilyn and Billie Jean go out to a bar together. As they walk in together, their faces blue and red with the neon lights, “Crimson and Clover” by Tommy James & the Shondells plays. The song establishes a distinct atmosphere, playful and dreamy, one that befits the blossoming romance depicted on screen. It’s a brilliant moment that uses the song to great effect, earning a spot on the best music moments in film this year.
‘Logan Lucky’
‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ by John Denver
In the very first scene of Steven Soderbergh’s Logan Lucky, Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) is fixing his truck with the help of his daughter Sadie (Farrah Mackenzie). The two are talking about the John Denver song, “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” This conversation quickly establishes the location of the film, a story set on the border between West Virginia and Kentucky. Later in the film, Sadie is set to perform in a pageant where she plans to sing “Umbrella” by Rihanna for her talent. However, after seeing her dad walk in, she breaks out in an a capella version of the very same John Denver song her father had spoken about at the start of the movie.
As she sings without any accouterments, the audience joins in. It’s a moving moment that articulates the strong sense of community and local pride that rests in the background of the film’s story. Unlike Soderbergh’s Ocean’s franchise that follows rich individuals stealing from casinos to get richer, Logan Lucky is grounded in the working class and John Denver’s song is a casual, but poignant reminder of that.
‘BPM (Beats per Minute)’
‘What About This Love’ by Mr. Fingers
BPM (Beats per Minute) is France’s must-see Oscar submission that depicts a group of HIV/AIDS activists in the early 90s working to enact change and fighting for survival. The film is committed to showing these activists in a variety of different situations and environment; the tough internal organizational arguments, thrilling moments of protest, and passionate intimacy shared between characters. One particular location the film returns to several times is the club. We see the characters dancing together, smiling, laughing, and celebrating one another while Mr. Fingers “What About This Love” plays.
It’s a perfect club song, complete with a pounding rhythm that is reminiscent of a heartbeat. The choice of song in this scene is a poignant reminder of how alive these characters are. The story may be focused on their activism, but the film is keenly aware of and doesn’t shy away from how complicated the lives of these characters really are. The club scenes, accompanied by the perfect music, give the film an added dynamic that allows the audience to see these characters celebrating their wins and consoling their losses all to 120 beats per minute.
‘Nocturama’
‘Whip My Hair’ by Willow Smith
Bertrand Bonello’s Nocturama received a small theatrical release this year, which is a damn shame considering it features some of the boldest moments in film this year. The film follows a group teen radicals that perpetrate terrorist attacks in Paris and seek refuge in a massive department store. In one of the best scenes, Willow Smith’s “Whip My Hair” plays as the teens watch news coverage of the attacks.
The use of “Whip My Hair,” a song that was mocked upon its release in 2010, anchors and articulates the film’s juxtaposition of shallow materialism against the backdrop of terrorism. The use of the song is far more than just an aesthetic choice – it helps propel the film’s message, mining deeper into the audience’s subconscious by drawing from a point of familiarity. It’s undeniably one of the best music moments of the year.
‘Call Me by Your Name’
‘Love My Way’ by The Psychedelic Furs
In a scene that inspired a viral internet meme, Armie Hammer as Oliver in Call Me by Your Name dances to the Psychedelic Furs “Love My Way.” Nearby, Elio (played by Timothee Chalamet) smokes a cigarette, watching Hammer burn up the dance floor. Seconds later, Chalamet joins him on the dance floor. The two dance in close proximity, keenly aware of the other, but never acknowledging one other. Later in the film, the song plays again. This time, the dynamic between these two characters is much different – rather than refusing to acknowledge one another, they are openly affection with one another.
That this particular song, one that so enthusiastically and vivaciously encourages loving “my way” and following a “new road,” plays twice in the film is no coincidence. It resonates with significance and gives the audience one more reason to celebrate this story and these characters, making it one of the best music moments of the year. Need more proof? Nielsen Music reported the song’s on-demand audio streams jumped by 15 perfect in the last week alone.