Thankfully, it was left in and ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ earned its place among history’s best film songs when it won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The gorgeous words – “And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak” – and clever dance routine make this one of cinema’s most romantic moments. The lyrical trick worked, and the song, from the classic Christmas movie Meet Me In St Louis’, has become a standard. The beautiful lyrics – “Blue moon/You saw me standing alone/Without a dream in my heart/Without a love of my own” – have been sung down the years by most of the greatest singers of popular music, including Elvis Presley, Mel Tormé, Dean Martin and Ella Fitzgerald. Madonna also covered ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’ for the film. Frank Sinatra recorded the song in 1979, and it has ever since been recognized not only as the theme for the movie but also as one of the most important and famous songs about New York City of all times. Needless to say, there are many more fantastic themes that have been composed exclusively for feature films, but here are some of our favorites. Music by John WilliamsProbably the most beautiful piece of music ever made! Tina Turner is a perfect choice for a bond theme song, and this one that accompanied Pierce Brosnan's debut as 007 is slinky and sexy and reminiscent of Shirley Bassey's three songs. For a Christmas musical, there are a surprisingly low number of songs in the movie White Christmas that are actually about Christmas. Rarely does a song of really acidic comedy find such public acceptance. Session bassist Carol Kaye said it took 33 takes to get ‘The Way We Were’ exactly as the producers wanted. Enjoy in these 20 most memorable movies soundtracks - themes.List:1. Frank Sinatra recorded the song in 1979, and it has ever since been recognized not only as the theme for the movie but also as one of the most important and famous songs about New York City of all times. Céline Dion’s power ballad, one of the biggest-selling singles of all time, won a raft of awards and is now almost as synonymous with the doomed ship as the iceberg it crashed into. The determined and upbeat number took on a life of its own after the release of the film, and the line “I ain’t afraid of no ghosts” has appeared in numerous pop-culture references. It is one of Stevens’ most underrated songs. Movies. As Indy puts it: ‘It’s not the years, honey. The title phrase in Swahili translates as “no worries”, and that’s a problem-free philosophy we could all do with. It was one of a number of film themes produced by his old Beatles pal George Martin. Despite its popularity and status as one of the best film songs in history, Day hated it, saying, “It’s a kiddie song.” But her manager-husband Marty Melcher disagreed and Day relented. Another song that made it into the movies only by chance, but which rightly deserves its place among the best film songs of all time, ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ replaced Frank Loesser’s ‘Slow Boat To China’ and became a smash hit, winning an Oscar for Best Original Song. Kansas farm girl Dorothy Gale's wistful ditty in "The Wizard of Oz" led the American Film Institute's list of 100 best movie songs Tuesday, followed by "As Time Goes By" from "Casablanca" and the title tune from "Singin' in the Rain." And some movie songs are just instantly engaging, such as Ray Parker Jr’s Ghostbusters theme song. Apart from the obvious title song, most of the songs are enjoyable, but could be cut and pasted into any season. The Lord Of The Rings3. Four different duos have had Top 20 hits with different versions, including great bantering ones by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan, Ray Charles and Bette Carter, and Dolly Parton and Rod Stewart, in the latter’s tribute album to The Great American Songbook. Release Calendar DVD & Blu-ray Releases Top Rated Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Showtimes & Tickets In Theaters Coming Soon Coming Soon Movie News India Movie Spotlight. But when it was used as the music to accompany the emotionally-charged scene where Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze get steamy behind a potting wheel, it gained a whole new lease of life as a romantic blockbuster. Hi, it’s the Babs police, just saying, that first verse is the contemplative revelation, “Memories LIGHT the corners of my mind, misty watercolor memories, of the way we were.”. The song was almost cut from the film, though, because MGM thought the opening Kansas sequence was too long. I liked how “Macho Man” got used in Frank Oz’s “In & Out”. Luckily, he went ahead and his version was at No.1 for eight weeks. And I can remember songs that are much better than many of those selected. Hope you enjoy them, too! In the movie, the duo play the song in Walton’s music shop in Dublin, with Hansard on guitar and Irglová on piano. It had actually been written for a low-budget B-movie, Unchained, in 1955, where it was sung as a prisoner’s lament. A country song that had been kicking around for a few years, in versions by writer Ed Bruce and then Chris LeDoux, gained widespread attention and acclaim when Willie Nelson sang it for the Robert Redford-Jane Fonda film about a rebellious cowboy. ‘Que Será, Será’ was sung by Doris Day in the Alfred Hitchcock thriller The Man Who Knew Too Much. The Godfather5. Here, then, is our pick of the 50 best film songs of all time…. As countless beer bottles aimed at the band shatter on impact with the chicken-wire fence protecting the stage, The Blues Brothers pacify the “redneck” audience with repeated versions of ‘Rawhide’. It was co-written by Don Black, a songwriter who had worked on lots of James Bond themes and was a frequent collaborator with John Barry, the soundtrack legend. The song has also been covered numerous times down the years, including by jazz greats Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong on their 1956 album Ella And Louis. Your email address will not be published. The song was written by two giants of film music – Leigh Harline (‘Whistle While You Work’) and Ned Washington (‘High Noon’). Movie songs can offer light relief or fuel tension, and sometimes they can be of social importance. The song was recorded in 1983, and it won an Academy Award for the Best Original Song and was repeatedly ranked as #1 in diverse single charts globally. Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer had impeccable track records. The sheer quality of the music in Disney’s The Lion King was demonstrated in the fact that three of its songs were nominated for an Oscar, with ‘Hakuna Matata’ and ‘Circle Of Life’ losing out to ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’. The song had actually been around for 15 years before that – having first appeared in a 1929 film – but songwriter Arthur Freed realised he could make money from his old lyrics, and, as a producer for MGM, he commissioned a musical around his song title. As Robin Gibb said, “The subject matter of ‘Stayin’ Alive’ is actually quite a serious one. Bob Dylan’s song was written for Sam Peckinpah’s western, in which the singer-songwriter starred alongside James Coburn and Kris Kristofferson. Paul Simon wrote ‘Mrs Robinson’ for The Graduate, starring Anne Bancroft as Mrs Robinson, a middle-aged woman who seduces the young Dustin Hoffman. Boys of Summer – Don Henly SHould be on this list. ‘White Christmas’ earned songwriter Irving Berlin a 1943 Academy Award and, well beyond being one of the best film songs of all time, it has become the biggest-selling single of all time, racking up sales of 50 million. Disappointed. I mean, can you really get this catchy tune out of your head? He just happened to overhear it at Graceland as his entourage was sampling a pile of demo tapes for the movie. One very funny scene involves the band pretending to be a country group called The Good Ole Boys, in order to play a gig at Bob’s Country Bunker in Kokomo. The song has become one of Dylan’s most popular among fellow musicians – there have been hundreds of cover versions, including by Randy Crawford, Guns N’ Roses, Eric Clapton, Bryan Ferry, Paul Simon, Jerry Garcia, Tom Petty and Dolly Parton. As well as Yello’s electro-pop classic ‘Oh Yeah’, which became a cult song after the film and was later even used in confectionery adverts, the film made judicious use of The Beatles’ recording of ‘Twist And Shout’, introducing a whole new generation to one of the group’s finest early outings on record. Lulu, who starred in the film, had a surprise No.1 US hit with the title song. After reading a lot of comments, i started to get a bit emotional. When Robbie Williams covered the song on his Swings Both Ways Tour in 2014, he performed it around the country with different choirs from the local Stagecoach acting schools. Menu. The rest is history, as Gene Kelly’s magnificent song-and-dance version easily turned ‘Singin’ In The Rain’ into one of the world’s best film songs. The song was later used in the 2008 Oliver Stone film W and referenced ironically in the 2016 film American Honey. A good old spaghetti Western from legendary director Sergio Leoni, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly was the third and the final part of Leoni’s Dollars Trilogy. With many of the songs being suggested by Tarantino’s friends, the album ended up combining rock ‘n’ roll, surf rock, pop and soul music. The song has appeared in numerous TV shows, including The Simpsons, and notable cover versions include one by Alison Krauss. Crosby’s version – which took only 18 minutes to record – is definitive, but in the decades since, numerous stars have had tried their Yuletide hand, including Bob Marley, Willie Nelson and U2. Also known as ‘Raiders March’, it was first released in the motion picture soundtrack of Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981 – an absolute classic from the ’80s. “Jay had seen a movie where a family used it as their motto,” he recalled. Listen free to Best TV and Movie Themes – 100 Amazing Ringtones (Kill Bill: Twisted Nerve - Movie Theme, The Benny Hill Show (TV Theme) and more). Hawk brought in her song "Stay," which played over the movie's closing credits, and directed its one-take music video. “My daughter, Natalie,” he explained. They both later worked on the music for Out Of Africa. Quentin Tarantino’s success feature introduced an unique soundtrack. Online, everywhere. Cliff Edwards, a middle-aged singer known as Ukulele Ike, voices the crow in Dumbo, but his voice is better known for singing the wonderfully sentimental ‘When You Wish Upon A Star’ for the Disney classic Pinocchio. Another Bond theme that takes its place alongside the best film songs of all time, ‘Live And Let Die’ shares the unusual distinction of having been nominated for a Grammy under two different performers. The hard work paid off. Perhaps it will bring back memories about some movies, that you really liked and want to watch again. From the first talkie, theme songs in movies have found a treasured place in the popular consciousness, as these 50 best film songs prove. Cat Stevens sings about wanting to “be free, be free” in his award-winning soundtrack song for the quirky film Harold And Maude, about a teenager who has an affair with a 79-year-old woman. To allow us to provide a better and more tailored experience please click "OK". 39 "Blaze Of Glory" - Jon … But there is no more exuberant version than the one delivered by the self-proclaimed Blues Brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi) in the John Landis comedy. The film itself was favorably received and Goldfinger was indeed the first Bond feature to receive an Academy Award for Best Sound Effects. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Nothing from a Tarrantino movie. Sidney Poitier was the main star of a worthy school-based film in which a teacher wins over some inner-city toughs in East London. The teen comedy starring Matthew Broderick was memorable for its use of music. Top 10 Theme Songs from MoviesSubscribe: http://goo.gl/Q2kKrDThe right song is everything in some movies scenes. AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs is a list of the top 100 songs in American cinema of the 20th century. But Martin loved the song and it soon became one of his signature songs in concerts, and a quintessential 50s ballad. The third James Bond movie featuring Sean Connery as 007 was released in 1964. Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for Film Soundtracks: 40 … Some of the best film songs continue to pervade popular culture well after their original appearance. A classic of its genre and very Pulp Fiction-y. Paul McCartney, who wrote the song, was nominated for his version with the band Wings, which went to No.2 on the US charts. We and our partners use cookies to better understand your needs, improve performance and provide you with personalised content and advertisements. Release Calendar DVD & Blu-ray Releases Top Rated Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Showtimes & Tickets In Theaters Coming Soon Coming Soon Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Plenty of Beatles songs merit inclusion in this list of the best film songs of all time – including ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ – but the nod goes to ‘Help!’, which was written as the title track to the group’s second movie – a madcap comedy originally mooted for Peter Sellers. It’s the mileage.‘. In 2016, perhaps with no irony, it was used as the music to advertise a Jeep Grand Cherokee. There's no song like "Over the Rainbow." His theme song won an Oscar, and his album — the first double LP from a soul act — won multiple Grammys. This started as a dark Christmas song, but when Judy Garland complained that some of Hugh Martin’s lyrics were uncomfortably bleak, he altered them and “Have yourself a merry little Christmas/It may be your last/Next year we may all be living in the past” became “Have yourself a merry little Christmas/Let your heart be light/Next year all our troubles will be out of sight”. 100 Best Film Theme Tunes. The iconic theme song for the 1984 movie was written and performed by Detroit musician Ray Parker Jr, and has remained his biggest hit. Mention the name Fred Neil and you may get a blank stare. Where is “Into the West” by Annie Lennox from the third part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy? After the release of the soundtrack, Huey Lewis and the News’ song ‘The Power of Love‘ rocketed to the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 at #1 and was nominated for an Academy Award for The Best Original Song. Discover more music, concerts, videos, and pictures with the largest catalogue online at Last.fm. Russian-Jewish émigré Irving Berlin wrote ‘Cheek To Cheek’ in a single day, on demand, for the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers movie Top Hat. They ended up producing a million-selling hit for BJ Thomas, who had a cold and sang with a raspier voice than usual on the day of recording. Idle sang a live version for the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. When director Jonathan Demme asked Bruce Springsteen to write a soundtrack song about the AIDS epidemic, The Boss obliged with a haunting ballad that was both a hit song and a piece of music that challenged audiences to think. But it was the Ukrainian trumpeter who first performed Ray Evans’s lyrics – which started with the title ‘Prima Donna’ – in the little-known 1950 film Captain Carey. 100 Greatest TV Theme Songs. ‘Rawhide’, however, is an exception: a fine popular country song, it was a hit for Frankie Lane and the theme tune to the popular TV show of the same name. The music from Jurassic Park plays in my head every time I find myself surrounded by dense foliage. The 1927 Broadway drama Show Boat featured Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II’s song performed by actors, and, a year later, Paul Whiteman (with Bing Crosby on vocals) had a minor hit with it. In the film, Valens is played by Lou Diamond Phillips, while the brilliant LA band Los Lobos scored a No.1 hit with the title song, reviving interest in the singer’s music with their vibrant version. For a tune to really make its mark among the best film songs it sometimes has to find the right singer. Forrest Gump2. While you’re reading, check out our Movie Music playlist here. TV Shows. The co-writer of the song, George Weiss, said that when he played a demo of the song to producer Hal Wallis, the latter turned it down saying they wanted “something like ‘Hound Dog’”. The whole Beatle thing was just beyond comprehension.”. ‘My Heart Will Go On’ is the romantic ballad that plays as Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet embrace at the front of the ill-fated Titanic. A recent version by Gregory Porter is featured on the Verve album Jazz Loves Disney. 8tracks radio. Menu. Kansas farm girl Dorothy Gale's wistful ditty in "The Wizard of Oz" led the American Film Institute's list of 100 best movie songs … There's no song like "Over the Rainbow." A huge list of popular soundtracks, each is available for download in a good quality She had no idea that the song would become the biggest hit of her career. It’s about survival in the streets of New York, and the lyrics actually say that.”. and Morrissey. The song did not come easily to Williams, though. Simon told him: “It’s about syllables, Mick. Theme from Shaft by Isaac Hayes from Shaft (1971 "Theme from Shaft", written and recorded by Isaac Hayes in 1971, is the soul- and funk-styled theme song to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film Shaft. The theme of the movie is performed by Shirley Bassey and provided the artist her only entry into the Billboard Hot 100. The Woman In Red was a mildly entertaining comedy starring Gene Wilder, but its soundtrack was a Stevie Wonder-helmed affair that included his global smash title track. Like film music, Movie Themes are compositions taken from motion pictures; the difference, however, is that while albums of film music comprise actual recordings lifted from the features themselves, collections of movie themes compile different renditions of … - stream 28 movie themes playlists including John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and Danny Elfman music from your desktop or mobile device. One of those is a soundtrack that almost acts as an interior monologue for the title character. The theme song from Martin Scorsese‘s film New York, New York (1977) was originally performed by the main actress of the movie, Liza Minnelli. Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer were prolific as film songwriting partners, and they contributed the title song to Blake Edwards’ film starring Jack Lemmon. When you think of the song ‘Singin’ In The Rain’, you probably don’t think of Oliver Hardy being drenched by a faulty shower nozzle as the tune plays. Still, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) | © Lucasfilm Ltd. Burt Bacharach and Hal David were working on the music for Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid – in which Paul Newman and Robert Redford play 1890s train robbers – when director George Roy Hill said he wanted something evocative of the Victorian era for a scene where Newman takes a romantic bike ride with Katherine Ross. When a studio executive tried to have the song cut, Hepburn said, “Over my dead body.” Lots of jazz greats have covered it, but other interesting versions include those by Aretha Franklin, Patty Griffin, Elton John, R.E.M. Simon and Art Garfunkel’s harmonies are stunning, helping it become one of the best film songs of the decade – if not all time. He fled to Florida (“Going where the weather suits my clothes”) to set up a marine project, and devoted the rest of his life to protecting dolphins. In the movie, Hepburn sang the song sitting with a guitar on the fire escape of a New York apartment, and the result was charming, forever remembered as one of the best film songs. ‘Happy’ does what it says on the tin: it is uplifting, catchy and perfect popcorn music. Yet he wrote one not only one of the best film songs of all time, but one of the most famous songs of the late 20th Century. But to work with this guy in the studio, he was the sweetest, humblest guy.”. Patty, Maxene and Laverne Andrews based their early style on the close harmonising of The Boswell Sisters, and the public loved it. Best Chet Baker Pieces: 20 Jazz Essentials, Best Frank Sinatra Christmas Songs: 20 Classics That Define The Holidays, ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ Soundtrack: Vince Guaraldi Trio’s Seasonal Gift, Freddie Mercury’s Munich Years: An Interview With Phoebe Freestone. A version by Guns N’ Roses was also Grammy-nominated, in 1991. It would be hard for The Blues Brothers not to appear in a run-down of the best film songs of all time, given that its soundtrack is stuffed with classic Southern soul. The theme song from Martin Scorsese‘s film New York, New York (1977) was originally performed by the main actress of the movie, Liza Minnelli. There were some new songs for the cinema version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical, but once Julie Andrews got hold of them, many became popular classics beyond their placing among the best film songs ever, including ‘My Favourite Things’ and ‘Do-Re-Mi’. 9) “Snow” – White Christmas Performed By: Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye, Vera-Ellen. Ghostbusters, a supernatural comedy film from 1984 by director Ivan Reitman, instantly became a box-office hit and so did the original song and the movies’ theme, performed by Ray Parker, Jr. Dolly Parton’s anthem for the worker, written for the comedy she starred in alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, won the country singer multiple awards. ‘As Time Goes By’ was actually written by Herman Hupfeld for a short-lived 30s Broadway musical, Everybody’s Welcome, but took on a life of its own as one of Hollywood’s best film songs, becoming embedded in the popular musical psyche after it was sung by pianist Dooley Wilson in the Humphrey Bogart-Ingrid Bergman movie Casablanca. Thomas, incidentally, has said that Bacharach originally composed the melody to fit Bob Dylan’s voice. Given the title ‘Duelling Banjos’, it was recorded for the unsettling Deliverance by Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell, and went to No.2 for a month on the Billboard charts. As the lead off of Williams’s own Girl, the song hit No. Stop almost anyone in the street and ask, “Who you gonna call?” and they will almost certainly answer “Ghostbusters”. ‘That’s Amore’, written by Harry Warren and Jack Brooks, started out as a light-hearted interlude for Dean Martin (poking fun at Italian stereotypes) in the Jerry Lewis comedy The Caddy. The results were not only one of the best Bond themes ever, but one of the best film songs ever, too. Top 130 Best Movie Theme Songs. The list was unveiled by the American Film Institute on June 22, 2004, in a CBS television special hosted by John Travolta, who appeared in two films honored by the list, Saturday Night Fever and Grease Bing Crosby’s ‘White Christmas’ was on an album of songs from the film Holiday Inn, and the lyrics resonated with thousands of American troops away on duty in the Second World War. And it is missing from your list…. This Frank Sinatra cinema vehicle was sung with a children’s choir for the Frank Capra film A Hole In The Head. Randy Newman, the master of biting satire, has always been a fantastic soundtrack composer, and his glorious feel-good song for the Pixar movie Toy Story – sung with Lyle Lovett – became the theme tune for the series of films. The Andrews Sisters’ song about the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B survived World War II and was a hit again for Bette Midler in 1973. Still, that’s three of the best film songs ever in just one movie, and for this list we opt for ‘Hakuna Matata’, with its catchy melody (written by Elton John) and life-affirming lyrics by Tim Rice. Any such list that does not include “The Gael” from “The Last of The Mohicans” is a joke. ‘Blue Moon’ evolved as a song from the MGM soundtrack-writing system, source of some of the best film songs in their time; Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart tailored the eventual finished version for a Clark Gable film called Manhattan Melodrama. The former had been responsible for the Pink Panther theme, the latter had provided the words for dozens of films, including ‘Hooray For Hollywood’. At its core, a movie score is supposed to capture the mood and set the tone of what's going on in a particular scene. Celine Dion - 'My Heart Will Go On' (Titanic) Taken from the soundtrack to Titanic, this is Celine's most successful of all time, largely thanks to its use in the humongous romantic drama starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. He has admitted that the final version was his tenth attempt at creating a song about “agitated and grumpy” fictional character Gru falling in love. You should also have mentioned the version of Moon River by Jerry Butler. A fitting close to this list of the best film songs of all time, Pharrell Williams’ contribution to the animated comedy Despicable Me 2 became the most downloaded song of all time in 2014. Representing the stirring individual instrumental “songs” that have enriched movies – such as Ry Cooder’s ‘Paris, Texas’ or John Williams’ ‘Promontory’ from Last Of The Mohicans – is this cue from the soundtrack of the Burt Reynolds movie. Composer John Barry personally visited a poorly Louis Armstrong to ask him to record ‘We Have All The Time In The World’, a new song for the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. 100 tracks (). Elvis was told to ignore a ‘dumb ballad’ but he said, ‘No, I want to do that one in my movie.’ He picked the song. Bee Gees’ disco anthem ‘Stayin’ Alive’ – a song about the art of endurance – burrowed into the wider world’s consciousness. Ritchie Valens’ traditional Mexican wedding song – a B-side to his first hit, ‘Donna’ – was revived for the biopic about the young singer who died, aged 17, in the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly. The classic love song was also featured in a tribute album called Blue Moon: Rodgers And Hart Covered By The Supremes. Williams’s theme starts out slow and reflective, begging you to ponder the thematic questions of the movie. ... Music (3) Mystery (3) Sport (1) Feature Film (100) Evans usually wrote most of the lyrics, while Livingston wrote the tunes, but Evans gave his partner the credit for ‘Que Será, Será’, probably their most enduring hit. The movie’s theme song landed on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. No blaxploitation tracks…..DAM WRONG. Among the cover versions are those by Stevie Wonder, Glen Campbell and Iggy Pop – and Star Trek’s Leonard Nimoy. Penned for the semi-autobiographical film 8 Mile, Eminem recalled that writing the soundtrack “was different from my usual work because it forced me to step into Rabbit, the character I play in the film, and write from his point of view”. But some songs, whether specifically made for the movie or just perfectly added to an integral scene, seem to transcend the films they were featured in. Features The 50 Best Film Theme Songs: A Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Spending a record-breaking 16 straight weeks at the top of the UK charts, and seven at the top of the Billboard 100, Bryan Adams’ indefatigable ‘(Everything I Do) I Do It For You’ owed at least some of its ubiquity to its use in the summer 1991 blockbuster Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves. Both The Fellowship of the Ring as well as The Return of the King received Academy Awards for the best score, and the latter also won an award for The Best Original Song. And I said, ‘Look, it’s about a man singing about the September of his years.’ And I thought Louis singing just rung true and [producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli] loved the idea, there were no arguments. If you have never listened to the soundtrack of the classic adventure-feature Back to the Future, now is your chance. A coming-of-age drama that transcends its era and speaks to all generations, The Breakfast Club’s emotional closing scene, in which five high-school students leave their Saturday detention, having asserted their individuality – and found out about their own true character – remains an iconic piece of high-school cinema. It is quite a feat.”. Obviously. Weiss, who also wrote ‘Lullaby Of Birdland’ and ‘What A Wonderful World’, said, “The only person who initially liked the song was Presley himself, who had also created a movie song classic with ‘Jailhouse Rock’. Movies. But when it was sung in the 1936 film version by Paul Robeson, his moving baritone voice – and edgier interpretation – took the song to a new level. We compiled a list of some of the most memorable movie theme songs of the recent decades. When you think of the song ‘Mona Lisa’, 40s jazz bandleader Charlie Spivak is probably not the first singer’s name that comes to mind. Elvis Presley’s million-selling hit was written for his movie set in Hawaii. Most theme songs for movies are ill-advised. What a feeling indeed! The Righteous Brothers’ gorgeous love song was certainly well known by the time it appeared in Ghost. There have been numerous cover versions since, from artists as diverse as Eric Clapton, John Martyn and Ariana Grande. Barry said, “It wasn’t the popular choice at the time, because we always used, you know, the Tom Joneses, the Nancy Sinatras. Required fields are marked *. 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