The 10 most memorable movie songs
Sometimes the most memorable part of a good movie isn’t even the story – it’s the soundtrack. Over the years, we’ve been gifted some pretty incredible songs that, if it weren’t for a film, probably wouldn’t exist. Join us as we take a walk down memory lane and revisit some of our favourite movie songs, and don’t forget to tell us in the comments, which is your favourite?
1. “Ghostbusters” – Recorded by Ray Parker Jr. in 1984 as the theme song for the film of the same name, “Ghostbusters” was an instant chart-topper around the world, and is still a favourite today.
2. “Wind Beneath My Wings” – Originally recorded by Roger Whittaker, Bette Midler made this song a hit when it was released as part of the soundtrack to her 1988 film Beaches. It went on to win two Grammys.
3. “Don’t You Forget About Me” – Can you believe Simple Minds didn’t even want to record this hit (featured in The Breakfast Club), only to find they were contractually obligated to? To this day, it’s still their most popular song.
4. “9 to 5” – Arguably Dolly Parton’s biggest hit, “9 to 5”, recorded for her film of the same name, earned the country legend an Oscar nomination as well as four Grammy nominations.
5. “Footloose” – The title song of the iconic film, recorded by Kenny Loggins, perfectly captured the spirit of the movie and has been a dance floor filler since 1984. Along with “Ghostbusters”, it just missed out on the 1984 Best Original Song Oscar.
6. “The Way We Were” – This Academy Award-winning hit by Barbara Streisand broke hearts around the world and made the perfect accompaniment to the equally heart-breaking film of the same name.
7. “Stayin’ Alive” – It’s the song that never fails to bring out the boogie, but did you know it has also saved lives? The Bee Gees’ signature song, recorded in 1977 for Saturday Night Fever, also happens to have the perfect number of beats to equal the number of chest compressions per minute for CPR procedures.
8. “I Will Always Love You” – Despite being originally written and recorded by Dolly Parton, it was cemented in music history by Whitney Houston for the film she starred in, The Bodyguard.
9. “Flashdance…What a Feeling” – Performed by Irene Cara for the 1983 hit film Flashdance, the song peaked at number one in charts across the world, including Australia, the US, Canada, France, New Zealand and more. It also nabbed the Oscar for Best Original Song.
10. “My Heart Will Go On” – 1997’s Titanic wouldn’t quite be the same without this epic song by Celine Dion, which went to be one of the best-selling singles of all time and won an Oscar, a Grammy and a Golden Globe.
Tell us in the comments below, what’s your favourite movie song of all time?