It may be a wise move to write a song for a movie and have that song released in time for the movie. Many artists have achieved some of their biggest hits by doing it like if someone loves the movie and the song that was written for it, there’s every chance they’ll want to find it and listen to it when the movie is over.
If a movie comes first, it makes sense to make it more memorable than any song written for it. If the song is particularly popular, it is possible that the song and movie will be equally popular (for example, Titanic and “My heart will go on”). However, sometimes it happens that the song becomes more popular than the film for which it was written. Whether because the song was so popular or because the movie was forgotten, the next 10 songs eclipsed the movies they were made for.
“(Everything I do) I do it for you” Bryan Adams - “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” (1991)
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves far from final Robin Hood the movie you would expect. This is a big-budget live-action adaptation of the iconic character and his story, though not surviving as a classic to this day, perhaps with Alan Rickman take on the Sheriff of Nottingham being his strongest element.
There is also a powerful ballad outside of the film itself. Bryan Adams, “(Everything I do) I do for you.” This is the song that many people have probably heard and they might be surprised to know that it was written for the movie. It is one of the best-selling singles of the 1990s, although the movie itself cannot claim the same popularity, at least not these days.
“Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan - “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid” (1973)
Sam Peckinpah was an innovative director whose films performed well, even if he was not as successful in his day. His most famous films are probably wild bunch and Steve McQueen vehicle, The escapeleaving some of his other films like Pat Garrett and Billy the Kidcriminally underestimated.
Least Bob Dylan the song “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” got a lot better and eventually became one of the folk rock musician’s most iconic songs. He wrote it for the film and also starred in it in a supporting role. Everyone else has been unfairly overlooked for their efforts in making this great western, but thankfully that has changed in the years since its release and it is now more widely known and appreciated.
“New York, New York” (performed by Frank Sinatra) - “New York, New York” (1977)
Unusual movie inside Martin Scorsese filmography, New York, New York is a romance/musical about the tumultuous relationship between a saxophonist and a young singer in the years following the end of World War II.
The song “New York, New York” was originally written for the film and performed by its star, Liza Minnelli. However, only a few years after the film’s release, the title song was covered. Frank Sinatra, and immediately became one of the main hits of the singer. Many would probably be surprised to know that Sinatra’s version was a cover; it has become so much more popular than the film from which it was created.
“Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley - “Blue Hawaii” (1961)
When it comes to Elvis Presley, it’s fair to say that many of his songs have survived longer than most of his films. Despite having a prolific career as an actor, he is still best known for his music, and that goes for Blue Hawaii and the song “Can’t Help Falling in Love” is especially notable.
It’s an instantly recognizable classic love song that most have probably heard or at least heard in references/covers by other musicians. The number of people who have actually seen the movie it was written for (especially these days) is certainly much smaller.
“Cut to the Feeling” Carly Rae Jepsen - “Ballerina” (2016)
Let’s face it: few people have heard of Ballerina. It was an animated family film produced jointly by Canada and France. It is about a young girl who will do her best to become a world famous ballerina.
While the song “Cut to the Feeling” Carly Ray Jepsen it may not have been as much of a cultural force as “Call Me Maybe” was (even though this song is clearly better), it’s still better known than the movie it was written for. It’s one of Jepsen’s best songs and a terrific pop song that is well respected in many musical circles, though it hasn’t gained worldwide fame. However, it is certainly more famous than the movie. Ballerina.
“Gangster Paradise” Coolio - “Dangerous Thoughts” (1995)
dangerous thoughts it’s a pretty obscure movie now in the 2020s, even if it stars Michelle Pfeifferwhich has remained relevant and popular throughout the 21st century. This is a film about a white woman who becomes a teacher in a high school with mostly Hispanic and African American students and talks about the experience she has teaching those who come to her from different walks of life.
It’s not the kind of movie that actually survives to this day, but the song “Gangsta’s Paradise” has certainly survived as a classic 1990s song. it’s easy coolio the most widely known song and achieved mainstream popularity, which the film for which it was written failed to do.
“Call Me” Blondie - “American Gigolo” (1980)
At the risk of being too direct, “Call me” blondie too good for american gigolo. The 1980 film about a high-class male prostitute is definitely not that terrible, but it doesn’t compare to the song written for it, which is considered one of Blondie’s biggest hits and the defining song of the 1980s. generally.
Eventually, the movie’s soundtrack is filled with song. It plays constantly throughout the film, often as an instrumental, with very little effort on the part. Giorgio Moroder customize and remix a classic song to fit the scenes it accompanies. Who can blame Moroder if the song is as fantastic as “Call Me”?
“Homecoming: Theme from “Local Hero” by Mark Knopfler - “Local Hero” (1983)
local hero is a quiet and unassuming yet compelling film about a small coastal town in Scotland that is confronted by an oil company that wants to drill off their coast. It may not sound particularly exciting, but it’s well made, well shot, and has very good acting, making it a solid film overall.
However, this is a rare film where its main theme ends up becoming more popular than the film itself. Mark Knopfler (from terrible straits Slava) wrote an instrumental theme, and this is something that once heard, it is already impossible to forget. It’s almost a perfect pop instrumental, so bye local hero a good movie, it ultimately can’t compete with the earworm which is Knopfler’s theme.
“Together in Electric Dreams” by Giorgio Moroder and Philip Oakey - “Electric Dreams” (1984)
Electric dreams it’s a weird movie that probably isn’t for everyone, but those who get the wave of this movie will likely find it’s one of the most underrated movies of the 1980s. In a broad sense, it is about a young man and his super-intelligent computer, as well as a love triangle that develops between a man, a car and an attractive young woman who lives in a neighboring apartment.
His free view of history Cyrano de Bergerac silly but charming, and the movie as a whole is helped a lot by the fantastic soundtrack. The crown jewel in the said soundtrack is “Together in Electric Dreams” by Giorgio Moroder and Philip Oakey (from human league), which is considered one of the greatest anthems of the 1980s, and an incredible song that overshadows the film it was written for (even though this film is still very good).
“Cat People (Fire Putting)” by David Bowie - Cat People (1982)
1982s cat people is a remake/update of the 1942 film of the same name. It’s a horror movie about a woman who’s afraid to turn into a giant cat, and this 1982 version ups the stakes significantly on content compared to the original film of which it’s a remake.
It’s not a bad movie, but it spawned a cult song that overtook the movie in popularity. David Bowie “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” has been acclaimed as one of his best songs released since 1980 and has gained particular attention in recent years for its iconic use in Quentin Tarantino Inglourious Basterds. cat people might be considered a decent horror movie, but Bowie’s song for the movie is inevitably considered a pop/rock hit.
Source: Collider
