Image: A&M Films / Channel Productions
About This Quiz
When film first began, audio couldn't even be recorded alongside it, so early films often just had a music track added afterward to try to bring everything together. The film was silent, and the music set the mood. It would get tense during tense scenes, and playful during funny ones, to make you really let you feel the action in a way silence can't. Music has always been able to set a tone, to evoke emotion and make you sink into a scene in a way that images simply can't do on their own.
That's why the two mediums work so well together. Sight and sound come together to make something moving and memorable. Who can forget those first bars of "Oh Yeah" when Ferris Bueller first sees Cameron's dad's Ferrari? Or when "Tiny Dancer" plays during the tour bus scene in "Almost Famous?" Or literally any of the incredible musical scenes from "Pulp Fiction?"
An amazing scene gets 100 times better with the right music behind it. It doesn't happen in every movie, but when it does, you'll remember it for years. So let's see which ones you can best remember from film history. Which incredible music scenes stand out like no other? Take the quiz and show your stuff!
"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears
"Take On Me" by A Ha
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds
"The Breakfast Club" ends on a high note with Bender celebrating his day to the tune of "Don't You (Forget About Me)." Writer/director John Hughes apparently wrote the script for the movie in a blazing-fast two days.
"Policy of Truth" by Depeche Mode
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"Funky Town" by Lipps Inc
"Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees
"Stayin' Alive" is pretty much synonymous with "Saturday Night Fever" at this point. The song was written just in time to be used in the film, and the Bee Gees were not very big at the time. Most of the rest of the music in the film was added later, so when you see a dance sequence the actors likely weren't dancing to the same song during filming.
"Love Train" by the O'Jays
"Super Freak" by Rick James
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"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"
"Summertime Blues"
"Jailhouse Rock"
"Johnny B. Goode"
"Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry is the song Marty McFly chooses to sing at his parent's Enchantment Under the Sea dance back in 1955. While it looks like Michael J. Fox was singing, he was actually dubbed over by Mark Campbell.
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"Hungry Eyes" by Eric Carmen
"(I've Had) The Time of My Life" by Bill Medley
There are a lot of memorable dance scenes in "Dirty Dancing," but the final one is set to "(I've Had) The Time of My Life." Despite their apparent chemistry in the movie, word is that off-camera Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey didn't get along at all and routinely fought with each other.
"Be My Baby" by the Ronettes
"Stay" by Maurice Williams
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"Twist and Shout" by the Beatles
The parade scene in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" was set to "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles, and it was a real, huge parade in Chicago. Many of the people dancing in the background were just real Chicagoans having fun. Matthew Broderick was not one of them as an injury prevented him from doing much dancing.
"Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys
"Born to be Wild" by Steppenwolf
"Light my Fie" by the Doors
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"Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry
"Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Footloose" by Kenny Loggins
"Old Time Rock n Roll" by Bob Seger
Tom Cruise's iconic dance scene is set to "Old Time Rock n Roll" by Bob Seger. Cruise improvised pretty much the entire scene as the script just asked for him to dance. He even waxed the floor himself so he could slide in.
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"Heaven in Your Eyes" by Loverboy
"Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins
"Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis
"You've Lost That Loving Feeling" by The Righteous Brothers
Tom Cruise and Anthony Edwards serenade Kelly McGillis with "You've Lost That Loving Feeling." The movie was not cheap to make as any scenes in the air cost the studio about $7,800 an hour just for fuel.
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"Rock n' Roll All Night" by KISS
"Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen
One of the most weirdly moving performances of "Bohemian Rhapsody" ever is in "Wayne's World," and it almost didn't make it into the movie. The studio wanted the guys to sing a Guns' Roses song, but Mike Myers was adamant about using Queen. He ever threatened to quit if it wasn't included.
"Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey
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"Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears
"Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
"In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel
In one of the most famous musical scenes in film history, Lloyd Dobler, played by John Cusack, played the song "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel. This was the debut film of director Cameron Crowe who'd go on to win an Oscar for "Jerry Maguire."
"Layla" by Eric Clapton
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"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by the Tokens
"Rum and Coca-Cola" by the Andrews Sisters
"The Banana Boat Song" by Harry Belafonte
"The Banana Boat Song," which some people know as "Day-O," is the ghostly dance number in "Beetlejuice." The scene is super fun, but in the original script, the movie was almost 100% horror with many more gruesome and terrifying plot points.
"Boat Drinks" by Jimmy Buffet
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"You're the Best" by Joe Esposito
"You're the Best" is the song running during the karate tournament scene. Pat Morita was actually turned down for the role of Mr. Miyagi at first because at the time he was best known as a comedian and from "Happy Days."
"The Touch" by Stan Bush
"Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor
"Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins
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"Groovy Situation" by Gene Chandler
"Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas
"Afternoon Delight" by Starland Vocal Band
"Afternoon Delight" shows up as Ron is trying to explain love to his friends and coworkers. James Spader apparently really wanted the role of Brick, but it was given to Steve Carell after it was determined Spader was "too good" an actor for the role.
"Cherry Cherry" by Neil Diamond
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"Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper
"Old Man" by Neil Young
"Time in a Bottle" by Jim Croce
Jim Croce's 1973 hit "Time in a Bottle" is the soundtrack to the very awesome Quicksilver scene. A totally different Quicksilver also appeared in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" as well.
"The Time Warp" by Richard O'Brien
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"Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone
The super fun intro to Star-Lord has him singing and dancing along to "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone. The scene was originally supposed to be done with the song "Hooked on a Feeling," but director James Gunn liked the Redbone tune better.
"Hooked on a Feeling" by Blue Swede
"Fooled Around and Fell in Love" by Elvin Bishop
"I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5
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"Gangster's Paradise" by Coolie
"Damn It Fees Good to be a Gangsta" by Geto Bys
That printer gets beat down hard to "Damn It Feels Good to be a Gangster." Word is the studio was very much against the hip-hop heavy soundtrack the movie had, but focus groups changed their mind later on, and the printer scene in specific is a legend now.
"It was a Good Day" by Ice Cube
"Hardcore Composer" by Gang Starr
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"You Never Can Tell" by Chuck Berry
Uma Thurman and John Travolta cut a rug to Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell" at Jackrabbit Slim's. Weirdly enough, the role of Vincent Vega was one that Daniel Day-Lewis wanted, but Tarantino turned him down.
"Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield
"Girl You'll Be a Woman Soon" by Urge Overkill
"Misirlou" by Dick Dale
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"Another Brick in the Wall" by Pink Floyd
"Needle and the Damage Done" by Neil Young
"The Joker" by the Steve Miller Band
"Stuck in the Middle with You" by Stealers Wheel
Michael Madsen's Mr. Blonde is very unstable in "Reservoir Dogs," and the infamous scene in which he tortures a cop while dancing is very much a product of Madsen's imagination. The script said "Mr. Blonde maniacally dances around," so Madsen just improvised.
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"Machine Gun" by the Commodores
"Sunny" by Boney M
"Sister Christian" by Night Ranger
It's a super weird scene when "Sister Christian" is playing and the guys are trying to sell fake drugs to a drug dealer. Alfred Molina, raised in Britain, had never heard the song "Sister Christian" before, or even "Jessie's Girl," which preceded it in the movie.
"Magnet and SteeL' by Walter Egan
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"Wooly Bully" by Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs
The party atmosphere of "Wooly Bully" quickly gets grim in this scene from "Full Metal Jacket." If you can believe it, the disturbing role of Animal Mother, made famous by Adam Baldwin, was originally offered to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"Downtown" by Petula Clark
"Ticket to Ride" by the Beatles
"satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones
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"Where is My Mind" by the Pixies
"Where is My Mind" by the Pixies is the soundtrack to the end of Project Mayhem in "Fight Club." Brad Pitt made a whopping $17.5 million for his role in the movie while Ed Norton pulled in $2.5 million.
"Goin' Out West" by Tom Waits
"Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen
"The End of the World as We Know It" by REM
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"Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
As a musician himself, Rob Zombie has always chosen some intense music for his films, and "Free Bird" was his choice for "The Devil's Rejects." Zombie had to edit the film eight separate times before the MPAA agreed to give it an R-rating instead of an NC-17.
"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band
"Walk This Way" by Aerosmith
"We Will Rock You" by Queen
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"Firestarter" by Prodigy
"Song 2" by Blur
"Lust for Life" by Iggy Pop
"Trainspotting" sets the mood with "Lust for Life" by Iggy Pop. One of the most memorable and cringey scenes in the movie involves Renton diving into a rancid-looking toilet. But fear not: That toilet was decked out in chocolate mousse.
"Common People" by Pulp
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Brahms 2nd symphony
Mozart's 40th symphony
Beethoven's 9th symphony
Beethoven's 9th is what plays while Alex is forced to experience some ultra-violent imagery. Director Stanley Kubrick only wanted Malcolm McDowell for the role in the film and was ready to quit if McDowell turned the part down.
Tchaikovsky's 6th symphony
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"Under Pressure" by David Bowie
"Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran
"Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen
"Don't Stop me Now" is the song for the zombie beating in "Shaun of the Dead." While the name of the movie seems perfect, it wasn't the first choice. Originally, in is very early stages, it was known as "Tea Time of the Dead."
"Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics
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"Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin
A truly energizing scene, Thor leaps into the fray to the tune of the "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin. It's the perfect song for Thor because it's actually about Vikings and references not just the "hammer of the gods" but Valhalla as well.
"Ride the Lightning" by Metallica
"Aces High" by Iron Maiden
"Paranoid" by Black Sabbath
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"Hip to Be Square" by Huey Lewis
"Hip to be Square" is the soundtrack for Bateman's bizarre murder. Huey Lewis boycotted the movie, and the studio said it was because he was opposed to the violence. Still, Lewis told "Rolling Stone" it was because he declined to include the song on the soundtrack because he thought the album would kind of suck if only one of his songs was on it and the studio lied about it.
"Sussudio" by Phil Collins
"Tiny Dancer" by Elton John
"In Dreams" by Roy Orbison
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"Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin
"Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd
"Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas
"Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
The church scene in "Kingsman" is an epic ode to violence that can be hard for some people to watch due to its brutality. Colin Firth, who seems a proper British gentleman, actually did most of his own stunts in the film, which is impressive when you watch this scene.
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"The Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel
"The Times They Are A-Changin'" by Bob Dylan
2009's "The Watchmen" opens with Bob Dylan's classic protest song "The Times They Are A-Changin'." The movie credits the source material to artist Dave Gibbons, calling him co-creator, as writer Alan Moore refuses to allow his name on any adaptations of his work.
"I'm Your Boogie Man" KC and the Sunshine Band
"All Along the Watchtower" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
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"9-5" by Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton's "9-5" is the soundtrack to slaughter in "Deadpool 2." Not a lot of people outside of the comics world know that Deadpool is a ripoff of a DC character named Deathstroke. They even ripped off his name: Deathstroke is Slade Wilson while Deadpool is Wade Wilson.
"My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion
"She Bop" by Cyndi Lauper
"The Chain" by Stevie Nicks
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"For Whom the Bell Tolls" by Metallica
Metallica's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" accompanies the opening credits carnage of "Zombieland." Bill Murray has a memorable role as himself in the film, but the first choice was for Patrick Swayze to be in the Patrick
"More Human Than Human" by White Zombie
"Highway to Hell" by AC/DC
"Get in the Ring" by Guns N' Roses
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"Misirlou" by Dick Dale and the Del Tones
Dick Dale's instrumental "Misirlou" is the energetic opener to "Pulp Fiction." As classic as the movie became, it could have been very different. For instance, Julia Louis-Dreyfus was originally offered the role of Mia Wallace rather than Uma Thurman.
"Wipeout" by the Beach Boys
"Surfer Joe" by Surfaris
"Surfin' Bird" by the Trashmen
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"Harlem Shuffle" by Bob and Earl
"Easy" by the Commodores
"Bellbottoms" by the John Spencer Blues Explosion
Music is hugely important to the movie "Baby Driver." The song "Bellbottoms" is just one example. Director Edgar Wright actually timed all the car chases by measuring the roads to ensure they'd fit the songs he wanted in the movie.
"Radar Love" by Golden Earring
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"Just Dropped In" by Kenny Rogers and the New Edition
The Dude's head is full of bowling imagery and Maude when "Just Dropped In" by Kenny Rogers and the New Edition plays. As awesome as Jeff Bridges is, the directors first asked Robert Duvall, Anthony Hopkins and even Marlon Brando for the part.
"Hotel California" by the Gipsy Kings
"Lookin' Out My Backdoor" by CCR
"Oye Como Va" by Santana
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"Blue Monday" by New Order
"Take on Me" by A-Ha
"Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears "Head Over Heels" is the backdrop for our first glimpse of life in high school with Donnie Darko. The teachers, the bullies and the whole tone is set by this song. They also feature elsewhere in the movie with the song "Mad World" even though it's a cover version.
"Tainted Love" by Soft Cell
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"Beyond the Sea" by Bobby Darin
"Life is But a Dream" by the Harptones
"Layla" by Eric Clapton
The scene is haunting as two young boys find two dead bodies to the tones of Eric Clapton's "Layla." The movie is a classic of the gangster genre, and Henry Hill, who inspired the story the movie is based on, once said that Joe Pesci's performance was 90% to 99% accurate.
"Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple
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You Got:
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