Sometimes there are songs that are just so good, that it doesn’t matter that they were in forgettable movies. That’s what this list is. Songs that still crush, often decades after the movies they were a part of are long lost to memory. The movies don’t get played much, but we still listen to all the songs today.
Iris – City Of Angels
The Goo Goo Dolls’ biggest hit, by far, is “Isis.” It was a song no one could escape in the summer of ’98. That doesn’t hold true for the movie it was released on the soundtrack of. City Of Angels, starring Meg Ryan and Nicholas Cage, is a romance, in which an angel (Cage) falls in love with a mortal human (Ryan). It’s not that bad of an idea and the execution is fine, but it’s ultimately pretty forgettable.
Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now – Mannequin
While Mannequin may hold a special place in the hearts of a certain generation, it hasn’t exactly held up to the test of time. It’s a cute movie, starring Kim Cattrall as a mannequin who comes to life and falls in love with Andrew Shue. Yeah, it’s a silly idea, but it does work, it’s just not nearly as iconic as the song that comes from it, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” by Starship.
X Gon’ Give It to Ya – Cradle 2 The Grave
DMX’s “X Gon’ Give It to Ya” is a song that has truly never gone out of fashion. It pops up in movies and TV shows all the time, even to this day. It’s in one of the best scenes in the original Deadpool, for example. It also was part of the soundtrack for Cradle 2 The Grave, which also starred DMX. It’s safe to say that people’s love for song has long outshined their love for the movie.
Tears In Heaven – Rush
Almost three decades into his legendary career, Eric Clapton had his biggest hit with the tragic song “Tears In Heaven.” It’s a song about the death of his toddler Connor and it’s one of the most powerful songs of the ’90s. The movie soundtrack it was first released on, for the movie Rush, was way bigger than the movie about cops struggling to stay sober, ever was.
I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – Benny And Joon
While “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” was released about a year before Benny & Joon, the soundtrack to the quirky rom-com-ish movie was The Proclaimers’ first real exposure in the United States. The song became an all-time party classic, while the movie is usually only remembered for being one of the better representations of mental illness on film.
End Of The Road – Boomerang
The golden age of Eddie Murphy‘s career pretty much comes to a close with Boomerang. It’s a funny movie, sure, but it pales in comparison to most of his other movies in the years right before it. “End Of The Road” by Boyz II Men, on the other hand, was one of the biggest hits of all time, topping the charts for an amazing 13 weeks.
Unchained Melody – Unchained
In 1965, The Righteous Brothers recorded and released “Unchained Melody.” The song became a massive hit and has been part of the cultural zeitgeist ever since. But did you know that it was a cover of a song first released in a movie called Unchained ten years earlier? Nope? We didn’t either.
Magic – Xanadu
Xanadu is still an off-beat musical worth watching, but it’s not exactly the most well-remembered musical of Olivia Newton-John’s career. Still, it produced one of her biggest hits, “Magic” and for that, we’ll forever be grateful for it.
Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door – Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid
For more than six decades, Bob Dylan has been writing iconic songs. One of the most iconic has to be “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.” It’s a song that countless artists have covered over the years, but how many of those artists even know that it wasn’t originally on a Dylan album, but as part of the soundtrack to a movie Dylan co-starred in, Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid?
I Will Always Love You – The Bodyguard
The Bodyguard isn’t a bad movie and it was a hit when it was released, but when was the last time you watched it? And when was the last time you listened to “I Will Always Love You” by the film’s co-star Whitney Houston? It’s a safe bet you’ve done the latter more recently. The Dolly Parton-penned song was insanely popular at the time and remains so to this day.
Because You Loved Me – Up Close And Personal
Robert Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer are two of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood. Still, their one time working together, Up Close And Personal in 1996, was a critical and box office disappointment. However, the theme song, “Because You Loved Me,” by Celine Dion, was a huge hit and was nominated for an Academy Award.
Crazy For You – Vision Quest
Madonna‘s “Cray For You” from the movie Vision Quest might be the quintessential entry on this list. The song, a massive hit for the Material Girl that is still one of her most beloved songs, was so much more popular than the movie and when Vision Quest was released overseas, the name was changed to Crazy For You in some countries.
Wind Beneath My Wings – Beaches
People forget how great the Bette Midler film Beaches was. That’s kind of the point of this list though. Because a movie isn’t remembered, doesn’t mean the movie was bad and Beaches proves that. However, “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Midler was then and, still is, huge.
Against All Odds – Against All Odds
Phil Collins was a hit machine in the 1980s, so it’s no surprise he was enlisted to write a theme song for a movie. It’s also no surprise that the song, “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now),” from the movie Against All Odds, is the one thing people remember about the movie starring Jeff Bridges as a washed-up football player searching for a gangster’s girlfriend in Mexico.
Kokomo – Cocktail
Tom Cruise has starred in countless hits, and one of those, Cocktail was as popular for its soundtrack as it was for anything else. Sure, it’s a cute movie about a romance between a bartender played by Cruise and an artist (Elizabeth Shue), but most people remember the music. They especially remember the final #1 hit by the legendary Beach Boys, “Kokomo.”
Regulate – Above The Rim
“Regulators! Mount up” is actually a line from Young Guns, but it’s probably more famous for being sampled by Warren G in “Regulate.” Funny enough, the song comes from a completely different soundtrack for the movie Above The Rim. It’s actually a great movie, but the song is an all-time banger.
All Star – Mystery Men
Mystery Men is one of the rare superhero movies that are not based on Marvel or DC characters. It’s an underrated movie that kind of came out at the wrong time. One of the songs in it though, became one of the defining songs of the era. “All-Star” by Smash Mouth may be more famous for the memes it creates than for its quality, but its life has long outlived Mystery Men.
The Greatest Love of All – The Greatest
You probably know “The Greatest Love of All” as one of Whitney Houston’s most popular and enduring songs. But did you know it was originally recorded by the great George Benson for a biopic about Muhammad Ali called The Greatest? Yep. The movie even starred the former heavyweight champ.
Uninvited – City Of Angels
The soundtrack for City Of Angels is really good. It’s honestly much better than the movie, which isn’t half bad. In addition to producing “Iris” by The Goo Goo Dolls, it also is responsible for another hit, “Uninvited” by Alanis Morrisette.
Try Again – Romeo Must Die
When Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash in 2001, she left behind a short, but towering, legacy. Part of that legacy is her film debut, Romeo Must Die. An even bigger part of that legacy is the hit song she recorded for it, “Try Again.” The futuristic-sounding song is perfect for the movie, and it’s far better remembered than the film.
I’ll Remember – With Honors
It’s not really surprising that a song released by Madonna in 1994 became a massive hit. “I’ll Remember” is one of Madonna’s best songs from the era, though the movie it comes from, With Honors, is not one of the best movies of Joe Pesci or Brendan Fraser’s careers.
Rule the World – Stardust
The fantasy film Stardust has a monster cast, but even some of the most hardcore fantasy fans don’t really remember it too fondly. Americans might not really remember the theme song, “Rule The World” by Take That, but it was a massive hit in England and way more successful than the movie.
Gangster’s Paradise – Dangerous Minds
Dangerous Minds is a great example of a bad movie with a great soundtrack. It’s no surprise then, that one of the songs from that soundtrack, “Gangster’s Paradise” by Coolio is far more beloved today than the movie.
The Harder They Come – The Harder They Come
Reggae superstar Jimmy Cliff starred in and recorded the soundtrack for the movie The Harder They Come. While the movie is little more than a curiosity these days, the soundtrack, especially the lead track, “The Harder They Come” is one of the most important albums released in reggae history.
The Perfect Drug – Lost Highway
David Lynch movies aren’t for everyone, and Lost Highway is no exception. It can be pretty polarizing and while it does have a solid cult following like many of Lynch’s movies, it doesn’t have the broad appeal that the hit song that emerged from it: “The Perfect Drug” by Nine Inch Nails.
Just Like Fire – Alice Through The Looking Glass
While Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland is a surprising example of a movie that made more than a billion dollars, the sequel Alice Through The Looking Glass, was pretty disappointing. Still, if you’re a fan of P!nk, you should appreciate that one of her best songs, “Just Like Fire” was on the soundtrack.
Kiss – Under The Cherry Moon
The legendary Prince made a couple of movies in the 1980s. The first was Purple Rain and some of his biggest hits came out of that. The second was the far more forgettable Under The Cherry Moon. It’s not surprising that people don’t remember anything about the film, but there is a great chance you know and love the song “Kiss,” which comes from the soundtrack.
Blaze Of Glory – Young Guns II
The first Young Guns is a classic western updated for the ’80s, starring a bunch of period-appropriate heartthrobs. For the sequel, they added a heartthrob or two but didn’t make as good a movie. The smartest thing the producers did was to get Jon Bon Jovi to record the theme song, “Blaze Of Glory,” which is way better remembered than the movie.
I Just Called To Say I Love You – The Woman In Red
Kelly LeBrock was a big-time “it girl” in the mid-1980s. Gene Wilder was a comedic legend at that point. Together, they sadly made a completely forgettable rom-com. The theme song, “I Just Called To Say I Love You” by Stevie Wonder, however, will be loved and appreciated for centuries.
Meet Me Halfway – Over The Top
Kenny Loggins was the king of movie soundtracks in the ’80s. One of his most revered songs from the era, “Meet Me Halfway” comes from a movie that only Sylvester Stallone die-hards love, the arm wrestling movie Over The Top.
Call Me – American Gigolo
It’s true that everything Richard Gere touched for a while in the ’70s and ’80s turned to gold, not all his movies are as loved today as Pretty Woman. American Gigolo is a perfect example. It was a hit at the time, but how many people are revisiting it these days? The theme song, appropriately called “Call Me,” by Blondie is still a favorite all over the world.
Say You Say Me – White Knights
Even though White Knights, starring tap dancer Gregory Hines and ballot legend Mikhail Baryshnikov was a moderate hit when it came out in 1985, the movie is really best known for its soundtrack, including the classic “Say You Say Me,” by Lionel Richie. The song even won Best Song at the Academy Awards.