25 Underrated Use of Songs In Movies

Compiling a list of the “greatest” use of songs in film history feels like an impossible task. There are also too many brilliant uses of our favorite songs in films that have flown under the radar or have yet to achieve iconic status.

You won’t find Chuck Berry’s Johnny B. Good in Back to the Future or You Never Can Tell in Pulp Fiction, or even Aimee Mann’s less iconic Save Me in the popular Magnolia on this list. 

You also won’t find any musicals with songs written specifically for the film or the play it is based on. Unfortunately, this disqualifies every song from Robert Altman’s Nashville. You also won’t find any films that came out in the last year, since it is hard to say if they are truly underrated. This disqualifies Queen’s Under Pressure in Charlotte Wells‘ Aftersun.     

Honorable Mention: Originally, I was going to include Quincy Jones’ Miss Celie’s Blues in The Color Purple, only to learn the song was written and recorded for the movie. It’s still an underrated moment. 

25. Modern Love in Mauvais Sang

You’ve got the main character of the film running down a city street as Modern Love blares over the soundtrack. No, it’s not Frances Ha. Noah Baumbach actually took this idea from Leos Carax’s 1986 arthouse indie, Mauvais Sang. I would argue that David Bowie’s song is used more effectively in Frances Ha, but this scene is more underrated. And you’ve got to love the way it cuts out at the end with Denis Lavant sliding to a halt. 

24. Time After Time in Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion 

Two decades before Booksmart, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion was the ultimate female-friendship underdog comedy. Two ditzy blondes decide to lie their way through their ten-year high school reunion by telling everyone they invented Post-it^® Notes. Stars Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino end the night by performing a suspiciously well-choreographed dance routine with dork-turned-millionaire Alan Cumming to Cyndi Lauper’s Eighties hit.

23. Take My Breath Away in As Tears Go By

Wong Kar-wai has given us more great uses of pop songs than any other director. He makes needle drops the art form that they should be. His use of California Dreamin’ and Happy Together will forever be stitched in film lovers’ hearts. His nearly perfect use of a Chinese cover of Take My Breath Away in his debut feature As Tears Go By lets the audience know we are in the hands of a master. 

22. Five Hundred Miles in Inside Llewyn Davis

For whatever reason, this Coen Brother’s masterpiece has not reached the same cultural status as Fargo or The Big Lebowski. Their 2013 odyssey through beatnik New York captures the sounds of the Sixties better than most films from that actual era. In this scene, Carey Mulligan and Justin Timberlake cover the Peter, Paul, and Mary folksong in a smokey bar. While the vocals and acoustics are great, the highlight is the looks exchanged between Mulligan and Oscar Isaac.  

21. Braver Newer World in Kicking and Screaming

So Baumbach was still able to make the list. While his use of Lou Reed’s Street Hassle in The Squid and the Whale is a masterclass in its own right, in his debut feature Kicking and Screaming, he takes this mostly unknown song by indie singer Jimmie Dale Gilmore and makes it an instant classic. Braver Newer World only appears in the flashbacks, when our protagonist looks back on his time spent with the girl who got away. 

20. As Time Goes By in 20th Century Women

Of course, we all know this sad yet triumphant tune from Casablanca, written by Herman Hupfeld and performed by Dooley Wilson aka Sam. In Mike Mills’ autobiographical 20th Century Women the song, and even its use in Casablanca, is used for a son to look back fondly on his mother and the nights they spent together watching the black-and-white classic. And just like that, this same old-story song finds new meaning. 

19. What the World Needs Now in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice 

Paul Mazursky captures the attitudes and ideologies of the Swinging Sixties and even critiques it a little. After possibly engaging in a foursome, our four title characters, played by four wonderful actors, Natalie Wood, Robert Culp, Elliott Gould, and Dyan Cannon, walk together out of the bedroom, with their subtle smiles, and into a welcoming new world. Jackie Deshannon’s impassioned love song emphasizes the film’s simple message. 

18. Albatross in World on a Wire

Rainer Werner Fassbinder may be the most underrated needle-dropping director. His skill of knowing what song to use and in what scene is on par with Kar-wai and Tarantino. This relaxing instrumental song by Fleetwood Mac would not strike most filmmakers as the choice to play over the end credits of a sci-fi thriller, yet it fits the tone like a glove. It is also a very early example of a closing credit sequence that shows still images of each cast member.  

17. Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright in Dogfight

Nancy Savoca’s 1991 romance follows River Phoenix as he tries to woo ugly duckling Lili Taylor as part of a cruel competition he has with his friends to see who can snatch the biggest ‘dog.’ But they fall for each other and end the night making love, just before Taylor’s character puts on her favorite record. Not only is it one of the most tender sex scenes, but it may be the best use of a Bob Dylan song in any movie. 

16. Eye of the Tiger in Persepolis

Survivor’s 1982 hit is most known from Rocky III in one of the franchise’s many training montages. Personally, I find it more inspirational to see a hijab-wearing Iranian woman singing the song in broken English as she hypes herself up to pass her college exams. Marjane Satrapi’s film draws from her real-life experiences growing up in Iran as a fan of Sylvester Stallone’s movies. 

15. Girls Just Want to Have Fun in Anomalisa

Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson’s stop-motion animated film garnered praise upon its release but is not talked about much anymore. A movie featuring puppets, it has incredible insight into human experiences like falling in love, falling out of love, and growing old. Jennifer Jason Leigh’s beautiful rendition of this Cyndi Lauper song reinvents its meaning. What was once a fun, the girlish pop song becomes a deep expression of a woman’s hopes and dreams.  

14. Dream a Little Dream in Beautiful Thing

Hettie Macdonald’s 1996 adaptation of Jonathan Harvey’s play was a first of its kind. A love story between two working-class young men was something that just wasn’t done at the time. The film focuses on the growing infatuation between Jamie and Ste but constantly in the background is a quirky black neighbor who worships Mama Cass, thus the film’s soundtrack is filled with songs by The Mamas and the Papas. If the use of Dream a Little Dream doesn’t bring a tear to your eye then possibly nothing will. 

13. In Your Eyes in The Hater

Jan Komasa’s acute and pessimistic social critique is one of the most underrated dramas of the decade. It takes on the political divide, online radicals, cancel culture, incels, and mass shootings, better than any other film that has attempted this task. Without spoiling too much, our anti-hero suddenly breaks into a sexy dance to Kylie Minogue’s In Your Eyes in an attempt to seduce a closeted man. It’s an annoying pop song, but Komasa’s clever use is disturbing and funny at the same time. 

12. Bad Girl in House of Tolerance

Bertrand Bonello is an exciting French auteur who most people haven’t heard of. His 2011 period piece House of Tolerance is a frightening look into a brothel and the woman who call it their home. Despite being set in the early 20th century, the soundtrack features many rhythm and blues songs, including Lee Moses’ striking number Bad Girl. Moses’ raspy, soulful voice punctuates the character’s eternal sadness.  

11. The World’s Greatest in Lean on Pete

In another underrated masterpiece from recent years, Andrew Haigh’s 2017 drama follows a homeless teenager (played with a ton of heart by Charlie Plummer) as he travels across rural America with a stolen horse. The use of Bonnie Prince Billy’s cover of The World’s Greatest redefines the pompous lyrics to give us one of cinema’s best “everything’s going to be okay” endings. The song is used so effectively it will make you forget it was originally an R. Kelly song. 

10. Chick Habit in Death Proof

There had to be at least one Tarantino on here, and this is his most overlooked film. There are a few great needle drops that I could have picked; The bass bumping Hold Tight leading up to the car wreck, and the erotic Down in Mexico during Stuntman Mike’s lap dance. But for me, April March’s Chick Habit playing throughout the Grindhouse-style closing credits takes the cake. 

9. Cousin Kevin in Tommy

Ken Russell’s rock opera is criminally underrated, especially compared to the cheap musicals of the time that are still popular today. Again, there are many choices here; Elton John’s cover of Pinball Wizard and Ann-Margret’s crazy-good vocals in 1951 are all fantastic. But the most memorable number has to be Paul Nichols playing drastically against type as Tommy’s abusive babysitter Cousin Kevin.  

Note: The song is adapted from The Who’s 1969 album Tommy, which the film is based on. But the album was not originally intended to be filmed, and songs like Cousin Kevin played on the radio, so it gets a pass. 

8. The Old Main Drag in My Own Private Idaho

River Phoenix makes his second appearance in another 1991 indie. This time it’s Gus Van Sant’s brilliant re-imagining of Henry IV. Phoenix plays Mikey, a gay sex worker who travels cross country in pursuit of a better life. His narcolepsy has him passing out in inconvenient spots all over America, allowing strangers to both take advantage of him and help him. Some end up doing both. Van Sant uses The Pogues’ The Old Main Drag to lament the long road Mikey still has ahead of him. 

7. Angeles in Paranoid Park

Another Gus Van Sant pick. While Paranoid Park is not a great film like My Own Private Idaho, Van Sant once again proves his ability to beautifully express the character’s inner turmoil with carefully selected needle-drops. The late Elliot Smith and Van Sant had collaborated before on Good Will Hunting, and in this scene, his melancholy song once again perfectly captures adolescent shame as a young skater decides to move on from his past mistakes. 

6. Burnin’ For You in 12 and Holding

It’s not surprising if you haven’t heard of this movie. Before becoming an Emmy-winning TV director, Michael Cuesta had a short career making intense indie dramas about troubled youths. His 2005 film 12 and Holding follows three twelve-year-old friends as they each go down different paths towards adulthood. During a school assembly, A Chinese-American girl plays the Blue Öyster Cult’s hard rock hit as a way of impressing her much older crush, played by then-unknown Jeremy Renner. 

5. Hooligan in Loves of a Blonde

In yet another coming-of-age film, Miloš Forman presents the life of a young Czech factory worker as she tries to find her Prince Charming only to discover a world full of toads. The story’s unromantic message would be crushing if it weren’t told with such poignancy and with so much humor. This light tone is set in the film’s opening credit sequence as Zdena Lorencová belts out Hooligan. One can see the influence of this scene on Mike Nichols’ coming-of-age masterpiece The Graduate, released only two years later. 

4. She’s a Lady in Bound

Three years before the massive success of The Matrix, the Wachowskis gave us this slick and cunning heist film. Instead of relying on special effects, Bound managed to thrill audiences with its twisty plot, charismatic performances, and snappy dialogue. Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon star as the hot lesbian duo who have to outsmart gangsters in order to steal a briefcase full of cash. It’s a top-tier sexy Nineties crime film and the use of Tom Jones’ She’s a Lady is the cherry on top. 

3. Bird on a Wire in Fox and His Friends

Another Fassbinder title, this time his far more personal Fox and His Friends. Fassbinder stars as Franz, a gay man who goes from rags to riches after winning the lottery. But his naivety is taken advantage of by his heartless boujee boyfriend who is only interested in money and status. The story’s direction is heartbreakingly predictable and before long Franz finds himself alone and penny-less. Leonard Cohen’s music is already so personal and raw, it’s hard to imagine it not having an impact on listeners but here it matches Franz’s abandonment to tonal perfection. 

2. Everything Old is New Again in All That Jazz

Bob Fosse’s semi-autobiographical movie is a two-hour treat for the eyes and ears. This titan of song and dance interweaves dozens of catchy jazz numbers into a film that has been described as Fosse’s self-written eulogy. Roy Scheider’s character watches with a big smile as his girlfriend and daughter perform a choreographed dance routine to Peter Allen’s Everything Old is New Again. The scene should not work as well as it does, but it avoids being corny and overly sentimental largely thanks to Fosse’s direction and Scheider’s bittersweet reaction shots. It’s the type of scene you can watch whenever you are feeling blue and need your spirits lifted.

1. Que Reste-t-il de nos Amours? in Stolen Kisses

The most underrated use of any song in any movie happens to appear in the most underrated sequel ever made. François Truffaut’s The 400 Blows is forever in the history books as a groundbreaking, lightening-in-a-bottle, arthouse classic that not only defined the French New Wave but embodies all of the richness and struggles of childhood. Its 1968 followup Stolen Kisses is the forgotten older sibling that tackles those aimless years in our early twenties. Antoine Doinel continues to navigate life as his heart is torn between two women. Truffaut’s use of Charles Trenet’s Que Reste-t-il de nos Amours? is so perfect that I wouldn’t dare spoil it for anyone who has yet to experience this unsung masterpiece.