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Mine is Stuck in the Middle With You by Stealers Wheel. I was never a huge fan of the song but could at least tolerate it if/when it came on the radio. Then I saw Reservoir Dogs. Now I have to change the station if it comes on because it conjures up the image of Mr. Blonde cutting off a cop's ear with a straight razor.
What about you? Any songs you can no longer listen to because of a movie or t.v. show/commercial?
Well I can still listen to them but they are tainted.
Who Are You by The Who. Often cannot hear it without seeing CSI in my head - I watched the show regularly, until Grissom left.
Blue Oyster Cult Don't Fear the Reaper. Great song been a fav of mine since it came out...but then SNL had to do that silly "Needs more cowbell" scene.
"Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood, which has become such a cliche. It seems like whenever a movie wanted to establish a character is "bad" in the 90's and 00's, they played the opening riffs over the character's entrance.
If I were going to compile a CD of overused songs from movies, it would resemble this. Most of these have been used in at least ten movies or more (no exaggeration; some have been in 20 movies):
George Thorogood - Bad to the Bone (badass enters the scene)
Wooly Bully - Sam the Sam and the Pharoahs (comic hijinx, or dive bar scene)
James Brown - I Feel Good (used to convey a general funky 60's mood)
Steppenwolf - Born to Be Wild (badass takes to the road scene)
Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade of Pale (sensitive person looks back bittersweetly to a more innocent time)
Mazzy Star - Fade Into You (alienated, angsty younger person ponders the meaning of love)
The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter (choreographed scenes of violence, especially bar fights)
War - Low Rider (badass comes to town and he's a Latino!)
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama (general redneck theme)
R.E.M. - Stand (ironic humor)
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bad Moon Rising (used to foreshadow trouble)
Spandau Ballet - True (we are back in the 80's! And in love!)
Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive (ironic 70's reference)
Yello - Oh Yeah (I'm so horny I could even go for that...thing)
Not knocking the songs or the artists, but all of these songs have lost whatever character and impact they once had for me; even "Gimme Shelter", which used to be one of the most terrifying songs ever. Sometime in the early 80's filmmakers started using songs as a kind of lazy shorthand to move a story along; I used to refer to it as the "music video" segment of the movie, and bemoaned what a cliche it was even back then. It's a lot worse now.
"Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood, which has become such a cliche. It seems like whenever a movie wanted to establish a character is "bad" in the 90's and 00's, they played the opening riffs over the character's entrance.
If I were going to compile a CD of overused songs from movies, it would resemble this. Most of these have been used in at least ten movies or more (no exaggeration; some have been in 20 movies):
George Thorogood - Bad to the Bone (badass enters the scene)
Wooly Bully - Sam the Sam and the Pharoahs (comic hijinx, or dive bar scene)
James Brown - I Feel Good (used to convey a general funky 60's mood)
Steppenwolf - Born to Be Wild (badass takes to the road scene)
Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade of Pale (sensitive person looks back bittersweetly to a more innocent time)
Mazzy Star - Fade Into You (alienated, angsty younger person ponders the meaning of love)
The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter (choreographed scenes of violence, especially bar fights)
War - Low Rider (badass comes to town and he's a Latino!)
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama (general redneck theme)
R.E.M. - Stand (ironic humor)
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bad Moon Rising (used to foreshadow trouble)
Spandau Ballet - True (we are back in the 80's! And in love!)
Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive (ironic 70's reference)
Yello - Oh Yeah (I'm so horny I could even go for that...thing)
Not knocking the songs or the artists, but all of these songs have lost whatever character and impact they once had for me; even "Gimme Shelter", which used to be one of the most terrifying songs ever. Sometime in the early 80's filmmakers started using songs as a kind of lazy shorthand to move a story along; I used to refer to it as the "music video" segment of the movie, and bemoaned what a cliche it was even back then. It's a lot worse now.
Great list, and I completely agree with you re: how they have become cliches through overuse.
I've noticed that my favorite Jimi Hendrix song, "All Along the Watchtower," has also become prey to overuse. Fortunately, I still enjoy the song. But I wince whenever someone uses it in a recent movie.
And, Lord help me, it was actually used in a t.v. commercial recently by Chanel to hock cologne. Are you ****ing kidding me? A Jimi Hendrix song in a Chanel commercial? Seriously?!
HILARIOUS! Even more so because I am fairly certain that neither Welk nor these singers have absolutely any idea what "toke" means... But if they do, then it's genius
HILARIOUS! Even more so because I am fairly certain that neither Welk nor these singers have absolutely any idea what "toke" means... But if they do, then it's genius
maybe true about Lawrence but Myron Floren who introduced the song, sure seems to be over emphasizing the "tickle" in his throat doesn't he?
The Exorcist ruined Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells for just about the whole world. Tubular Bells was released several years b4 The Exorcist.
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