A great movie is often made better by a great song. Often, those songs become huge hits on their own and have just as much, or more, of a legacy as the movie itself. Here is our list of 32 hit songs from movie soundtracks that still get played often.
“My Heart Will Go On” (Titanic)
You can’t have this list without the massive Celine Dion hit “My Heart Will Go On” from another massive hit, Titanic. The song went to #1 in more than 25 countries worldwide and sold somewhere in the neighborhood of seven million copies. It made Dion an international superstar and remains a song people all over the world love.
“Fight the Power” (Do the Right Thing)
Sometimes people forget that the Public Enemy track “Fight the Power” is from a soundtrack. The song by the pioneering hip hop crew has taken on a true life of its own with its strong social message and fantastic beat. It did, however, start life as part of the soundtrack for Spike Lee’s revolutionary Do the Right Thing, a movie the song fits perfectly in.
“I Will Always Love You” (The Bodyguard)
Whitney Houston was a national treasure before her untimely death at age 48. Her biggest hit, “I Will Always Love You” from The Bodyguard was written by another national treasure, Dolly Parton. The combination of the two proved to be immensely powerful and successful, as the song, and the soundtrack album it is on, dominated the charts for months, starting in late 1992. The album spent a total of 121 weeks on the charts, nearly two and a half years!
“The Heat Is On” (Beverly Hills Cop)
The late Glenn Fry had a slew of hits with his original band, The Eagles, and in the ‘80s he had a bunch of solo hits as well. The most prominent being “The Heat Is On” on the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack. The opening notes crash into the opening scene of the movie and people have loved the song ever since.
“Danger Zone” (Top Gun)
Kenny Loggins was soundtrack gold in the 1980s. He had huge hits in a number of movies including Caddyshack and Footloose, but maybe his most enduring hit is “Danger Zone” from the Top Gun soundtrack. It’s still so popular that the original version was used in Top Gun: Maverick rather than an updated version. Amazingly, it was offered to a number of artists before Loggins, but we can’t imagine anyone else singing it.
“Happy” (Despicable Me 2)
Is there a more aptly named song than Pharrell Williams’ “Happy”? It’s a song that just makes you, well, happy. Like the movie it’s from, Despicable Me 2, it’s full of joy and you can’t not be in a good after watching the movie or listening to the song. It was an instant classic when it was released on the soundtrack and remains so today.
“Sunflower” (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse)
With over 2 billion views on YouTube, “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee from the Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse soundtrack is a true earworm. It’s a song you can listen to over and over and never get sick of. Superhero movies don’t tend to produce a ton of hit songs, for whatever reason, but “Sunflower” is a huge exception.
“9 To 5” (9 To 5)
There is no way to play Dolly Parton’s “9 To 5” and not immediately get motivated. If you ever feel low on energy, just pop this song, and bam! you’re off to the races. It’s a song you still hear all the time, despite coming out as part of the soundtrack to the movie of the same name more than 40 years ago. Dolly truly is the greatest, we think you’ll agree.
“Stayin’ Alive” (Saturday Night Fever)
The Saturday Night Fever soundtrack was a cultural phenomenon in the late ‘70s. To this day it’s one of the best-selling albums of all time, with an estimated 40 million copies sold. The soundtrack, the sound of the ‘70s, was anchored by the now-legendary disco song “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees. The song was such a huge hit, that they named the sequel to Saturday Night Fever after it, though that’s a sequel we’d rather forget.
“Gangsta Paradise” (Dangerous Minds)
The late Coolio’s hit “Gangsta Paradise” from the Dangerous Minds soundtrack is a great example of a song’s legacy far outlasting the movie’s. The movie, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, was a huge hit in 1995, but you have to wonder if the song drove more of the box office than the movie itself. It’s not a terrible movie by any means, but it’s not surprising the song is more popular today than the film.
“Ghostbusters” (Ghostbusters)
The tale of the signature song from the Ghostbusters soundtrack is long and sordid. There have been disputes and lawsuits along the way, but the Ray Parker, Jr. remains a banger and one that gets played all the time, especially at every Halloween party you’ve ever been to. The video is also legendary with all kinds of stars making cameos, and singing along with it.
“Lose Yourself” (8 Mile)
Eminem’s legacy is cemented as one of the best rappers of all time. He also took a foray into acting for a bit, starring in the semi-autobiographical 8 Mile in 2002. It’s a good movie, though a little dated these days. The hit song from it, “Lose Yourself” is definitely not dated, however, and people still love listening to the hip hop anthem today.
“I’m Alright” (Caddyshack)
Even in the 2020s, on golf courses all over the world, you will hear quotes and references to Caddyshack and that includes the theme song from the movie, “I’m Alright” by Kenny Loggins. One of a slew of soundtrack hits for Loggins in the ‘80s, “I’m Alright” was the first to launch that part of the singer’s career, and it’s kept him relevant for years, decades even.
“You’ve Got A Friend In Me” (Toy Story)
Randy Newman is one of the truly underappreciated songwriters of the late 20th Century, but it’s really great to know that one of his songs, “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” from Pixar’s Toy Story, has become part of the American music lexicon. Generations of kids have now grown up singing the happy ditty and it will surely be a favorite for kids for generations more. The song, like the movie, will always find a new young audience.
“Let’s Go Crazy” (Purple Rain)
Prince owned the mid-1980s with hits like “1999,” “Little Red Corvette,” “Controversy,” and more. In 1984 he took on the most ambitious project of his career, a movie called Purple Rain and the soundtrack to accompany it. The movie was a success, and the album was a full-blown blockbuster. There are a bunch of songs we could choose here, but by far the most fun is “Let’s Go Crazy.” The guitar solo at the end is one of the best ever played in pop music, period.
“Don’t You (Forget About Me)” (The Breakfast Club)
The Scottish band Simple Minds had been building a solid career for themselves in the U.K. in the early ‘80s but had not found any success breaking through in America. That was until 1985 when they were asked to record “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” for the soundtrack to The Breakfast Club. The song was then, and remains, a true anthem of the decade.
“Theme From Shaft” (Shaft)
To later generations, Isaac Hayes is probably best known as the voice of Chef on South Park, but for any film fan from the ‘70s, he’s the guy who wrote and recorded the soundtrack to the original Shaft. The whole soundtrack is filled with funky goodness, but the theme song remains the most iconic. It’s been referenced in pop culture all over the place, including in a very funny bit on Newsradio in the ‘90s and of course, in an episode of The Simpsons in Season 2.
“Mrs. Robinson” (The Graduate)
It was pretty rare in the 1960s to get a pop group, or folk duo in this case, to do an entire film soundtrack, but in the case of The Graduate, it was a brilliant decision. Simon & Garfunkel wrote and recorded the soundtrack, which includes one of the best songs of the 20th century, “Mrs. Robinson.” In the years since it was released in 1968, it’s been covered by many other artists including Frank Sinatra and The Lemonheads, who had a big hit with it in the ‘90s.
“(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” (Dirty Dancing)
When it was released in 1987, Dirty Dancing grew its audience through word of mouth and people returned again and again, Like the movie, the final song of the film “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes gets people coming back to it over and over. It’s a beloved song for multiple generations. It even won the Oscar for Best Original Song, one of the most enduring songs to ever do so.
“Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head” (Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid)
Unless you already know that “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head” by BJ Thomas is from Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid you’d never guess it. It seems so out of place, yet somehow works perfectly in the movie. The movie is an all-time great Western and the song feels straight out of the era the movie came out, the late ‘60s. It’s popular today to make period pieces with modern music, but it was a rarity then.
“Tears In Heaven” (Rush)
Eric Clapton’s plaintiff hit “Tears In Heaven” is a great example of a song far outshining the movie it was written for. Rush, starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jason Patric is largely forgotten these days but the song, which Clapton wrote about his young son who tragically died, has endured for decades and is still a highlight of his live concerts.
Kenny Loggins just churned out hit after hit in the ‘80s. Most of them came from movies, like his iconic “Footloose” from the Kevin Bacon movie of the same name. The movie feels a little dated these days, but the song is a perfect moment in time that makes it, in fact, timeless. We dare you to try to not sing along and dance when you play it by yourself in the car. Go on, try.
“Check On It” (The Pink Panther)
Let’s be honest, the 2006 version of The Pink Panther starring Steve Martin is mostly forgettable. The exception is co-star Beyonce and her banger of a hit “Check On It.” It’s vintage Beyonce and should be played at a high volume, as much as possible. It’s been far more enduring than the movie it came from.
“Young And Beautiful” (The Great Gatsby)
One of the most striking things about Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby was the modern music set against the backdrop of 1920s America. The soundtrack is fantastic and Lana Del Ray’s “Young And Beautiful” is a song that people still love listening to today.
“Eye Of The Tiger” (Rocky III)
One of the best songs to get you pumped up and psyched for…anything really… is “Eye Of The Tiger” by Survivor. Written as the theme song for Rocky III the song has since become the ultimate 1980s anthem and has been used in countless movies and TV shows, not to mention commercials and, of course, in sports stadiums all over the world.
“Crazy For You” (Vision Quest)
Did you know that the Madonna hit “Crazy For You” is from a movie soundtrack? No? That’s not a surprise. The song was first released as part of the soundtrack for Vision Quest. The movie was nowhere near as big a hit as the song, which Madonna actually performs in the film. The song was so much more popular, in fact, that when the movie was released worldwide, the name was changed to Crazy For You in some countries.
“We Don’t Need Another Hero” (Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome)
The late Tina Turner had one of the most enduring careers in showbiz history. One of her best appearances was in 1985’s Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. Even more memorable was the song she recorded for the soundtrack, “We Don’t Need Another Hero,” which became one of the biggest hits of her legendary career.
“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (Armageddon)
Aerosmith has been one of the biggest bands in the world for decades now but their only #1 hit came from the Armageddon soundtrack. Despite multiple songs making their way into the Top 10, “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” is the only one to hit the pinnacle for the Boston band.
“Superfly” (Superfly)
Superfly is probably the most famous movie in the 1970s genre known as blaxploitation. While it’s a great movie that has a strong cult following, the soundtrack has endured even more, especially the theme song of the same name, written and performed by the great Curtis Mayfield.
“Take My Breath Away” (Top Gun)
It’s very rare for a soundtrack to have more than one hit, but the soundtrack for Top Gun had 3 Top Ten hits, with “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin reaching #1. It also won the Oscar for Best Song and has become a staple of 80s music stations in the years since.
“Power Of Love” (Back To The Future)
Huey Lewis and The News’ “Power Of Love” from “Back To The Future” just oozes great ‘80s power pop. One of the biggest hits of the band’s career, the song is even featured within the story of the movie when Marty McFly’s (Michael J. Fox) band, The Pinheads, play it in their audition for the battle of the bands before the judge, played by Huey Lewis, tells them it’s just too loud. It’s a song we’d all love to see The Pinheads play in real life, right?
“Wing Beneath My Wings” (Beaches)
Bette Midler’s biggest hit came fairly deep into her amazing career when she hit it huge with the theme song from her movie Beaches. Midler has continued to sing it often, including at a memorial for 9/11 victims in 2001 at Yankee Stadium, just days after the attack. The movie, while good, isn’t on the same level as the song.
So here’s our list of songs that are at least as enduring as the movies they come from. There’s no doubt in the years to come, more tunes will emerge like these because we all love songs like this.