10 Movie Moments Where The Music IS The Story

It’s no secret that I love movies. And I have a million reasons why I love them. But if I had to only pick one, it would be this:

It is the 2 in 1 Shampoo Conditioner.

It is the Swiss Army Knife.

It is the All-You-Can-Eat Buffet.

Instead of just a picture, or just a melody, or just a story… it’s EVERYTHING. You get it all. And when the visuals and the emotions and the narrative and the music all come together just right… it’s magic.

Wash and go, baby.

There are so many songs that only exist to me as part of a scene in a movie because once all those elements are combined perfectly, it is impossible to ever separate them again. The songs ARE those scenes.

I mean, can you hear Peter Gabriel’s ‘In Your Eyes’ and NOT think of John Cusack holding a boombox above his head?

Nope.

The alchemy worked too well. Just like you can’t separate the mashed potatoes from the spaghetti sauce on that buffet plate. Once it’s there, it’s there. And it’s either harmonious… or marinara potato mush.

I’ve often spoken of how much I loved movie soundtracks as a kid and this is one of the reasons why. Yes, it was a great way to be introduced to new artists and genres, but it also allowed me to relive the movie every time I listened to it. ‘The Power of Love’ IS Michael J. Fox riding a skateboard, late for school. It just is.

Here are some musical moments that will remain etched in my brain for eternity. I cannot hear these songs without being back in these movies, feeling the feels.

This was an extremely popular movie in my house as a kid. We watched it all the time. And, honestly, this is my favorite part of the whole thing. Which is saying something because the film is filled with brilliant scenes but this one just… tickled me and saddened me and just… it did all the things.

I’m not a huge fan of this movie, I have to admit, but I do respect it and Harmony Korine as a filmmaker. And this moment is sooooo weirddddddd. It is iconic in that way where no one ever has, or will again, put all these things together into one scene. Britney Spears hits different when it’s being sung by James Franco on a white piano while a bunch of girls with neon pink ski masks and guns go on an ultra-violent crime spree.

It’s just… batshit.

We EARNED this scene. It’s like getting ice cream after a tough day, but better. It feels SO GOOD. There’s a freedom, a euphoria, a celebration of life and living that is so completely amazing that if you haven’t seen this movie, I highly recommend you go watch it so that you get to experience this scene as intended, at the end of a long and often harrowing journey.

Well, this is just something very special. Another dancing moment that means so much more than just a guy dancing to a song. Not only is it unforgettable, it is what the movie is about. It is the story. It is everything about this character, about his friendship, about who he is as a person.

Oh God. This was actually the first thing I thought of when I went to make this list because… it's an experience. A terrible, terrible experience. And the filmmaker wants you to squirm. They want you to feel like you are trapped in a slow-moving car crash that you can’t escape and it just keeps getting worse and ughhhhhhh. 9 minutes of someone embarrassing themselves, oblivious, raw… and incredible.

This song is this moment to me. It just is. And honestly, I know it was a big famous song long before this movie but it’s as if it was written for this scene. Everything about it fits. It’s talking about them, about their relationship.

Well, yes, this scene is famous for the steadicam shot, BUT! You absolutely cannot leave out the music when talking about why this works as well as it does. With the wrong track, something that should have felt impossibly romantic, floating on air, could have felt mechanical or forced. The camera move with the song is what seals the deal.

I mean.

Nothing captures hysteria quite like Beatlemania and Taika Waititi smartly took advantage of that. He wanted to show how it might have felt to be caught up in that fervor, that zealotry, that fanaticism that would have been Nazi Germany at that time and directly comparing it to the Beatles was extremely effective.

When Bill Murray sings ‘More Than This’ in a private karaoke room filled with drunk people and a fetching ScarJo, something very special happens. It’s what every filmmaker wants to capture. A real moment. A real connection. It’s what you go to the movies for and you very rarely get to see.

There are so many iconic musical moments in this movie that it was hard to just pick one but… the title sequence is one that I feel like often takes a backseat and yet it’s so good. Watching Dustin Hoffman stand still as the world passes him by, looking lost, worried, unsure, while The Sound of Silence plays… the sum is more than its parts. These two elements combined create an incredible sense of sadness and doom.