With these top ten lists that I do, the ideas often come to me while discussing movies/music/life in general with my hubby. With this one, it was the death of a singer on this list that got me thinking about movies that share their titles with song titles. And, boy, are there ever a lot of them!!!
I immediately thought of several but this time got a big helping hand online – I’d have forgotten about some obvious ones if I hadn’t gone searching. This seems to be a fairly popular topic! As always, though, this is my own personal top ten of my favorites as I often have different taste from a lot of people.
With this list, there are SO MANY movies named after songs (or vice versa) that I’ve had to make rules. So… don’t go telling me I’ve forgotten one of it doesn’t fit my criteria! π
- THE SONG HAD TO BE FIRST: The movie has to have come AFTER the existence of the song
- Songs written specifically for a movie don’t count (loads of songs are written for films & given the same name as the film’s title)
- Music movies don’t count (so, no musicals or Beatles films like Yellow Submarine or movies based on music people like What’s Love Got To Do With It – obviously these movies would have song title titles)
- The movie does NOT have to deliberately be named after the song (but it’s better when they are) and it doesn’t actually have to have the song in it (but it’s better when they do). Sometimes it’s a coincidence that a movie has a song title, sometimes it’s on purpose but the song isn’t used in the film (clearance rights, probably), and sometimes it’s named after a song and the song is used (like my number one – I prefer these).
- I have to have seen the movie.
Ha! Sorry… This one really needed rules for me to narrow it down to ten!
So now, here are My Top Ten Movies With Song Title Titles (ranked according to how much I like the movie, not the song – but I’ll give my opinion on the song too):
10. TIE: American Pie & Drive
Song by: Don McLean & The Cars
Is it named after the song? Pie, probably. Drive, definitely not.
Is the song in the film? No
Do I like the song? I like both but prefer Drive – I went through about a two-month phase of being a big Cars fan at the age of 17.
Song by: The Psychedelic Furs
Is it named after the song? Yes. As are many John Hughes movies…
Is the song in the film? Yes, a re-recorded version
Do I like the song? Yes
8. Whip It
Song by: Devo
Is it named after the song? No
Is the song in the film? No
Do I like the song? Yes – I love Devo
Song by: The Drifters & Soul Brothers Six
Is it named after the song? Assume so but don’t know which one!
Is the song in the film? No
Do I like the song? Totally different songs. I like the Soul Brothers Six one, which is the one I assume John Hughes liked??
6. My Girl
Song by: The Temptations
Is it named after the song? Assume so
Is the song in the film? Yes
Do I like the song? Yes – it’s a great song!
5. Can’t Buy Me Love
Song by: The Beatles
Is it named after the song? Must be
Is the song in the film? Yes
Do I like the song? It’s okay – I love The Beatles but it’s not one of my favorites
Song by: The Crests
Is it named after the song? Yes
Is the song in the film? A cover by The Stray Cats is
Do I like the song? Not especially
3. Dazed And Confused
Song by: Led Zeppelin
Is it named after the song? Not sure – Don’t think so
Is the song in the film? No (the soundtrack is awesome, though)
Do I like the song? It’s okay – they have other songs I prefer
Song by: M|A|R|R|S
Is it named after the song? Unlikely
Is the song in the film? No
Do I like the song? Definitely
1. Stand By Me (as if my number one was going to be anything else!)
Song by: Ben E. King (R.I.P.)
Is it named after the song? Yes
Is the song in the film? Yes
Do I like the song? Love it. Like the film, it’s an all time classic.
Honorable Mentions: (I just like the song with some of these)
- Boogie Nights (Really like both the movie & Heatwave song)
- Boys Don’t Cry (Good movie, LOVE The Cure song)
- Just Like Heaven (Meh movie but, again, adore The Cure song. Witherspoon also ripped off Lynyrd Skynyrd for Sweet Home Alabama…)
- Blue Velvet (Like the movie okay, loads of people have done the song. The most famous version by Bobby Vinton is good but totally not my type of thing)
- Pretty Woman (Like the movie a bit more than I’d care to admit & the Roy Orbison song isn’t a favorite but is catchy as hell)
- Take Me Home Tonight (Movie okay but I really like the Eddie Money song. As with Pretty Woman, I probably like Eddie Money more than I’d care to admit. Billy Squier too. Guilty pleasures! God I’m old & uncool…)
- Babe (I don’t care about that stupid pig, but: Woohoo! Styx!)
- Starman (sorry Carpenter fans but I keep falling asleep trying to finish this. I just use any excuse I can to get David Bowie into my posts. Great song!)
- Lean On Me (Good movie & excellent Bill Withers song)
- Running On Empty (I really need to re-watch this River Phoenix movie that shares its name with a really good Jackson Browne song)
- Cars (the weakest Pixar films but I totally admit to liking the Gary Numan song)
Look at Eddie Money’s beautifully feathered hair. Get that wind machine going!
Put the needle on the record!
Wow, there is a lot to choose from! I don’t really care for the song Sixteen Candles either, but I do love me some Jake Ryan!
God, there are loads of movies with song title names! Hopefully I didn’t miss a favorite. π lol – JAKE RYAN IS A DREAMBOAT!!!! I want to kiss him. I want to kiss him so bad.
If you didn’t want to kiss him so bad, that’d be crazy.
Ha! I knew as soon as I began reading that Stand By Me would be your #1 pick! That movie and song really are in a class by themselves. π
They certainly are! π lol – if anyone else did a similar list & didn’t have Stand By Me at number one, I’d yell at them. π
That would just be wrong! I think I’d join you in yelling.
I think Stand by Me would be top for most of us. Great list. Great idea for a post too.
Thanks, Alex! Yeah… I would hope that Stand By Me would top everyone’s list! π
I clicked on this because I thought it said “titties.” Great, creative list, though! Psychedelic Furs are way underrated.
OOOOOOPS – what a boner!
Thank you!
Oh! I can see your Gremlin!
Titties, eh? *honk* π Brian, I can’t handle compliments from you! They make me happy yet paranoid at the same time. Lol. The Psychedelic Furs? Really? I think I only know 2 songs. I totally can’t figure out your taste in music. But, yay – British music is the best! π Also, I can’t tell what your dark picture is on my tiny phone screen…
Stand By Me would be tops for me too. π
I think it would be tops for most, it seems. π Such a great film! And song. π
No Gwar??
Lol. And what’s your favorite movie that shares its name with a Gwar song title???? π
Do you want me to put it on here?
Not if it’s porn! Lol π
Better keep my mouth shut then : )
Ok, this is too much fun! Finishing with Eddie Money is…well….MONEY!
Drive – great song. I didn’t like it as an 80s teenager but over the years I have grown to love it…actually better that Gosling’s movie! π
Lol. Thanks! π Yeah, I think Drive (the song) kind of grew on me too. If I had to pick, I’d say I like that song more than that movie too. π
Great idea for an article. This was lots of fun. Stand By Me has to be tops! What an amazing film. That song hit #1 again after decades from original release. Maybe Straight Outta Compton will do that with F The Police. Unfortunately that still applies and might connect to become 1? Oh… and would Across the Universe count? Surprisingly good musical. Thanks for this list, it was rad (re: 80s picks)
Thank you! This one was a lot of fun to put together. π Ha! That would be cool if Straight Outta Compton has that effect. And I loved Across The Universe! But it doesn’t count as it’s a “musical” based on a band’s songs. According to my long list of rules… Lol. I love The Beatles. π
Nice to see Just Like Heaven in the honourable mentions – I enjoyed Mark Ruffalo in the film. And the song, easily in my top 10 of all time, neat idea for a post!
Thank you! π Yeah, the movie was okay. I don’t remember it that well now but HAD to mention it as I love The Cure song so much. π
I have never seen Stand By Me. There I said it. My reasons are embarrassing, so I won’t go into it. Great song however. Dazed and Confused is definitely named after the song… I think. Great list is idea. I won’t steal it. But I want to. Pretty Woman, Blue Velvet and Starman would totally be on my list. Love Whip it (the song and the movie) Fun list.
Whaaaaaaaaaat?!?! Lol. Oh, you must rectify that – it’s one of my top five favorite movies ever and the one I’ve watched more than any other film. π Thank you! This was a fun list to put together. It was surprisingly hard to remember I was ranking by how much I liked the movie & not the song but had to at least name a few at the end because I love the song so much (like Just Like Heaven & Starman). π
Just Like Heaven is an insanely good song but I didn’t even know there was a movie. Definitely my favorite Cure song. And one of those songs that can improve my mood at any time. (“Show me, show me, show me how you do that trick…”)
I’ve never seen Stand By Me because it belongs in a class of movie that depresses me. Movies about childhood where I don’t identify with a single thing about them. Nothing. Nothing about it mirrors my experience and it makes me sad. Not nostalgic. Just depressed. Now if you’ll excuse me I have an appointment with a certain Cure song.
It’s a sappy romcom with Reese Witherspoon. lol! Well… That’s interesting! I don’t know how much I could actually identify with boys growing up in the 50s since I was a girl growing up in the 80s. And I never went searching for a dead body. π But I still adored the film and watched it over & over in my early teens. That Cure song makes me feel the same way… π
Cool post. Now I’m singing like five different songs in my head.
Thank you! Lol. Sorry! π Yeah – I easily get songs stuck in my head too!
Total agreement on Stand By Me. Great movie. I would add to the list A Hard Day’s Night. I enjoyed the movie even though at the time I was not a Beatles fan. That didn’t happen until Revolver. Back to their movies…I thought Help was a disaster and I never bothered with yellow Submarine.
Thanks! It seems that everyone agrees with Stand By Me. π I didn’t count any of The Beatles movies as they’re “music movies” but I’m a big fan. That’s funny, though – the ONLY one of theirs that I’ve seen is Yellow Submarine. And I love it. π
Gone Girl. OMG. My daughter watched this 100 times. Literally. Fun post. Great songs.
Thanks, Cindy! Oh, I’d have to say I probably literally watched Stand By Me 100 times as a teen… π
I HATED Stand By Me! what an awful excuse for a movie!!
Now that I’ve shocked and confused everyone…I totally agree that Stand By Me deserves to be #1 on this list! Some great choices mostly revolving around the 80’s (which is also the best decade)
I love listening to stuff from The Cars and the Cure.
Whats whip it? Never heard of it (seriously) and have yet to see Dazed and Confused
My mind is too fried right now to try and think of any other great choices.
I cant believe Ben E. King died back in April and I only know about it now based on this post. Loved his music video with Wil Wheaton and River Pheonix.
Whip It the movie, I assume? A female roller derby movie with Drew Barrymore & Ellen Page. I LOVE it. Holy shit – you do need to see Dazed & Confused. By far my favorite Linklater! And Stand By Me rules. π
This is awesome! That is all.
Ha! Why, thank you Laura! I had fun putting this one together. π
A fan of Bowie, The Cure and Gary Numan………….!!! You got me!
Definitely! Especially Bowie – a huge fan! Glad to hear from another lover of great music. π
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Another great list you have pulled together here, and definitely an interesting one. Fair rules, to be sure!
Thanks, Zoe! I’m enjoying finally getting off my ass & doing these top tens regularly. I have a list of about 100 to do! π
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