Today is Wil Wheaton’s 44th birthday. Happy Birthday, Wil Wheaton! I’ve had a thing for Wil ever since the movie Stand By Me, one of my most-loved & most-watched movies. Then I of course loved him again in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Naturally, I also adored River Phoenix… I’ll forever be sad about his death. And Ben E. King passed away just over a year ago. R.I.P. River Phoenix & Ben E. King. 😦
Here’s the 1986 video for Stand By Me, featuring the boys dancing along with King (and River being all cool with his guitar). Yeah, the video is a bit cheesy in that 80’s kind of way. But I love 80’s cheese and I love this song. Happy Friday, everyone! 🙂
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! 😉
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!
Cinema Parrot Disco 