Number 71 - Earth Angel by Marvin Berry and The Starlighters
My all time favourite piece of editing in a movie is in "Back to the Future". The band who are to play at the Enchantment Under The Sea dance tell Marty that they cannot go on (so thwarting the plan to get his father and mother to fall in love on the dance floor) as their lead guitarist had injured his hand. "Unless you know anyone who can play the guitar". Cut to Marty playing the first chords of "Earth Angel", a piece of editing so sharp, it never ceases to thrill. The song is only just OK, the original and superior version was by The Penguins, but it has been covered by many artists since. You can see Marty and the band play "Earth Angel" on YouTube, but not the edit.
Number 72 - Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) by Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel
The only number one hit for the Steve Harley penned classic was in my opinion the best thing about "The Full Monty". Harping back to the scene in "A Hard Days Night" where the boys run around to the tune of "Can't Buy Me Love", Robert Carlyle and his mates kick a football around while we listen to this great song. It has been covered countless times, but Steve Harley's original version cannot be beaten. It doesn't get any better than this. Search for "Full Monty Football" on YouTube.
Number 73 - The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel
Perhaps not my favourite Simon and Garfunkel song, but it is so good as the opening and closing track to "The Graduate", I had to include it here. I still remember when I saw the movie on it's release in 1967, how I was struck by the picture of Dustin Hoffman riding the airport travellator while this song played over the opening credits, (see YouTube) and again on the bus with Katherine Ross at the end. And not a word said. The song says it all. It also features in the film "Bobby" when the Robert Kennedy makes his victory speech at The Ambassador Hotel, just before his assassination. Equally effective.
Number 74 - Don't Worry Baby by The Beach Boys
This is my favourite Beach Boys track, so when it plays during the movie "Deja Vu", I was immediately impressed. Written in 1964 by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian, it was picked as the B-side to The Beach Boys single "I Get Around". To which it is far superior.
Number 75 - Time After Time by Cyndie Lauper
The film is Baz Luhmann's wonderful "Strictly Ballroom". And a piece of movie genius as our two young lovers dance on a rooftop to this song that is so right for the moment. There are times you are grateful you watched the movie on the big screen, and this was one of those. OK, it didn't use the original Cyndie Lauper version that I prefer (well she did co-write it with Rob Hyman). Baz almost replicated the rooftop scene in "Moulin Rouge". It was that good. Find it on YouTube.
Number 76 - Cat People (Putting Out The Fire) by David Bowie
Another brilliant piece of movie making, this time by Quentin Tarantino in his film "Inglourious Basterds". It was a David Bowie song that was new to me when I watched the film in the cinema. But what a knockout sequence it made with Shosanna (Melanie Laurent) preparing for the premiere. Since it came on Sky Movies, I must have watched this dozens of times. David Bowie wrote the song with Giorgio Moroder in 1982. Just watch the first two minutes of the clip from the film on YouTube - "David Bowie - Cat People (putting Out the Fire)". The intro is just fantastic.
Number 77 - Hold Tight by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich
And while we are on Quentin Tarantino, here is a track used in the movie n"Deathproof". A very average piece of film making for Tarantino, but it did remind me of this super song. And the feel of impending disaster against this happy upbeat music is really unsettling, in an interesting way. Released in 1966, it reached number 4 on the UK single chart. Would I have chosen the song if was not for the movie? Probably not. A clip on YouTube but not for the faint hearted.
Number 78 - Love on the Rocks by Neil Diamond
What am I doing including this mush? Well it is my favourite Neil Diamond song and it still gives me shivers when I see the clip (also on YouTube) from the movie "The Jazz Singer" when Neil is in the studio recording the song. What more can I say?
Number 79 - In the Midnight Hour by Wilson Pickett
The song is a highlight of the movie "The Commitments". Here it is sung by their lead singer Andrew Strong. Although the band and backing group are superb, unfortunately Andrew is no Wilson Pickett. I remember this was one of the few singles I bought in the 60's, but this was always a great piece of soul. Composed by Pickett and Steve Cropper, it has now become a classic. The Commitments' version is on YouTube.
Number 80 - Slipping through my Fingers by Abba
My favourite Abba song? So many to choose from but as this was one song that I enjoyed in the film "Mama Mia", it rose to the top of my list. Not on our Abba compilation CD, so I had to buy the album "The Visitors". This also includes such classics as "The Day Before You Came" that will appear on my favourite covers.
Number 81 - Can't Buy Me Love by The Beatles
To wrap up songs from movies, I could not ignore this classic from "A Hard Day's Night". The aerial shots of the boys just messing about to this upbeat song was way ahead of it's time as a pop video. Again on YouTube.
Two foreign songs that did not quite make my list:
Ca Plane Pour Moi by Plastic Betrand from the film 127 Hours and Woo Hoo by the 5678's from the film Kill Bill 1.
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