Overused Soundtrack Choices

IFC.com > News > Podcasts > Overused Soundtrack Choices

Indie film news, reviews, commentary, interviews, podcasts and more, updated throughout the week.

By Alison Willmore , Matt Singer on 08/17/2009

David Bowie and Freddy Mercury. Sing it: "People on streets / Ee da de da de."

When "Under Pressure" starts up on the soundtrack of "World's Greatest Dad," it's as both a fitting soundtrack choice and as a joke -- the song, a callback from an earlier scene, is so overused as a music cue that no matter how thematically appropriate it is, it's going to come with loads of baggage. Which provided the inspiration for this week's IFC News podcast, a look at some of the most soundtrack-abused song choices in the film world, from "Carmina Burana" to "Bad to the Bone."

Download: MP3, 38:52 minutes, 35.6 MB

Subscribe to the podcast: [iTunes] [XML]

Story continues below

ADVERTISMENT

M. Robert Turnage

I have two songs that make me cringe - 'Born to be Wild' and Etta James' 'At Last'. I kept expecting those to appear on your list. Great show! It made me laugh out loud in the office and get looks from others in their cubes.

Kamau

We seriously need to get some spoiler warnings on this show. I knew there was a twist in the plot of World's Greatest Dad that isn't in the trailer, and I'm sure it's not in there for a reason. I innocently come here to listen to my first episode of this podcast and 3 minutes in I already have to rearrange my mental queue of films to see. I now leave you no longer a child, but not yet a man. Thanks for taking my innocence guys...

Daniel Nelson

Two songs that I believe were used in every 90's movie are The Bodeans "Closer To Free" and Spin Doctors "Two Princes". Every time I hear these songs I think of 90's movie montages. Keep up the great work on the podcast. Thanks

Emily

gah that smash mouth song-wayyyyyyyy to overused (not just in movies)... no irony, just bleh.
hahahahaha bad to the bone

sam cook

hmmmmm, ... i really like your podcast, but did you just take this article and chat about it?

http://www.fortheretarded.com/?p=16

it's five years old.

anyway, the songs i had to think of are "who let the dogs out" and "wonderful world".

PS: and can i just mention one more thing: you need to "normalize" your podcast's soundfile or add a little gain, i think. any other podcast is way louder.

Sarah

I am going to second about the spoiler warning before "World's Greatest Dad". I have seen trailers and heard interviews, but not one of them mentioned the full plot synopsis like you guys did. I had no idea about what happened in the film, please give a "spoiler warning" before doing that again. I am really disappointed that I know what happens now.

ryan

Love the list...my sixties song would be a different Jefferson Airplane song, "Somebody to Love". Whenever characters in a movie are growing up, you can tell they've entered into the turbulent latter part of the sixties because you hear, "When the TRUTH IS FOUND...TO BEEEEEEE LIES!"