12 Best Musical Moments In Movies

Saltburn became an unexpected streaming hit at the tail end of 2023. The Jacob Elordi and Barry Keoghan-starring drama about an Oxford University student drawn into the charming world of an aristocratic classmate for an unforgettable summer has gone on to win—and has been nominated for—several awards and received high praise for its acting and cinematography. 

The film is also notable for its use of music, with a slew of early ‘00s tunes heard throughout. Of all the songs, the one that makes the most impact is Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s 2001 hit Murder On The Dancefloor. The talked-about climax features Keoghan dancing nude around the Saltburn mansion as the pop tune plays in the background.

Not only is it an enjoyable end to the film, but the use of the song has resurrected Ellis-Bextor’s career, with Murder On The Dancefloor becoming a phenomenon on TikTok and re-entering the UK charts, peaking at number two. 

This isn’t the first time a popular song has been given a second life thanks to a film. Cinematic history is littered with movies featuring songs that have scored pivotal scenes and then gone on to impact pop culture. 

After watching Saltburn to see what all the fuss is about (it’s worth a look), we got to thinking about other unforgettable musical moments in movies. Read on to discover some of our favourite songs from movies such as Reservoir Dogs and Napoleon Dynamite. 

Wayne’s World – Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)

The use of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody in the 90s comedy Wayne’s World is hands down one of the funniest musical moments ever committed to celluloid. Mike Myers’ Wayne and Dana Carvey’s Garth - along with their three band mates – hilariously sing along to the hit while driving to Stan Mikita Donuts in Garth’s flaming Mirthmobile. 

Whether it’s the partied-out Phil pleading “Let me go” as the rest of the band sing “We will not let you go” or the entire gang headbanging along during the fourth verse, this whole bit is extremely comical and offers a great introduction to the characters of Wayne and Garth. Brilliant stuff. 

Reservoir Dogs – Stuck In The Middle With You (Stealer’s Wheel)

Quentin Tarantino has an ear for good music and his choice of Stealer’s Wheel’s famous Stuck In The Middle With You changed most people’s view of the song. 

A radio-friendly, Dylan-esque tale about the music industry, the song takes on a darker meaning as it plays while Michael Madsen’s Mr. Blonde cuts the ear off a kidnapped police officer in Tarantino’s debut feature, Reservoir Dogs.

Watching Madsen joyfully dance around like he’s having the time of his life while torturing the tied-up cop as Stuck In The Middle With You plays in the background is terrifying and leaves you with a sick feeling in your gut. 

Goodfellas – Then He Kissed Me (The Crystals) 

Gangster movies don’t get much better than Goodfellas. The semi-autobiographical tale of unreliable narrator Henry Hill’s (an incredible Ray Liotta) rise and fall is masterfully brought to the screen by Martin Scorsese and contains several fantastic musical moments. 

Derek And The Dominos’ classic, Layla, playing during the montage showing all the bodies turning up after the Lufthansa heist is up there, but it’s the famous tracking shot through the Copacabana nightclub soundtracked by The Crystals’ Then He Kissed Me that takes the cake. 

This expertly filmed one-shot follows Hill as he escorts his date Karen through the back of the Copacabana, entering via the basement and then heading through the kitchen before being seated at the very front of the stage. 

Not only is it fantastically shot, but this key scene illustrates the power and fame that comes with being part of the mob and helps Hill seduce Karen into the lifestyle.

Drive – Nightcall (Kavinsky)

Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive is a neon-soaked crime caper with a fabulous ‘80s synth soundtrack headlined by French artist Kavinsky’s ominous Nightcall.

The film opens with Ryan Gosling as The Driver - looking cool as fuck chewing on a toothpick while sporting a white jacket with a gold scorpion print – eluding police in a Chevy Impala after picking up a gang of crooks who just took part in a heist. 

After successfully completing the job, the credits begin to roll as Nightcall bursts to life and Gosling’s ice-cold getaway driver cruises the streets of downtown LA.

Trainspotting – Lust for Life (Iggy Pop)

The great Iggy Pop got a massive career boost and gained a new legion of fans thanks to Danny Boyle’s adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s phenomenal novel Trainspotting. 

His 1977 single, Lust For Life, can be heard as Ewan McGregor’s Renton delivers the film’s famous opening monologue about the banality of life and how humans go through the motions, ticking off a checklist of life accomplishments as each of the main characters is introduced during a game of five a side.

Renton’s defiant rant against society norms is an outcry against the establishment that has merit, although it ends with him not choosing life but choosing heroin, which we don’t recommend. 

Napoleon Dynamite – Canned Heat (Jamiroquai)

It’s hard to believe Jon Heder totally improvised the climatic dance scene in Napoleon Dynamite. 

Taking the stage to perform a dance number as part of school friend Pedro’s high school election process, Heder’s title character hands the DJ a cassette of Jamiroquai’s Canned Heat and proceeds to dazzle the audience with his wacky dance moves. 

It’s a rib-tickling moment in a movie chock full of funny scenes that still incites giggles two decades later. And if you’ve ever wanted to nail the dance yourself, here’s a helpful ten-step guide.   

Fight Club – Where Is My Mind? (Pixies)

David Fincher’s Fight Club (spoiler alert) ends with The Narrator (Ed Norton) and girlfriend Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter) holding hands as the bombs planted by Project Mayhem detonate around them.

Pixies’ Where Is My Mind? fittingly plays as the two watch nearby buildings explode and collapse as The Narrator tells Singer, “You met me at a very strange time of my life.” 

Not only is the song an absolute banger, but it also relates to The Narrator’s dual personalities and adds another layer of intrigue to this complex movie that deals with themes of identity, consumerism, anarchy, and toxic masculinity. 

Almost Famous – Tiny Dancer (Elton John)

Almost Famous is packed with iconic songs, from Simon & Garfunkel’s America to Led Zeppelin’s That’s The Way, but the musical moment that stands out is the Tiny Dancer singalong. 

With band tensions at an all-time high, fictional rockers Stillwater are on their tour bus heading home when Elton John’s Tiny Dancer begins to play. As drummer Ed Vallencourt taps along with his drumsticks, bassist Larry Fellows starts singing, and soon, the entire bus is doing their best karaoke version of Elton’s classic. 

It’s a pivotal and heart-warming scene as the band, and their entourage forget their troubles and come together as one, all thanks to a little Elton magic. 

American Psycho – Hip To Be Square (Huey Lewis And The News)

Christian Bale expounding the joys of Huey Lewis And The News as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho will never get old. 

Watching Bateman shuffling about his carefully covered apartment, discussing why Fore! is the band’s “most accomplished album” before taking an axe to work colleague Paul Allen (Jared Leto) is both mesmerising and horrifying.

It’s demented, gory and hilarious, with a crazed Bale delving into a murderous rage as Hip To Be Square plays in the background. 

The Breakfast Club – Don’t You (Forget About Me) (Simple Minds)

You can’t not include this defining musical moment that comes at the end of ‘80s favourite The Breakfast Club.

Leaving Saturday detention after an emotional day together, Simple Minds pleads with the kids not to forget about each other when they return to their cliques at school.

And who can forget Judd Nelson’s euphoric fist pump as the credits roll? Eye-watering stuff. 

Risky Business – Old Time Rock & Roll (Bob Seger)

Tom Cruise introduced himself to the world by sliding across the floor in his underwear while miming Bob Seger in 1983’s Risky Business. 

The Mission Impossible actor has come a long way since then, but his hip-thrusting dance routine – featuring Cruise wearing just his jocks and a pink long-sleeve shirt - helped turn the fresh-faced actor into an 80s heartthrob and set him on a course to stardom. 

The Graduate – The Sound Of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel)

Few movies have such a depressingly ambiguous ending as The Graduate. After Dustin Hoffman breaks up Katharine Ross’ wedding, the two make a run for it and board a bus, escaping to start their new life together. 

Sitting silently together at the back of the bus, The Sound Of Silence begins to play as the pair’s smiles soon fade and the enormity of what they have just done sinks in. 

Little thought has been put into their future besides running away together,  and it’s a bittersweet climax as the two realise they must now face the consequences of their actions as Simon & Garfunkel’s ballad perfectly soundtrack this emotional scene.