12 Hit Songs You Might Not Know Were Written for Movies
When you think of songs written specifically for movies, you probably think of one of two things. First, songs from borderline-or-full-blown musicals that then became huge in their own right, like “Shallow” from A Star Is Born or “The One That I Want” from Grease. The other is god-awful songs about whatever’s happening in some terrible movie that are usually a lowlight of an artist’s catalogue, like Eminem’s “Venom.”
Occasionally, though, a song that was meant to serve as a complement to a movie becomes an unmitigated success in its own right, sometimes even eclipsing the lasting power of the movie itself.
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Here are 11 legitimate hit songs you might not realize were written for a movie…
‘Iris’ by the Goo Goo Dolls
The Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” is an absolutely iconic part of the late 1990s cultural landscape. Much more so than the movie it was actually written for, the Nicolas Cage/Meg Ryan romance City of Angels.
‘I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing’ by Aerosmith
It’s wild how many people have perhaps unknowingly chosen the theme song from the movie Armageddon as their wedding song.
‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ by Coolio
Both Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” and Dangerous Minds are well-known in their own right, but a lot of people might not know the former was written specifically for the latter.
‘Shake Ya Tailfeather’ by Nelly
The Nelly single “Shake Ya Tailfeather” was absolutely inescapable in the aughts. Rewatching the movie Bad Boys II in the present day, the song’s inclusion wouldn’t surprise you, but the fact that it was actually created for that movie? It might. Then just try your best to pretend P. Diddy isn’t involved.
‘I Will Always Love You’ by Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston’s famous recording of “I Will Always Love You,” which is now arguably the definitive recording of the song? The one that’s been danced to at least once in probably every long-term relationship since it was released? Exists thanks to the movie The Bodyguard, which stars Kevin Costner and Houston herself, and has, understandably, a much shorter legacy.
‘Scotty Doesn’t Know’ by Lustra
Writing a song for a movie that’s specifically required by the plot to be believable as a smash global hit? A tall order. Especially when it lands on the plate of a little-known band called Lustra from Boston. Luckily for both Lustra and the movie EuroTrip, their song “Scotty Doesn't Know” lived up to the earworm status that was requested.
‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’ by Bob Dylan
I would fathom that of all the songs on this list, there might not be a larger gap between success of song and success of movie it was made for than “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan. Not only a hit in its own right, but one of the seminal works by one of the greatest musicians of our time, and it's all thanks to the much less well-known movie Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.
‘Fight the Power’ by Public Enemy
Unlike the last entry, both “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy and the Spike Lee film it was written for, Do the Right Thing, are deserved classics. It’s the level of both critical, cultural and commercial success they both achieved that means they’ve both evolved past their original link.
‘Kiss From A Rose’ by Seal
This song is very good. Batman Forever? Less so. Whether you’re watching the movie or the music video, though, you're seeing more nipples than you'd like.
‘Power of Love’ by Huey Lewis & The News
If you hire Huey Lewis to write a song, that song is going to be a banger, because Huey Lewis is one of the most underappreciated pop artists ever. So it’s no surprise that when they tapped him (and the News) to write a song for Back to the Future, it was an absolute banger.
‘Ghostbusters’ by Ray Lewis Jr.
Fun fact! This song was written for a paranormal comedy also known as Ghostbusters. If you listen closely to the lyrics, they’re filled with references to the movie!