We really had no intention of watching the American Film Institute "Top 100 Movie Songs" show the other night. I just happened to be flipping the channels, however, when I came across some fabulously beautiful woman singing an outrageously sexy song...
I thought that perhaps it was Rita Hayworth, and it was. The song was "Long Ago and Far Away" from 1944's "Cover Girl." I can see now why Rita was the pinup of choice for the soldiers in WWII. Anyway, we were hooked in and watched the show to the end.
By now, I assume you've seen the list. In general, these sorts of lists are really only compiled to generate water cooler discussion, and usually there's controversy baked right in — but this time, I think, they got the listings just about right.
From the moment I heard about the show, I called "Over the Rainbow" as #1, and it was. Deservedly so. I can't think of another musical movie moment that propels a film forward as much as that one. It's the centerpiece of one of the most beloved films ever.
You could probably make a pretty decent list of songs that got left off, though, too. Plus, the whole category is kind of nebulous — I think any song that was ever featured in a film was eligible, but somehow it doesn't seem fair to compare something like Zeppelin's "Kashmir" (Fast Times at Ridgemont High) to something like, say, anything from "Hair."
Relatively the same era, but the first is more or less background music played as a joke, while the songs from "Hair" ARE the story. (For that matter, if we're strictly judging movie songs, I wouldn't even put "Kashmir," an all-time classic rock tune, in the same category as Jackson Browne's "Somebody's Baby" from the same film. No question that Zep's is the superior song, but "Somebody's Baby" is essential to that film while Kashmir certainly is not.)
Lists like this are always subject to age bias, as well. Not to take anything from what IS on the list, but anything from the 80's onward seems to get short shrift here. While I wouldn't argue that the films of John Hughes are anybody's idea of great cinema, they ARE memorable, and certainly the defining cinematic experiences of the youth of that era. "(Don't You) Forget About Me" from The Breakfast Club goes on MY list, for certain, as does that OMD song at the end of Pretty in Pink.
Some others worth mentioning, regardless of era:
- Tupelo Honey — that film where Peter Fonda is a beekeeper
- I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow — Oh Brother Where Art Thou
- Purple Rain — you know what
- Jeez, anything from the South Park movie
- How in blue blazes can you leave off about half a dozen tunes from "A Hard Day's Night? (Edit — well, for one thing, you can make the list only for American Films. Makes sense, I can't imagine not choosing at least ONE song from AHDN if Brit films were eligible.)
- Michael Moore's use of "What a Wonderful World" in Bowling for Columbine was pretty effective...
- And frankly, how can you ignore this guy? He's alright — don't nobody worry 'bout HIM...
