10 songs that were bigger than the movie they were written for
Having a famous musician provide an original recording for a film seems like the perfect idea. Not only will a director likely receive a fantastic piece of music, but the chances of their movie reaching a wider audience significantly increases. Sometimes, a song written specifically for a film garners just as much success, like Lana Del Rey’s ‘Young and Beautiful’, which became one of her biggest hits upon its appearance in Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 film The Great Gatsby. Additionally, Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’ arguably enjoyed as much success as Titanic, becoming as recognisable as the movie itself.
However, in many instances, songs written specifically for certain movies have become significantly more successful. For example, a lot of contemporary fans of Blondie’s ‘Call Me’ might not know that the track was originally written for Paul Schrader’s American Gigolo in 1980. The song has become one of the band’s biggest hits, whereas Schrader’s film is not remembered as one of his best efforts. Moreover, Dolly Parton’s ‘9 to 5’ became one of the biggest hits of the 1980s, yet her role in the film of the same name has been widely overlooked.
Many of the songs below were recipients of an Academy Award for ‘Best Original Song’, proving their popularity. However, in some cases, such as Curtis Hanson’s 2000 film Wonder Boys, only the music (Bob Dylan’s ‘Things Have Changed’) was recognised by the Oscars, with other technical aspects of the film failing to receive recognition.
So, from ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ by Elvis Presley from Blue Hawaii to Eminem’s iconic ‘Lose Yourself’ from 8 Mile, here are ten songs that became more successful than the movie they were written for.
10 songs that were bigger than the movie they were written for:
‘9 to 5’ – Dolly Parton (9 to 5)
Off the back of a successful country music career, Dolly Parton made her film debut in 1980’s 9 to 5 alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. Directed by Harold and Maude writer Colin Higgins, 9 to 5 follows a group of women who set out to overthrow their “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” of a boss. Although Parton was already an established musician, her role in the film skyrocketed her popularity, cementing her as a well-known name in mainstream culture. However, this success was primarily aided by the film’s theme song, ‘9 to 5’, written and performed by Parton.
After realising that she could recreate the sound of a typewriter with her fake nails, the singer penned the track, forming the beat through the click of her nails. The song became one of the decade’s biggest hits upon its release, winning Parton an Academy Award for ‘Best Original Song’. It won two Grammys, ‘Country Song of the Year’ and ‘Female Country Vocal of the Year’ and has since been certified platinum.
‘Call Me’ – Blondie (American Gigolo)
New wave icons Blondie performed ‘Call Me’ for Paul Schrader’s 1980 neo-noir crime drama American Gigolo, subsequently becoming one of the band’s biggest hits. The track was produced and composed by Giorgio Moroder, with Blondie’s Debbie Harry providing lyrics inspired by the film. She once stated, “When I was writing it, I pictured the opening scene, driving on the coast of California. After we saw the rough cut, we were walking across 59th Street at the bottom of Central Park, and the visuals were fresh in my mind. I wrote the lyrics really quickly. The colours had a really strong effect on me, and that’s the first line of the song.”
Upon its release, the song stayed on top of the Billboard Hot 100 for six consecutive weeks. It became Blondie’s fourth UK number-one in just over a year, cementing the band as important figures of the new wave movement. Although American Gigolo was reasonably successful, it didn’t nearly reach the heights of ‘Call Me’.
‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ – Elvis Presley (Blue Hawaii)
Inspired by James Dean and Marlon Brando, Elvis Presley expressed the desire to become an actor early in his career. Although the singer starred in quite a few movies, none have endured like his music. One of his most famous songs, ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’, was actually written for his film Blue Hawaii, which has largely been disregarded by anyone that’s not a die-hard Presley fan.
Yet ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ is one of the most recognisable love songs of all time that you’re almost guaranteed to hear at a wedding. Whether you’re a fan of Presley’s music or not, chances are you can appreciate this track, which is based on a French love song from 1784.
‘Cat People (Putting Out Fire)’ – David Bowie (Cat People)
If David Bowie writes a track specifically for a film, chances are, it will become just as successful, if not more. ‘Cat People (Putting Out Fire)’ appeared in Paul Schrader’s 1982 erotic horror Cat People, coming to fruition after the director reached out to collaborate with Bowie. Like Blondie’s ‘Call Me’, the music was composed by Morodor, with Bowie providing the lyrics, which reflected the plot of the film.
Schrader’s film, a remake of the 1942 movie of the same name, received mixed reviews. However, Bowie’s track was widely praised and regarded as one of his best releases of the decade. The song hit number one in various countries, such as Finland, New Zealand and Norway.
‘Eye of the Tiger’ – Survivor (Rocky III)
Everyone knows the insufferably cheesy ‘Eye of the Tiger’ by Survivor, which was written for Sylvester Stallone’s 1982 sports drama Rocky III. The film became the then-highest-grossing film in the franchise, garnering $270million worldwide at the box office. After Queen denied Stallone the right to use ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ as the film’s theme, he requested that Survivor write something instead. The track was penned by guitarist Frankie Sullivan and keyboardist Jim Peterik, and the version heard in Rocky III is actually a demo.
Despite the film’s popularity, Survivor had even greater success with ‘Eye of the Tiger’, which received significant radio and MTV airplay. At the Grammys, Survivor won an award for ‘Best Rock Performance by Duo or Group with Vocal’. In 1982, the single sold 956,000 copies in the UK alone.
‘I Will Always Love You’ – Whitney Houston (The Bodyguard)
This list would not be complete without the inclusion of Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’, which appeared in Mick Jackson’s The Bodyguard. Although the track was originally written in 1973 by country icon Dolly Parton as a farewell to her mentor Porter Wagoner, the track was reimagined with a soul arrangement by Houston in 1992. The film stars Houston in her acting debut as a famous actor and singer alongside Kevin Costner, who plays her bodyguard, hired to protect her from an unknown stalker.
Although The Bodyguard became 1992’s second-highest-grossing film and, for a time, the tenth-highest-grossing film ever made, its soundtrack became even bigger. To date, the film’s music is the best-selling soundtrack of all time, and ‘I Will Always Love You’ is the best-selling single by a female artist. The Grammy-winning single topped the charts in tens of countries, crowning the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for a then-record-breaking 14 weeks.
‘Lose Yourself’ – Eminem (8 Mile)
Eminem made his film debut as the protagonist of 8 Mile, a biographical hip-hop drama inspired by elements of his own life. The movie follows Jimmy Smith Jr, also known as B-Rabbit, as he attempts to launch his career as a white rapper. Directed by Curtis Hanson, 8 Mile was a critical and commercial success, grossing $242.9million worldwide. However, Eminem’s song ‘Lose Yourself’, written specifically for the soundtrack, somehow became even bigger, now recognised as the rapper’s signature hit. Lyrically, the song refers to the film’s events, discussing how he overcame his problems and gained the respect of other rappers.
‘Lose Yourself’ was Eminem’s first US number-one, staying there for 12 consecutive weeks. It topped the charts in 19 other countries and won the Academy Award for ‘Best Original Song’. The track won multiple Grammys, and the lyrics “His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy/ There’s vomit on his sweater already, mom’s spaghetti” are embedded in popular culture.
‘Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)’ – Doris Day (The Man Who Knew Too Much)
Arguably Doris Day’s biggest song, ‘Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)’, was written for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1956 thriller The Man Who Knew Too Much, a remake of his own 1934 film. The remake’s script and plot differed significantly from the original, with Hitchcock claiming, “the first version is the work of a talented amateur, and the second was made by a professional”. However, The Man Who Knew Too Much is not one of Hitchcock’s better-known films; after all, it’s no Psycho or Vertigo.
Meanwhile, Day’s song, which she sings as a cue to her character’s kidnapped son, became her signature track, receiving an Oscar for ‘Best Original Song’. It was written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans and became their third Academy Award win. Moreover, the lyrics “Que Sera, Sera” even made their way into football, being used as a popular chant.
‘Stayin’ Alive’ – The Bee Gees (Saturday Night Fever)
The Bee Gees cemented themselves as important names in disco when they created the soundtrack for John Badham’s dance drama Saturday Night Fever starring John Travolta. Although the impact of Saturday Night Fever on popular culture cannot be understated, it’s arguable that The Bee Gee’s ‘Stayin’ Alive’ has endured even more. Thanks to the soundtrack on which the track appears, disco became a massive mainstream phenomenon, spending 18 consecutive weeks at number one in the UK.
‘Stayin’ Alive’ is the band’s biggest hit, winning them a Grammy for ‘Best Arrangement of Voices’. Medical professionals have even used the song to study the correct number of chest compressions that should be used when performing CPR. Thus, professionals recommend, rather fittingly, singing ‘Stayin’ Alive’ when giving life-saving CPR.
‘Things Have Changed’ – Bob Dylan (Wonder Boys)
Curtis Hanson’s 2000 comedy-drama Wonder Boys, based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Michael Chabon and starring Michael Douglas as a writer, was a box-office bomb. Against its $55million budget, the film only made a worldwide total of $33,426,588. It also starred Tobey Maguire, Frances McDormand and Katie Holmes. Although the film received positive reviews from critics, it has largely been forgotten.
However, the film included an original composition by Bob Dylan, ‘Things Have Changed’, which has since been recognised as one of the musician’s greatest songs from the 21st century. Dylan won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for ‘Best Original Song’. In the book Still On the Road, The Songs of Bob Dylan: Volume Two, Hanson explained: “I learned that Dylan might be interested in contributing an original song. […] I told him the story and introduced him to the characters. We talked about Grady Tripp and where he was in life, emotionally and creatively. Weeks later, a CD arrived in the mail.”
