Movies and music of course have a steadfast and beneficial relationship. In the relationship’s purest form, the two exist to amplify the subject matter and the tone of each other’s work. That being so, movies have done an impeccable job of making some songs into massively commercial hits.
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Frankly, some of these songs would have fallen into obscurity if it wasn’t for film. With that in mind, these three songs became timeless classics thanks to their presence in three of the biggest blockbuster movies of all time.
“Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds
This classic ’80s tune is a stand-alone classic and surely has the legs to run very far on its own. However, John Hughes’ 1985 classic, The Breakfast Club, surely helped Simple Minds cement their single in the greater memory of pop culture.
Following its inclusion in the film, the song climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May of 1985. Furthermore, the song also peaked at No. 1 in Canada, and at No. 2 in the Netherlands and Belgium. Thanks to the film, “Don’t You(Forget About Me)” became one of the most memorable songs of the decade.
“Eye of The Tiger” by Survivor
Rocky is without a doubt one of the best sports movie franchises of all time, and that is partially thanks to Survivor’s motivational anthem, “Eye of The Tiger.” First appearing in Rocky III in 1982, the single was then released on Survivor’s album Eye of the Tiger.
Upon its release, Survivor garnered massive success with the song, as the single climbed to No. 1 in both the UK and the US. Additionally, the song was nominated for an Academy Award and won the Grammy for Best Rock Performance by Duo or Group with Vocal.
“Mrs. Robinson” by Simon & Garfunkel
Paul Simon did not originally craft the song for the film, The Graduate. However, when the offer came in to adapt it for the film, he took it, ran with it, and never looked back. The song evidently acquired a lot of commercial success and decorated awards. Although, culturally, the song’s relevance expands far beyond any tangible success.
Nonetheless, the song became the biggest of hits thanks to it peaking at No. 1 in the US and reaching the top 10 in the UK, Ireland, Spain, and several other European countries. Lastly, in 1969, the tune became the first rock song to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
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