3 Music Cues That Instantly Tell You What Kind of Movie You’re Watching

Some songs appear more in soundtracks than others. For whatever reason, a specific selection of songs has proven more cinematic than the rest. This special set of songs has become part of a director’s toolkit—a shorthand used in filmmaking to help summarize a genre or intent. The three songs below have all been used often as cues to instantly key the viewer into what kind of movie they are watching.

Videos by American Songwriter

“You’re Watching a Coming-of-Age Story” – “Heroes” (David Bowie)

Many songs have become synonymous with coming of age, but only one wraps up the world-ending melodrama of youth: David Bowie’s “Heroes.” This 1977 song has been used countless times in movies of all eras to help signify a landmark moment in their characters’ adolescence.

Highlights of “Heroes” needle drops include Stranger Things (though not a movie, it’s grand enough to be one) and Perks of Being a Wallflower. Bowie’s nostalgia-fodder song perfectly underscored both of these cinematic moments.

“This Is a Moody Indie Movie” – “Fade Into You” (Mazzy Star)

An indie movie has to appeal to a specific audience. There is a subset of viewers that prefer their cinema stylish, off-kilter, and oozing in counterculture charm. If one song encapsulates all of those ideas, with the bonus of driving the narrative, it’s Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You.”

“Fade Into You” is a love song so moody it’s hard to listen to sometimes. Shoegaze is typically overwhelmingly emotional. This song is no exception, making it perfectly attuned to the needs of an indie movie.

“You’re in a Nostalgia Machine” – “Tiny Dancer” (Elton John)

At this point, there has been a nostalgia film made about almost every decade; the mid-century has been revisited more than most. If we had to pick one song that seems to be on the quick draw for movie makers everywhere to timestamp their work, it’s Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer.”

The one scene that comes to mind is, of course, the bus scene in everyone’s favorite classic rock time capsule: Almost Famous. This film is just one of many that feature this John classic, but it plays to this song’s strengths perfectly.

(Photo by Rino PetrosinoMondadori Portfolio by Getty Images)