4 Incredible Needle Drops From ‘Boogie Nights’

The iconic film Boogie Nights, released in 1997, stands as one of the defining movies of its era. It delivered some unforgettable character sketches. In addition, it captured the ups and downs of a specific industry that didn’t often get the spotlight in major motion pictures.

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On top of all that, it gave viewers a wonderful snapshot of the music that was moving people, figuratively and literally, in the late 70s and early 80s. Here are four unforgettable songs utilized perfectly in the film.

“Lonely Boy” by Andrew Gold

Andrew Gold was highly sought after on the West Coast music scene for his session work on records by Linda Ronstadt. When he started recording his own music, he enjoyed the expertise of Peter Asher, Ronstadt’s producer. “Lonely Boy” tells the story of a lad whose world is overturned by the birth of his younger sister. In real life, the birth dates of Gold and his sister pretty much match those in the song, which suggests some autobiographical tie-ins. In any case, “Lonely Boy” seems to come out of nowhere during an early pool party scene in Boogie Nights. But then we find out how carefully it was chosen, as it ties into Julianne Moore’s Amber Waves character and her nonexistent relationship with her son.

“Sister Christian” by Night Ranger

For all the points it makes and for all the memorable characters it introduces, Boogie Nights essentially boils down to the story of Dirk Diggler, a porn star played by Mark Wahlberg. As his career hits the skids, Diggler becomes a drug addict and eventually tries an ill-fated robbery of a dealer to make money. During this scene, the drug kingpin played by Alfred Molina is playing a mixtape to entertain his guests. While we hear snippets of a few songs, “Sister Christian” plays pretty much start to finish. Molina even sings a bit. It’s a crazy juxtaposition to hear the song’s somber piano open and its power ballad pyrotechnics during this incredibly tense moment. But it ends up adding to what’s one of the film’s most indelible scenes.

“God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys

Has there ever been a better love song than “God Only Knows”. The stirring centerpiece of the Beach Boys’ classic Pet Sounds album, the song often tops lists of romantic pop/rock songs conducted by various outlets. Obviously, credit goes to Brian Wilson for creating the inventive, moving music. But don’t forget about Tony Asher, Wilson’s Pet Sounds lyricist, who added just the right words to fit. Any time “Pet Sounds” plays during a film, it’s going to stand out as special. But director Paul Thomas Anderson gave it just the right placement in Boogie Nights. It comes right after many of the principal characters have bottomed out and signals a rebirth of better times for all involved.

“Livin’ Thing” by ELO

ELO were on an extended heater circa 1976 when they released “Livin’ Thing”, a Top 15 single in the US. By that time, Jeff Lynne and company had pretty much cornered the market on string-laden rock songs. The fact that he didn’t specify in the lyrics to what he was referring with the title phrase came in handy for Paul Thomas Anderson when making Boogie Nights. All movie long, we’ve been receiving hints about a certain part of Dirk Diggler’s anatomy. When it’s finally revealed at movie’s end, we can hear the strains of “Livin’ Thing” beginning in the background. Lynne originally denied use of the song when he was told the subject matter of the film. But after watching the movie, he wisely gave permission.

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