Songs are a great addition to movies. They help the film express emotion much better, making it more immersive. So, adding music to your videos is wise. It will help you amaze your audience with your projects. Even better, that can enable you to win filmmaking awards. It would help if you looked at other film video songs to learn techniques to make that happen.
In this article, you will see a list of the best songs popularized by films, and learn what songs work best for a specific scene or topic by studying them.
Also, this article will tell you about an excellent tool that allows you to add songs to your own films. You should check this tool out, as it will help you grow your career. Without further ado, let's proceed with the list.
In this article
Top 20 Most Iconic Songs Used in Films
In no particular order, here are the most iconic film video songs of all time.
#20. "See You Again," Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth
- Film: Fast & Furious 7
- Artist: Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth
- Genre: Pop; Pop rap; Hip-hop
"See You Again" is a very emotional song in "Fast & Furious 7" as a tribute to the actor Paul Walker, who played a major role in the series. Walker died in a car accident before the movie's production had wrapped up. Now, "See You Again" is a song that pops into the head of people after losing a loved one.
#19. "I Will Always Love You," Whitney Houston
- Fim: The Bodyguard
- Artist: Whitney Houston
- Genre: R&B; Soul
"I Will Always Love You" is part of the soundtrack for the movie "The Bodyguard." The iconic singer Whitney Houston played the role of an R&B singer in the movie, stalked by an obsessed person. Sometime in the movie, Houston's character sang "I Will Always Love You," clearly dedicated to the man she loves but can never have. It became Houston's signature song, reigning on the Hot 100 for 14 weeks.
#18. "Someday My Prince Will Come," Adriana Caselotti (as Snow White)
- Fim: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
- Artist: Adriana Caselotti
- Genre: Jazz
"Someday My Prince Will Come" is a song from the animated Disney film
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." It's about Snow White's fantasies about her dream love. This song set the tradition of Disney turning fairy tales into animated musicals.
#17. "My Heart Will Go On," Celine Dione
- Film: Titanic
- Artist: Celine Dione
- Genre: Pop
Some people mistake "Titanic" for the title of "My Heart Will Go On." That attests to how close the film and the song are tied together. Therefore, this song is indeed one of the best film songs of all time.
#16. "Cabaret," Liza Minelli
- Film: Cabaret
- Artist: Liza Minelli
- Genre: Pop
"Cabaret" has the same title as the movie it was used in. It is an ode to escapism, sung in a nightclub during Nazi Germany's rise. So, it's not difficult to see why this song made quite an impression.
#15. "It Must Have Been Love," Roxette
- Film: Pretty Woman
- Artist: Roxette
- Genre: Pop
From the movie, "Pretty Woman" came one of the most recognizable break-up tracks: "It Must Have Been Love." Now, ladies who just got dumped, play this song on repeat.
#14. "Crazy For You," Madonna
- Film: Vision Quest
- Artist: Madonna
- Genre: Ballad
The producers of "Vision Quest" were looking for a song to use in the scene where stars Matthew Modine and Linda Fiorentino meet at a club. They stumbled upon this gem of a love song, which earned Madonna a Grammy nomination.
#13. "Footloose," Kenny Loggins
- Film: Footloose
- Artist: Kenny Loggins
- Genre: Country; R&B; Pop; Rock
When thinking of groovy music, "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins is a song that often comes to mind. It's a movie about a town that made dancing and rock music illegal. This song combined both of those things and made a masterpiece.
#12. "Rewrite The Stars," Zac Efron and Zendaya
- Film: The Greatest Showman
- Artist: Zac Efron and Zendaya
- Genre: R&B/Soul; Pop
The romantic ballad "Rewrite The Stars" from the movie "The Greatest Showman" is now the theme song for star-crossed lovers. Zendaya and Zac Efron's acting, vocals, and amazing choreography made this song very easy to remember.
#11. "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend," Marilyn Monroe
- Film: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
- Artist: Marilyn Monroe (Partial dubbing by Marni Nixon)
- Genre: Jazz
In "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," Marilyn Monroe's character emerged on the stage in a pink satin gown, wearing lots of diamonds. She then broke into a number, singing "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend." The scene is so iconic that modern films try to recreate it.
#10. "Say You, Say Me," Lionel Richie
- Film: White Nights
- Artist: Lionel Richie
- Genre: R&B/Soul
The song "Say You, Say Me" was written and performed by Lionel Richie for the movie "White Nights." It is about loneliness from suffering as well as the power of friendship. This beautiful song is an Oscar-winning track.
#9. "Stayin Alive," The Bee Gees
- Film: Saturday Night Fever
- Artist: The Bee Gees
- Genre: Disco; Pop
The Bee Gees were a well-known musical group. One of their works was "Stayin' Alive," an upbeat song for the movie "Saturday Night Fever." Much like "Footloose," this is forever remembered as a dance song.
#8. "The Sound of Music," Julie Andrews
- Film: The Sound of Music
- Artist: Julie Andrews
- Genre: Pop; Easy Listening
This song introduced the character Maria in the film "The Sound of Musi" (same as the song title) to the audience. It highlighted Maria's carefree nature. Because of how iconic this film song is, pop fiction still references its tune and lyrics.
#7. "End of the Road," Boyz II Men
- Film: Boomerang
- Artist: Boyz II Men
- Genre: R&B/Soul
Boomerang was a film about a ladies' man and his love life. It introduced us to the song "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men. This song is about not being able to let go.
#6. "Eye Of The Tiger," Survivor
- Film: Rocky III
- Artist: Survivor
- Genre: Hard Rock
Survivor's Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan timed the drum hits and guitar strums to coincide with Rocky's punches. That created a fantastic and immersive viewing experience. The song was so iconic that boxing champion Manny Pacquiao used it as his entrance theme.
#6. "Singin' in the Rain," Gene Kelly
- Film: Singin' in the Rain
- Artist: Gene Kelly
- Genre: Electronic
The film "Singin' in the Rain" featured old classic tunes, with its namesake the most iconic. Who would forget that scene where Gene Kelly's character sang this optimistic song while it was raining? It is a delight to watch. That immortalized the song "Singin' in the Rain."
#5. "Endless Love," Dianna Ross & Lionel Richie
- Film: Endless Love
- Artist: Dianna Ross & Lionel Richie
- Genre: R&B/Soul
The film adaptation of the novel "Endless Love" was a modest success. Meanwhile, the featured song, "Endless Love," became the biggest hit of Richie and Ross' careers. It placed number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 nine times and stayed on the chart for 27 weeks.
#4. "White Christmas," Bing Crosby
- Film: Holiday Inn
- Artist: Bing Crosby
- Genre: Christmas; Pop; R&B/Soul
Songs tied to annual events, especially Christmas, are guaranteed to have longevity. The most iconic one from the films is Bing Crosby's version of "White Christmas." It was used in the film "Holiday Inn."
#3. "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You," Bryan Adams
- Film: Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
- Artist: Bryan Adams
- Genre: R&B/Soul
The film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" found box office success. On top of that, it popularized Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You." This song spent several weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
#2. "Over The Rainbow," Judy Garland
- Film: The Wizard of OZ
- Artist: Judy Garland
- Genre: Ballad; Jazz
"The Wizard of Oz" withstood the test of time. It is still a popular movie today. Likewise, the Academy Award for Best Original Song "Over The Rainbow" that came with it is still heard today. It's a positive song that uplifts the mood of the listener.
#1. "As Time Goes By," Dooley Wilson
- Film: Casablanca
- Artist: Dooley Wilson
- Genre: Pop; Blues
The Warner Bros film Casablanca popularized the song "As Time Goes By." This song is a beautiful love song, and Casablanca is a romantic classic; it won the Academy Award for Best Picture. The two are a perfect match. Unsurprisingly, both the film and the song found great success.
How To Pick the Perfect Song for Your Film
You can't pick and use any song you think sounds good. It has to fit your film. Otherwise, it would ruin the viewing experience rather than enhance it. So, follow these tips for selecting the song best suited for your video.
1. The Tone
Regardless of the video project, it will always convey at least one emotion. Needless to say, you must match your song choice with that. Look at "Eye of the Tiger" mentioned above. It's featured in a film full of action. Because this song is hard rock, it suits the film so well. Another example is "My Heart Will Go On," a sad song for a tragic story.
2. The Tempo
Is the editing fast or slow? This matters a lot when choosing the song for your film. Again, "Eye of the Tiger" provides a good example. The artists even purposely timed the beats perfectly with Rocky's punches. So, it feels so right. The music is part of the viewing experience rather than something the creators flopped there for added flare.
3. The Theme
What would happen if you put "Last Christmas" by Wham! in a film not about Christmas? It would be weird. So, listen to the song before adding it to your film. Understand its lyrics, and determine whether or not it suits the movie's theme.
Try Wondershare Filmora: A Video Editing Tool With a Massive Music Library
Using a video editor with built-in music resources is highly recommended. It expedites the process of searching for the perfect song for your film. Filmora is an excellent choice for this. It provides users with royalty-free music you can add to their films to enhance them.
The songs are of different genres and themes. Some are Tender and Sentimental, while others are Rock, Folk, and many others. So rest assured, there's a song for you no matter what you need for your project.
Music is only one of many things Wondershare Filmora offers. It also comes with an extensive collection of powerful tools, including basic and advanced editing. It will help you become the best video editor or filmmaker you can be.
Highlights of Filmora
● A Total of 25+ Royalty-Free Music Tracks for Video Editing
Filmora comes with over 25 royalty-free music. They have different themes, genres, and tempos. So, finding a good song for your film is guaranteed. Here's a simple step-by-step tutorial on how to add songs in Filmora.
Step1 Click Create New Project. Import the source video, and drag and drop it into the video timeline.
Step2 (Optional) Suppose you want to replace the video's original audio with background music. Right-click the video and click Detach Audio. Right-click the separated audio, and click Delete to remove it.
Step3 On the toolbar at the top of the screen, click Audio.
Step4 Choose a song from the wide selection of songs available on Wondershare Filmora. You can filter by themes and artists. There's also a dedicated section for royalty-free music.
Step5 Drag and drop your chosen music to the timeline.
● Audio Ducking
Filmora has an audio-ducking tool that automatically lowers the volume of one track to make another clearer. That's especially handy when adding narrations and voiceovers while a song plays in the background.
● Audio Synchronization
The audio not being in sync with the video drops the video's quality. Wondershare Filmora prevents that from happening with its audio synchronization tool. This feature makes putting them in sync effortless.
Conclusion
Songs elevate the viewing experience because they make the video convey emotion better. They separate lackluster and high-quality films. Therefore, it's imperative that you add music to your projects. Try Wondershare Filmora for this endeavor. It gives you access to royalty-free music and more. It is also one of the most reliable video editors out there.
