Ask Lemmy

Kiss From a Rose by Seal. I couldn’t even tell you what the plot of Batman Forever was.

Smash Mouth - All Star. It’s so popular from Shrek that most people forget (or never knew) that it started in Mystery Men.

Flash by Queen

From the movie Flash Gordon

Flashdance had two songs ("what a feeling" and "maniac") that everyone knows even if they haven't seen the movie.

Bohemian Rhapsody, Wayne's World.

I'm surprised no one said Dolly Parton's 9-to-5.

The graduate soundtrack by Simon and Garfunkel. Mrs. Robinson was a work in progress and adapted to fit the movie, and sound of silence, and Scarborough fair are classics of the period and folk rock pillars of the century.

Interestingly, this was one of if not really the first time popular, contemporary artists had their music featured in a film. Prior, scoring a film was the purview of someone with a music phd. Talk about the beginning of sea change for the industry.

Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio (feat. L.V.)

It was originally written for a movie called Dangerous Minds. I'm not an expert on Hip Hop, but I'd say it has definitely made it's place among the best in the genre.

Also, it's heavily by Stevie Wonder's Pastime Paradise.

This post is 4h old and no-one’s got it rightest yet…

White Christmas.

Of course it is.

Few remember that it won the Oscar for 1942. Fewer still remember the film was called Holiday Inn

Wild Wild West was bigger than Wild Wild West

Axel F - Harold Faltmeyer ("Beverly Hills Cop" title)

The movies were super popular, but the title music became chart topping, and basically turned into the archetypical sound of the 80's

Purple rain by Prince, from the movie with the same name

Kiss from a rose. Still going.

I Will Always Love You from The Bodyguard. I’ve never even seen it.

Also, Wicked Game was way bigger than Wild At Heart.

Goo Goo Dolls "Iris" comes to mind.

Id say Lose Yourself by Eminem. Maybe because I was too young to watch the movie when it came out, but that song was everywhere, and is still popular today

Chariots of fire theme by Vangelis from a movie "Chariots of fire".

“Lovefool” - Cardigans

From the film Romeo + Juliet (1996)

Aerosmith - don't want to miss a thing

I bet most people don't even know it was the lead track written for a movie when it came out.

St. Elmos Fire. It's a one hit wonder, but the movie it was written for was typical 1980s "friends with issues" pablum. The kind that was better written and acted in a dozen other movies.

I will always love you

As good as the 1995 movie was, and it was good, the Techno Syndrome Mortal Kombat song was a certified banger.

Honorable mention to Blood Rave from the Blade Soundtrack

"Raindrops keep falling on my head" - Hal David & Burt Bacharach (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid)

"Young Guns" - Bon Jovi (Young Guns 2)

"Wind beneath my Wings" - Bette Midler (Beaches)

"Cry Little Sister" - Gerard McMahon (Lost Boys)

Just a few I can think of off the top of my head.

I discovered fairly recently that Phil Collins - Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) was originally recorded as the soundtrack to a movie called Against All Odds.

Until then, I had no idea that movie existed.

Honestly I do think Eye of the Tiger… if not, Chariots of Fire?

But maybe that’s just time

I've yet to meet anyone who's heard Scotty Doesn't Know by Lustra, who has also seen Eurotrip.

Who wants to live forever from Highlander.

Every song in k-pop demon hunters

Dueling Banjos in Deliverance

Flagpole Sitta by Harvey Danger from the trailers for the movie Disturbing Behavior.

Also obligatory shout out about how they are a criminally underrated band and their albums are fucking great if you like clever, sarcastic indie rock.