Songs are known because of their notable lyrics, mind-blowing instrumental background or amazing delivery by the singer. However, sometimes they become overused, especially in films and TV shows. Here is our list of the top five most overrated songs used in movies.
Number Five: “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. This is one of the only songs that Hollywood uses to remind us about the South or depict a backwards country hick. Ironically used in Con-Air when the convicts dance and Steve Buscemi’s character comments “A bunch of idiots dancing on a plane, to a song made famous by a band that died in a plane crash.” Forrest Gump also invited Jenny to dance with this song during a rainstorm at his Alabama home.
Number Four: “Bad to the Bone” by George Thorogood and the Destroyer. Do you remember that feeling when a bad guy makes his introduction or is identified in a comedy action film? That’s the kind of vibe this song offers for the audience, like what it did in Terminator 2. In that movie, the protagonist mounts his new motorcycle to this tune, and the song is also used as the opening and closing theme of the radio show in Talk Radio. “Bad to the Bone” also fits unlikely characters about to rebel.
Number Three: “Gimme Shelter” by The Rolling Stones. I feel like every Martin Scorsese film uses this song for the movie soundtrack. In the movie Goodfellas, Henry realizes that dealing drugs is a profitable business to this song; in Flight, the song is also used as background music. “Gimme Shelter” is perfect for crime scenes and high-drama situations.
Number Two: “Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas. This funky disco tune is perfect when the characters in a scene will be having a wacky fight. Featured on mock martial artistry movies like Beverly Hills Ninja and Kung Fu Panda 2, this song is commonly inserted into scenes where no one knows Kung Fu or is even a good fighter. In Horrible Bosses, it was Pellit’s ringtone which allows Harkin to find him and kill him.
Number One: “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves. This song is notably used in High Fidelity, but my personal favorite use of “Walking on Sunshine” is when Patrick Bateman in American Psycho listens to this song after a successful night of killing. This pop culture hit from Katrina and the Waves is often used for characters who are feeling good or are on a high.
