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Top 2000 songs and film: records that became films, songs heard in a scene, Bond, Batman, Trainspotting and actors in music videos.
The texts are written in our own words; the sources are listed with each item. “Certainty: medium” means the item rests on a single source or is not fully confirmed. The artist photos are freely licensed (creator and licence are shown in the popup). Photos from Wikimedia Commons are shown with creator and licence underneath; no film footage, stills or posters have been used.
Records that became films
Songs in the Top 2000 that were written for a film, made a film famous or play a major part in one.
The Breakfast Club (1985) best position 129, position 243 in 2025
Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff wrote the song specially for the film; Bryan Ferry said no at first and Simple Minds initially saw nothing in it either. It reached No. 1 in America in 1985 and is still their biggest hit there.
The song plays over the film's opening and closing titles. Almost the whole film was shot in an empty high school in Des Plaines (Illinois), where a larger copy of the library was built in the gym for the library scenes.
Wayne's World (1992) best position 1, position 1 in 2025
In 1975 the song reached ninth place in America; after the film it still climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In Penelope Spheeris's comedy, based on a Saturday Night Live sketch, Wayne (Mike Myers), Garth (Dana Carvey) and their friends headbang along to the song in the car. That scene became a phenomenon of its own; Freddie Mercury would have loved it.
Saturday Night Fever (1977) best position 101, position 428 in 2025
The three Gibb brothers wrote it in a few days in a studio near Paris and finished it in Miami. At around 103 beats per minute, it falls in the ideal tempo for chest compressions in resuscitation, which led the BMJ to call it a metronome for chest compressions.
The film was originally simply called 'Saturday Night', hence the song's new title. It plays over the opening scene and the opening titles; fans asked for it after the trailers, which drove the single release (No. 1 in the US, four weeks).
Rocky III (1982) best position 244, position 968 in 2025
Sylvester Stallone asked Survivor for a song after Queen refused permission for 'Another One Bites the Dust'. According to the makers, the riff follows the rhythm of punches; Stallone liked the demo so much that it ended up in the film, and the single spent six weeks at number 1 in the US.
Stallone sent the band a montage of the start of the film, with Rocky Balboa and his rival Clubber Lang. The song earned an Oscar nomination but lost to 'Up Where We Belong'.
The Bodyguard (1992) best position 131, in 2025 position 746
Dolly Parton wrote the song and was the first to record it. Whitney Houston's version opens with about 45 seconds a cappella, an idea from Kevin Costner that producer David Foster at first thought 'ridiculous'; it spent 14 weeks at number 1 in the US, a record at the time.
Houston stars alongside Costner in the film. Her character Rachel Marron sings the opening bars at the end, which forms the emotional finale of the film.
Titanic (1997) best position 41, position 1463 in 2025
James Horner composed the music and Will Jennings wrote the lyrics. Director James Cameron first thought a pop song was inappropriate, but gave in after hearing Horner's demo (sung by Dion); it won an Oscar and became the best-selling song of 1998.
The song plays over the end credits of Titanic. Cameron was still worried about criticism for going 'commercial' at the end of the film.
Dirty Dancing (1987) best position 615, position 1803 in 2025
Franke Previte wrote the lyrics, John DeNicola and Donald Markowitz the music. Bill Medley turned it down at first and only agreed after Jennifer Warnes was brought in and his daughter had been born; it won an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a Grammy.
The final dance with the famous lift had already been filmed before the recording by Medley and Warnes was finished; the actors danced to a demo. Warnes later sang her part over the footage of the lift.
Top Gun (1986) best position 646, not on the 2025 list
Giorgio Moroder wrote the music and Tom Whitlock the lyrics; producer Jerry Bruckheimer wanted a calmer love song after 'Danger Zone'. The Motels were offered it first; Whitlock was a mechanic and got to know Moroder when he repaired the brakes of his Ferrari.
Extra romantic scenes between Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis were shot for the song. It won an Oscar and also reached number 1 in the Netherlands.
Against All Odds (1984) best position 98, in 2025 position 380
Collins wrote the music during the sessions for his first solo album (working title: 'How Can You Just Sit There?') and found it too weak at the time. For the film he wrote new lyrics, inspired by his divorce; it became his first US number 1 as a solo artist.
Director Taylor Hackford heard the demo and wanted it for his neo-noir, a remake of the 1947 film Out of the Past. The song plays during the end credits.
Tarzan (1999) best position 444, position 600 in 2025
Collins wrote it for his then ten-year-old daughter Lily and first called it 'Lullaby'. It won an Oscar and a Golden Globe, and he also recorded it in French, German, Italian and Spanish.
In Disney's Tarzan you hear it in the scene where gorilla mother Kala comforts her child. Collins is also the narrator in the film.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) best position 55, in 2025 position 750
Adams, Michael Kamen and Mutt Lange wrote it (reportedly in 45 minutes), based on Kamen's love theme 'Maid Marian'. It spent 16 weeks at number 1 in the United Kingdom, breaking the record of Slim Whitman's 11 weeks from 1955.
It was the lead single from the film soundtrack, and the video mixes performance footage with film clips. The song earned an Oscar nomination but lost to 'Beauty and the Beast'.
Armageddon (1998) best position 178, position 847 in 2025
Diane Warren wrote the power ballad with a singer like Celine Dion in mind. For Aerosmith it became their first No. 1 in the US (four weeks) and it received an Oscar nomination.
It is the theme song of the disaster film Armageddon, in which Liv Tyler, the daughter of singer Steven Tyler, appears and is also seen in the video.
Philadelphia (1993) best position 76, position 156 in 2025
Director Jonathan Demme asked Springsteen for a song; he first recorded a demo at home and played everything himself, including drum machine. It won an Oscar and four Grammys.
In the film with Tom Hanks about HIV/AIDS, the demo plays over the opening titles; you only hear the band version briefly in a single scene.
Back to the Future (1985) best position 1460, not on the 2025 list
Zemeckis did not ask for this specific song: Lewis was free to write whatever he wanted and offered the next song he made. It became the band's first American No. 1 and earned an Oscar nomination.
It plays early in the film as Marty rolls to school on his skateboard. Huey Lewis himself plays a judge who finds Marty's band too loud.
Shrek (2001) best position 815, not on the 2025 list
Guitarist Greg Camp wrote it in 1999; it reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also features in Mystery Men (1999) and became an internet meme in the 2010s.
Over the opening titles of Shrek the song first played as a temporary placeholder, until Jeffrey Katzenberg suggested keeping it. The band doubted whether it suited a family film.
The Lion King (1994) best position 708, position 1649 in 2025
Elton John wrote the music and Tim Rice the lyrics. It was originally intended for Timon and Pumbaa, but John did not like the comic approach and wanted a real Disney love song; it won an Oscar.
In the film you hear it in the romantic scene with the grown-up Simba and Nala, largely sung by an off-screen singer (Kristle Edwards). Elton John's own version plays over the end credits.
Rush (1991) best position 21, position 172 in 2025
Clapton wrote it with Will Jennings for the film's soundtrack; it is about the death of his four-year-old son Conor in March 1991. It won three Grammys in 1993 and reached No. 2 in the US.
The song was written for Rush, but Clapton deliberately left it open: you can hear it as a song about Conor or as part of the film.
Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) best position 183, position 863 in 2025
When it was released in 1967 the record label did not want to promote it and it initially sold fewer than 1,000 copies in the US, while in 1968 it became the best-selling single of the year in the United Kingdom.
The film is set in 1965, so the song actually did not exist yet in the story. After the film, the re-release reached No. 32 on the American Hot 100 in February 1988.
Ghost (1990) best position 163, position 911 in 2025
Alex North wrote the melody for the prison film Unchained (1955), Hy Zaret the lyrics. The 1965 recording by the Righteous Brothers, with Bobby Hatfield on lead vocals, began as a B-side.
Ghost made the song popular again in 1990: in the United Kingdom the reissue spent four weeks at number 1 and became the best-selling single of the year. The Righteous Brothers were the first to have two versions of the same song in the American top 20 at the same time.
Wild at Heart (1990) best position 219, in 2025 position 219
The song appeared in 1989 on Isaak's album Heart Shaped World and at first went unnoticed. Only when a radio programmer from Atlanta heard it in the film and started playing it did it become a hit (No. 6 in the US in 1991).
David Lynch directed the first video, which mixes film clips with black-and-white footage of Isaak and his band, for the soundtrack of Wild at Heart. The better-known video with Helena Christensen was by Herb Ritts.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017) best position 300, position 610 in 2025
Led Zeppelin wrote it in the summer of 1970 on tour, and the concert in Reykjavik inspired Robert Plant's lyrics. In the US the song reached No. 16.
It plays in the trailer and twice in the film; director Taika Waititi suggested it early on and music supervisor Dave Jordan pushed to get the rights, even though the band had earlier refused something similar for School of Rock until Jack Black won them over with a video.
Pretty Woman (1990) best position 342, in 2025 position 1813
Per Gessle originally wrote it as a Christmas single at the request of EMI Germany (1987). For the film it was re-released without the Christmas lyrics and spent two weeks at No. 1 in the US.
Touchstone Pictures asked Roxette for a contribution to the soundtrack of the film with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, which grossed more than 460 million dollars worldwide. The second video contains footage from the film.
Say Anything... (1989) best position 1571, position 1729 in 2025
Gabriel refused at first, because he thought the film was a biography of John Belushi. According to him, the film gave the song 'a second life'.
In the famous scene, John Cusack as Lloyd Dobler holds a boombox above his head outside his beloved's window. At first a song by Fishbone played, but director Cameron Crowe chose 'In Your Eyes' after seeing the scene.
Flashdance (1983) best position 1699, not on the 2025 list
Giorgio Moroder wrote the music; Keith Forsey and Irene Cara wrote most of the lyrics during a taxi ride to the studio, under the working title 'Dancing for Your Life'. It spent six weeks at No. 1 in the US and won an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a Grammy.
The song plays over the opening titles and during the audition finale of main character Alex. It was already released in March 1983, before the film came out in April.
Trainspotting (1996) best position 237, position 237 in 2025
Underworld released it in 1995 as a B-side; singer Karl Hyde wrote the lyrics after a night of drinking in Soho and meant it as a cry for help, not a drinking song. The 1996 reissue reached No. 2 in the United Kingdom.
Director Danny Boyle called the song the 'heartbeat' of Trainspotting; my source does not say where exactly in the film.
Donnie Darko (2001) best position 408, in 2025 position 1323
The original is by Tears for Fears (1982, written by Roland Orzabal). Gary Jules sang and Michael Andrews played piano in a recording that took about an hour and a half; in 2003 it became the British Christmas No. 1.
Director Richard Kelly commissioned Andrews to write the film score; Andrews chose 'Mad World' as the only song in an otherwise instrumental score. The stripped-down arrangement appeared on the 2002 soundtrack.
Romeo + Juliet (1996) best position 324, position 324 in 2025
Baz Luhrmann commissioned Radiohead and showed the band the last 30 minutes of the film. Thom Yorke began writing after seeing the scene in which Claire Danes holds a gun to her head; the song is not on the film soundtrack but on OK Computer (1997).
It plays over the end credits of Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet. Yorke said that as a thirteen-year-old he cried at Zeffirelli's film version and wondered why the lovers didn't just run away.
A Star Is Born (2018) best position 37, position 55 in 2025
Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt wrote it. It won an Oscar and two Grammys, and after the Oscars it finally became No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In the film, Jackson (Bradley Cooper) invites Ally onto the stage of the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, where she sings the song for the first time; that scene was shot there with about 2,000 Gaga fans as the audience.
The Graduate (1967) best position 370, position 771 in 2025
Director Mike Nichols wanted Simon & Garfunkel music; Paul Simon wrote new songs, but Nichols was only satisfied when he pulled a song out of the drawer (working title 'Mrs. Roosevelt'). The single became a US No. 1 and was the first rock song to win Record of the Year.
In the film, only two short versions of the song are heard; the full song was released separately in 1968.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) best position 42, in 2025 position 84
Jeff Lynne hesitated at first over the rights, because director James Gunn had cut another ELO song ('Livin' Thing') from the edit of the first film. Gunn says Lynne was happy with the result.
The song accompanies the opening titles in which Baby Groot (voice: Vin Diesel) dances.
Shaun of the Dead (2004) best position 37, position 57 in 2025
In the film, the heroes fight zombies in time to this song. Director Edgar Wright says the script was written with the song in mind and that the scene would not exist without it; the rights, he says, cost about 15,000, while a Led Zeppelin song could cost 250,000 pounds.
The Big Lebowski (1998) best position 934, not on the 2025 list
In a taxi, The Dude (Jeff Bridges) says he hates the Eagles while the driver has this song on the radio; the driver throws him out. Bridges later said that Glenn Frey teased him about it.
Almost Famous (2000) best position 544, position 1000 in 2025
After a quarrelsome mood on the tour bus, the song comes on the radio and everyone sings along; that moment brings the band back together. Director Cameron Crowe kept the scene in even though the studio wanted to cut it, and filming took almost two days.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) best position 874, position 1747 in 2025
Ferris jumps onto a float in the parade and gets the crowd singing along to the Beatles version of the song, after first lip-syncing to 'Danke Schoen'. The scene was shot during the real Von Steuben Parade in Chicago on 21 September 1985.
Reservoir Dogs (1992) best position 485, not on the 2025 list
In the opening diner scene, Mr. Brown (played by Tarantino) gives an idiosyncratic, crude explanation of what the song supposedly means instead of calling it a love song. The scene is seen as a calling card of Tarantino's style, in which pop culture sets the tone.
Reservoir Dogs (1992) best position 934, in 2025 position 1672
Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) sings and dances to this song while taunting and abusing a bound police officer. Tarantino said that most actors at the auditions chose precisely this song for that scene.
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) best position 1041, not on the 2025 list
The opening titles of the film run to 'All By Myself', but in the version by Jamie O'Neal (a cover), just after Bridget overhears at a party how Mark complains about a blind date. The scene shows her fear of ending up alone.
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), referenced in the song best position 1399, not on the 2025 list
Here it is the song that refers to a film: the singer tries to save the relationship by bringing up Audrey Hepburn's film. The lyrics were actually inspired by Roman Holiday, but the title Breakfast at Tiffany's sounded better to the writer.
Pulp Fiction (1994) best position 790, not on the 2025 list
Note: the film features the cover version by Urge Overkill, not the recording by Neil Diamond himself. That cover (from 1992) got a 'second life' through the film and became a hit. Which scene it is exactly is not in my source.
An American Werewolf in London (1981) best position 201, in 2025 position 251
The song plays when the main character is about to turn into a werewolf. John Fogerty wrote it himself after seeing a 1941 film (The Devil and Daniel Webster) with a hurricane scene.
The Graduate (1967) best position 23, position 60 in 2025
The song plays under the opening and closing titles. Director Mike Nichols and editor Sam O'Steen had first timed scenes to the song and ended up buying the rights because they could not find a suitable replacement.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) best position 7, position 40 in 2025
In the book, the tunnel scene plays to a Fleetwood Mac song, but director Stephen Chbosky replaced it with this song, because he wanted something that was not soft but sweeping.
Goldfinger (1964) best position 1477, not on the 2025 list
John Barry wrote the music and Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley the lyrics, without seeing any footage or the script; they built the song around the golden touch and the fate of the character Jill Masterson, who died covered in gold paint. Shirley Bassey recorded it in a long night session, because Barry kept wanting new takes; it became her only American top 40 hit (No. 8).
The song plays over the opening and closing titles of the film. Producer Harry Saltzman hated it and the song was in danger of being dropped from the film, but there was no time left for a replacement.
Live and Let Die (1973) best position 671, not on the 2025 list
Paul McCartney was asked before the script was ready; he read Ian Fleming's novel and, by his own account, wrote the song in an afternoon, together with Linda McCartney. It was the first rock song to open a Bond film and the first Bond song with an Oscar nomination (it lost to 'The Way We Were').
Wings sing it over the opening titles; McCartney only allowed its use if his band could perform it themselves. The film also contains a second version, by B.J. Arnau.
Live and Let Die (1973), as a cover of the Bond song best position 1110, position 1849 in 2025
Guns N' Roses recorded the song in 1991 for the album Use Your Illusion I. Their version was nominated for a Grammy (best hard rock performance, awarded in 1993) and is considered one of the best-known covers of the song.
The original belongs to the 1973 Bond film Live and Let Die; the cover by Guns N' Roses does not belong to a Bond film.
For Your Eyes Only (1981) best position 1326, not in 2025
Bill Conti wrote the music and Mick Leeson the lyrics; Conti first thought of Donna Summer or Dusty Springfield, but the film studio suggested Sheena Easton. It reached number 4 in the US and number 8 in the United Kingdom and received an Oscar nomination.
According to Wikipedia, Easton is the only singer to appear on screen herself in the opening titles of a Bond film. Designer Maurice Binder strapped her to a chair to get her lips large in frame.
A View to a Kill (1985) best position 1063, not in 2025
Duran Duran got the commission after bassist John Taylor, a big Bond fan, approached producer Cubby Broccoli at a party; composer John Barry developed the band's ideas into the arrangement. It is still the only Bond song to reach No. 1 on the US Hot 100.
The video, shot at the Eiffel Tower, begins with the famous gun-barrel opening and follows the scene from the film in which May Day (Grace Jones) kills a detective in front of Bond (Roger Moore).
Skyfall (2012) best position 36, in 2025 position 256
Adele wrote it with producer Paul Epworth; the first version was reportedly written down in ten minutes. It won an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a Brit and a Grammy and is one of the best-selling digital singles ever; it deliberately nods to Monty Norman's 'James Bond Theme'.
Director Sam Mendes asked her to write a personal song and named Carly Simon's 'Nobody Does It Better' as an example. The lyrics follow the story of the film, and the song was released on Global James Bond Day, 50 years after Dr. No.
Spectre (2015) best position 1390, not on the 2025 list
Sam Smith and Jimmy Napes wrote it in less than half an hour. It became the first Bond song to reach No. 1 on the UK chart and won an Oscar and a Golden Globe.
Radiohead also wrote a song for Spectre, but it went unused. The official soundtrack album only features the instrumental version of Smith's song.
In Trainspotting (1996), the character Simon 'Sick Boy' Williamson is a James Bond fanatic, a nice link between the Bond and Trainspotting sections. en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)
Blondie was first commissioned to do For Your Eyes Only, but the producers chose the song by Bill Conti; Blondie then released a different song with the same title on The Hunter (1982). en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)
With the 1989 Batman film, Prince had a soundtrack of his own; unfortunately, not a single song from it is in the Top 2000. There are songs from his own film Purple Rain and from the Batman Forever soundtrack, though.
Batman (1989) best position 190, position 761 in 2025
'1999' from 1982 was originally intended for the film, together with 'Baby I'm a Star'. Prince instead recorded a completely new album in six weeks (February to March 1989), with clips from the film in it.
In Tim Burton's Batman, Prince wrote the songs and Danny Elfman the orchestral score; the Prince album spent six weeks at No. 1 in the US. 'Batdance' became his first No. 1 since 'Kiss'. The Batman songs themselves (such as Batdance, Partyman and The Arms of Orion) are not in the Top 2000.
Batman Forever (1995) best position 139, position 596 in 2025
Seal wrote it in 1987 but was initially embarrassed by it; it was already on his album in 1994 and in The NeverEnding Story III. After the 1995 re-release as the love theme of Batman Forever it became No. 1 in the US and won three Grammys (record, song and male vocal performance).
Director Joel Schumacher called Seal to ask to use the song for the love scene between Nicole Kidman and Val Kilmer. There are two music videos, one of them directed by Schumacher himself with Seal at the Bat-Signal.
Purple Rain (1984) best position 13, position 34 in 2025
This is a live recording from 3 August 1983 at a benefit concert at First Avenue in Minneapolis, the first performance by guitarist Wendy Melvoin with The Revolution; the strings were added later. It reached No. 2 in the US and returned to the charts after Prince's death in 2016.
Title song of the film in which Prince made his film debut as 'The Kid'. The film won the Oscar for best original score (song score) and the soundtrack album sold some 25 million copies worldwide.
Purple Rain (1984) best position 207, position 680 in 2025
Director Albert Magnoli asked Prince for another song that fitted the film's themes; the next day Prince had already produced it completely. It was known for its stripped-down, bassless sound and became a number 1 in the US.
One of the big singles from the film Purple Rain (1984), along with 'Let's Go Crazy' and 'Purple Rain'; all three went platinum in the US.
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) best position 262, position 752 in 2025
Ennio Morricone wrote the music before filming began and Sergio Leone played it on set for the actors. Each main character has their own theme; Jill's (Claudia Cardinale) features the wordless vocals of Edda Dell'Orso. The score is estimated to have sold some 10 million copies.
Spaghetti western by Sergio Leone from 1968 with Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson, among others. There is almost no music at the start, only natural sounds and the harmonica of the character 'Harmonica'; the theme 'Man with a Harmonica' was often sampled later.
Morricone (1928-2020) wrote music for more than 400 film and television productions, including all of Sergio Leone's films from A Fistful of Dollars onwards; he won the Oscar for The Hateful Eight in 2016 and received an honorary Oscar in 2007. This is his only song in the Top 2000 database.
Chariots of Fire (1981) best position 807, not on the 2025 list
On the soundtrack album the piece is called 'Titles', because it accompanies the opening titles; only during its chart run did it get the name 'Chariots of Fire'. In 1982 it was No. 1 in the US for a week, and Vangelis is still the only Greek artist to have reached that position. He won a court case over a plagiarism accusation.
A film by Hugh Hudson about the British athletes Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams at the 1924 Olympic Games; it won four Oscars, including best picture and best original score. Synthesizers in a period drama were an unusual choice in 1981; the theme later became almost synonymous with slow-motion sports footage.
Vangelis (1943-2022) was a Greek composer who also scored Blade Runner (1982) and 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992); Blade Runner is not in the database.
1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) best position 157, in 2025 position 638
The piece reached number 1 in Flanders, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, among others; in Germany it became popular because boxer Henry Maske used it as his entrance music. The pseudo-Latin choir text is by Guy Protheroe and the chord progression is based on the old theme 'La Follia'.
Ridley Scott's 1992 film about Columbus, made for the 500th anniversary of his voyage; reviews were mixed and in the US the film was a financial disappointment, while it did better in Europe. Vangelis received a Golden Globe nomination for the score.
See also Chariots of Fire; Vangelis had his biggest European success with this film.
Mamma Mia! (musical 1999, film 2008) best position 306, position 336 in 2025
The marimba at the start was added at the last moment, after Benny Andersson found the instrument in the studio. ABBA first offered the song to Brotherhood of Man, who said no; it spent ten weeks at number 1 in Australia and reached number 1 in the United Kingdom in January 1976.
The musical by Catherine Johnson (London, 1999) is named after this song; Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus were involved. In the 2008 film version with Meryl Streep, shot on the Greek island of Skopelos, Streep sings the title song herself.
Muriel's Wedding (1994); Mamma Mia! (musical 1999, film 2008) best position 16, in 2025 position 42
The demo was called 'Boogaloo' and the makers drew inspiration from the beat of George McCrae's 'Rock Your Baby'. Anni-Frid Lyngstad cried when she first heard the backing track; it is ABBA's only No. 1 in the US.
In the Australian film Muriel's Wedding (1994), ABBA forms the backbone of the soundtrack; the makers even had 'Dancing Queen' arranged as an orchestral piece. The song is also in Mamma Mia! and its 2018 sequel.
Mamma Mia! (musical 1999, film 2008) best position 35, in 2025 position 151
Written in the summer of 1979 on the island of Viggso; the makers found the first, fast version too stiff and turned it into a ballad with a French chanson feel. Bjorn Ulvaeus says the lyrics were finished in an hour and denies that it is about his own divorce.
Producer Judy Craymer met Ulvaeus and Andersson in 1983 and saw the theatrical possibilities of their pop songs in this song, the seed of the musical Mamma Mia!.
Muriel's Wedding (1994) best position 348, in 2025 position 846
Manager Stig Anderson felt this quiet, folky song should take priority as a single over 'Dancing Queen'; in 1976 'Mamma Mia', 'Fernando' and 'Dancing Queen' all became British No. 1s.
'Fernando' is also one of the ABBA songs heard in Muriel's Wedding.
Chess (concept album 1984, musical 1986) best position 1047, not on the 2025 list
Murray Head raps the verses, while the chorus is sung by Swedish singer Anders Glenmark. It reached No. 3 in the US and Canada (May 1985) and No. 12 in the United Kingdom; Thailand banned it in 1985 because of the lyrics about Bangkok.
Chess is a musical by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus (ABBA) with lyrics and book by Tim Rice, about a Cold War chess tournament between an American and a Russian. The song comes from the 1984 concept album; the musical premiered in London in 1986.
Chess (concept album 1984, musical 1986) best position 850, not on the 2025 list
Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson recorded their parts separately and only met for the video. It spent four weeks at No. 1 in the United Kingdom in 1985 and is, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the best-selling single by a female duo there. The chorus is based on a never-released ABBA song, 'I Am an A', which was played live during the 1977 tour.
In Chess, Florence, the mistress, and Svetlana, the estranged wife, sing about the same man: the Russian chess champion. In 1987 Whitney Houston and her mother Cissy recorded their own version.
Trainspotting (1996) best position 237, position 237 in 2025
Born Slippy .NUXX was released in May 1995 as the B-side of the single 'Born Slippy' by Underworld. Singer Karl Hyde wrote the lyrics after an evening of drinking in Soho and sang them in one take; the repetitions came about because he lost his thread. He meant it as an alcoholic's cry for help and was shocked when the public began to see it as a drinking song; Rick Smith added the chords months later. After the film it was re-released in July 1996 and reached No. 2 in the United Kingdom. The Top 2000 database lists it as 'Born Slippy', without .NUXX; the database does not say exactly which version is meant, but the release year 1996 fits the hit from the film.
Director Danny Boyle found the 12-inch in a record shop and knew immediately that this had to be the end of the film; he called it the heartbeat of the film. Underworld at first did not want to cooperate because their music was often requested for gloomy club scenes, but after watching about a quarter of an hour of the film, Rick Smith gave permission. Trainspotting (1996) is a film by Danny Boyle based on the book by Irvine Welsh about a group of heroin addicts in Edinburgh.
Born Slippy and the remixes
Born Slippy (A-side, 1995) – The techno instrumental to which .NUXX was attached as the B-side; it sounds very different from .NUXX. According to MusicRadar, the title is derived from a greyhound. The 1995 CD single also included 'Born Slippy .TELEMATIC'. musicradar.com (opens in a new tab)
Born Slippy .NUXX (1995, 12-inch approx. 11:37, CD approx. 9:44) – The original version as a B-side. 'Nuxx' is seen as short for 'New Underworld Remixx' (according to MusicRadar, this is presumed). en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)
Born Slippy .NUXX Deep Pan, Darren Price Mix, Darren Price Remix and Short (1996) – Extra versions on the 1996 American CD single, with lengths of roughly 4 to 10 minutes. en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)
Born Slippy .NUXX 2003 (2003 Edit, Atomic Hooligan Remix, Paul Oakenfold Mix, 12-inch version) – Re-release in October 2003 alongside the album 1992-2002, with new remixes and a new video that Danny Boyle put together from footage of Trainspotting. No. 1 on the UK dance chart. en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)
Slow Slippy (2017) – For T2 Trainspotting, Rick Smith stretched the chords out with software into a slow version. In the film, the chords return in a flashback scene of Spud. vice.com (opens in a new tab)
In the Top 2000 database the title is listed as ‘Born Slippy’ without ‘.NUXX’; which version counts has not been recorded.
Trainspotting (1996) best position 34, position 234 in 2025
Lou Reed wrote it in 1972 after a day in Central Park with his then fiancée; David Bowie and Mick Ronson produced the album Transformer. Reed calls the reading of it as an ode to heroin 'ridiculous': for him it was about a simple, perfect day. In 1997 an all-star version became a British No. 1 as a BBC charity single.
The song ended up in Trainspotting because of the popular reading of it as an ode to addiction; the film gave it a second life in the nineties.
Trainspotting (1996) best position 249, position 1231 in 2025
Iggy Pop wrote it in 1977 with David Bowie on a ukulele; the famous drum intro is based on the signature tune of the American Forces Network. In the Netherlands it became a hit at the time (number 3 in the Top 40), partly thanks to a rowdy performance on TopPop in which Iggy wrecked part of the set.
The song opens Trainspotting and the film brought it back into the chart in 1996 (No. 26 in the United Kingdom). Boyle also directed a new music video; T2 Trainspotting (2017) contains a remix by The Prodigy.
with Donald Sutherland · video 1985 · directed by Julian Doyle (idea by Kate Bush together with Terry Gilliam) best position 424, position 435 in 2025
The video is a short film in which Sutherland plays the scientist Wilhelm Reich and Kate Bush his young son Peter. Father and son travel through the hills with an enormous, home-built cloud machine that is supposed to make it rain. Then men in dark suits come to take the father away, while at the last moment the boy saves a little book from his coat pocket.
Bush found out through another actress's hairdresser which London hotel Sutherland was staying at and visited him in person to ask him. Because his work permit did not come through fast enough, he even offered to take part for free.
with Chevy Chase · video 1986 · directed by Gary Weis best position 135, position 1058 in 2025
In the video Chase pretends to sing the song, while Paul Simon next to him mimes the backing vocals and the instruments that keep appearing on screen. The joke lies in the difference in height: Chase is well over a head taller than Simon. It is no more than a clever gag with two men in front of a camera, and that is exactly why it works.
Simon did not like the first video, a recording of his performance on Saturday Night Live. The replacement video partly grew out of an idea by SNL creator Lorne Michaels, and Chase was a good friend of Simon's and a former SNL colleague.
with Wesley Snipes · video 1987 · directed by Martin Scorsese best position 439, in 2025 position 1623
The video is a film of about 18 minutes, written by Richard Price and shot in Brooklyn. Jackson plays Darryl, a boy who returns from an expensive boarding school to his old neighbourhood, where his former friends pressure him to join a robbery again. Snipes plays gang leader Mini Max, who challenges Darryl and eventually tells him he is not really bad any more; the famous dance sequence follows.
Snipes, then still almost unknown, was chosen from hundreds of people who auditioned for the role, according to an entertainment site. Scorsese directed the short film; filming ran in late 1986 and the video was released in 1987.
with Liv Tyler and Alicia Silverstone · video 1994 · directed by Marty Callner best position 1610, not in 2025
Two schoolgirls skip school and drive off in a black Mustang convertible, a bit in the spirit of the film Thelma & Louise. Along the way they enter an amateur pole-dancing contest, win it, and pick up a farmer from his tractor for a dip in a lake. At the end they drive off without him and the tractor spells the word Crazy in the field.
It was the third time Silverstone appeared in an Aerosmith video, after Cryin' and Amazing. Liv Tyler, the daughter of singer Steven Tyler, made her debut here at sixteen; the makers had seen her in a shampoo commercial before.
