Top 20 Movie Theme Songs

welcome to watch mojo and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 movie theme songs all [Music] come on for this list we're looking at the most iconic tunes that are forever tied to classic films we'll be excluding instrumental pieces this time around what's your favorite movie theme song let us know in the comments number 20 fame from fame this musical drama explores both the expectations and reality of pursuing a career in the arts [Music] the theme song taps more into the expectations but there's nothing wrong with that the fame theme is so optimistic that it's practically therapeutic for aspiring artists everywhere [Applause] [Music] if you need a pick-me-up before a life-changing audition or the opening night of your broadway debut this song will give you the confidence by the end of the first verse you might be compelled to rush outside and start dancing in the streets michael gore's toe-tapping music and dean pitchford's celebratory lyrics are perfectly complemented by irene kara's enthusiastic vocals that's me my son's music the song isn't simply about achieving fame it's about the enduring passion that will take you to the top [Music] number 19 rainbow connection from the muppet movie at the suggestion of jim henson paul williams and kenneth asher devised a banjo solo for kermit the frog what's so amazing [Music] the result was rainbow connection a tune that was inspired by the magical when you wish upon a star from pinocchio [Music] just as that timeless tune evolved into disney's anthem rainbow connection has etched out a similar place in the muppets legacy [Music] also like walt disney henson was a once in a lifetime innovator who always dreamed big rainbow connection encourages dreamers to pursue the impossible and make it a reality [Music] you may even pick up some friends who share a similar dream along the way while the main story commences with kermit singing alone he's joined by over 250 muppets for the final reprise completing the rainbow connection [Music] number 18 the power of love from back to the future i'm late for school nothing jump starts a time travel plot quite like being late for school but it's the classic pop rocker that gets marty mcfly really going [Music] it's a curious thing [Music] huey lewis's first number one single the song pops up throughout the sci-fi trilogy meshing brilliantly with the movie's themes and with marty's idealistic young character [Music] as it's practically his own personal theme marty and his band the pinheads attempt to perform the tune at a battle of the band's audition however a familiar-looking judge shuts him down pretty quick [Music] and that's too bad because the power of love is an undisputed masterpiece and we personally don't mind if it's too darn loud [Music] number 17 the never-ending story from the never-ending story the never-ending story remains a decade-defining movie for any kid who grew up in the 80s [Music] from the get-go the english version of this fantasy creates a distinctly 80s aesthetic with its synth-pop theme song [Music] that's not to say this song is at all dated on the contrary there's a sense of wonder to the lyrics and melody that'll speak to anybody with an active imagination [Music] lamal's whimsical vocals only make the tune more infectious like the film the song does technically end which you could argue contradicts the title [Music] the tune is so catchy however that you want to play it on an endless loop no matter how many times we listen to it the theme never loses its appeal [Music] number 16 shallow from a starsborne although it was originally meant to merely be played over the end credits shallow evolved into the driving force behind a star is born are you happy you never know where a song might take you one day you might be testing it out in a parking lot with a fellow singer you just met the next the two of you could be performing it in front of a massive audience this power ballad conveys ally's desire for something more jackson's search for companionship and their escalating feelings for each other although ally is initially afraid to dive off the deep end jackson motivates her to jump with him [Music] moving out of shallow waters ally is swept away by the adoring crowd and her blossoming romance with jackson number 15 mrs robinson from the graduate we all associate this folk rock song with the eponymous mrs robinson who jumpstarts the younger benjamin's journey into adulthood may i ask you a question what do you think of me when simon and garfunkel were first working on the tune it wasn't about mrs robinson rather the song was originally titled mrs roosevelt as in the former first lady following a meeting with director mike nichols everything started falling into place for the now classic song [Music] although traces of the tune's original intent can still be heard in the final product it still works as an ode to mrs robinson the carefree melody paints an innocent portrait upon reading deeper into the lyrics though we sense that there's something more adult going on especially the verse where they talk about needing to hide the robinson's affair from the kids [Music] number 14 footloose from footloose the footloose soundtrack has arguably left an even greater impact than the film itself more than 35 years later we're still rocking out to the titular theme song by kenny loggins and dean pitchford although many associate this song with kevin bacon's iconic warehouse dance the song never by moving pictures actually accompanies that scene [Music] whenever we're alone and need to blow off steam footloose is the song we turn to the lively lyrics and electrifying melody encourage us to let out all of our pent up energy through dance [Applause] you might not have ren mccormick's dancing skills but the song will make you feel confident enough to fly [Music] it's the ideal way to kick off a weekend and has basically become a school dance staple number 13 flash dance what a feeling from flash dance another dance flick that defined the 80s flash dance also scores singer irene cara her second mention on this list co-written by cara giorgio moroder and keith forze the theme song can be summed up in one word joyous as such we can't think of a more fitting way to cap off our heroine's journey first heard over the opening credits when there's nothing the theme returns for alex's climactic audition both the song and the dance convey how far alex has come not only as a performer but as a person as well emerging more radiant and resilient than ever before alex leaves her audition on a high note [Music] it's a mic drop of an ending that wouldn't feel complete without this inspiring song [Music] number 12 eye of the tiger from rocky iii if we were to rank all the rocky movies the third chapter would fall somewhere in the middle you know you've got a big mouth you know as far as rocky theme songs go though eye of the tiger is the one to beat performed by the band survivor the song was co-written by lead guitarist frankie sullivan and keyboardist jim peterick tying it all together is lead singer dave bickler whose fiery vocals bring out the will to survive [Music] i have the tiger could have just been a catchy tune to play over the credits and training montage yeah can he swim at rock however the filmmakers weaved this rousing song into the narrative's overarching theme it encompasses the edge that made rocky the champ and the drive he feels to reclaim his title the outcome is a knockout number 11 lose yourself from eight mile eight mile is a semi autobiographical film that draws influence from eminem's life before he achieved mainstream success i don't think you understand fully see me without a styles like mustard without the hinds i'll leave the new school you're a buster without the rhymes the rapper's struggles and triumphs are on full display and lose yourself which encapsulates bee rabbit's journey in roughly five minutes his palms are sweaty knees weak arms are heavy there's vomit on a sweater already mom's spaghetti the song also captures the grit and pride associated with the detroit hip-hop scene as well as the city itself in addition to being what might be eminem's most personal work its rhyme scheme and beat burrow their way into the listener's head i was playing in the beginning the mood all changed i've been chewed up and spit out mood off stage although eminem wasn't present to accept his oscar he would appear on the 2020 academy awards telecast to perform lose yourself it went to show that even after all these years people were still turning to the song for inspiration and making memes out of mom's spaghetti number 10 i've had the time of my life from dirty dancing of all the dance movies the 80s gave us dirty dancing may be the most memorable [Music] this is due in part to its soundtrack which offered a variety of nostalgic songs and original singles the standout is this oscar and grammy-winning tune which accompanies the climactic dance between baby and johnny [Music] [Applause] [Music] while the song was written with the film in mind its placement during the pivotal scene can be attributed to choreographer kenny ortega and assistant miranda garrison i've had the time of my life synced up flawlessly with their choreography as well as the emotional journey our leads have been on [Music] the sequence is as sizzling as it is uplifting appropriately culminating with what might be the most famous lift in cinema [Music] [Applause] number nine live and let die from live and let and die heart was an open book the words and ideas of ian fleming managed to reunite paul mccartney with the beatles producer george martin to create one of the best remembered themes from the long-running james bond series [Music] written by sir paul after reading the novel on which the film was based the tune's sultry piano music strikes up without warning and sets the stage for the musical pressure to come in the form of a grand orchestra [Music] [Applause] the rockers triumph was as inevitable as another bond movie and it became not only one of wang's most successful singles but also the first bond theme to be oscar nominated for best original song the first to win however was skyfall [Music] number eight i will always love you from the bodyguard while some songs become iconic right away others take time to achieve such a status i will always love you is an example of the latter when dolly parton first released the original country version in the 70s he performed well but whitney houston immortalized the song with her haunting rendition in the bodyguard in her film debut she plays an actress singer who develops a close relationship with her bodyguard haven't you done something in your life that just didn't make much sense although the romance is kept relatively understated for most of the film our lovers share a steamy embrace as they part ways [Music] their kiss goodbye is sealed with an equally passionate song houston throws her soul into every note although the two go their separate ways their hearts remained intertwined through this poignant track number seven danger zone from top gun this is truly a song that screams 1980s and acts as the anthem for bromances across the world i feel the need the need for speed mixing a synthesized bass line with the vocals of the king of the movie soundtrack himself never sounded so good especially considering the background to the song originally producers wanted toto brian adams or even aryo speedwagon to perform it with all of them turning down the opportunity for different reasons [Music] eventually mr loggins was tapped to perform the hit track likely thanks to his impressive job with footloose a few years prior [Applause] [Music] but it's the epic nature of danger zone that has bypassed 80s cheese and gone straight back into awesome territory number six ghostbusters from [Music] ghostbusters when approached by producers to create a theme for this supernatural comedy ray parker jr was given very little time to write a dance pop masterpiece especially considering how hard it is to rhyme with ghostbusters hi this is larry king the phone and topic today ghosts and ghost busting according to parker he saw a cheap ad late at night that was incredibly similar to the one featured in the movie and he was inspired to set what basically became a commercial jingle to a popping beat [Music] however huey lewis sued parker due to the similarities between the ghostbusters theme and his own song i want a new drug regardless of the resemblance parker jr seems to have come out on top thanks to his super catchy theme song [Music] number five don't you forget about me from the breakfast club this coming-of-age classic opens and closes with the same song by rock band simple minds by the time the credits roll the characters we met in the first scene have significantly grown don't you forget about me encompasses the same feeling each teen experiences as they part ways [Music] it's a feeling that although something has come to an end something new is beginning whatever waits on the horizon the five likely won't face it together because they all come from different backgrounds but the impact they've had on each other won't be forgotten the same can be said about this bittersweet new wave tune anyone who feels lost as the song commences may find what they're searching for before its conclusion number four staying alive from saturday night fever they say disco's dead but the endurance of this film's best-selling soundtrack suggests it's still very much alive [Music] the bg's musical contributions in particular added another layer to the story and character development right off the bat stayin alive tells us everything we need to know about tony monero two two give me two let's go like the song tony comes off as cool and confident on the surface [Music] listening to the lyrics however the song's message of survival is made apparent although it seems like tony owns the streets of new york the big city is slowly eating him alive and disco is the one escape [Music] the song will speak to anyone who's tried to maintain a self-assured appearance while struggling to find their place in life number three circle of life from the lion king we easily could have populated at least half this list with themes from disney's animated library for the sake of variety though we are shining a spotlight on the disney song that gives us the most chills no not let it go although that ever popular tune was a worthy contender every time the lion king commences with circle of life we get goosebumps it's a song that makes us feel almost insignificant in the vastness of nature at the same time circle of life reminds us that we all have a part to play in this world elton john's music and tim rice's lyrics are sweeping yet soothing not unlike a sunrise opening and closing simba's story the song makes the circle whole [Music] [Applause] number two my heart will go on from titanic as an elderly rose lies in bed her younger self reunites with jack aboard the titanic sharing a kiss while their fellow passengers surround the staircase for anyone in the audience barely containing their tears the ensuing song is what unleashed the floodgates my heart will go on is every bit as epic and romantic as the film that inspired it ironically director james cameron initially didn't want a theme song for his picture because he feared it would come off as too commercial [Music] likewise singer celine dion wasn't sure if she had another beauty and the beast in here composer james horner was so adamant that he quietly worked on the song with lyricist will jennings cameron eventually gave his blessing and the rest is history [Music] before we unveil our top pick here are some honorable mentions men in black from men in black will smith at the height of his film and music career gangsta's paradise from dangerous minds way before we all associated it with the first sonic the hedgehog trailer princes of the universe from highlander this theme has the power theme from shaft from shaft damn right this is on the list who's the campaign when there's danger all about shop right on i don't want to miss a thing from armageddon a power ballad that hits you like a meteor shower [Music] before we continue be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos you have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them if you're on your phone make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications number one over the rainbow from the wizard of oz the wizard of oz is full of extravagant musical numbers [Music] but its most beloved song feels surprisingly simple there's no complex choreography or crowds [Music] it's just a young girl on a farm singing about her desire to travel somewhere more colorful [Music] and wake up where the clouds are but sometimes the simplest songs are the most profound over the rainbow brilliantly sets up dorothy's story upon arriving in oz all she wants is to return home it dawns on dorothy how much she misses the comfort of kansas as well as those she left behind there's no place like home there's no place her farm might not be as exciting as oz but it has a warmth that can't be topped while over the rainbow speaks to our inner adventurer it's peaceful melody reminds us that there's no place like home [Music] do you agree with our picks check out this other recent clip from watchmojo and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest [Music] videos you

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Rating: 4.8488064 out of 5

Keywords: movie theme songs, best movie songs, best theme songs, best movie theme songs, theme songs, catchiest theme songs, catchiest songs, classic theme songs, modern theme songs, fame, ghostbusters, titanic, over the rainbow, rocky, footloose, flashdance, 8 mile, dirty dancing, the bodyguard, the lion king, saturday night fever, a star is born, watchMojo, watch mojo, mojo, top 10, list, Songs made for movies, best movie soundtracks, Songs from movies, Movie soundtrack songs

Id: 6Kd2kK5oUEg

Length: 26min 57sec (1617 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 21 2021