The late Sidney Lumet wrote in his seminal “Making Movies”, that music will nearly always make a bad film better, but has the power to make a good film great. It can lift poor performances, hide bad-direction and ultimately come to define the film. Now, were not dealing with audio cues and scores, rather, I want to look at how recent entries into the ‘music’ genre have been able to incorporate sensational songs into the narrative of the film to great effect.

Note: I’ve avoided musicals and such and attempted to put aside a few of the cliché choices (Once, August Rush etc).

Now, let’s get stuck into it. First up….

Number Five – Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
The tailor made music for Scott Pilgrim features the likes of Beck & Metric who created the music for the in film bands Sex-Bob-Omb, Crash and the Boys and The Clash at Demonhead. The Rolling Stones are also there with Under My Thumb.
Have a look at the standout song Black Sheep by Metric performing as The Clash at Demonhead!

Number Four – GET HIM TO THE GREEK
Didn’t see this one coming did you? Last year’s Get Him To The Greek was surprisingly great. Just have a look at Russell Brand rockin’ it on stage informing the world of his STD’s – in The Clap

Number Three – High Fidelity
The legendary film about John Cusack recounting his past lovers whilst running a record store is laden with musical gold such as Elton John, Belle & Sebastian, Bruce Springsteen, The velvet underground, Queen, and a hell of a lot more.
Of course, the musical highlight is, without a doubt, Jack Black’s rendition of Martin Gaye’s – Let’s Get it On.

Number Two – Almost Famous
I Almost didn’t put this one in the list, but when I revisited the soundtrack I knew instantly it had to be here near the top. The film seamlessly combines any and all music influences from the 70’s to the 80’s.
The amazing bands featured include – Simon & Garfunkel, The Who, LED ZEPPLIN, David Bowie, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Stillwater, Cat Stevens and so so so so much more.
One of the most touching scenes is the great, Tiny Dancer moment on the tour bus:

Number AWESOME / ONE THE BOAT THAT ROCKED
Goddamn, I was about to finish this list of and hit publish when I remember what one of my favorite films of all time was actually all about…. Great music!
Watch the trailer just to get a taste of what musical delights are on offer –

Honorable Mention – Napoleon Dynamite

Director Jared Hess epic allegory of the pocket-protector generation may have been belittled to a plethora of “Vote For Pedro” tee shirts and given birth to the hipster generation, but we can all agree that it is a fine example of how a sinlge song can become intrinsically bound with a film. When Napoleon took to the stage, that high-school assembally had no idea he was going to unleash Jamiroquai’s Canned Heat on them. Relive the moment by watching the video below: