A film's soundtrack is one of the most important parts of the movie-going experience, whether we realize it or not as we're watching. The right music helps set the scene, sparking emotions from the viewer, even telling a story all on its own, elevating our experience and bringing us into the world being shown before us.
But some songs, whether specifically made for the movie or just perfectly added to an integral scene, seem to transcend the films they were featured in. Others become inextricably linked to their films, becoming a part of pop culture history for generations to come.
These are some of the most iconic movie songs of all time, in no particular order. These songs transcend decades and genres but are all unmistakably linked to the movies they're featured in.
Note: We did not include iconic movie scores, the instrumental music from a film, because those are honestly worthy of their own list.
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"Footloose" by Kenny Loggins ("Footloose")
The movie musical quickly became one of the biggest hits when it was released in 1984, in no small part thanks to Loggins' now-iconic song. It's impossible not to dance when you hear it, which is probably why the song topped the charts for three weeks in a row on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming such a massive hit that Loggins himself was blown away by its success.
In 2014, he revealed in an interview, "It became the biggest movie of the summer. We didn't see it coming. But I remember going to the premiere and watching the opening scene of the movie, … using "Footloose" (the song) over the dancing feet. My wife turns to me and goes, ‘This is gonna be huge.'" Audiences furiously kicked off their Sunday shoes in agreement, of course.
"Kiss From a Rose" by Seal ("Batman Forever")
Seal originally released the song in 1994, but it hit icon status when it was featured on the "Batman Forever" soundtrack a year later, earning the singer three Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
It might feel like an unlikely song for a superhero movie, but that's what makes it work so perfectly. "Kiss From a Rose" is no doubt Seal's biggest hit, cementing Val Kilmer's Batman as one of the most memorable of all.
"I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston ("The Bodyguard")
Houston was already a bona fide music legend by the time she made her acting debut in the 1992 romantic thriller, but the song rapidly became one of her most remarkable hits, thanks to those searing high notes and her flawless delivery.
It's often forgotten that the ballad is actually a cover of a Dolly Parton song, and it made music history as the only country song to reach No. 1 in three separate decades. It topped the charts around the globe upon its release and did the same within hours of Houston's death in 2012.
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