Film tie-in songs that were bigger than the film

[mojo pixy]

This one escaped the orbit of it's film (so did Pure Imagination, but not to the same degree)

If it comes to musicals there are quite a few songs that individually are better known / loved than the film they're from. I think more people may well know "If I Were a Rich Man" than have seen Fiddler on the Roof. Into operas that's even more true (who can say without googling what opera "Nessun Dorma" is from?) and then into quite a few Gilbert and Sullivan songs, the "Galop Infernal" from Orpheus in the Underworld by Offenbach (who even cares that it's not called The Can-Can) and eg. Mendelsohn's "Wedding March" from his A Midsummer Night's Dream.

I could go on but who needs it?

 

[Yossarian]

If it comes to musicals there are quite a few songs that individually are better known / loved than the film they're from. I think more people may well know "If I Were a Rich Man" than have seen Fiddler on the Roof. Into operas that's even more true (who can say without googling what opera "Nessun Dorma" is from?) and then into quite a few Gilbert and Sullivan songs, the "Galop Infernal" from Orpheus in the Underworld by Offenbach (who even cares that it's not called The Can-Can) and eg. Mendelsohn's "Wedding March" from his A Midsummer Night's Dream.

I could go on but who needs it?

One that came to mind when I saw this thread was "One Night in Bangkok," which eclipsed both the musical Chess and the rest of Murray Head's career.

 

[mojo pixy]

One that came to mind when I saw this thread was "One Night in Bangkok," which eclipsed both the musical Chess and the rest of Murray Head's career.

Also "I Know Him So Well"

(I had actually forgotten they were even from a musical!)

 

[Chz]

I don't know that the lead single (STP's Big Empty) was necessarily a bigger seller, but the soundtrack as a whole to The Crow was a helluva lot more successful than the film was. It was #1 in the charts, which isn't something the film can claim to.

 

[Dystopiary]

"White Christmas" has go to be way more famous than "Holiday Inn" (which I've admittedly never seen, and won't bother doing so).

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

How does Convoy fit in? A film based on the song of the same name.

 

[danny la rouge]

This playlist of mine includes TV and film songs, including two mentioned in this thread.

 

[hitmouse]

Any excuse to post:

I think I Will Always Love You is more culturally significant than The Bodyguard at this distance.

Mrs Robinson vs The Graduate.

Somehow I had managed to get the Simon & Garfunkel/Graduate connection mixed up in my head with The Bodyguard, and I was going to say that I think "You Can Call Me Al" is more culturally significant than The Bodyguard. Which I think it probably is, but also there's apparently no connection between the two outside my head, so nevermind.

If it comes to musicals there are quite a few songs that individually are better known / loved than the film they're from. I think more people may well know "If I Were a Rich Man" than have seen Fiddler on the Roof. Into operas that's even more true (who can say without googling what opera "Nessun Dorma" is from?) and then into quite a few Gilbert and Sullivan songs, the "Galop Infernal" from Orpheus in the Underworld by Offenbach (who even cares that it's not called The Can-Can) and eg. Mendelsohn's "Wedding March" from his A Midsummer Night's Dream.

I could go on but who needs it?

I was going to say, there must be several Cole Porter ones that would qualify, right? I Get A Kick Out of You vs Anything Goes, and so on.

 

[killer b]

You'll Never Walk Alone / Carousel etc

 

[Idris2002]

The theme from Kelly's Heroes was a huge hit in apartheid era South Africa.

 

[Idris2002]

If it comes to musicals there are quite a few songs that individually are better known / loved than the film they're from. I think more people may well know "If I Were a Rich Man" than have seen Fiddler on the Roof. Into operas that's even more true (who can say without googling what opera "Nessun Dorma" is from?) and then into quite a few Gilbert and Sullivan songs, the "Galop Infernal" from Orpheus in the Underworld by Offenbach (who even cares that it's not called The Can-Can) and eg. Mendelsohn's "Wedding March" from his A Midsummer Night's Dream.

I could go on but who needs it?

Nessun dorma - from Turandot, iirc.

 

[Petcha]

Great tune. Don't remember the film.

 

[kabbes]

I bet loads of people know 'We Have All The Time In The World' without even knowing that it's from the least cool James Bond film.

That’s one of the best in the thread. There are probably lots of other less good examples from Bond too, though. I think the song Live and Let Die is remembered more than the film, for example.

 

[hiccup]

Don't think you could say it was bigger than the film, but Bright Eyes from Watership Down was a big hit at the time. Biggest selling single of 1979 apparently.

 

[contadino]

Despite a fair bit of hype, the remake of Suspiria didn't really make a mark to my knowledge. However Thom Yorke's Suspirium got a lot of airtime (maybe just on my stereo, though)

 

[hiccup]

I would posit that Lose Yourself has transcended its origins in 8 Mile.

 

[hiccup]

Up Where We Belong was originally the theme song from An Officer and a Gentleman.

 

[Santino]

That’s one of the best in the thread. There are probably lots of other less good examples from Bond too, though. I think the song Live and Let Die is remembered more than the film, for example.

I think I would still be reminded of the film when hearing the song, which I have retrospectively decided is actually the subject of this thread. Songs that are famous and no longer associated in people's minds with the films from whence they came.

 

[kabbes]

Who Wants to Live Forever?
It’s A Kind of Magic

Queen songs vs Highlander film, basically. Could make a similar case for Flash Gordon songs.

 

[Sue]

"White Christmas" has go to be way more famous than "Holiday Inn" (which I've admittedly never seen, and won't bother doing so).

You need to watch both Holiday Inn AND White Christmas now.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Despite a fair bit of hype, the remake of Suspiria didn't really make a mark to my knowledge. However Thom Yorke's Suspirium got a lot of airtime (maybe just on my stereo, though)

Other way around for me. Had no idea this song existed. I thought Suspiria and the remake were quite well known/

 

[bcuster]

How about this one? Blockbuster song; kind of a "dud" movie...

Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[tim]

I’m a big Louis Armstrong fan, and in fact only found out recently it was from a film* when reading something about Louis Armstrong. I’ve owned the song in various formats on various compilations for many decades.

(*I’d forgotten it as a Bond film, though. I keep thinking it’s the Thomas Crown Affair).

You're thinking of the never ending earworms in the windmills of your mind.

 

[danny la rouge]

You need to watch both Holiday Inn AND White Christmas now.

This week!

 

[Santino]

I imagine lots of people know Tom Jones singing 'What's New Pussycat?' but have never even heard of the film.

 

[Dystopiary]

You need to watch both Holiday Inn AND White Christmas now.

I might watch White Christmas.

 

[Elpenor]

Is Seal’s Kiss From A Rose (seems to be a perennial radio favourite) remembered more than the film it came from Batman Forever?

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

the Blade club scene tune

The Pump Panel Reconstruction mix of “Confusion” by New Order, to give it its proper title…

 

[Reno]

Its the title song for the 1984 romantic sci-fi comedy Electric Dreams, which was a dud.

 

[Santino]

Its the title song for the film Electric Dreams, which was a dud.

I've never even heard of that film so that definitely counts.