- 7/1/2025
When the perfect soundtrack meets the perfect scene, movie magic happens! Join us as we count down our picks for the most iconic pairings of visuals and music in cinema history. From epic sci-fi moments to heart-wrenching drama, these scenes found their perfect musical companions for maximum emotional impact.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best song choices to
00:15capture the mood, intensity or emotion of the moment.
00:18Some potential spoilers ahead for the following films.
00:44In a dramatic and show-stopping scene, the character Quicksilver saves the day.
00:48His speedy antics earn him a great needle drop courtesy of Jim Croce.
00:53Time in a Bottle feels especially apt for this speedy fantasy.
00:56In between helping his friends, the hero gets the show off with Croce's moving words.
01:05It's a slightly ironic way to enjoy the folk-rock stylings of a legend.
01:13Using some choice music, X- Days of Future Past greets a clever showcase for an underrated
01:18hero.
01:19The combination might just make for one of the more rewatchable parts of the franchise.
01:25Han Zimmer never fails to make a movie sound better.
01:43With his incredible score for Interstellar, the composer highlights an unforgettable scene.
01:48The astronauts attempt an impressive manoeuvre that's exciting on its own, with the threat
01:52of catastrophe.
01:53Christopher Nolan then uses this incredible music, making it all the more intense.
02:09You hang on every moment, cheering on the crew.
02:11In Zero Gravity Spins, the nail-biting drama plays out with Zimmer's pulsating notes.
02:16He's continuously proven that he's one of the best film composers of his day.
02:20Collaborating with Nolan, he gets extraordinary and imaginative sequences to enhance.
02:26To finish out this satirical film, director David Fincher includes a great pixie song.
02:45The narrator finds himself injured and free from the concept of Tyler Durden.
02:49With Marla by his side, he contemplates his future as Project Mayhem begins.
02:53The sudden explosions and Where Is My Mind feel like a perfect mix.
03:13Considering the cerebral nature of the story, the lyrics and the overall message hit home
03:18even more.
03:19By Club blends social commentary with a mind-bending twist, giving this alternative song a platform
03:24to stand out.
03:25You could also argue that this movie helped introduce the track to a new audience.
03:32Throughout his filmography, director Wes Anderson shows the power of combining music and film
03:48together.
03:49The Royal Tenenbaums includes more than a few iconic moments like this moving scene.
03:53When Richie Tenenbaum spots Margot, time seems to slow down as this Nico song plays.
04:08The singer's version of the Jackson Brown tune makes you focus in on Luke Wilson's character
04:12and his emotional state.
04:14These Days is a beautifully poetic soundtrack to a simple walk.
04:18The two people stare a hole into each other's souls, with the music helping to seal their
04:22bond.
04:23Anderson now does himself here, without dialogue or any added drama.
04:27When Mr. Blonde is left alone with a cop, he decides to take matters into his own hands.
04:47The sadistic robber turns on the radio and takes his frustrations out on the hostage.
04:51With Steeler's wheel playing, this scene takes on a whole other ironic meaning.
04:56The shocking violence and 70s rock turn this into an iconic moment.
05:00As Michael Madsen's character dances and sings along, the audience is on the edge of
05:04their seat.
05:14Director Quentin Tarantino knows how to make people wince, laugh and look away within a few
05:18short minutes.
05:19The master storyteller takes your concept of an easy-going rock tune and twists it into
05:24something much darker.
05:37With money from a drug deal, Wyatt and Billy head out on a road trip.
05:41They first set off with a little help from Steffen Wolfe.
05:44Riding their motorcycles, the two heroes embody the hippie and counterculture movements.
05:48And this rock hit only hammers home that point, giving the characters an iconic soundtrack for
05:52their journey.
06:00What might be a cliché now was more of a revelation in the late 1960s.
06:04Easy Rider really gets going when Born To Be Wild kicks off, inspiring viewers to blast the
06:09same song on their cross-country discoveries.
06:11It's also among the coolest credit sequences of its era.
06:15This movie set the standard for the ultimate drive in music.
06:34When Wayne and Garth join their friends in a car, they pop in a cassette of Bohemian Rhapsody.
06:38The Wayne's World opening is a burst of energy that captures the relationship between friends
06:42and music.
06:43You can imagine them getting together every week to do the exact same thing, with this
06:46being an amazing snapshot of their chemistry.
07:01The Queen song features so many pieces and parts for them to enjoy.
07:05As the car ride goes on, it all builds up to the big rock drop.
07:09Each performance makes the scene that much more fun, real and entertaining.
07:13The film didn't make the song popular, but it reminded people that it's an awesome singalong.
07:35In terms of music choices, director Martin Scorsese picks out some great ones for his films.
07:40This mob drama, Goodfellas, is full of compelling moments that combine tracks and images.
07:45This includes when a slew of bodies turn up, with Derek and the Dominoes playing over the
07:49discoveries.
07:54Scorsese blends the serene piano part with the awful revelations on screen.
07:58It makes you feel like the dark humour of the first half is over, with the climactic guitar
08:02work underscoring the gravity of the situation.
08:05The musicianship soars as the direction and camerawork add up to something beautiful.
08:09It's like a well-delivered eulogy, with all of the images of death being even more moving
08:14with this soundtrack.
08:18Sergio Leone's direction and Ennio Morricone's music are a match made in heaven.
08:36In the end of this classic, the two artists come together for a Western masterpiece.
08:41The final duel brings together the title characters for a confrontation of epic proportions.
08:45The man with no name squares off against two foes, with some masterful camera shots capturing
08:50the action.
09:00Morricone's atmospheric score makes every close-up pop even more.
09:05Just when the tension seems like too much, Leone pushes it even further before finally
09:09relieving the audience.
09:10It is impossible to imagine this sequence without the composer's moody and exemplary work.
09:17It's better to chase life than to chase the dragon, but Mark Renton can't seem to overcome
09:40his substance use disorder.
09:41So, he spends his days running away from his problems and running after his next high.
09:46As the 1977 song Lust For Life plays, Renton speaks of his carefree mindset in the beginning
09:52of Trainspotting, and how he doesn't, in fact, choose life.
09:57Every day is a wild trip where nothing matters other than chasing his next hit.
10:11But deep down, Renton knows that this world has much more to offer, and the first step
10:15towards recovery is choosing life.
10:33One of modern cinema's most enigmatic characters, The Driver rarely says what's on his mind
10:38and his limited facial expressions don't tell us much either.
10:41Music, in this case, acts as a window into our nameless hero's soul.
10:46In one of the brighter scenes from this Nicholas Winding Refn film, The Driver lets down his
10:50defences as he takes Irene and her son on a fun LA detour.
10:54For the first time, we see that there's more to this distant man than an empty shell.
11:08College and Electric Youth's song says everything The Driver can't, giving us a hero to root
11:13for in this bleak world.
11:36After a series of sim cards are activated, all hell breaks loose in a church full of hate
11:41mongers.
11:42Unable to control themselves, the people engage in an all-out battle royale, and only one can
11:47remain standing.
11:48Being a senior kingsman, the efficient Harry Hart, aka Galahad, easily has the edge.
11:58While the choreography and cinematography are exquisite, it's Lynyrd Skynyrd's kick-ass
12:02power ballad that elevates this action sequence to another level of awesomeness.
12:06Following Hart's trail of mayhem, it feels like a can of whoop-ass has literally been
12:10opened.
12:11The exhilarating music captures this sentiment perfectly until Harry sends one last soul
12:16to meet his maker.
12:19Through its authentic depiction of the Vietnam War, Apocalypse Now succeeded in convincing the
12:37audience that they were observing hell on earth.
12:40The film immediately immerses us in Armageddon, from its opening scene as flames engulf a jungle
12:45landscape.
12:46The explosive imagery is poignantly matched by the music of the doors, preparing us for the
12:50beginning of The End.
13:01This haunting song puts the audience in a sedated state, as we're forced to watch total chaos
13:06unfold.
13:07Feeling as if all hope is lost in this forsaken place, The End almost sounds like a comforting
13:12relief from the horror.
13:39Watching a damned dirty ape senselessly banging a bone on the ground might not seem like a
13:43significant landmark.
13:45As Richard Strauss's also Sprach Zarathustra kicks in, it becomes clear that something extraordinary
13:50has indeed occurred, as this ape has taken a crucial step forward in humankind's evolution.
14:08Listening to this classic orchestral piece, you can virtually see the gears starting to
14:12turn inside the ape's primordial head, figuring out how to rise up as Earth's dominant species.
14:18Now that he's discovered the first tool, imagine what his descendants will be able to accomplish
14:22millions of years later.
14:27When you think of a shark attack, you probably hear this music playing.
14:39It's been widely imitated ever since it first played in this opening scene.
14:43Steven Spielberg's blockbuster masterpiece Jaws is incomplete without John Williams, with
14:48half of the horror coming from the score itself.
14:51Their legendary partnership powers many incredible films like this one.
14:55The beginning of this thriller builds with these haunting strings, giving audiences nightmares
14:59for years to come.
15:10And Williams only needs a few notes to get the point across.
15:13As the swimmer gets taken under the surface, the music helps to change our perception of
15:17the ocean forever.
15:35This 80's classic centres on a group of high school students who are forced to spend a
15:39Saturday together in detention.
15:41At first glance, these teenagers couldn't seem more different.
15:44As the day goes on, however, all five realise that they're actually living with similar
15:48inner demons.
15:54From the opening credits to the final scene, The Breakfast Club is brought full circle by
15:58the immortal music of Simple Minds.
16:01Our main characters may come from contrasting social backgrounds and ultimately go their separate
16:05ways at the end of the day, but what they've learnt from each other in that short time will
16:09never be forgotten.
16:25The Graduate wouldn't be the same without Simon and Garfunkel's songs, most notably The
16:29Sound of Silence.
16:30As Elaine flees from her wedding with Benjamin, these love-struck kids feel as if they've
16:35conquered the world.
16:36However, it doesn't take long for them to realise that maybe this wasn't the best idea.
16:41Too afraid to address the elephant on the bus, the two look ahead at their uncertain futures
16:45in uncomfortable silence.
16:59Benjamin and Elaine might not be able to communicate with each other, but the song tells us exactly
17:03what's going through their heads.
17:11Disco provides the backbone of Saturday Night Fever.
17:27In the film's opening, Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees sums up Tony's character, without
17:31missing a beat.
17:33Strutting down the streets of New York, Tony looks like a cool, confident ladies man who's
17:36on top of the world.
17:49On the inside though, he has no idea what he's doing as he walks aimlessly through life, trying
17:54to survive in the big city.
17:55Not knowing what exactly is coming for him in his lifetime, Tony can take solace in one
17:59fact.
18:00He's the king of the dance floor.
18:02If there's a piece of music guaranteed to make your blood curdle, it's definitely the
18:22violin screech from Psycho.
18:23Part of what makes this scene so chilling is the vulnerable situation Marion Crane finds
18:28herself in.
18:29Caught off guard in the shower, there's nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, as a knife meets
18:33her naked flesh.
18:41The shocking score makes the audience feel every fatal stab that Marion endures.
18:46Once the music comes to a close and our leading lady takes her final breath, all you can do
18:49is gasp for air.
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19:17John Williams has composed some of the most magical musical scores cinema has to offer.
19:31While E.T.'s bicycle escape is an undeniable career highlight for Williams, nothing can
19:35quite top this scene from the original Star Wars.
19:38It's a timeless movie moment that shows, rather than tells, the binary sunset embodies
19:43young Luke Skywalker's desire to leave his home planet and see the rest of the galaxy.
19:59In the series' uplifting composition, we instantly identify with our hero and wish to follow
20:04him.
20:05Simplistic while also being nothing short of profound, it's a scene that defies both the
20:09power of film and the power of music.
20:11So, did we forget another amazing combination of film and music?
20:15Let us know in the comments below.
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