January 12, 2026, 4:21 pm | Read time: 9 minutes
Movies and series thrive on the images they present. Yet, some scenes become etched in viewers’ minds because the background music amplifies the emotions conveyed by the visuals many times over. TECHBOOK took a look at film and series history to see which songs have remained particularly memorable. We present both songs written specifically for films and those that existed beforehand but became more famous through a film.
“Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” – “Life of Brian” (1979)
It is probably the craziest and most absurd adaptation of the Jesus story in film history. No one other than the legendary British comedy troupe Monty Python could have created such anarchic slapstick as “Life of Brian.” The song “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” appears at the end of the film, sung by those involved in a mass crucifixion. The song even became a single hit in the early 1990s, reaching No. 3 on the UK charts. A BBC radio DJ regularly played the song on his show, leading to a re-release by the record company.
“Eye of the Tiger” – “Rocky III” (1982)
The boxing story “Rocky” turned the previously unsuccessful actor Sylvester Stallone into a global star overnight. Real boxers might chuckle at the cinematic portrayal of a boxing match. Rocky should definitely work on his defense. Nevertheless, audiences loved watching the boxers’ faces gradually turn into a bloody mess. Along with the film’s success, the band Survivor celebrated a worldwide hit. “Eye of the Tiger” is the key song, with its distinctive guitar riff appearing throughout the film. This one song keeps the band Survivor alive to this day, and they thank their audience by playing “Eye of the Tiger” as the highlight of every concert.
“Ghostbusters” – “Ghostbusters” (1984)
“He slimed me!” or in the German dubbing, “Er hat mich angeschleimt!” is the central line in the sci-fi comedy “Ghostbusters.” How three (later four) fearless ghost hunters encounter an oversized marshmallow remains a huge family fun to this day.
For Ray Parker Jr., the performer of the title song “Ghostbusters,” the film remains a lucrative business to this day. Other successes are not known to a larger audience. Thus, he remains in music history as a one-hit wonder, which would not have happened without the film.
“The Power of Love” – “Back to the Future” (1985)
Time travel is often a central theme in films. However, rarely has a time travel story been filmed as turbulently as in Robert Zemeckis’ “Back to the Future.” This is mainly due to Michael J. Fox’s outstanding portrayal of Marty McFly. His energy permeates the film from start to finish. Huey Lewis provided a dynamic and very typical 1980s song with “The Power of Love,” on which the artist later successfully built his musical career. Michael J. Fox retired from the film business in the late 1990s after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
“I’ll Be There For You” – “Friends” (1994)
The Rembrandts were a somewhat successful pop-rock band in the early 1990s. They already had an early hit with the single “Just the Way It Is, Baby.” However, they became globally known with the launch of the series “Friends” in 1994. Their single “I’ll Be There For You” serves as the intro for the beloved stories and humorous entanglements of the six friends Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Ross, Joey, and Chandler from New York.
“My Heart Will Go On” – “Titanic” (1997)
What a boring story it would have been if James Cameron had simply made a disaster film about the sinking of the Titanic in 1997. After all, the end of what was once the largest passenger ship is well known. So, he wrapped his “Titanic” in a romantic and emotional framework, captivating and moving his audience to tears for over three hours. Celine Dion belts out the fitting song “My Heart Will Go On.” Not a dry eye in the house.
“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” – “Armageddon” (1998)
The veteran rockers Aerosmith contributed the central song “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” to the disaster film “Armageddon.” The film’s plot is quickly told. A massive asteroid is hurtling toward Earth at breakneck speed, threatening all of humanity. Heroes are needed to step up for the greater good. As always in such films, it gets a bit emotional at the end. But the voice of rock powerhouse Steven Tyler, Aerosmith’s lead singer, turns the tears in viewers’ eyes into salt.
“Mad World” – “Donnie Darko” (2001)
“Mad World” was not a life-affirming song even in its original version by Tears for Fears. However, the version by Gary Jules and Michael Andrews for the film “Donnie Darko” is even more somber. Few songs could better describe the story of Donald J. Darko than this version of “Mad World.” The 16-year-old student is undergoing psychiatric treatment and is plagued by bizarre, frightening, and sometimes hallucinatory visions. This dark interpretation of “Mad World” provides the music to the gloomy images.
“Teardrop” – “Dr. House” (2004)
“Teardrop” by Massive Attack served as the intro for the series “Dr. House” about the eccentric doctor Gregory House, convincingly portrayed by actor Hugh Laurie. Now, series fans might exclaim: “Wait, the intro has different music.” True, at least in the German version. The intro used in Germany sounds similar, but was composed by Scott Donaldson and Richard Nolan for the first season. From the second season on, German fans of “Dr. House” hear an intro by Jon Ehrlich and Leigh Roberts. Why? Because the series producers did not obtain the rights to the song “Teardrop” for Europe. The song by Massive Attack exudes much more atmosphere, but it was only available as the opening music in the original U.S. version.
“Chasing Cars” – “Grey’s Anatomy” (2006)
The band Snow Patrol was initially known only to true music enthusiasts in the mid-2000s. The emotional closing scene in the final episode of the second season of “Grey’s Anatomy” made the British band instantly famous in the U.S. At the end of the episode, the guitar and the fragile voice of Gary Lightbody come in. In the medical series, all stories revolve around life and death. Appropriately, “Chasing Cars” is about the unconditional love of two people that should extend beyond death.
“Don’t Stop Believin’” – “Glee” (2009)
The band Journey had their major successes in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In the pilot episode of the musical comedy series “Glee,” the song “Don’t Stop Believin’” is a central element. The six seasons are packed with well-known songs. However, “Don’t Stop Believin’” runs like a red thread through the stories. Therefore, the song appears again at the very end in the series finale, closing the series circle.
“Red Right Hand” – “Peaky Blinders” (2013)
Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds are known for dark songs and poetry about religion, violence, and death. In the British series “Peaky Blinders,” everything revolves around violence, gang crime, and the struggle for dominance in the dark slums of Birmingham. The song “Red Right Hand” by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds provides the perfect framework as the intro music for “Peaky Blinders.” Definitely a “perfect match.”
“Bella Ciao” – “Money Heist” (2017)
The song “Bella Ciao” has its origins in World War II. Back then, it served as a kind of anthem for the Italian partisans. In the Spanish series “Money Heist,” “Bella Ciao” sets the tone for the brilliant professor who plans and executes the perfect heist. In crucial scenes throughout the five seasons, the song repeatedly appears, turning an originally traditional Italian folk song into a hit in a crazy Spanish heist story.
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“The Night We Met” – “13 Reasons Why” (2017)
In the series “13 Reasons Why,” the song “The Night We Met” by Lord Huron is just one of many songs. However, it plays a significant role in the story about a student’s suicide. The use of the song in the series greatly increased viewers’ interest in it. As a result, Lord Huron decided to re-release the song in 2017, two years after its initial release. Thus, “The Night We Met” became a minor hit on the usual streaming channels.
“Running Up That Hill” – “Stranger Things” (2022)
Kate Bush is still considered a musical icon with her poetically dreamy songs, even though she has withdrawn more from the music business in recent years. Now, the British artist receives a late tribute through the popular series “Stranger Things.” The mysterious events in the fictional town of Hawkins all take place in the 1980s. The entire series is a homage to the pop culture of that decade.
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So, with “Running Up That Hill,” one of the most unusual hits of the decade is naturally not missing from the “Stranger Things” universe. The song is of crucial importance throughout the fourth season. The song itself is a mystery. It deals with the impossibility of two lovers truly understanding each other. The “deal with God” repeatedly sung in the chorus would be to swap bodies for a short time to delve into each other’s souls. The powerful drums, paired with Kate Bush’s unique voice, have emotionally captivated the younger fans of “Stranger Things.”