U2’s “With Or Without You” is an unexpected song choice for a Cold War espionage drama, but it’s an oddly perfect fit for The Americans’ intense series finale. The crushing impact of the music and lyrics is most felt when it drops during the poignant moment when Philip and Elizabeth see their daughter, Paige, at the train station, and they realize she’s chosen to stay in America instead of escape with them to Russia. Bono belting the song’s falsetto has never felt more like a personal attack than when combined with Keri Russell’s heartbreaking expressions. [Saloni Gajjar]
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The use of various 80s or 80s-sounding tunes in Cobra Kai has been pretty spectacular.
Early Wes Anderson films had amazing usages of music. Just look at Rushmore. The beginning montage set to Making Time and the ending set to Ooh La La is so perfect in bookending the character arch of Max Fischer.
Yes, and “Ooh La La” is a literal needle drop. Unbelievable it didn’t make the list.
i just commented the same – the whos cut when bill murray and schwartzman duke it out is amazing. the film is just full of them.
From the Film Frida. Frida Kahlo has just discovered her husband (Diego Rivera) fucking her own sister. Later, a window separating them, Frida says “there were two tragedies in my life – the trolley (that broke her body) and you, Diego. You were the worse.” The song from the incomparable Chavela Vargas plays: “Paloma Negra” (Black Dove) as Frida rages. The song is sung by Lila Downs. See the film if you haven’t.The film is in English, but the original actors dubbed the Spanish themselves. The music is in Spanish 🙂
One that always sticks with me is Roxy Music’s Mother of Pearl in HIMYM.
HIMYM had some really killer music, as much as the rest of it has aged terribly that aspect still holds up. Bloc Party’s “This Modern Love” in the s1 finale always gets me
What a world we live in, that a show that wrapped just 7 years ago has “aged terribly”! But I know what you mean.
To be fair that finale was terrible when it aired, too!
I like this one, though I don’t know if it’s a “mic drop” moment or whatever, it fits the scene well at least:
The VB needle drop I always think of is “Everybody’s Free” from the 2nd season premiere.
Ending with the song becoming part of the actual scene is a nice touch too.
No, no, this one’s fucking perfect. Doc & Jack are just perfect with their musical references. And “Like A Friend” was just perfect for that ep (and potential series end). Just evoked everything else up until that point.Plus, you’ve got “Ding Ding” from “A Party For Tarzan” which was such a great ending, too.But, for VB, the most memorable needle drop was the first one, when they dropped the sucker on us for Season 2, Ep 1…a fucking hilariously bangin’ early-oughts Eurotrash house classic.Posting both the excerpt and the official vid, because techno videos are just madness.
“No Children” was used much better in Moral Orel:
And “Immigrant Song” should have only been used once in Ragnarok – it’s not really that great a needle drop. When Cate Blanchett asks Hemsworth what he used to be the god of, I’m pretty sure a song that starts off chanting the word “thunder” would have been better, as over-used as it might be in media. This isn’t the best sync, but it gets the general idea across:Anyways:And the needle drop that never gets old:
Much better.
this…this is EVERYTHING.
No Children is the best but I also really liked “Valentine” by Io Perry in the MO finale. Unfortunately I can’t find a clip anywhere.
Oh yah yah good one too. The show was so good.
Eh, as much as I’m a fan of the kid for Ashfield Boys’ High, I think “Thunderstruck” is wasy too literal, whereas “Immigrant Song” is more evocative of everything Thor’s been through to get to this point, and what he (and the people of Asgard) will be doing.
Eh?
No I get that about “Thunderstruck,” but I do think “Immigrant Song” should have stayed at the beginning of the movie – it just doesn’t fit the scene for me. Even the other reply with “I Need A Hero” dubbed in works better.Honestly though, I never get sick of “Thunderstruck” no matter how much it’s used in things. I’m admitting I have a problem.
Ha! Yes, I would have liked “Thunderstruck” better, cliche or no. Not only do I like the song better, but the Led Zepplin track just got me thinking about School of Rock, and in general it was that step that veered to far into Guardians of the Galaxy territory for meAwesome pick on Quicksilver’s Time in a Bottle
Totally agree, with all of it.Yeah, I threw a bunch of shit up there that I like, but the “Time In A Bottle” scene is the best needle drop really. I like the Lebowski scene more overall, but “Time In A Bottle” is such a counter-intuitive move – the song seems too melodramatic and self-serious. It’s so common to use upbeat music over dark scenes, but inverting it here makes it really feel like Quicksilver’s own little world.
I read “a song that starts off chanting the word thunder” and had a moment of sheer panic as I thought you were going to suggest Imagine Dragons.
HA!!!!
Iron Man had all the AC/DC wrapped up as his signature for the MCU, so that was out. Good call on First Edition/Gutterballs though.
Excellent point, Acca-Dacca is Tony’s band, no way is Thor copying him.
I was always a bit confused by Nygma’s apartment/house as a kid; so he got the idea for The Riddler from a corporate mascot toy? Or did he build all that stuff himself?
Person of Interest doesn’t get enough respect. First, for being one of the best science fiction series ever made; and second, for its killer needle drops. For example:
I didn’t see yours before I posted. I also added welcome to the machine. And there are really so many more, PoI really was one of the best shows in how… Well, just one of the best shows.
This is the correct answer.PoI’s use of music was outstanding.
This is one of my favourite topics to discuss and there are literally hundreds I could pick. Tarantino and Scorsese are probably still the kings of the needle drop. For Tarantino, I don’t think there’s a more thrilling moment in his filmography than the opening note of Miserlou kicking in over the opening credits of Pulp Fiction, while I still love Robert De Niro making his grand entrance in Mean Streets to Jumping Jack Flash.As another commenter wrote, Wes Anderson is up there. I’ve been on a bit of a Wes Anderson kick recently, and though I still like his films, I miss the eclectic soundtracks. Margot getting off the bus to These Days and Richie attempting suicide to Needle in the Hay in The Royal Tenenbaums, or Steve Zissou shooting pirates to Search and Destroy.Some of my favourite TV endings have fantastic needle drops as well. I still get chills hearing the opening notes of Sia’s Breathe Me because of Six Feet Under, or the first guitar chords of Badfinger’s Baby Blue because of Breaking Bad. If I had to go with one, I think I might go for the use of Tunic (Song for Karen) in the incredible Irma Vep. You wouldn’t necessarily think Maggie Cheung walking around in a leather catsuit to Sonic Youth could be high art, and yet, there it is.
Giving us Margo’s entire back story to “Judy is a Punk”>>>>>
She smokes? I’m afraid so.
I think Needle in the Hay is probably my top pick (for Wes and overall), but yeah he’s had a lot of great ones.
Super underrated one – Jackson Browne’s Late for the Sky in Taxi Driver.
THWANNNNNNNNNGGGGgggggggggggI mean, okay, depending on how pedantic on “pre-existing” you want to get it might not strictly count, but it’s still one of the greatest film music intros ever.
– I fought in the war for the likes of you- Bet you’re sorry you wonMakes me laugh every time.
I’ll allow it.
Stranger Things had some really effective needle drops in the first season, like the use of New Order’s “Elegia” for the funeral:The use of “Nocturnal Me” for the episode five cliffhanger is also a really effective one.
If we’re talking Stranger Things, gotta go with this one. Never stops being hilarious.
The irony of this being entirely an ogle-the-guy scene with the video preview being set to the split-second of girl in a swimsuit.
Oh. Oh yes indeed!
And of course the two uses of the Peter Gabriel cover of “Heroes”.
Full marks to this list for picking a few of the examples I would’ve gone with (Shaun of the Dead, especially). If I were to go with a Tarantino needle drop, it would have to be “Cat People” in Inglorious Basterds, as Shoshanna puts on her makeup and dress like war paint & armor, & prepares to go to war with the entire Nazi regime.
Also, kudos for actually giving credit to Scrubs for that traffic episode and scene. The episode where Dr. Cox’s brother in-law dies is usually considered that show’s gold standard, but I like this one even more.
Yondu and Rocket’s gleefull murder spree in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 set to Come a Little Bit Closer has never, ever failed to put a big dumb grin on my face.
I know this is subjective, but really no mention of Claire Denis, Olivier Assayas, Hal Hartley, Linklater, Gregg Araki and Lynn Ramsay?Also no mention of any drops from An American Werewolf in London?My Scorsese pick is Van Morrison’s TB Sheets in Bringing out the Dead.
De Niro entering the bar to “Jumping Jack Flash” in “Mean Streets.” The Beach Boys’ “I Get Around” playing in “Three Kings” as the soldiers barrel across the desert in their jeep toward the site where the gold is hidden.
The Beach Boys’ “California Girl” in A View to a Kill. What a brilliant idea. Elevates the whole movie. The. Whole. Movie.(thought someone. probably.)
“Wouldn’t it Be Nice” at the end of Shampoo is unironically pretty great.
Nick Cave’s “Red Right Hand” in Scream will always be a personal favourite
I believe most people know that song now as the Peaky Blinders theme.
Another great use of Nick Cave is “O Children” in the 1st part of Deathly Hallows.
That one also hits in Hellboy nicely.
The opening of Dog Day Afternoon, set to Elton John’s Amoreena, transports you to 70s New York better than any other three minutes of film I can think of.
I do love a good needle drop. I was so frustrated by the Umbrella Academy’s use of them. Always great action scenes and great music but it lacked any connection. What did Polk Salad Annie have to do with the board room massacre set in the 80s? Nothing. Good needle drops work when the music relates to the action otherwise I end up thinking what was the song that they wanted to use but couldn’t afford?
Disappointed to see no mention of Donnie Darko or Harold & Maude. You could put any needle drop from either of those on here.
Not sure if they’re needle drops or just soundtrack, but Person of Interest has two that are just outstanding.Johnny Cash – HurtAnd Pink Floyd – Welcome to the Machine
A pedant writes:It’s “Immigrant Song” not “The Immigrant Song”.
A great literal needle drop is Louis Jordan’s Let the Good Times Roll in The Blues Brothers.
Thor: Ragnarok works better like this imo
The use of “Compared to What” in The Man from UNCLE movie was great. Also they used Solomon Burke’s “Cry to Me”. So I guess what I’m saying is that that is a wonderful movie and I wish to hell they’d been able to do a few more with the same cast. Yes, even what’s his name.
“With or Without You” is pretty spectacular (especially the moment when it kicks back in when Elizabeth sees Paige on the platform, and am I the only one who thought she’d been arrested for a split second?), but “Games Without Frontiers” from the season 1 finale was even better.
Their use of “Tusk” in the pilot was also pretty great.
“The Chain” was pretty fantastic
Yes! Wasn’t that set to a bunch of assassinations around town? Definitely their Scorsese moment
Believe it was multiple simultaneous abductions, but it’s been a while.
TUSK!!!!!!!!!
The Americans was masterful at this. Just when I thought I’d listened to every 80s-set chart topper a movie or show could offer, they were still finding deep cut hits I hadn’t heard in ages, like Hall and Oats’ “Maneater” or Golden Earring’s “Twilight Zone”
Lol, so many… Let’s go!
I think the pure art of the montage reaches its Final Form thanks to “No Easy Way Out” (played in its entirety) in the Rocky-est Rocky movie of them all.
Problem Child uses every song as literally as possible, but I don’t mind. Hearing “It’s My Party (And I’ll Cry If I Want to)“ got me into Oldies.
Yea as a kid I had quite a few of these. Do I love that the Mighty Ducks gotta get “street” before they can get good? Whoop! There it is.
In television, I come back to the dance in My So-Called Life, and Ricky and Delia turning their night around cutting lose to Hadaway’s “What is Love.”
Lastly, I’ll end with one of my favorite closing needle drops. “Danza Kuduro” was such a great, victorious note to leave the franchise on (or so I thought).
It’s also a FLASHBACK montage including lots of stuff we literally saw like 20 minutes ago, repeated more than once. Truly a masterwork.
Also also, count how many times Rocky shifts and how many times he actually looks at the road while he’s driving.
Aw man, that F5 clip reminds me of how I fully teared up at the end of F7. The movie was disappointing, but man, they really got me with the needle drop and farewell to Paul Walker.
Yeah, even the Honest Trailer couldn’t deny that last scene was fucking beautiful. Just a perfect tribute to both the character and Paul Walker, and Dom/Vin Diesel’s voiceover perfectly skirted kayfabe.
And then we got the terrible CGI rooftop dinner in F8 where they have Dom name his kid Brian, after his best friend who is still alive in-universe… just name the kid Paul, you dummies.
“No Easy Way Out” is the most realistic montage in movie history. Who among us hasn’t driven around aimlessly, blasting terrible, cheesy music & reassessing our entire lives?…just me, then? Okay.
AV Club should just fire every staff writer, fold, and sell off everything for missing the best, and most infamous needle drop in movie history: “Living in Stereo” from Fast Times at Ridgemont High (video clip not posted for obvious reasons).Shame, shame, shame, AV Club, for shame.
I find it odd the way people use “post-.” Film doesn’t go into a post-Scorsese era until after Scorsese’s career ends, right?
“Post-” in this case indicates after his influence had completely permeated Hollywood.
I’d go with the use of “Street Hassle” over the final scene of The Squid and the Whale. I liked it so much I bought the album. And it’s a good movie.
*command-f Harvey Keitel* nope? Really? His head hitting the pillow to the opening beat of “Be my Baby” in Mean Streets?
Bowie’s “Heroes” over the montage at the end of the finale of Regular Show was weirdly, beautifully affecting.
Reservoir Dogs- ‘’Stuck in the Middle with You’’
What more is there to be said?
Spybreak in The Matrix still gives me goosebumps.
Some memorable ones for me:
Mad Men – Nancy Sinatra’s “You Only Live Twice” in the Season 5 finale
Bojack Horseman – Nina Simone’s cover of Janis Ian’s “Stars” in the Season 3 finaleLost In Translation – Jesus & Mary Chain’s “Just Like Honey”Halt and Catch Fire – Book Of Love’s “Boy” in a late season 2 episodeRoyal Tenenbaums – the two Nico songs
An obvious choice but a good one: the “Freebird” guitar solo in the church fight in “The Kingsman.”
While I love (and own) just about every Scorsese and Tarantino soundtrack, the mother of all needle drops has got to be Wagner’s “Flight of the Valkyries” in Apocalypse Now. And my tablet hates me and won’t let post it😎
Dancing with Myself – Umbrella AcademyThe Times They are A-Changin’ – Watchmen (movie not so great, beginning great); also worst needle drop (Hallelujah).Danny Boy – Miller’s CrossingBohemian Rhapshody – Waynes WorldWhere is My Mind? – Fight ClubChimpan A to Chimpan Z – Simpsons
Taking it wayback, I’d make a case for “In the Air Tonight” in the pilot episode of Miami Vice. The ominous buildup of song and story paired up beautifully, to the point that the scene effectively became the official video for the song (it’s incredibly difficult to disconnect song from scene). And if it didn’t launch the idea, it certainly accelerated the use of the needle drop in television.
How about Godley & Creme’s “Cry” in the Ted Nugent episode.
Indeed. My personal favorite between the two is still the former but I can absolutely see a case for the latter.
On the flip side, this needle drop from Captain Marvel (52 seconds if the link doesn’t work) got on my nerves at the time because it’s so lazy. “Just a Girl”? Come on! Thematically, “Sunday Morning” would’ve made much more sense, and it’s on the same damn album!
The fact that Cannonball by The Breeders was not used in Captain Marvel is a sin I can never forgive.
or maybe “Volcano Girls” by Veruca Salt. I agree that the “Just a Girl” drop was uninspired and didn’t fit the tone of the scene at all.
“Excuse Me, Mister” would be even better, because it actually has the frenetic energy to suit an action scene.
You’re welcome.
God, that fight scene from Thor looks like shit. I don’t totally love the DC movies, but the action in those is so much better.
“Everybody be cool. This is a robbery!”“Any of you fucking pricks move, and I’ll execute every mother fuckin’ last one of you! Ladies and gentlemen Mr. Dick Dale!”
I figured it wouldn’t make the list but Mr. Robot has some really great music selection. A lot of them are not on YouTube but this was always one of my favorites. Such a perfect scene.
There’s nothing like a good winning streak montage in a sports movie. Long Cool Woman in Remember the Titans and Deep Purple’s Hush in The Damned United.Also from sports movies, I give you Los Lobos’ I Got Loaded in the “rain delay” scene from Bull Durham and Maxine Nightengale’s Get Right Back Where We Started From at the end of Slap Shot…
Another great one (and one that made me appreciate what was one of my least favorite songs from my favorite band): “All Apologies” in the episode of Six Feet Under when Nate dies. Just a simple, brutal look at all the loved ones he left behind, and the closing credits, as the words “All in all, is all we are” play over and over again. Simple and heartbreaking.
Does “Cruel Summer” from The Karate Kid count? I’m not sure if that was written for the movie or not, but I’d go with that.Otherwise:In Beetlejuice when they play Harry Belafonte’s “Jump in the Line”In Three Men and a Baby when they play Peter Cetera’s ”Daddy’s Girl”In Forrest Gump when they play Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way”In Forrest Gump when they play Creedence’s ”Fortunate Son”In Forrest Gump when they play Scott Mackenzie’s “San Francisco”In Forrest Gump when…
The American remake of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is never going to compare to the Swedish, even if Stellan Skarsgard is deliciously evil and twisted. When this happened and this song came on? I chortled out loud in the cinema…
Pretty much every time music is used.in Trainspotting. But if I had to choose I think “Born Slippy” in the final scene is… Well it doesn’t get much better
Easy answer: every single song in freaks & geeks. Lindsay discovering box of rain is sublime.
You could pick any one out of a dozen or so examples from The Americans, which uses licensed music better than any other tv show in history. My pick would be “Brothers in Arms” from the same episode.
still the bestthough i easily couldve pasted the faces cut to end the film.also i submit
I’m willing to be that person who starts the Supernatural reminisces…“Oh Death” in season 5 is probably the best (though not sure if it counts since it’s a cover), but the ‘Renegade’ needle drop in Nightshifters (s2) is highly underrated.And what about needle drops that were so great they deserved a better show/movie? My vote is Sympathy for the Devil, in the cold open for the Sleepy Hollow TV show. (Huh, can’t find a clip on youtube for the life of me).
I’m sorry, the answer we were looking for was “Clair de Lune” in Ocean’s Eleven. Thanks for playing!
S1:E1 of The Umbrella Academy. The Young Umbrella Academy introduction during the bank heist, set to Fitz and the Tantrum’s “The Walker.” The whistley bit is a perfect intro to the kids, while the rousing chorus is amazing as the kids just straight up murder the robbers.
Nothing has stuck with me through the years quite like “As Tears Go By,” in House.