Cheesy Movie Music: An Appreciation
Filed under: Music & Musicals, Fandom
I have appalling taste in music. It's so appalling that my sister once promised she'd play Duran Duran's Rio at my funeral, and I don't really let anyone look at my CD collection or at my iPod playlists. It's also a terribly small collection -- apparently, the price for owning so many movies and comics is that I never get around to finding new music.
But there's one category I absolutely revel in, and that's cheesy film music. More specifically, I love almost all of those power ballads that once graced the closing credits, montages, or love scenes, or every other scene of Rocky IV. Such rocking, aching, big-haired music is pretty much extinct in movie soundtracks these days, having taken its last gasps with Celine Dion, Evanescence, and Bryan Adams. I don't think that's a bad thing. The enjoyment I take in them is largely retro anyway -- I like remembering the preteen who was convinced she was the only one who would ever have Everything I Do (I Do It For You) at her wedding. (Hey, I was 12, and I grew out of it!)
So, seeing as it's Monday and we're smack in the middle of blockbuster season (and it was always the big budget movies that could recruit Cheap Trick and Jon Bon Jovi), let's confess our favorites to one another. No judging, no mocking, just total appreciation for the stuff that's still playing on an endless, easy-listening radio loop. Who knows -- maybe it'll inspire you to make a cheesy iPod playlist of your own.
To get you started, I've embedded one that was mentioned quite a bit in the comments last week, inspiring me to write this one, and that's Clannad's I Will Find You. It was a sad day for Celtic / Irish themed movies when Clannad stopped writing echo-filled Gaelic tunes for them. Check it out after the jump ...
But there's one category I absolutely revel in, and that's cheesy film music. More specifically, I love almost all of those power ballads that once graced the closing credits, montages, or love scenes, or every other scene of Rocky IV. Such rocking, aching, big-haired music is pretty much extinct in movie soundtracks these days, having taken its last gasps with Celine Dion, Evanescence, and Bryan Adams. I don't think that's a bad thing. The enjoyment I take in them is largely retro anyway -- I like remembering the preteen who was convinced she was the only one who would ever have Everything I Do (I Do It For You) at her wedding. (Hey, I was 12, and I grew out of it!)
So, seeing as it's Monday and we're smack in the middle of blockbuster season (and it was always the big budget movies that could recruit Cheap Trick and Jon Bon Jovi), let's confess our favorites to one another. No judging, no mocking, just total appreciation for the stuff that's still playing on an endless, easy-listening radio loop. Who knows -- maybe it'll inspire you to make a cheesy iPod playlist of your own.
To get you started, I've embedded one that was mentioned quite a bit in the comments last week, inspiring me to write this one, and that's Clannad's I Will Find You. It was a sad day for Celtic / Irish themed movies when Clannad stopped writing echo-filled Gaelic tunes for them. Check it out after the jump ...
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-08-2009 @ 5:55PM
phaedrine said...
Ok, so don't judge...I think we're about the same age, and I just made 5 hours of mix CDs for my mom's wedding this past Saturday. Everything I Do (I Do It For You) was totally in that mix. :D
Reply
6-08-2009 @ 6:10PM
Michael said...
I'm french and we had our times of cheesy movie music too... All in english and all for movies with Sophie Marceau ;)
Best examples :
- Karoline Krueger's You Call It Love for the movie "L'Etudiante"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OytVEgO9Q4E
- Richard Sanderson's Reality for the movie "La Boom"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NU91nB0_bg
- Cook Da Books's Your Eyes for the movie "La Boom 2"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW9UO2XE7_E
PURE CLASSICS !
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6-08-2009 @ 7:55PM
lw said...
It took me forever to find Up The Creek by Cheap Trick, from the movie of the same name, one of my all time favorites. It should also be noted that Clannad scored the kick ass BBC production of Robin of Sherwood back in the early 80s, if you can find that soundtrack ( I have it) it puts the music from Last of The Mohicans to shame!
I'm pretty much stuck in the 80s so all that cheese is great to me. I even have a collection of 40 cds w/ every song from every episode of Miami Vice, just saying...
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6-08-2009 @ 9:15PM
steveo said...
Elizabeth - Duran Duran totally rocks! Don't let the haters make you doubt their greatness.
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6-09-2009 @ 12:33AM
Chet said...
You are not alone...
The double-team of Vince DiCola's "Training Montage" and John Cafferty's "Heart's On Fire" is unbeatable for a workout.
In fact, pretty much anything Vince DiCola's touched is cheesy yet catchy. Take this gem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neNtMX-v2eY
For cheesy-yet-awesome staying power, perhaps nothing can touch Stan Bush -- "The Touch" from "Transformers: The Movie" shows up from time to time ("Boogie Nights", "Chuck"), with no small amount of irony, but if you can stop giggling, as an inspirational rock anthem it just WORKS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZKpByV5764
For non-DiCola, there's Joe Esposito's "You're the Best Around" which must surely be the seed for half of the "South Park" parody songs.
But my biggest props must go to Jon Cryer in "Hiding Out" ducking mobsters to Pretty Poison's "Catch Me (I'm Falling)":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omx7u0ZWUAY
Of course, some movies still populate soundtracks with cheesy songs, but we won't identify them as such for a few years yet.
6-08-2009 @ 9:55PM
Wayne said...
John Parr's "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" remains a great inspirational tune to this day along with Joe "Bean" Esposito's "You're the Best".
Reply
6-09-2009 @ 4:36AM
fun said...
Here http://mp3cola.com/a100195/clannad/ I found all Clannad's discography
Reply
6-09-2009 @ 9:12AM
ML said...
I've been told I have excellent taste in music ... but I wouldn't know, I just collect what I like. Still, I like me some Duran Duran from time to time! 80s music might not be "in" right now, but just wait a little while. They used to laugh at hair bands, but look what's happening lately.
Yeah, I guess we could use some really rocking soundtracks again, but I'll settle for really good, like Once. Can't say I was ever a big Adams fan, myself (apologies, tastes vary). Plus, the idea of having someone write a tune just to put it over the credits never really appealed to me. If you're going to feature a new song, feature it.
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6-10-2009 @ 4:27PM
Dan said...
Chet's right, Hearts on Fire is pretty irresistably awesome for a workout. I put the Rocky Soundtrack on regularly when I'm lifting. And there is always room for Everything I Do (I Do It For You). I'll be the first to tell you that I love 80's music, and I show it off on my Ipod and subject people to admitting it's awesome, because deep down, nearly everybody know it's great.
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