Evening, all! I’ve been thinking about this one for a while. Music and movies go hand in hand, and have for 97 years, ever since Al Jolson burst into song in The Jazz Singer (yeah, I know—on the one hand, ugh; but on the other hand, it’s undeniably a part of musical and cinematic history).

Since then, the use of music in movies has both changed and remained the same.

Music in film achieves a number of things: it establishes setting; it creates atmosphere; it calls attention to elements; it reinforces or foreshadows narrative developments; it gives meaning to a character’s actions or translates their thoughts; and it creates emotion.
-Kathryn Kalinak
 Film Music: A Very Short Introduction

But most of all, music can make a movie, or a scene therein, memorable. It can even override what we previously thought about with certain songs. I, for one, cannot hear the second half of Clapton’s “Layla” (the piano and guitar instrumental) without thinking of finding all the dead gangsters in Goodfellas. (no clip; too gruesome)

The uses and types of music in movies are as diverse as each art form itself. Songs in musicals; classical or original film scores; the use of pop songs; and so on. Post what you will—I only ask that you be mindful about posting any R-rated movie clips; we don’t want anyone getting bojo’d! 

I’m going to link This was the first one that came to mind when I had the idea for this diary; someone posted the opening of The Muppet Movie (1979) last week, with Kermit singing “Rainbow Connection”, but I also like the brief reprise at the end of the movie. (I’m not crying, you’re crying!)

Next up is one of my favorite movies, Repo Man. There is no way I can explain this ending scene (I can’t even sum up, to quote Inigo Montoya), but the song that plays—“Reel Ten” by 80’s LA punk band The Plugz—is the perfect accompaniment to the ending of this incredibly weird and wonderful movie. (warning: language, but nothing you haven’t seen elsewhere on DK; also, don’t watch if you don’t want the spoiler)

Sometimes, the music becomes a part of the movie itself, as Anton Karas’s zither soundtrack did, playing nearly constantly during The Third Man. 

Gentle reminder: Please continue to put the name of your selection in your comment along with your song. Those of us on our phones?  We really appreciate it. And people using screen readers need this in order to identify the video. If you want to include the movie, too, that would be great; if not, that’s cool, too. The comment police ain’t comin’ for anybody tonight.

You know how this works — Put your quarter in the slot and your song in the comments. This is your Saturday night jukebox and the party starts NOW!