Many factors go into crafting an excellent fight scene in a movie, such as choreography, cinematography, and, of course, sound design. While most fight scenes in film are accompanied by an instrumental score, there are some instances where filmmakers decide to go a different route and instead insert a popular song.

It’s very difficult to find a song that will fit in with the mood and context of a specific fight scene without sounding odd or out of place. Fortunately, there have been numerous movies that have found the perfect tunes to accompany their most famous fight scenes. They’ve reaped the benefits, and become truly memorable onscreen moments in the process.

Updated on May 23, 2024 by Robert Vaux: The ten movies on the list have benefited immeasurably from their canny choice of songs to help stand out in the memorable. The article has been updated slightly to add five new entries to the list, as well as context to the songs themselves. The formatting has been modified to meet current CBR guidelines.

15 Corky Romano’s Gangsters Lay the Smackdown to “We’re Not Gonna Take It”

The 2001 mafia comedy film Corky Romano was critically panned upon release but still managed to gain a cult following. One of the highlights of the movie is when Corky is taken prisoner by a gang of neo-Nazis. His brothers, who have been listening in via a hidden wire, decide to rescue Corky.

With Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” playing, the Romanos and their reinforcements break into the hideout and easily dispatch the captors. This scene is more of a one-sided beatdown than a fight, but the music choice combined with the satisfaction of seeing neo-Nazis getting beaten means it deserves the proper recognition. And Dee Snider’s classic stick-it-to-the-man anthem hits in just the right way.

14 Deadpool 2 Sets a Satirical Tone with “9 to 5”

Most action movie fights that use a popular song will include something intense and fast-paced to match the intensity of the scene. However, Deadpool 2 is not like most action movies. As the film opens, the Merc with a Mouth is seen taking on various organized crime families across the globe. What better song to accompany this montage than Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5”? The piece was written for a movie of the same name, about three working women who get even with their monster of a boss.

The lighthearted tune is surprisingly appropriate for a Deadpool action scene, no matter how gruesome. As a mercenary, Deadpool slaughtering baddies is the equivalent of putting on a tie and heading into the office. This scene perfectly encapsulates Deadpool’s day job as he continues to work his own 9-5.

13 Undercover Brother Makes Hysterical Use of “Beat It”

Undercover Brother is an early-2000s spy action comedy that features the comedic stylings of Eddie Griffin, Dave Chappelle, and Chris Kattan. At the climax of the movie, there’s a spectacular showdown between the titular character and Kattan’s villain. The song choice for this fight scene is none other than Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” The film’s soundtrack is composed mainly of funk music, but the fight scene goes in a different direction by incorporating one of Michael Jackson’s most famous pop songs.

The song was inspired by the movie West Side Story, and the video famously riffs on that film by showing rival gangs getting ready to rumble before being stopped by Jackson’s fiery admonitions to stop. The fight scene in Undercover Brother is surprisingly well-done — albeit quite silly — and having “Beat It,” in the background adds a whole new level of excitement that turns it into the best moment of the entire movie.

12 The Coens Create a Shootout Classic to “Danny Boy” in Miller’s Crossing

“Danny Boy” comes from a much older school of music-writing than most of the songs on this list, though not as old as some may think. Frederic Weatherly wrote the song in 1910, combining it with a traditional Irish medley in 1913 to produce what has become a quintessential Irish ballad, which was first recorded in 1915. The Coen Brothers are noted music afficionados and used it to supremely ironic effect in their 1990 gangster epic Miller’s Crossing.

The scene also happens to be one of the greatest gunfights in movie history, as a quartet of would-be hitmen descend on the house of benign Prohibition-era crime boss Leo O’Bannon, only to find the tables turned in shockingly violent fashion. The implied tragedy of “Danny Boy” ostensibly signals the over-the-hill Leo’s imminent doom. Instead, he utterly destroys the killers coming for him and lights the fuse on the film’s simmering gang war. As one of his underlings explains later, “the old man’s still an artist with a Thompson.”

11 “Bad Reputation” Shows That Shrek Is No Ordinary Fairy Tale

Songs can inform character, especially if it’s a character the audience is just getting to know. The original Shrek presents its fractured fairy tale from the monster’s perspective, as a bad-tempered ogre rescues an enchanted princess more or less out of spite, only to find himself falling for her. The film spawned a lengthy franchise, and the character has become a pop-cultural staple.

Shrek helps endear him to the audience early on, as Shrek and Donkey arrive at Lord Farquaad’s to complain about the fairy-tale creatures overrunning his swamp. Farquaad sets his guards on him and Donkey, only for Shrek to dispatch them with a series of wrestling moves and rolling beer kegs. Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation” punctuates his triumph, and cements the tone for Shrek’s supremely snarky approach to classic storybook fables.

10 Star Trek Beyond Comes Full Circle with “Sabotage”

Star Trek’s relationship with popular music turned a corner when Zephram Cochrane blasted off to Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride” in 1996’s Star Trek: First Contact. Before that, the saga pointedly ignored anything resembling rock songs as anathema to its distant future. Since then, however, it’s championed a good deal of contemporary music, including a slow-burn callback during the Kelvinverse trilogy of movies.

2009’s Star Trek reboot features an early scene of young Jim Kirk stealing his stepfather’s vintage car and taking it for a joyride: cranking up Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” on the radio to punctuate the moment. 2016’s Star Trek: Beyond finds the perfect callback when Kirk and his crew have to destroy a swarm of alien ships by broadcasting “something loud and distracting” into their communications network. “Sabotage” proves just the thing, creating a rolling explosion through the alien armada as Chekov and Sulu tap their feet to the beat.

9 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Taps “No Sleep till Brooklyn”

Out of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, no set of movies has a more iconic soundtrack than Guardians of the Galaxy. Across the three films, a few beloved 70s and 80s songs are seamlessly integrated into fight scenes, but the one that stands out is the Beastie Boys’ “No Sleep till Brooklyn.” The climax of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 features the Guardians battling the High Evolutionary’s minions in an impressive one-shot fight sequence.

In previous Guardians movies, fights were accompanied by more easy-going songs such as Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain,” or Jay and the Americans’ “Come a Little Bit Closer.” This is the only fight where the song truly matches the chaos of what’s on the screen. The song is about the exhausting marathon of a concert tour, and how the band is determined to see it through to the end no matter what. It’s a fitting finale for the Guardians as they come together to help their friend Rocket.

8 Jet Li Fights Himself in The One with “Blood Brothers”

Before the concept of the multiverse was popularized on the big screen by the MCU and the DCEU, there was The One. This 2001 action movie featured Jet Li teaming up with Jason Statham to take down a version an evil version of Li from an alternate universe. Naturally, the movie culminates with a fight between Jet Li and his Doppelganger, all to the tune of Papa Roach’s “Blood Brothers.”

While some of the editing and other parts of the scene may feel a little dated, Jet Li is always a delight to watch on the screen, and seeing him “fight himself” is still a high point for many of his fans. Set to “Blood Brothers” helps to elevate the scene and make it even more memorable for the audience.

7 Iron Man and War Machine Square Off to “Robot Rock”

During the events of Iron Man 2, Tony Stark goes through a crisis as he realizes the palladium in his arc reactor is slowly poisoning him to death. During what he believes is his final birthday, he dons his armor and gets drunk and reckless. His close friend Rhodey puts on a prototype Iron Man suit to restrain him, which leads to the two fighting to the tune of Daft Punk’s “Robot Rock.”

What makes this particular fight scene and music choice unique is the fact that Stark himself requests this song be played while he’s battling his friend. In typical Stark manner, he wants to have a solid soundtrack to accompany him during a fight. The irony of the scene isn’t lost on viewers that Tony and Rhodey are two fighting “robots” fighting to that song.

6 Zoolander’s Zany Finale Mixes “Rockit” with “Relax”

A movie about the modeling industry doesn’t seem like it would have a good fight scene, but Zoolander manages to pull it off. The exceedingly dim Derek Zoolander is brainwashed to assassinate the prime minister of Malaysia, whom the fashion industry wants dead for his efforts to outlaw child labor in his country. “Relax” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood is his trigger.

During the finale, Zoolander’s rival-turned-bestie Hansel battles the evil brainwashing DJ in what may be the first-ever breakdance fight: flipping between “Relax” and Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit.” The music alternates as the scene switches between the fight and Derek’s modeling, with the prime minister’s life hanging in the balance. Ultimately, the awesome scene comes to a sudden end when Hansel pulls the music system’s plug, though not before Zoolander has unleashed his now-legendary Blue Steel look to save the day.

5 Beverly Hills Cop Hits Peak MTV with “Neutron Dance”

Producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer changed Hollywood — for the worse in many ways — with their 1983 hit Flashdance. The run-of-the-mill romantic drama benefited from a breakout performance from star Jennifer Beals, but mainly existed to tap into the synergy of freshly minted cultural phenomenon MTV. It worked — thanks to a pair of pulse-pounding hits on the soundtrack — and the producing pair perfected the format a year later with Beverly Hills Cop. The breezy action-comedy sold itself at least partly with its soundtrack — packed full of made-to-order hits like Glenn Frey’s “The Heat is On” — while turning Eddie Murphy into the biggest movie star in the world.

Beverly Hills Cop signals what it’s all about in the opening scene, as a pair of local crooks take off with in a truck of stolen cigarettes with Murphey’s Axel Foley clinging to a chain in the back. Director Martin Brest delivers perhaps the perfect embodiment of an 80s car chase — flashy, empty, and almost ridiculously fun — thanks in part to the Pointer Sisters’ “Neutron Dance” blasting on the soundtrack. The album hit #1, the movie became the biggest success of the year, and Simpson and Bruckheimer defined blockbuster filmmaking for a decade afterward.

4 Kingsman: The Secret Service Brutally Delivers “Free Bird”

One of the most popular fight sequences in the past decade is the famous “church scene,” from 2014’s Kingsman: The Secret Service. The scene features Kingsman agent Harry expertly fighting his way through a church filled with murderous, brainwashed cult members. Meanwhile, the famous ending guitar solo from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” plays in the background.

The song became famous for its four-minute guitar solo, still considered one of the greatest in rock history, and enough to get the heart racing in any listener. That makes it the perfect companion to the iconic fight scene. As Harry defeats his final opponent, the song ends in a triumphant finale, and the audience is left in awe at the sheer amount of visual and audible energy that was just presented to them.

3 Blade II’s Resurrection Arrives Amid “Name of the Game”

2002’s Blade II is an action-packed thrill ride that doesn’t go more than a few minutes without an action scene. Credit goes to director Guillermo del Toro for his spot-on understanding of what the project requires. The peak fight scene begins when a severely weakened Blade takes a dip in a pool of fresh, human blood. As he emerges, newly invigorated, a team of armed soldiers surround him.

Unfortunately for them, The Crystal Method’s “Name of the Game,” begins to play, meaning that they are already dead. The Blade films usually feature instrumental techno as its music of choice, but in this instance, they go for something a little more intense to match the fighting style that made Blade one of the most brutal Avengers.

2 “Don’t Stop Me Now” Tops Shaun of the Dead’s Zombified Night Out

Shaun of the Dead strikes the perfect balance of dark humor, horror, and action, especially during its climactic fight scene. When Shaun and his friends are hiding out in the Winchester pub, the zombified owner John attacks. The protagonists arm themselves with pool cues to fight off the zombie, but not before the jukebox begins to automatically play Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.”

At the start of the fight, Shaun utters the brilliant play-on-words, “Kill the Queen,” (referring to cutting off the music lest it attracts more zombies). He and his companions then proceed to beat John on tempo with the music, while his mother and other friends watch and bob their heads to the tune. The surreal moment just wouldn’t feel the same if any other song were playing.

1 The Matrix Shatters Expectations with “Spybreak!”

The Wachowskis famously stole George Lucas’s thunder when their dystopic sci-fi actioner The Matrix opened a few months before the vaunted Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace. From the moment it landed, it felt fresh and new: bolstered by a soundtrack featuring the likes of Rob Zombie, Rammstein and Rage Against the Machine. Against it, the evergreen stylings of Star Wars felt more past than future, and while The Phantom Menace’s reputation has improved with time, the original Matrix never needed that kind of boost.

The film’s signature scene occurs when Neo and Trinity launch an attempt to rescue their mentor Morpheus from the clutches of the machines. They kick things off with a shootout in the building’s lobby, mixing superhuman kicks and acrobatic moves with a fire hose of bullets all in time to “Spybreak!” by Propellerheads. The piece is nearly lyric-free, providing the last piece in the puzzle to turn the scene into a straight-up masterpiece.