Best Movie "Signature" Songs

With La La Land (according to some) potentially reviving the Hollywood musical...alongside new animated musicals like Moana and Sing...I think it'd be fun to talk about our favorite (or the best) "signature" tunes from films (but not adaptations of stage shows unless a new song was written). Examples:

"Faith" from Sing, "How Far I'll Go" from Moana, "City of Stars" from La La Land, "I See the Light" from Tangled, "Cinema Italiano" from Nine, "Loving You" from Mame, the title song of Singin' in the Rain...

I think "Colors of the Wind" is one of the most gorgeous songs I've ever heard. The version from the movie, I mean - the orchestrations are incredibly stirring and vivid, and of course Judy Kuhn knows how to sell it. I also think the lyrics are among Stephen Schwartz's very best, full of clever rhymes, alliteration, and word play.

I've never actually seen the movie, but that's my pick. :)

Updated On: 12/20/16 at 04:42 PM

"Easy to Love" from Born to Dance. "The Man That Got Away" from A Star is Born.

My favorite and perhaps a lesser-known one, "You And I" from Goodbye Mr. Chips. Petula Clark sings it so beautifully and the melody and lyric get me every time. There's a recording by Barbara Cook out there that's great too.

My bad. Forgot "Theme from New York New York". Other than "over the rainbow", I don't know that it gets any more signature than that.

"Moon River" and "Alfie" completely define the films they're from. Impossible to think of BAT or Alfie without hearing the songs in your brain.

"I Will Wait for You" from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, "For All We Know" from Lovers and Other Strangers, "Ready to Take a Chance Again" from Foul Play, "The Last Time I Felt Like This" from Same Time, Next Year, "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" from Mannequin.

kdogg36 said: "I think "Colors of the Wind" is one of the most gorgeous songs I've ever heard. The version from the movie, I mean - the orchestrations are incredibly stirring and vivid, and of course Judy Kuhn knows how to sell it. I also think the lyrics are among Stephen Schwartz's very best, full of clever rhymes, alliteration, and word play.

I've never actually seen the movie, but that's my pick. :)



"

1. You've never seen Pocahontas....GET ON THAT...RIGHT NOW!! I don't care what anyone says about it being not as good as what came before it, because that's nonsense. It's JUST as good. The only reason people think it's not 'great' is because of the fact that Lion King came right before. Which of course is brilliant! LK and B and B are what every other Disney film that came after them are measures against, and for good reason. While Pocahontas IS different than it's predecessors, it's still a great film! And if you want to talk about clever lyrics by Schwartz and his word play, let's about "Mine Mine Mine", one of the greatest and most underrated Disney villains songs sung by one of the greatest and most underrated Disney Villains... Seriously this is a MUST watch for any Disney enthusiast, especially since it's theme is still timeless and still relevant, and will always be so. GET.ON.THIS.



2. As to a signature tune, are we talking about just any movies' signature tune or signature tunes that have stood the test of time/are timeless/ones that the whole planet knows? I mean it's hard to beat the TRUE Disney classics. Moon River and Somewhere Out There...dear heavens yes. Over the Rainbow just goes without saying, it's almost pointless to list it.

In the spirit of Christmas, Silver Bells, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and obviously White Christmas are their respective films' signature tunes, and also are pieces that have become American Songbook/Pop standards outside of their films, so much so that today's populace forgets they're actually from a movie.

OK, it's sung over the action, and not by a character in the film, but "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head," from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Drive It Like You Stole It from "Sing Street." If you haven't seen Sing Street yet, it's streaming on Netflix and absolutely worth watching - it's fantastic.

"Journey to the Past" and "Once Upon A December" - the former more so.

I'm glad someone finally mentioned "Let it Go."

"Can You Read My Mind?" from Superman, was a lovely song. It was Oscar nominated, I think. In fact, it may have won.

One of the most famous doesn't have words -- "Dueling Banjos," from Deliverance.

I think Elton John's and Bernie Taupin's "Your Song" may have come from a movie.

Audrey

Mine are all instrumental songs but the theme songs for Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Back to the Future.

The opening notes of Circle of Life from the Lion King always gives me the chills too.

Has anyone seen "Molly Pope in A Star is Born" at 54 Below? The concept of that is very close to what I'm doing with my Into the Woods suite. Although Into the Woods doesn't really have a "signature" number, I'm curious to know if the audience can follow the story presented in such a manner.