Being a huge cinephile and music lover as well, one of my greatest joys is when I watch a film and I discover a song that I absolutely love and listen to over and over again! Now keep in mind that this thread is about songs you discovered through movies that are not part of an original soundtrack. Right now I remember three moments that stood out to me. We should probably limit this to popular pieces and not classical since then there'd be WAY too many!

Kiki's Delivery Service directed by Hayao Miyazaki: Message of Rouge & If I've Been Enveloped By Tenderness by Yumi Arai

I always loved this movie as a child so I watched it again recently and found two fun pop songs. I always imagine Kiki flying on her broom when listening to these songs. Now I'm a big Yumi Arai/Matsutoya fan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJAXH4rj0kg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF2CZppmY1A

Still Walking directed by Hirozaku Koreeda: Blue Light Yokohama by Ayumi Ishida

I just love this classic Japanese pop song from 1968, I didn't know it was an old popular song until after I saw the film and searched it up. Soon after I picked up a great compilation of Ayumi Ishida's catchy pop songs!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Etax_uNTvpQ

Pulp Fiction directed by Quentin Tarantino: You Never Can Tell by Chuck Berry

This one is actually kind of different, because I was already a fan of Chuck Berry and I had this song on a compilation I bought and listened to casually a few times. As usual with casual listening by the end of the album I tend to lose concentration, and so I never paid attention to this one until I saw Pulp Fiction with its iconic dance scene. I'm so glad since I love this song a lot now!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoDPPgWbfXY

[Edited 7/31/13 13:12pm]

Well, damn,, most of the music I listen now is music I discovered through films..

Since you mentioned Pulp Fiction,, the bar scene where Bruce Willis talks to Marcelus Wallas, Al Green's Let's Stay Together was on, I loved it so much then I instantly checked it out..

Also Dick Dale's Miserlou.

But most of the music I'm talking about is alternative rock/indie rock/pop.. you know, nothing like the orgers like (Prince or whatever).

Scorcese makes the best use of music in his films, as far as I'm concerned.

"Sail On Sailor," The Beach Boys (The Departed)

"20th Century Boy," T Rex (a/k/a Placebo (in Velvet Goldmine))

"Jump Into The Fire," Harry Nilsson (Goodfellas)

"Shimmy She Wobble," Otha Turner (RIP) and the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band (Gangs of New York)

"There But For The Grace Of God," Machine (Summer of Sam)

"Lujon," Henry Mancini (Sexy Beast) (was not part of the original soundtrack)

"Queen B----," David Bowie (The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou)

"Stella By Starlight," Ray Charles (Casino)

Julie Andrews & Dick Van Dyke ~ Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Quincy Jones ~ Poppy Girls

The Bostweeds ~ Run Pussycat

Gene Kelly ~ Singing In The Rain

Ennio Morricone ~ The Good The Bad & The Ugly

Dennis Coffey and Luchi de Jesus ~ Black Belt Jones Main Theme

Cliff Edwards ~ When I See An Elephant Fly

Cliff Edwards ~ When You Wish Upon A Star

The entire soundtrack to Drive..."Nighcall" by Kavinsky feat Lovefoxx is amazing!

And the soundtracks to Beverly Hills Cop I and II were superb and introduced me to some unloved 80s acts.

Shawy89 said:

Since you mentioned Pulp Fiction,, the bar scene where Bruce Willis talks to Marcelus Wallas, Al Green's Let's Stay Together was on, I loved it so much then I instantly checked it out..

Best music+movie sequence, for my money. Maybe the best soliloquy Tarantino's ever written.

But most of the music I'm talking about is alternative rock/indie rock/pop.. you know, nothing like the orgers like (Prince or whatever).

There is a lot of that music discussed in the new music threads in this Non-Prince Music forum.

I discovered Ike & Tina thru the movie "What's Love Got to Do With It". Other than "Proud Mary", I had never been exposed to the duo's music. After I saw the movie, I've collected just about every recording from them that has seen the light of day.

namepeace said:

Scorcese makes the best use of music in his films, as far as I'm concerned.

"Sail On Sailor," The Beach Boys (The Departed)

"20th Century Boy," T Rex (a/k/a Placebo (in Velvet Goldmine))

"Jump Into The Fire," Harry Nilsson (Goodfellas)

"Shimmy She Wobble," Otha Turner (RIP) and the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band (Gangs of New York)

"There But For The Grace Of God," Machine (Summer of Sam)

"Lujon," Henry Mancini (Sexy Beast) (was not part of the original soundtrack)

"Queen B----," David Bowie (The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou)

"Stella By Starlight," Ray Charles (Casino)

Back when Napster was all the rage, I downloaded nearly every song Scorcese used in "Casino" and "Goodfellas".

So many....

Tangerine Dream

[Edited 8/3/13 21:47pm]

These were the intro & ending credits themes in Repulsion (1965) by Chico Hamilton

.

Carol's Walk / Pretty Little Theme

That whole soundtrack is how I discovered afrobeat.

Drive

Trainspotting

Dancer in the dark

The bodyguard, i don't like the soundtrack much, but I love this:

[Edited 8/23/13 3:50am]

Simple Minds - Breakfast Club - Don't U Forget About Me

Bruce Springsteen - Cop Land - Stolen Car

Summer in the City - Die Hard 3

There's Something About Mary- Build Me Up Buttercup

the whole FUll Monty soundtrack

Oh yeah I completely forgot about Dancer In The Dark, I love that movie and its soundtrack!

Recently I saw In The Mood For Love and I've got to say that Wong Kar-Wai is up there with the best directors in using pre-existing music (esp. popular music).

I loved Yumeji's Theme by Shigeru Umebayashi, the Nat King Cole songs Quizas, Quizas, Quizas, Te Quiero Dijiste, and Aquellos Ojos Verdes, I also love Zhou Xuan's song in the film Hua Yang De Nian Hua.

And since I mentioned Zhou Xuan, I also love her songs in the 1937 film Street Angel which she also stars in. Song Of The Four Seasons and The Wandering Songstress.

Theme from One Hour Photo. Robin Williams just kills me:

Jus some pretty shit. Weepy and right.

From the horrible Daredevil movie...I fell in love with Evanescence and Amy Lee's voice. Never heard of them before but became a fan.

I really loved this song from The Host...Imagine Dragons - Radioactive...although I'm really sick of it now as it's played everywhere and all the time.

I'm sure there are much older ones I've forgotten but these came to mind first.

Jerry Reed ~ East Bound And Down

Jerry Reed ~ The Bandit

David Holmes (Ocean's 11, 12 & 13)


His work on Ocean's 11 is what caught my attention...

...Ruben's In & Pickpockets

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...Stealing The Pinch & Planting The Seed