10 Songs That Became More Popular Than the Movies They Were Made For

It can be a good move to write a song for a film and time the release of that song with the release of the film. A lot of artists have gotten some of their biggest hits doing this, like if someone enjoys a movie and a song was written for it, there's a good chance they'll want to track it down and listen to it after the movie is over.

If the movie comes first, it makes sense that it's more memorable than any song written for it. If the song is particularly popular, maybe the song and the movie will be equally popular (like Titanic and “My Heart Will Go On”). However, sometimes it happens that a song becomes more popular than the movie it was written for. Whether it was because the song was hugely popular or the movie was a bit forgettable, the following 10 songs overshadowed the movies they were made for..

10 “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” by Bryan Adams

'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves' (1991)

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is far from definitive Robin Hood movie you would have expected it to be. It's a big-budget, live-action take on the iconic character and his story, though it doesn't endure to this day as a classic, with perhaps Alan RickmanThe opinion of the Sheriff of Nottingham is its strongest element.

Also lasting beyond the film itself is the power ballad Bryan Adams, “(Everything) I do, I do it for you.” It's the kind of song you've probably heard, and you might be surprised to hear it was even written for a movie. It is among the best-selling singles of the 1990s, while the film itself cannot claim to be as popular.at least not nowadays.

9 “Knockin' on Heaven's Door” by Bob Dylan

'Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid' (1973)

Sam Peckinpah he was an innovative director whose films have held up well, even though he wasn't as successful in his time. His best known films are probably The wild group and the Steve McQueen vehicle, The Escapeleaving some of his other films viz Pat Garrett and Billy the Kidcriminally underrated.

At least Bob DylanThe song “Knockin' on Heaven's Door” fared much better, eventually becoming one of the folk/rock musician's most iconic songs. He wrote it for the film, and also acted in a supporting role. All the others were unfairly overlooked for their efforts to make this great Western, but thankfully the tide has turned in the years since its release, and it is now more recognized and appreciated.

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8 “New York, New York” (covered by Frank Sinatra)

'New York, New York' (1977)

An unusual film inside Martin Scorsesefilmography of New York, New York is a romance/musical depicting the turbulent relationship between a saxophonist and a young singer in the years following the end of World War II.

The song “New York, New York” was originally written for the film and sung by its star, Liza Minnelli. However, just a few years after the film's release, the title song was performed by Frank Sinatraand it immediately became one of the singer's biggest hits. Many would probably be surprised to find out that Sinatra's version was a cover; that's how it became much more popular than the film it originated from.

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7 “Can't Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley

“Blue Hawaii” (1961)

When it comes to Elvis Presley, it's fair to say that many of his songs have outlasted most of his films. Although he had a prolific career as an actor, he is still best known for his music, and for good reason blue hawaii and the song “Can't Help Falling in Love” extra notably.

It's an instantly recognizable classic love song that you've probably heard, or at least heard referenced/covered by other musicians. The number of people who have actually seen the Elvis Presley film for which it was written (especially today) is probably much smaller.

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6 “Cut to the Feeling” by Carly Rae Jepsen

'Ballerina' (2016)

Let's face it: few people have heard of it Ballerina. It was an animated family film that was also a Canadian-French co-production and focuses on a girl who will do whatever it takes to become a world-famous dancer.

While the song “Cut to the Feeling” by Carly Rae Jepsen It may not have been the cultural powerhouse that “Call Me Maybe” was (although it's a better song), it's still better known than the movie it was written for. It is one of Jepsen's best songs and an amazing pop song that is well regarded in many music circles., even if it has not achieved world fame. Still, she's certainly better known than the movie Ballerina.

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5 “Gangsta's Paradise” by Coolio

'Dangerous Minds' (1995)

dangerous minds is a pretty obscure movie now in the 2020s, even if the movie stars Michelle Pfeiffer, which has maintained relevance and popularity throughout the 21st century. It is a film that follows a white woman who becomes a teacher at a high school with mostly Latino and African-American students and deals with her experience teaching those from different backgrounds.

It's not a movie that has really lived up to the present day, but the song “Gangsta's Paradise” has certainly lived on as a classic song of the nineties. It is easily Coolio's best-known song and achieved widespread popularity somehow the film it was written for ultimately never got made.

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4 “Call Me” by Blondie

'American Gigolo' (1980)

At the risk of being too forceful, Blondie's “Call Me” is too good to american gigolo. The 1980 film about an upper-class male sex worker is definitely not terrible, but it doesn't hold a candle to the song that was written for it, which is one of Blondie's biggest hits and a defining song of the 1980s as a whole.

In short, the soundtrack of the film ends up being filled with the song. He plays constantly throughout the film, often as an instrumental, with very light efforts Giorgio Moroder to tweak and remix the classic song to fit the accompanying scenes. Who can blame Moroder, really, when the song is as great as “Call Me” is?

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3 “Going Home: Theme from Local Hero” by Mark Knopfler

'Local Hero' (1983)

local hero is a quiet, unassuming, but ultimately compelling film about a small Scottish coastal town dealing with an oil company that wants to drill off its coast. It might not sound particularly exciting, but it's well made, well shot and very well acted, making it a solid movie overall.

However, it is a rare film where its theme song eventually became more popular than the film itself. Mark Knopfler (from Dire Straits fame) wrote the instrumental track, and it's one that once heard, is impossible to forget. It's almost a perfect instrumental pop song, then while local hero it's a good movie, ultimately it can't compete with the earworm that is Knopfler's subject.

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2 “Together in Electric Dreams” by Giorgio Moroder and Philip Oakey

“Electric Dreams” (1984)

Electric dreams it's a strange film that probably isn't for everyone, but those who get on the film's wavelength will likely find it to be one of the most underrated films of the 1980s. Broadly speaking, it's about a young man and his hyper-intelligent computer, and a love triangle that develops between a man, a machine, and an attractive young woman who lives in a neighboring apartment.

His free interpretation of the story of Cyrano de Bergerac it's silly but charming, and the overall film is helped enormously by the fantastic soundtrack. The crown jewel of this soundtrack is “Together in Electric Dreams” by Giorgio Moroder and Philip Oakey (from The Human League), Which one stands as one of the greatest anthems of the 1980s and an incredible song that outshines the film it was written for. (even while this movie is still very good).

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1 “Cat People (Putting Fire)” by David Bowie

“Cat People” (1982)

Years 1982 cat people is a loose remake/update of the 1942 film of the same name. It's a horror film about a woman who's afraid of turning into a giant cat, and with this 1982 version, it ups the ante considerably compared to the original film of which it's a loose remake.

It's not a bad movie, but it spawned an iconic song that has surpassed the movie in terms of popularity. David Bowie“Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” has been recognized as one of his best post-1980 songs, receiving extra attention in recent years for its iconic use in Quentin Tarantino's Damn bastards. cat people could be a decent horror film, but Bowie's song for the film inevitably stands as certified pop/rock.

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