Get to your front seat, turn up the Surround-Sound, and get ready for 10 more cinematic soundtrack winners!
#110. "She's Like The Wind" by Patrick Swayze (from the movie Dirty Dancing--1987)
Actor Patrick Swayze wrote this with Stacy Widelitz for the movie in which Swayze starred in, Dirty Dancing in 1987. Wendy Fraser sings backing vocals. The film is based on an experience that screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein had in her childhood. Bergstein previously wrote a screenplay for the movie It's My Turn.
Swayze is Johnny Castle, dance instructor at a vacation resort. Frances "Baby" Houseman (played by Jennifer Grey) visits the resort with her family and falls in love with Castle. Baby's father does not approve and a misunderstanding of who is the father of Johnny's dance partner Penny (played by Cynthia Rhodes) further destroys the relationship.
Dancing, or more appropriately "Dirty" dancing, is the highlight, however, culminating in an end-of-season talent show in which Johnny and Baby perform the dance they had practiced all summer.
Jerry Orbach and Kelly Bishop star as Baby's parents, with additional contributions from Jack Weston, Jane Brucker, Kelly Bishop, Max Cantor and Wayne Knight.
Swayze was with us such a short time that it would be easy to forget all he accomplished in 57 years. His mother was a dancer, choreographer and dance instructor (no doubt where he got a lot of his talent!). Patrick played football during high school, but when a knee injury ended his career, his hopes for a scholarship to college were dashed.
Swayze moved to New York City in 1972 to enroll at the Harkness Ballet and Joffrey Ballet schools, and made his first professional dancing appearance on Disney on Parade. He was a replacement for the role of Danny in Grease on Broadway. Patrick landed a role in the movie The Outsiders in 1983, then played in the great movie Uncommon Valor and starred in another great one, Red Dawn in 1986.
Red Dawn is about a day when Russians invaded and took over the United States. The difference between that fantasy film and now is that this time, in real life, they did it without even firing a shot. Swayze starred in North and South, a 1985 television miniseries set during the American Civil War.
His breakthrough was the movie from which this song is from, Dirty Dancing. The opportunities came much easier after that blockbuster, and he starred in Ghost in 2000 with a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor.
Patrick was seriously injured in 1997 when he fell from a horse and hit a tree, breaking both his legs and suffering four detached tendons in his shoulder. He was able to resume his career and starred in the West End production of Guys and Dolls in 2006. But in December of 2007, after he filmed the first episode of The Beast, Patrick noticed a burning in his stomach. Three weeks later, he found out he had stage IV pancreatic cancer. Although he did his best to fight it, Swayze died on September 14, 2009.
"She's Like The Wind" jumped to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #3 overall in the U.S., #1 in Canada, and the Top 10 in Australia, Ireland, Norway and Sweden.
The soundtrack to Dirty Dancing is among the tops of all-time, with 14 million copies sold in the U.S. and 32 million worldwide. It dominated the Album chart for 18 weeks in the U.S. (also #1 in Australia, Austria and the Netherlands) and with sales of 3.25 million, it is the best-selling album of all-time in Germany. The "Dirty Dancing" Soundtrack won the American Music Award for Top Pop (Rock) Album, one of the only times in history that a soundtrack album has achieved that feat.
The movie scored three Golden Globe nominations: Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical, Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical (Swayze) and Best Actress in the same category (for Grey). Dirty Dancing grossed $214 million at the box office.
She's like the wind through my tree
#109--"Car Wash" by Rose Royce (from the movie Car Wash--1976)
The 1976 comedy produced by Art Linson and Gary Stromberg features the title song at #109* from Rose Royce--"Car Wash". Norman Whitfield, formerly one of the heralded songwriters at Motown, penned and produced the tune. Whitfield signed the band to his label the year before and was eager to show the world what they could do. As you might expect, the film follows a tight group of employees at a car wash in Los Angeles.
George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Franklyn Ajaye, Garrett Morris and the Pointer Sisters headline the cast. The movie is set in a single summer day in which the Dee-Luxe Car Wash welcomes guests of all types.
Whitfield wrote and produced for many Motown artists including the songs "Just My Imagination", "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone", "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", "(I Know) I'm Losing You", "I Can't Get Next To You" and "Ball Of Confusion" for the Temptations, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" for Marvin Gaye, "War" for Edwin Starr, and many others.
Pryor was one of the greatest stand-up comedians in history, and he starred in several quality movies as well. Richard co-wrote the comedy western Blazing Saddles in 1974. His comedies with the recently-departed Gene Wilder were some of his best, led by Silver Streak in 1976. The two also starred in Stir Crazy, and Pryor appeared in California Suite and Superman III, among others.
Rose Royce cleaned up the charts by going to #1 in the United States and #9 in the U.K., sold over two million singles and was nominated for Best Original Song at the Golden Globe Awards. The movie album picked up a Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack Album.
The song is much better than the movie--it grossed just $14 million.
#108--"The Heat Is On" by Glenn Frey (from the movie Beverly Hills Cop--1984)
Keith Forsey and Harold Faltermeyer wrote Song #108* for Glenn Frey for the 1984 movie Beverly Hills Cop. Frey had been invited to an early screening of the movie and was sent this song to see if he was interested in recording. He was, and finished the track in a day. Faltermeyer, who started our countdown at #200*, played keyboards and bass on the song.
Eddie Murphy plays Axel Foley, a Detroit detective who has traveled to Beverly Hills, California to solve the murder of his best friend. Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Ronny Cos, Lisa Eilbacher and Paul Reiser co-star.
Besides being a major part of The #10 Artist of the Rock Era* for his work with the Eagles, Frey enjoyed a good deal of solo success. This was his career best, but Glenn also scored with "You Belong To The City", "Smuggler's Blues", "The One You Love" and "True Love".
"The Heat Is On" climbed to #2 in the U.S., Australia and Norway and landed in the Top 10 in several others.
The soundtrack album (which reached #1 in the U.S. and has sold 2 million copies) won the Grammy for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special.
Beverly Hills Cop was nominated for Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical at the Golden Globe Awards while Murphy earned a nod as Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical. The movie picked up an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay and has grossed $316 million to date.
#107--"My Immortal" by Evanescence (from the movie Daredevil--2003)
Pianist and singer Amy Lee wrote this with guitarist Ben Moody when they were just 15 years old. After forming the group Evanescence, the song was included on their 2003 album Fallen. The album version includes strings arranged by Graeme Revell for the movie Daredevil, and after its appearance in the movie, the group recorded a different version and released it as a single.
Daredevil is a superhero movie based on the Marvel Comics character that grossed $179 million at the box office. Ben Affleck stars as Daredevil in his alternate personality when he's not arguing cases as a courtroom lawyer known as Matt Murdock. Jennifer Garner, Colin Farrell, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Keith and Joe Pantoliano join him on the Daredevil cast.
When Affleck and Matt Damon won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting in 1997, it springboarded both to superstardom. Affleck has starred in Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, Shakespeare in Love, The Sum of All Fears, Argo (which he also directed), He's Just Not That into You, and another excellent political thriller, State of Play.
"My Immortal", one of just three cinema songs from 2003 to make the countdown (Evanescence has two of them from Daredevil) reached the Top 10 in over 10 countries, including chart-topping performances in Canada, Greece and Portugal and a #7 finish in the U.S.
"My Immortal" has sold over one million copies while the "Daredevil" Soundtrack reached #9 and was certified Gold.
#106--"Hello Again" by Neil Diamond (from the movie The Jazz Singer--1980)
Neil Diamond wrote this one with Alan Lindgren for the movie in which Diamond starred in, 1980's The Jazz Singer. It's the first of three songs from that soundtrack to make our list from Diamond.
Diamond made his acting debut in the film opposite Laurence Olivier and Lucie Arnaz. Diamond plays Yussel Rabinovitch , a performer at his synagogue who is torn between the traditions of the Jewish faith and his desire to be a pop singer. The 1980 version of The Jazz Singer is the fourth adaption of the film, following the original in 1927, the remake in 1952 and a 1959 television movie.
Diamond has written and recorded 10 songs that went to #1 on Adult Contemporary and Popular charts--"Cracklin' Rosie", "Song Sung Blue", "Longfellow Serenade", "I've Been This Way Before", "If You Know What I Mean", "Desiree", "You Don't Bring Me Flowers", "America", "Yesterday's Songs" and "Heartlight". 38 of Neil's songs in his fabulous career have reached the Top 10 of one or both charts, including "Sweet Caroline", "Holly Holy", "Solitary Man", "I Am...I Said", "Play Me", "Forever In Blue Jeans", "Love On The Rocks" and "Hello Again".
Diamond was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. Neil received Kennedy Center Honors and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, both in 2018.
"Hello Again" jumped to #3 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #6 overall and has sold over one million copies worldwide.
The soundtrack, which peaked at #3 on both sides of the Atlantic, has passed the 5-million mark in worldwide sales. It earned a 1982 Grammy nomination for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special.
The Jazz Singer totaled $27 million at the box office and scored Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical for Diamond and Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Arnaz.
#105--"Lady Marmalade" by Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil' Kim and Mya (from the movie Moulin Rouge!--2001)
Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan wrote this song for Labelle, who turned it into a #1 smash in 1975. Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil' Kim and Mya remade the song for the 2001 movie Moulin Rouge!
Christian (played by Ewan McGregor) is an English poet who is depressed after the recent death of his lover, and eventually falls in love with Satine (played by Nicole Kidman), the star cabaret actress of the Moulin Rouge. Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh and John Leguizamo co-star.
Kidman has spread her talent across many aspects of entertainment and excelled at each one. She garnered a supporting role in Days of Thunder in 1990, with major roles in Batman Forever, Practical Magic, Eyes Wide Shut, Bewitched, The Others and The Stepford Wives, and won an Oscar for Best Actress in The Hours. Nicole was nominated for Moulin Rouge!, Rabbit Hole, Lion and Being the Ricardos. On television, Kidman won Primetime Emmys for Big Little Lies and also starred in the miniseries The Undoing.
Aguilera signed a recording contract with RCA in 1998 and immediately made an impact with the #1's "Genie In A Bottle", "What A Girl Wants" and "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)". Her album Stripped in 2002 is one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century. Christina has also given us "Beautiful", "Fighter", "Ain't No Other Man" and "Moves Like Jagger" and has won five Grammys and a Billboard Music Award. Christina ranked 17th in our list of The Top 100 Female Artists of the Rock Era*.
One of four songs that 2001 movies gave this music special, "Lady Marmalade" hit the 1-million mark in U.S. sales and is over 3 million globally.
The "Moulin Rouge!" Soundtrack peaked at #1 in New Zealand and #3 in both the United States and the U.K. and has topped 3 million in sales in the U.S. and 3 million worldwide. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.
Moulin Rouge! scored three Golden Globes--Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical for Kidman and Best Original Score while McGregor was nominated for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical and Baz Luhrman earned a nomination for Best Director. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Kidman, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Best Sound and won Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. The film has grossed $179 million.
#104--"Shake Ya Tailfeather" by Nelly, P. Diddy & Murphy Lee from the movie Bad Boys II--2003)
Nelly needed help for this 2003 song and he got it from P. Diddy and Murphy Lee on "Shake Ya Tailfeather". Mozart, Bach and Beethoven wrote all of their own material--somehow it took Nelly, P. Diddy, Tohri Harper, Varick Smith, the Basement Beats and Adonis Shropshire to complete this one.
In Bad Boys II, there seems to be a drug problem in Miami, Florida--imagine that. Detectives Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey are on it and they infiltrate a meeting of the disgusting Ku Klux Klan, who they discover are buying drugs. But a malfunction leads to the delayed arrival of the Miami narcotics team and Marcus and Mike wind up in a shootout with the Klansmen in which Marcus accidentally shoots Mike. The incident reinforces Mike's second thoughts of being Marcus's partner, who is already dating Mike's little sister.
"Shake Ya Tailfeather" went to #1 with weak competition in the U.S., #3 in Australia and New Zealand and #10 in the U.K. It was able to sell 500,000 copies and won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the Grammys.
The soundtrack album also reached #1 and sold one million.
Bad Boys II made $273 million, the equivalent of a movie from 1970 which made just $57 million.
#103--"Georgy Girl" by the Seekers (from the movie Georgy Girl--1966)
Tom Springfield, Dusty's older brother, wrote this 1966 song for the Seekers for the movie Georgy Girl, with lyrics from Jim Dale. The song appears at both the beginning and end of the movie.
Lynn Redgrave, James Mason, Alan Bates star and Charlotte Rampling, who was so superb in The Verdict, appeared in this movie many years before. Georgy Girl introduces us to a young woman, "Georgy" Parkin (Redgrave) who has a lot going for her--she's talented musically, has a good education and is very skilled socially. But Georgy doesn't have a lot of confidence in her physical appearance and has yet to learn about love. She's faced with a choice when she is pursued by her father's older employer and the young lover of her pregnant flatmate (Rampling).
The Seekers were a fantastic Folk group from Australia--in addition to "Georgy Girl", they enjoyed success with "I'll Never Find Another You and "A World Of Our Own".
Mason was a stage actor in London's West End before going to the big screen, but when he did, he made a tremendous impact for over 30 years, starring in Odd Man Out, a remake of A Star Is Born in 1954, winning a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor, the fantastic North by Northwest, Lolita, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, two more all-time classics, Heaven Can Wait and The Verdict and many more.
"Georgy Girl" was the group's biggest career hit--#1 in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, #2 in the U.S. and #3 in the U.K. We mentioned above that "Shake Ya Tailfeather" faced weak competition--this song was kept out of the #1 position only by the Monkees' "I'm A Believer", a classic #1 smash of 7 weeks. And "Shake Ya Tailfeather's sales of 1 million in 2003 are matched by "Georgy Girl" in 1966. Competition has to be given much weight when evaluating raw statistics of anything, be it songs, movies, or popcorn.
"Georgy Girl" was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song and should have won. The winner that year was "Born Free" and not the Andy Williams version but one by Matt Munro.
The movie earned $17 million at the box office and won a Golden Globe for Best Actress - Comedy or Musical for Redgrave and landed nominations for Best English-Language Foreign Film, Best Actor, Comedy or Musical (for Bates) and Most Promising Newcomer - Male and Most Promising Newcomer - Female (for Bates and Redgrave). At the Academy Awards, Redgrave matched her honor at the Golden Globes for Best Actress in a Leading Role, while the great Mason was nominated for Best Actor and the movie was also nominated for Best Cinematography, Black & White.
#102--"Love The World Away" by Kenny Rogers (from the movie Urban Cowboy--1980)
Bob Wilson & Johnny Wilson teamed up to write this track from Urban Cowboy in 1980 for Kenny Rogers.
John Travolta was on a hot streak, coming off Saturday Night Fever in 1978 and Grease in 1979, and starred opposite Debra Winger in the 1980 film in which he played "Bud" Davis, who has recently moved to Pasadena, Texas. Davis is working in an oil refinery along with his uncle, Bob Davis, but has his eyes on buying land near his hometown of Spur.
Bud loves the country bar Gilley's, the real-life nightclub of Country singer Mickey Gilley, and meets Sissy, played by Winger, at the club. They fall in love and get married, continuing to frequent Gilley's, which has a mechanical bull. Davis is excellent at riding it and Sissy wants to try, but the domineering Davis won't let her.
Meanwhile Wes Hightower, a convict recently paroled, starts showing interest in Sissy, which leads to a fight between he and Davis. This causes a rift between Bud and Sissy as well, and Sissy secretly starts taking lessons on the bull from Hightower. This further angers Bud and the couple separates and to make matters worse, Sissy moves in with Hightower.
Barry Corbin, Scott Glenn and Madolyn Smith co-star with singers Bonnie Raitt, Charlie Daniels, GIlley and Johnny Lee appearing as themselves.
To fans of Kenny Rogers & the First Edition, who gave us "Something's Burning" and "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In", it may have been shocking to see Rogers sing Country songs and ballads. But that is the audience he catered to, and he became one of the biggest stars in the world.
From 1978 to 1985, Kenny gave us hit after hit--"The Gambler", "She Believes In Me", "You Decorated My Life", "Coward Of The County", "Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer", "Love The World Away", "Lady", "I Don't Need You", "Share Your Love With Me", "Through The Years" and "We've Got Tonight". Rogers also acted in television movies such as The Gambler (several years after his hit of the same name) and the feature film Six Pack.
"Love The World Away" peaked at #8 on the all-important Adult Contemporary chart and #14 overall.
The "Urban Cowboy" Soundtrack rose to #2 in Canada and #3 in the U.S. and has sold three million units. It was nominated for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special at the Grammys.
The movie earned $53 million at the box office and Winger was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best New Star of the Year - Female at the Golden Globe Awards.
Every now and then
When the world steps in
Stealin' all our time away
It soon takes so much
We forget to touch
That's when I know
It's time for me to say
Take my hand
Let's walk through love's door
And be free
From the world once more
Here's my heart
We can hide today
And love the world away
Once again we'll be
Where our hearts are free
And the time is ours to share
Love will always stay
Just a touch away
Come with me
All the magic's waiting there
Take my hand
Let's walk through love's door
And be free from the world once more
Here's my heart
We can hide today
And love the world away
We can love the world away
#101--"St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" by John Parr (from the movie St. Elmo's Fire--1985)
Canadian composer David Foster wrote this with John Parr for the movie St. Elmo's Fire in 1985, with Parr recording the song. Toto's Steve Lukather plays guitar on the track.
St. Elmo's Fire is about a group of recent graduates of Georgetown University who must learn to grow up into adulthood. The cast is an ensemble of some of the top and aspiring stars of their generation: Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Andrew McCarthy and Andie MacDowell.
Foster, songwriter, arranger, recording artist and producer, has been a vibrant force in music over five decades. Foster has won an incredible 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. David began his career enjoying the hit "Wildflower" with Skylark in 1973.
He played on two albums by George Harrison and one by Earth, Wind and Fire, also co-writing their big hit "After The Love Has Gone". He co-wrote and played keyboard on Boz Scaggs' hits "Breakdown Dead Ahead", "Jojo" and "Look What You've Done To Me". David produced Chicago for the albums 16-18 and co-wrote "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" and "You're The Inspiration", then helped lead singer Peter Cetera write Cetera's #1 hit "Glory Of Love".
Foster also co-wrote "I Have Nothing" for Whitney Houston and "Heart To Heart" for Kenny Loggins and produced "Un-Break My Heart" for Toni Braxton, "Because You Loved Me" by Celine Dion and "Have You Ever?" by Brandy.
Foster has also worked with Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Mariah Carey, Neil Diamond, Kenny Rogers, Aretha Franklin, Olivia Newton-John, Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, Lionel Richie, Donna Summer, Bryan Adams, Hall & Oates, Dionne Warwick, Glen Campbell, Paul Anka, Dolly Parton, Michael Buble and Josh Groban, Kim Carnes, Lynyrd Skynyrd and many more.
In addition to St. Elmo's Fire, Moore was one of the big stars of the 90's with her role in the epic A Few Good Men, Ghost, The Seventh Sign, Juror, Bobby and Margin Call.
"St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" hit #1 for two weeks in 1985 in the United States and also #1 in Canada and #6 in the U.K. The soundtrack album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special.
The movie grossed nearly $38 million at the box office.
Wow, some great songs in there just outside of The Top 100*. More fantastic memories from movies await you tomorrow, exclusively on Inside The Rock Era!
