Music League: The silver screen
Songs that are inseparable from movies
- Mazowsze: Dwa serduszka
Cold War, “a broken love story about broken people in a broken country,” is one of my favorite films of the last decade, and among all the great music it packs into its relatively short runtime, this mournful traditional Polish tune about a doomed love affair intentionally stands out. I’m partial to this choral version, but there’s also a great jazz version sung by Joanna Kulig later in the film. - Pat Benatar: Invincible
I haven’t seen the under-appreciated Legend of Billie Jean in many years, but my fond memories of it have always set it apart from the overflowing pantheon of 1980s teen class warfare movies. I’m sure it’s dopier than I remember, but I can’t imagine it’s much dopier than any of the others, and its appropriately epic anthem remains my favorite Pat Benatar song. - The Statler Brothers: Flowers on the Wall (bonus song)
I saw Pulp Fiction in theaters seven times during its initial run, and among its many qualities, its soundtrack assemblage is one of the most memorably specific of the form. Every song on it was thereafter inextricably tied to the film. “Flowers on the Wall” took on additional significance for me when I realized it was a very suitable song to learn on guitar while trapped in my apartment during the pandemic.