The most unforgettable needle drops fromthe 1990s moviesmade for some of the most famous cinematic moments of the decade. The use of music has been key to motion pictures since their inception. While there have been many belovedoriginal songs in movies, the use of popular music came later.
The “needle drop” refers to the use of preexisting music in a movie, withfilmmakers like Martin Scorsesepioneering the use of popular music in the 1970s. The ’90s saw a further change in the style with the rise of teen movies, leading to music that spoke to that generation, while filmmakers used music to showcase their distinct style.
It might seem easy enough to stick a well-known song into a movie, but a perfect needle drop can enhance a movie moment and make it into something audiences will not soon forget.
10"Can’t Take My Eyes Off You" - 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
10 Things I Hate About Youis one of thebest teen moviesof the 1990s and served as a launching pad for many talented young actors. However, Heath Ledger is the member of the ensemble who stands out the most, playing the bad boy, Patrick, and he shows his charm in one iconic scene.
As Patrick is having difficulty winning over Kat (Julia Stiles),he resorts to a more public way of sweeping her off her feet by performing a rendition of Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.” While this could have been a typical cheese teen movie moment, Ledger’s fun performance helps to make it a crowd-pleaser.
Ledger didn’t take on many roles like this in his career, but he is still fondly remembered for his musical scene-stealing in10 Things I Hate About You.
9"Free Fallin'" - Jerry Maguire (1996)
Cameron Crowe is a filmmaker who has made his love of music a big part of his movies. His rom-comJerry Maguireis less about music than most of his projects, but he picks some great songs to enhance several scenes, including this memorable use of Tom Petty, a favorite artist of Cameron’s.
Tom Cruise plays the titular character, a sports agent who is down and out. However, in one endearing scene, he looks to be getting things back on track and celebrates by singing along to the radio.After several failed attempts to find the right song to capture his jubilant mood, he lands on “Free Fallin'.”
It is one of the most charming scenes in Cruise’s career, and it grounds him in this role with a very relatable moment. His awkward fumbling around the radio makes it all the more pleasing when he finds his song, and it is hard not to want to sing along with him.
8"Hurricane" - Dazed And Confused (1993)
Matthew McConaughey is just one member of the star-studdedcast ofDazed and Confused, but he certainly gives the movie its most iconic character. Wooderson might be best remembered for his memorable lines, but there is one music moment that helped make McConaughey a star.
After cruising around, Wooderson and his friends decide to stop in at the local pool hall.As Bob Dylan’s “Hurricane” plays, the doors open and Wooderson strolls in like he owns the place, giving McConaughey a pure movie star moment while also making his character one we want to keep our eyes on.
It is a sign of director Richard Linklater’s confidence in his musical choices. While a protest song from Dylan might seem like an odd choice in this moment, it works perfectly and makes for a mesmerizing entrance.
7"You Never Can Tell" - Pulp Fiction (1994)
Pulp Fictionis one of the most influential movies to come out of the 1990s, displaying Quentin Tarantino’s unique style that many filmmakers have tried to emulate ever since. The movie also markedthe surprise Hollywood comebackof John Travolta, playing the cold hitman Vincent Vega.
However, even with it being a role Travolta was not known for, Tarantino also gave audiences something special by getting the actor to dance right in the middle of this wild and violent crime story.After a reluctant Vincent is talked into a dance competition by Mia (Uma Thurman), the two twist away to Chuck Berry’s “You Never Can Tell.”
Along with being a fun throwback to Travolta’s great work inSaturday Night FeverandGrease, it makes for a surprise moment within this story. The song is appropriate as the moment cements that you can’t really predict what’s coming next in a Tarantino film.
6"Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangster" - Office Space (1999)
Office Spacewas not a hit when it was first released, but it has since gone on to be recognized as one of thebest comedies of the 1990s. Ron Livingston stars as Peter, an unhappy office drone who finds peace in his job by simply deciding to stop caring about it.
Peter’s new philosophy is put into effect in one delightful scene asthe rap song “Damn it Feels Good to Be a Gangster” by Geto Boys plays over a montage of Peter blowing off his work, strolling into the office late, and embracing his new carefree approach.
The song is a hilarious use for such a mundane setting, which makes it even funnier. However, it is also a strangely pleasant song that really works for the feel-good moment that anyone who has worked in an office can live vicariously through.
5"Jessie’s Girl" - Boogie Nights (1997)
Boogie Nightsis a period movie that features a terrific soundtrack that helps navigate the audience through the peak years of the porn industry in Los Angeles. This makes for a lot of great needle drops, but none are as memorable as Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl” being used in the movie’s wildest sequence.
Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg)and his friends are strung out and desperate, leading them to plan to rip off drug dealer Rahad Jackson (Alfred Molina). The sequence plays out with humor and unbearable tension asthe drug-fueled Rahad waxes poetically about music and sings along to Springfield’s song as his friend casually sets off firecrackers.
It is a bit of a surreal moment, with the tension mounting as Dirk wants nothing more than to get out of there before things turn bad. Molina’s wild performance adds to the mayhem, while the unbroken shot of Dirk’s face as the music plays makes for an impactful moment of his realizing in real-time what his life has become.
4"Bohemian Rhapsody" - Wayne’s World (1992)
Movies based onSaturday Night Liveskitswere always rather risky, butWayne’s Worldstill stands as the best film of this kind. The comedy tapped into the charm of the characters of Wayne (Mike Myers) and Garth (Dana Carvey), allowing the audience to enjoy spending time with them.
The opening of the movie helped to solidify that they are a duo worth spending time with, asthe extended sequence follows them and their friends as they cruise around town in their beat-up car, jamming out to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
The moment leans into the strangeness of the song, which fits wonderfully with these goofy characters. However, there is also something so lovable about these rock-loving friends having such a good time head-banging to their favorite music that the audience gets in on the fun.
3"Where Is My Mind?" - Fight Club (1999)
Fight Club’s endingis one of the most iconic in movie history, but there is no way it would have been so memorable were it not for the perfect song choice by director David Fincher.
As Edward Norton’s Narrator overcomes his split personality, he stands with Marlene (Helena Bonham Carter) asThe Pixies' “Where Is My Mind?” plays over the image of the corporate buildings being bombed and crumbling to the ground. Norton then delivers the famous final line, “You met me at a very strange time in my life.”
The sound of the drums as the explosions flicker outside immediately sends chills up the spine. While the song might seem very on-the-nose, given the movie’s protagonist, it perfectly captures the mixture of excitement, awe, and disturbance that the film’s ending delivers.
2"Stuck In The Middle With You" - Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Part of the reason Quentin Tarantino’s use of music in movies has been so effective is that he perfected the juxtaposition of upbeat music in scenes of extreme violence. While that would become a recurring element of his film, its best use remains in his debut release,Reservoir Dogs.
In the movie’s most iconic moment,Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen)is left alone with a cop whom the criminals have taken hostage.As he puts on the radio to the tune “Stuck in the Middle With You” by Stealers Wheelers, Blonde proceeds to viciously torture the bond man for the fun of it.
What is so impressive is how Tarantino has changed how people hear this song, turning it into something creepy and sinister despite it not sounding like that at all. However, it is hard to listen to it and not picture Blonde dancing with a switchblade in his hand, before cutting the man’s ear off.
1"Layla (Piano Exit)" - Goodfellas (1990)
Martin Scorsese is arguably the greatest director when it comes to using popular music in movies.Goodfellasalone has several examples that could easily make the list. However, one particular scene features a contender for the greatest needle drop in movie history.
Following the ambitious heist planned byJimmy Conway (Robert De Niro), it becomes clear the criminal is not interested in sharing the loot or risking his conspirators getting him caught.As the piano outro of “Layla” by Derek and the Dominos plays, we see a montage of the bodies of Jimmy’s associates being discovered.
It is another great use of music contrasting what’s happening on screen, as the melodic piano plays over the grisly discoveries. There is also a lamenting quality to the music that seems to herald the end of the good times and the beginning of the violent reality of this world setting in.
