There is no doubt that the right music greatly improves any movie, and over the years plenty of directors have realised that British rock songs have the ability to add different types of emotion and excitement to their scenes. The following are some of the best examples of timeless music being used to brilliant effect.
Sunshine of Your Love by Cream – Setting the Scene in Goodfellas, School of Rock and More
The 65th entry on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of all time, and an inspiration for future heavy metal groups, the mixture of hard rock and psychedelic sounds on this 1967 song make it an ideal track for transporting movie-watchers to the 60s instantly. While some experts confirm that it starts off with a blues progression, recording engineer Tom Dowd explained that the distinctive drum pattern was partly based on the beats heard in Western movies.
Sunshine of Your Love has been used in many films and TV shows over the years, from Goodfellas to School of Rock and from True Lies to Futurama. Jack Bruce’s unmistakable bass riff and Clapton’s searing guitar solo add intensity and a degree of nostalgia to any scene that they feature in.
It is featured in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, alongside over 70 other playable songs such as Paint it Black by the Rolling Stones, and where She Bangs the Drums by the Stone Roses is a bonus track. Rock songs remain very popular in video games, with Quake and Tony Hawk Pro Skater being among the top titles on this list of the best game soundtracks.
In entertainment, many classic rock songs have also been used to a similar effect, with casino slots titles being a surprising addition. iGaming offerings such as the NetEnt Rocks series of games are based on classic huts from Motorhead, Jimi Hendrix and Guns N´ Roses. While the Jimi Hendrix slot doesn’t include his spectacular instrumental cover of Sunshine of Your Love from A Happening for Lulu, playing it at Betway Casino reveals famous songs like Foxey Lady and Little Wing in the introduction.
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones – A Powerful Addition to Apocalypse Now and Casino
One of the most recognizable songs in music history, this was the band’s fourth number one, and Rolling Stone has rated it as the second-best song of all time. Keith Richards wrote it in his sleep and apparently woke up to the surprise of a brief recording he had made, followed by the sound of him going back to sleep and snoring.
In terms of movies, Satisfaction gives us one of the best moments in 1979’s Apocalypse Now, as the soldiers dance and water-ski. It is a brief moment of light relief before things start to get very serious. The final cut of this movie was released in 2019 and can be found online at HMV. You can also find rare cuts and demos of the Stones on our site.
Martin Scorsese loves the Rolling Stones and in 1995, Casino used a version of Satisfaction by Devo, as well as classics from Cream, The Animals and others.
Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen – Revived by the Famous Wayne’s World Scene
This may be one of the most unlikely hit songs ever, with no chorus and a sprawling collection of different styles, but its place in rock history is assured. The Guardian placed the video as number 31 in the top 50 list of moments that shaped the history of rock music. Yet, it is also an incredible example of how movies can revive a song.
It was Queen’s first number one hit in the UK, in 1975, but had never been a success in the US. In 1992, Wayne’s World featured the song in a classic comedy scene, leading to a massive resurgence of interest in it and winning an MTV Music Award. Mike Myers based the scene on his teenage years, and said that he fought hard to get it into the movie.
Cover versions by The Braids and Panic! At the Disco have been included on High School High and Suicide Squad, respectively. Of course, it also featured heavily in the 2018 film of the same name, as we saw how it was recorded and how the group fought to get it released as a single. Looking ahead, the Queen Extravaganza tribute returns to the UK in 2021.
You Really Got Me by The Kinks – Adding Excitment to The Minions and the Chipmunks
https://youtube.com/watch?v=2BSAtZYmhCI
Ray Davies’ power chord-laden masterpiece has proven to be hugely influential since its release in 1964, although the myth that Jimmy Page played the guitar solo has been regularly denied. The group produced plenty of classic songs, as well as some little-known tracks that are worth discovering.
It has been used on a variety of movies and shows, with the distorted chords and insistent guitar adding excitement to a chase scene in 2015’s The Minions, and the Van Halen cover version providing a suitably wild backdrop to a chaotic party in 1982’s Night Shift.
The New Guy, from 2020, features a reasonably faithful version from Eve 6, while even Alvin and the Chipmunks have had a high-pitched bash at it. Other Kinks songs like Waterloo Sunset, Lola and All Day and All of the Night have also featured on the big screen.
The best British rock songs will continue to provide the perfect soundtrack to movies in the future, as they provide the type of great music that is ideal for setting the scene in many different types of situations.
