Eight Great Songs From Not So Great Movies

During Christmas I did an article about some Christmas songs that are almost better than the movies they came from. The thing is, it doesn't have to be a Christmas song/movie for this to happen. Plenty of great songs come from less than stellar films. In fact, a lot of these songs become so famous you outright forget they were in a movie at all. So, here is a little look at eight great songs from not so great movies.

8."Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” from Mannequin. This has to be the dumbest movie. The story is about Anthony McCarthy falling in love with a mannequin which can come to life. As silly as this movie is, the song featured in it is just a classic, and it’s nice for Starship to have a decent song,

7.”There You’ll Be” from Pearl Harbor. Who says you have to follow history if you’re making an historical film? Pearl Harbor wanted to do what Titanic did, romanticize an incredible tragedy. It missed with its bad acting, crappy effects, boring story, and historical inaccuracies. However, it does leave behind the nice little song from Faith Hill.

6.”Kiss From a Rose” from Batman Forever. Say what you want about Batman Forever, some like it and others hate it, this song is pretty cool. I admit to a little hesitation putting this one here, not really sure if people immediately associate these two. However, the song was on the soundtrack so I guess it counts. Seal give one great song, the movie was….Ok.

5.”I Don't Want to Miss a Thing” from Armageddon-Armageddon was a loud, noisy mess. However, it does have one thing going for it. This song is pretty awesome. Aerosmith is very take it or leave it with me, and I enjoy this tune every time it comes on. The movie, that's another story!

4.”Gangsta's Paradise” from Criminal Minds- I thought I would mix things up by putting this on here. I hate these kinds of songs, but this one works for me (maybe because Weird Al Yankovick did a fantastic parody of it). The movie is about a white marine female who takes a job a very urban school. Coolio's song is great, fits the mood perfectly, and for me to like this song says A LOT!

3.”I Will Always Love You” from The Bodyguard. One of the movies everyone forgets Kevin Costner made. He starred in this movie with Whitney Houston (yes, that's right). The idea was simple, he was her bodyguard but then they start getting romantic. Too bad there was no chemistry between the two. I never saw the whole film, but must have seen the music video a hundred times. The song was a smash hit. The movie? Well....

2.”I Just Called to Say I Love You” from The Lady In Red. Pretty sad when a song reminds me of a Cosby Show episode rather than the film the song was written for. Stevie Wonder wrote this great song; unfortunately the Gene Wilder film it was featured in was less than memorable. It was basically just a romantic comedy,and has been pretty much forgotten. The song is a classic however.

1.”Because You Loved Me” from Up Close and Personal. Does anyone remember this movie? This little romantic drama starred Michelle Pfeifer and Robert Redford. It’s a great example of how having two amazing actors does not a great movie make. As forgettable as the film is, it did leave behind this memorable song which started the rise of Celine Dion (a rise which would spike a few years later when she did the theme in Titanic).

Of course keeping this list at eight kept a lot of great songs off. It was real hard to pick the best, and I had to leave a lot off. Did I miss your favorite?