The most famous movies named for songs

Welcome to what will become an ongoing series of posts about movies named after songs. It’s been a trend for quite a while now. Want your movie title to somehow already be at the top of someone’s head? Name it after an iconic song. Then use that song in the commercials for even more exposure. The most common genre is the romantic comedy but movies of all types have been named for songs.

The most famous movies named for songs

 Pretty Woman

This one has got to come in at number one. Why, Oh I don’t know, let’s see if there is a TV in the room where you are at then tune in to either TNT , TBS, or Oxygen because one of those channels is showing Pretty Woman right now. If you are not in America turn to your version of TNT or Oxygen and check. (No I don’t know what the equivalent is maybe BBC 8 the Ocho?) Anyway Pretty Woman made pretty much everyone in the world want to go shopping on Rodeo drive with someone else’s credit card, while conveniently telling off those snotty commission only salesgirls all while listening to one of the biggest hits of 1964. (I would call it the biggest hit but back then there was some pesky British Band called the Beatles stealing everybody else’s thunder)

Plus the movie Pretty Woman made the whole world collectively forget that the song is actually named Oh Pretty Woman. It is I swear go look it up. Don’t worry I didn’t know either until I did a little research. It’s really called Oh, Pretty Woman, unless wikipedia is punking me. Wouldn’t be the first time.

 Stand By Me

The second most famous of the movies named for songs is a classic. Pretty much everyone loves this movie. Did you know the original short story was called The Body? No offense to Mr. King but would you have rushed out to see it if it was called The Body? Me neither. Thank goodness they changed the name to something that sounded less like a bad zombie movie and more like a classic featuring a heavyset Jerry O’Connell and a nostalgia heavy soundtrack.

 

Sixteen Candles

I don’t really remember the song actually being in the movie (thank goodness actually) but the movie is a total classic so it goes here right along with…

 

Pretty in Pink

Yes Pretty in Pink is named after the song. Not a lot of people know this because the Psychedelic Furs did a remake of the song just for the soundtrack. Anyway another classic but what was the deal with the hideous homemade prom dress at the end? I thought Andie was supposed to have sewing talent. Oh and who else totally wants to go to Chicago circa 1986 and visit Trax the record store?

Sweet Home Alabama

This movie has nothing to do with the song other than being set in Alabama, but it is still one of the most well-known movies named for one of the most overplayed songs. The song sweet home Alabama is pretty much bubbling up in a part of everyone’s brain waiting for them to consume a bit of alcohol so it can become free in the form of lousy karaoke. Even if you have never been anywhere near Alabama, Sweet Home Alabama is living inside your head. It’s filed somewhere near Margaritaville, Brown Eyed Girl, You’ve Lost that Lovin Feelin, The Gambler and Oh, Pretty Woman.

 American Pie

What the movie has to do with driving one’s Chevy to a Levy I am not really sure. Maybe if there is an apple pie with you it would make sense.

 My Girl

I remember that a lot of people went to see this because Maculay Culkin’s character died in it and there was a backlash against him. It turned out to be a cute sweet nostalgia movie, so if you didn’t watch you missed out.