Music plays a major role in emphasizing a film’s central emotions. When used in the right way, it uplifts the audience’s mood or totally destroys it. Few can forget John Lennon’s “Imagine” playing at the end of The Killing Fields or Celine Dione’s “My Heart will go on” serving as a musical companion to various scenes in Titanic. These songs are so effective that anyone who hears them anywhere else is likely to be transported back to the movie and remember how they felt.
However, there have also been a few cases of mismatched music throughout Hollywood’s history. Whether it was a deliberate decision by the director to use soundtrack dissonance or simply a case of poor song selection, these movies ended up having moments that were either weird or were the ultimate definition of irony.
10 Inside Man (2006)
Spike Lee’s Inside Man is near flawless. Widely considered one of the greatest heist movies of all time, it’s boosted by strong performances by Denzel Washington and Clive Owen as a negotiator and robber respectively. It also has a very precise plot since it minimizes its hostage situation to a 24-hour period rather than dragging it out like most Hollywood projects do. However, the opening sequence has an incongruous soundtrack that doesn’t accentuate the seriousness of the situation at hand.
As Dalton Russel lays the groundwork for the heist and boasts that he is unlikely to ever be caught, the Indian pop hit “Chaiyya Chaiyya” by A. R. Rahman can be heard. In the song, Rahman is singing about a man’s pledge to follow his lover everywhere, so his lyrics don’t relate to the crime storyline in any way. From a broader perspective, the inclusion of such a high-tempo song would have made a little more sense if it accompanied an action set piece, but that is neither the case.
9 Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
In Good Morning, Vietnam. Robin Williams delivers plenty of comic relief as Adrian Cronauer, a deejay on Armed Forces Radio Service. Still, the horrors of war are showcased on many occasions, including one scene at the very end where a Vietnamese man laments about his village being destroyed by American forces. Interestingly, this moment, which is followed by images of war-torn Saigon, is scored using Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World.”
Armstrong’s song specifically talks about a paradise-like world where there are red roses, green trees, rainbows, and blue skies yet there is nothing of the sort in the Barry Levinson movie. Even Williams’ character embraces some seriousness in the final scene, proving that the situation is dire. In spite of that, the soundtrack keeps going, creating a rather ironic atmosphere in the process.
8 Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid (1969)
Decades after it was released, George Roy Hill’s Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid remains a staple for genre fans. It even has some of the most neatly choreographed shootout scenes, with the last one even ending on a cliffhanger, thanks to a freeze-frame. Additionally, Paul Newman and Robert Crawford are outstanding in their roles as the titular characters, but the use of “Raindrops keep falling on my head,” as the soundtrack ruins the motion picture.
Composed by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, the song talks about a person that overcomes their troubles and ends up happy, but that’s not what happens in the plot. It’s implied at the end that the two bandits get killed before they realize their dream of settling in another country. So mismatched is the single that star Robert Redford even complained about it (via Biography). Despite the lamentations, George Roy Hill insisted on including it.
7 Watchmen (2009)
Watchmen is Zack Snyder’s best movie by far and it mostly impresses through the manner in which it carefully examines morality, justice, and corruption. The visuals are stunning and so is the story, proving that the director can come up with a good plot despite constantly being called out for always serving blockbusters that have disjointed tales.
Where the movie falls short is in the song choices. In one scene where two of the main characters are getting intimate, Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is booming in the background. Cohen himself was quoted saying that he wrote the song to “reaffirm my faith,” so it’s the furthest thing to a lovemaking session. Nonetheless, there is some justification for its inclusion since it’s actually mentioned in the Watchmen comics. Even so, it doesn’t get used during a carnal moment in the source material.
6 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
Compared to the majority of Marvel comic adaptations, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is generally weak. It suffers from an overstuffed cast and a hodgepodge of unimpressive subplots. It’s, therefore, not surprising that a decision was made to not go forward with a third installment.
The movie also has a cringe scene where “Gone Gone Gone” by Phillips Phillips plays while Peter Parker is trying to piece together his parents’ death. In the platinum song, the singer makes a vow to always be loyal to a lover hence it feels out of place in a scene that’s full of melancholy. Besides that, “Gone Gone Gone” has mature lyrics hence it’s unrealistic for a teenager like Peter Parker to have it as one of his favorites.
5 Don’t Torture a Duckling (1972)
Don’t Torture a Duckling centers around a Southern Italy village where child murders are occurring regularly. Italian Giallo masterpiece has breathtaking cinematography, numerous twists, and a fast-paced plot. In addition to that, there is plenty of symbolism, with a Donald Duck doll even serving as a clue to one of the gruesome killings.
In one disturbing scene, an occultist woman is beaten to death by angry townsfolk after she is accused of being a murderer. As the mob justice happens, “Rhythm” by Luis Bacalov is heard in the background. Since it’s a feel-good song, it feels forced and fails to underscore the anguish and somberness of the moment.
4 It Chapter Two (2019)
Both It movies have earned their spots among Stephen King’s best-ever adaptations. In the sequel, director Andy Muschietti sprinkles in the right amount of jump scares and ensures the events are faithful to the books. Sadly, it has a few glaring blemishes compared to the first installments and the major one stems from the misguided music selection.
For example, Juice Newton’s ‘Angel of the Morning,” plays over a very disturbing scene where Eddie Kaspbrak gets vomited on. The chart-topping song is about a woman lamenting about a walk of shame after a one-night-stand hence one can’t help but get the feeling that it would fit better in a rom-com or a teen drama than a movie that scares audiences on a grand scale like It Chapter Two.
3 Shaun of the Dead (2004)
In Shaun of the Dead, the ridiculous soundtrack is even acknowledged by the characters, and it’s all played out to great comedic effect. As the protagonists take refuge in a pub to avoid zombies, Queen’s “Don’t stop me now,” plays on the zombified proprietor’s jukebox. As they are fighting him, they mention how that is the worst moment to listen to the mood-boosting track.
Apart from the weird moment, the movie hardly has any noticeable flaws. Sean Pegg gives a career-best performance while aided by a long list of talented actors, some of whom only appear in cameo roles. Scares and wit are perfectly balanced too, making for a movie that is palatable to general movie lovers rather than genre fans alone.
2 The Life of Brian (1979)
Ever since The Life of Brian was released, no other film has dived into religious satire as brilliantly as it did. The movie — which was funded by The Beatles member, George Harrison — makes fun of just about every event in the life of Jesus Christ. Events revolve around Brian Cohen, a man that is mistaken for the Messiah since he was born on the same day as Christ.
Despite Pontius Pilate ordering his soldiers to “welease Bwian!” the titular character still ends up getting crucified and at that moment, there is a chorus of “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” by Eric Idle. It’s an obvious case of soundtrack dissonance since there is no more hope for Brian in that particular scene. He is destined to die and won’t resurrect like Christ because he isn’t the real Messiah.
1 Army of the Dead (2021)
Zack Snyder is once again associated with another poor song choice and this time it’s one that seems like it’s actually appropriate. In the movie about zombies and mercenaries in Las Vegas, “Zombie” by the Irish alternative rock band, The Cranberries, gets used at some point, but it’s not really a song about the undead. It’s a protest song about the Northern Island ethno-nationalist conflict.
It could thus be presumed that the song was picked by Army of the Dead’s production team by simply looking at its title alone. Nonetheless, it’s a tiny defect in what is an otherwise great film. All members of the ensemble cast give an incredible performance while the action sequences are some of the best ever witnessed in the genre.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
