Maduro's post on the Radiohead thread got me thinking on this one.. The best use of a song in a movie scene. (Let me add, a song that was not written specifically for that scene or for that movie.) Two come to my mind: "Perfect Day" by Lou Reed in Trainspotting The coda from "Layla" by Derek and the Dominoes in Good Fellas
Sinnerman in the climax of The Thomas Crown Affair (remake). Surely there are others better, but this was the first that came to mind.
Just list any random Scorsese movie and I'm sure there's a couple goods ones in there. Sunshine of Your Love by Cream- GoodFellas I really thought of Lust for Life by Iggy for Trainspotting The Seeker by The Who - American Beauty Damn its good to a gangsta by Geto Boys - Office Space Act III of Die Walküre "Ride of the Valkyries" by Wagner - Apox Now
"Baker Street," by Gerry Rafferty, in the playground fight scene in "Good Will Hunting" "Sister Christian," by Night Ranger, and "Jessie's Girl," by Rick Springfield, in the drug deal scene in "Boogie Nights"
Mean Streets- Jumpin' Jack Flash (tracking shot of DeNiro's slow-motion entrance into the bar with two lady friends).
Annie Lennox's cover of Neil Young's Don't Let it Bring You Down, in American Beauty...the scene where Kevin Spacey is getting ready to go for broke with the cheerleader.
another one of those indelible ones in which you can't hear the song now and not think of the movie scene. "stuck in the middle with you" - Reservior Dogs
"The Big Chill" - "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" "The Breakfast Club" - "Don't You" by Simple Minds
I'm a fan of Emma J by Brendan Benson (Steve comes home to Jess) and Starbucked by Bond (Daryl and Stark in the gym) in Zero Effect. Also pretty much every song in the movie Singles. And the best... the cantina band in Star Wars
I vaguely remember "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong being played over scenes of destruction in Vietnam in "Good Morning, Vietnam." Chilling.
The Mickey Mouse song in "Full Metal Jacket" the link "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" in "Life of Brian" the link
I have no idea/ memory of more than half of these. Especially whatever was detailed as "you know the scene"... I have no clue. Anything from THE BIG CHILL, THE BREAKFAST CLUB, ALMOST FAMOUS... and that one from GOOD WILL HUNTING, I got those. But not much else. (Ok, DESPERADO and DAZED & CONFUSED are good too.)