This is the last gift sponsored by Sandisk slotRadio, so I thought we might actually talk about music. Since John Hughes passed, I’ve been thinking about how much more I enjoy movies when a director is passionate about the soundtrack.
My favorite Hughes scenes are about the music that’s playing in his characters’ lives. Remember Duckie lip-syncing to “Try a little Tenderness?”
Or Ferris Bueller’s “Danke Schoen” cum “Twist and Shout” on the parade float:
And of course, The Breakfast Club dance scene:
Then there are the Hughes songs that knock you flat and replay footage of your bedroom ceiling, circa 1985.
“Don’t You Forget About Me” by Simple Minds
“If You Were Here” by the Thompson Twins
“If You Leave” by OMD
So this present celebrates the music Mr. Hughes brought into our lives. If you win, I’ll send you everything you need for a nostalgic movie night.
The Ringwald holy trinity:
An absurdly large box of Watermelon Flavored Pop Rocks, (Purchased after I ate the packages I bought for you at the corner store. Taste the Explosion!):
And, of course, a Sandisk slotRadio:
It comes with a bunch of songs already, but also gives you the option of picking your own music. Before you load your workout mix, I’d like you to check into these:
The Ultimate John Hughes Playlist
John Hughes Movie Soundtrack Hits
Leave a comment below, bonus points if you tell me about your favorite music-related movie scene. Be sure to include your email address in the field provided (so I can reach you if you win) by August 14 at 5 p.m. PST. Just one comment, please — I have to delete duplicates for fairness. Random.org will decide who wins. I’ll contact the lucky via email, and I’ll also tell you who won here.
Danke schoen to Sandisk for making this gift project a go. It’s been fun.
Mighty Girl 
Yep, you nailed it. Duckie. Makes you kind of hate the end of the movie… how could you choose the preppy dweeb when this guy will lip sync to Otis Redding? HOW?!
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Too many to list, but Jack Black singing Let’s Get it On at the end of High Fidelity is kind of a highlight.
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Oh, how I love the 80’s.
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The scene in Out of Africa where Merril Streep and Robert Redford go up in a plane….
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Oh, I want it I want it I want it… I would be so happy…
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I’m pretty sure my favorite music-related movie scene is the one near the end of Wedding Singer, where he sings Wanna Grow Old With You to Julia. I’m totally playing that song at some point during my wedding.
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Don’t let it get me! (Um, warning, sort of a naked lady at the end but foggy)
Have seen Valley Girl 10,000 times, maybe more. Sheesh.
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I’m a sucker for Grease “You’re the One That I Want.” I used to rewind it over and over. Was diggin’ on Travolta in those days.
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It’s definitely been said already, but John Cusack holding up the boom box with “In Your Eyes” … amazing.
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Can I nominate Wes Anderson as today’s go-to director for cool ass soundtracks?
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Reality Bites… the scene where All I Want is You is played.
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I love “The Breakfast Club.” I have always loved “The Breakfast Club.” I will always love “The Breakfast Club.”
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God, I love John Hughes. Thanks for all of these links! My favorite music scene for a long time was the infamous Lloyd Dobler boombox scene from Say Anything (not Hughes, but clearly influenced by him), and recently I’ve been completely and totally charmed by Mamma Mia. I love a good, campy musical.
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As much as I love Pretty in Pink, I am more a child of the 90’s, so I have to go with the final rooftop dance scene from Empire Records. That, or Gina singing Sugar High. Such a great movie.
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Growing up in Chicago, I felt like John Hughes was a distant uncle who understood exactly what I was going through. His musical taste made it all better.
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I love Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles! I think part of the brilliance is the lack of action. It is a very simple story in each film based purely on dialog and character development and is so easy to relate to for all ages reflecting on high school. Whenever these are on TV I can not walk away from watching. I agree the music goes impeccably well with the film.
My favorite songs in film:
In Goonies the film starts out with Cyndi Lauper’s “Goonies R Good Enough,” and after some plot returns to this song when the kids are taking off on their bikes for their adventure, my favorite part being when Brand’s tires are flat and he has to take the tiny girl next door off her pretty pink bike with training wheels and she proceeds to scream and stomp. I watched this film on VHS over and over again as a kid. We would shout out which character we were going to be (kinda like shotgun) and argue about who got to be Andy. That song will always be the first one that comes to mind for childhood adventure. Plus it is just fun.
Bridget Jones’s Diary is another one that has perfect music. When she is sitting alone in her apartment singing “All By Myself,” drinking and checking the phone constantly, it reminds me of my early 20s in my first apartment. Her air drums and gestures with the music while she is trying not to cry, surrounded by self help books…it is such a funny and sad snapshot. I would always sing with the radio in the privacy of my place sans being drunk. It makes me have one of those teary eyed happy cries whenever I watch it.
Danny Elfman’s music in Edward Scissorhands is perfection as well. I love the scene at the end when Winona Ryder is dancing in the snow.
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Say Anything: Cameron Crowe, Peter Gabriel, dreamy John Cusak, and a boombox.
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I couldn’t think of one, so I asked my hubby. He says that the music in the wedding scene in The Deer Hunter is the best.
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I’ll never understand she didn’t choose Ducky, he’s so adorable.
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I have so many favorite movie/music scenes, but I will pick one from John Hughes (RIP, you will be missed!)… I am going to have to say the scene when Molly Ringwald’s character walked into the prom in Pretty in Pink. That was so awesome. I saw that in middle school and replayed it in my head walking into my own prom, feeling just as spectacular. (Glad you included that song here – If You Leave, OMD)
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Trainspotting -Lust for Life by Iggy Pop. Although listening to it during Carnival Cruise line commercials has almost ruined the memory of what a sexy heroin addict I found Ewan McG to be
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I really loved Bill Murray’s karaoke in Lost in Translation and still have a soft spot in my heart for the last song in Breakfast Club. Don’t, don’t, don’t you… forget about me.
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For me it would have to be the soundtrack for Empire Records. I loved that movie as a teenager in Argentina, didn’t get most of the jokes and references of American culture, but to this day I love it! Those are great prizes Maggie!!
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The Shake Your Tail Feathers (not sure that’s what it’s called) dance scene in the Blues Brothers. Also, I didn’t realize everyone else loved Empire Records too but the Dire Straits Romeo song might be my favorite part of that movie. No one mentioned Mama Mia? Honey Honey in that. Great giveaway!
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Once- every single song, but the montage for “fallen from the sky” the most.
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I simply ditto this!
Yeah, the Duckie “Try a Little Tenderness” is hands down my FAVORITE movie music moment ever… ah Jon Cryer.
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I’m especially partial to the last scence of Breakfast Club and the kissing scene in Some Kind of Wonderful, two of my favorite movies ever. Slightly more cheesy choices would be the last scene in the bus station of Can’t Hardly Wait (Only You by Yaz) or Cool Rider from Grease 2, an old family favorite. But the music moment I’m going to choose is the scene in Running on Empty (another fantastic movie) where the family sings and dances to James Taylor’s Fire & Rain at the mom’s birthday party.
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So one of my favorite Hughes movies before I hit teen angst was Mr. Mom. He didn’t direct it but he wrote it.
I remember that my parents got a new vacuum shortly after we had seen the movie & my brother & I named it ‘Jaws’.
Also, I just moved & in the process I found my ‘woobie’ which I packed away shortly after that movie because I didn’t want to be 20 & on the street trying to score some electric blanket or quilt.
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My favs are the entire soundtrack to B’fast Club. I love the way the music brings not only the movie to life, but also my life to life!
The Ferris Bueller song is also a great one. Fantastic music perfectly played into those movie. They bring some awesome memories!
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Thanks for the trip down memory lane. As I look a great deal like 1980s Molly Ringwald (sans her 1980s fashion choices), it is always a bit fascinating and disturbing to watch her in movies/clips.
Although difficult, I managed to tear myself away from the halcyon days of 80s music scenes in movies and think about more recent gems (about olders days). I particularly delighted in the scene of ‘Almost Famous’ where the band + bandaids begin robustly singing along to Elton John’s ‘Tiny Dancer’ while riding in their old tour bus to their next destination. It reminds me of those road trips (or even school fieldtrips) where a song comes on and everyone catches the mood and belts it out.
Here’s to belting out good tunes on road trips!
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Can’t think of one. Haven’t sat through a movie in ages.
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Growing up – Day-O in Beetlejuice.
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Ahh! So many Great music moments from the 80’s!
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Hi! All that stuff is cool! xo.
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John Hughes was a genius!! I loved how he wrote the story of all our lives even though we’re all so different!! There was always someone we could relate to! And the music!! He was brilliant and I will miss him!!
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The scene in “say anything” – with the boom box!
Thanks for the chance to win!
~denise
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I always have trouble with superlatives, so I can’t say it’s my all-time favorite (and so many people have mentioned other faves already)…but one scene I love is from City of Angels. Sounds a little kinky, but it’s Meg Ryan in the bathtub thinking about her “angel” (I know, leave me alone), and the song is “Feelin’ Love” by Paula Cole. That song is UH-MAY-ZING!!! Made for quite a steamy scene. (ba-DUM-dum)
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The scene in School of Rock where the kids perform their song gets me misty every time. I’m all, “yeah! Nerds can overcome. Woot!” I wonder if I take these movies to personally? Hrm…
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Purple Rain is untouchable.
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In total agreement with the ones many others have chosen from Almost Famous and Top Gun. But to be a bit more recent, The Visitor had some good music scenes, I especially like the one of them all playing the bongo drums in the park.
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I think the number of repeats here is testament to how good some movie soundtracks are. I have to echo Footloose, Purple Rain, Reservoir Dogs, and Grosse Point Blank.
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I’m embarrassed that I’m having a hard time thinking of anything that won’t make me seem like a total loser. (My Heart Will Go On, anyone?)
Ok, I love the score to the Harry Potter films. Ugh there I go again!
I really do like music. Ok, here we go.
My Best Friend’s Wedding has a scene where the whole cast sings Say A Little Prayer and I will sing along with that song from now until the end of time while pretending I’m there with them.
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LOVE John Hughes!
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OF THE THREE, I have only seen ‘The Breakfast Club.’ I KNOW!
But the ‘Come What May’ scene in Moulin Rouge always makes me cry.
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I love the soundtrack from Sliding Doors (1998 – Gwyneth Paltrow, John Hannah), and especially love the song On My Own by Peach Union. It’s during that song where Gwyneth gets that rocking short and sassy haircut that sent me straight to the salon!
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Although it’s been said, Lloyd Dobler and the boom box playing “In Your Eyes” in Say Anything was crucial in my formative years.
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My Best Friend’s Wedding – The Say a little Prayer scene. My sister and I have always wanted to pull that off at someone’s wedding. My sister is getting married next summer, maybe I can get some family in on it and surprise her?!
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I’m really digging the dance scene in (500) Days of Summer. Also, any old movie w/ Dean Collins and Jewel McGowen in it gets my vote.
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So as to not repeat the “Say Anything…” scene (which is the first that comes to mind), I’ll go with one that’s not a “music scene” per se. It’s in Hughes’ “Sixteen Candles” when Samantha comes down the stairs on the morning of her b-day. She’s holding a notebook with “The Rave-Ups” written on it. When I saw it, I knew I had to seek out that band, and I’m so glad I did. I think the very fun song “Happy Birthday” by Altered Images starts to play right after this part of the movie. Just love it!
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The concert scene in *Velvet Goldmine* when Brian Slade & Curt Wild play “Baby’s On Fire” together…that energy & that song absolutely kill me. The entire movie is fantastic & has a phenomenal soundtrack, but it’s worth watching for that scene alone.
And of course, Uma Thurman answering the door to Dusty Springfield in *Pulp Fiction.*
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