We all love a good movie montage. It’s kitsch in the language of cinema, but a welcome one that puts beaming smiles on our faces every time. Every good montage needs the perfect song. When dialogue cuts out, the soundtrack becomes the storytelling method. The three 1980s songs below are perfect choices for many movie montage moments. They are basically begging to be supercut.
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Videos by American Songwriter
“Holding Out For A Hero” — Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out For A Hero” has made its way into many movies, and for good reason. It’s hard not to visualize a scene when this anthemic 1980s song plays. Picture some ragtag characters gearing up for a mission. Or a tracking shot of a long race. There are many cinematic circumstances in which this Tyler track is the only acceptable needle drop.
“Where have all the good men gone, and where are all the gods? / Where’s the streetwise Hercules to fight the risin’ odds?” Tyler sings in this 1980s masterpiece. A song this theatrical is just begging to be married to visuals.
“Material Girl” — Madonna
There is nothing better than a good mall scene. Sure, it’s a little cheesy and tropey today. But nothing appeals to the fun-loving, optimistic side of us better than the “changing room” montage. Plenty of teen movies have featured this familiar filler, but the best use Madonna’s “Material Girl” as a backdrop.
This song was tailor-made for a scene like this. What fits trying on a new look or running up a bill better than this 1980s song? “‘Cause we are living in a material world / And I am a material girl,” Madonna sings as our movie leads wreak havoc in a Sam Goody’s.
“Maniac” — Michael Sembello
Whether you’re dancing on your own or competing in a blood-pressure-rising competition, Michael Sembello’s very 1980s classic, “Maniac”, is a great song choice. This song is indicative of the aerobics culture that took the world by storm in this era. We can easily envision a scene with sweaty dancers in neon garb leaving it all out on the dance floor when this one comes on.
“Locking rhythms to the beat of her heart / Changing movement into light / She has danced into the danger zone,” the lyrics to this high-octane song read. Few songs capture the insatiable need to move along to music better than this one. It’s a shoo-in for any cinematic moment where dancing is the call of the day.
(Photo by Murray/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)