The Hollywood Jukebox, 2021
Best Supporting Playlist Nominees
You know the moment. Right in the middle of a digitally perfect new movie, Our Hero is personified by the right song at the right time. He is working on his car and Mary Wells sings “My Guy.” Say no more. We the audience have made the connection with this 2021 character. He is probably a mid-level spark plug changing loner and we know this only because of a timeless tune from 1964.
Here’s another. Our heroine has an epiphany, rolls up her sleeves, and embarks on rearranging the crumbling pieces of her life. All to the tune “9 to 5,” by Dolly Parton. It’s 40 years old but what song by Billie Eilish or John Legend is going to resonate with such personal, long held memories?
It’s award season 2021 and the music nominations are packed with talented composers for Best Original Score, and cutting edge singer songwriters competing for Best Original Song.
However today we are looking at a category that doesn’t exist. The music supervisor is the geek mixtape genius of the movie business. The person who can remember every song they ever heard and revive them for a cinematic moment that hopefully will transcend into the unforgettable
Often, the music supervisor or music director must sense the perfect oldie but also needs the skills to research and clear the rights to use licensed recordings.
Here are some of this season’s films that used previously recorded songs. It is not a complete list. Films that only used original music are not included.
Each of these films received at least one nomination from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Golden Globes, SAG-AFTRA, People’s Choice, Golden Raspberry, or Independent Spirit Awards.
Have you heard the news? There’s good rockin’ tonight. Especially in our movies.
SOUND OF METAL
PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN
Boys (DROELOE Remix) - Charlie XCX
Angel of the Morning - Juice Newton
Stars Are Blind - Paris Hilton
THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7
Sun Is Shining (Super Duper Remix) - Bob Marley & The Wailers, Super Duper
Truly, Truly True - Jon & Robin
THE LITTLE THINGS
My Guy - Mary Wells
I Will Follow Him - Peggy March
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
The Inflated Tear - Rahsaan Roland Kirk
What It Feels Like - Nipsey Hussle, Jay-Z
BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM
Ederlezi - Goran Bregovic
Stuck in the Middle With You - Stealers Wheel
DA 5 BLOODS
Inner City BLues (Make Me Wanna Holler) - Marvin Gaye
Got to Give It Up - Marvin Gaye
Bring the Boys Home - Freda Payne
I’m Coming Home - The Spinners
Ride of the Valkyries - Richard Wagner
Time Has Come Today - The Chambers Brothers
What’s Happening Brother - Marvin Gaye
(Don’t Worry) If There’s a Hell Below We’re All Going to Go - Curtis Mayifiel
Wholly Holy - Marvin Gaye
What’s Going On - Marvin Gaye
Flyin’ High (In the Friendly Sky) - Marvin Gaye
SOUL
We Get Along - Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
II B.S. - Charles Mingus
Subterranean Homesick Blues- Bob Dylan
I CARE A LOT
Dirge - Death in Vegas
Rocksteady - Wild Belle
Sunday Will Never Be the Same - Spanky & Our Gang
Reverie - Claude Debussy
The East Virginia Blues - The Carter Family
PIECES OF A WOMAN
Short and Sweet - Brittany Howard (Bon Iver Remix)
In to Trouble - Tim Kingsbury
Untitled #3 - Samskeyti - Sigur Ros
In a Sentimental Mood - Duke Ellington, John Coltrane
Gary’s Theme - Live/Sept 1, 1980 - Bill Evans Trio
Strangers in Paradise - The Four Aces
HILLBILLY ELEGY
Cruel Summer - Bananarama
Circle in the Sand - Belinda Carlisle
I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) - Whitney Houston
CRIP CAMP
For What It’s Worth - Buffalo Springfield
I Love My Baby - Bobby Page, The Riff Raffs
Freedom - Richie Havens
Truckin’ - Grateful Dead
Crimson and Clover - Tommy James and the Shondells
Tomorrow Is a Long Time - Bob Dylan
Volunteers - Jefferson Airplane
Chicken Pox - Booker T. & The M.G.’s
I Am Somebody - Freddi Henchi & The Soulsetters
Sugar Mountain - Neil Young
PALM SPRINGS
Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper
Oh! You Pretty Things - David Bowie
August 10 - Khruangbin
No Other - Gene Clark
Cantina - Los Straitjackets
Like the Weather - 10,000 Maniacs
Barracuda - John Cale
The Brazilian - Genesis
In My Hour of Darkness - Gram Parsons
The Partisan - Leonard Cohen
When the Morning Comes - Daryl Hall & John Oates
ON THE ROCKS
I Fallin Love Too Easily - Chet Baker
Find Me - Porches
In Orbit - Thelonious Monk, Clark Terry Quartet
It Might As Well Be Spring - Bill Evans Trio
Too Young - Phoenix