The cinema landscape utilizes many film tropes, stylistic elements, and clever ways to engage and thrill its audience in each motion picture. Everything from a pan around action fight in The Rocky Horror Picture Show - there are many ways to entertain in a movie. One of those features is music.
Music is a huge selling point in any film and can fully enhance any sequence on the screen. The following are the best music scenes in movies, ranked where the actor or musician has a full-on song or concert in the film. Toes will be tapped and heads will be banging for sure.
Pee-wee Herman at the Biker Bar
In James Bond vehicle. As Pee-wee finds out there is no basement in the Alamo and that he must confront his fear of snakes, there was a brilliant sequence held at a biker gang bar, where he was about to be killed after knocking over every rough-necks Harley Davidson.
His last words and request were to hop up onto the bar and sing and dance to "Tequila" by The Champs while breaking all the beer glasses. The gang was happy about it and made him an honorary member. Gives a whole new meaning to breakdancing.
Howard the Duck with Cherry Bomb in Cleveland, Ohio
Filmmaker William Huyck contributed to the screenplay of Howard the Duck with Lucas and Huyck never directed again.
Based on the comic book, Howard the Duck is transported against his will to Earth where he must adjust to human life. After having relations with a human woman he just met, Howard is the first line of defense against the Dark Overlords of the Universe, which eerily looks like an army of Rancors. After the battle is won, there is a fantastic music sequence where Howard shreds the guitar with Cherry Bomb and does the infamous duck walk.
Ferris Bueller at the Von Steuben Day Parade in Downtown Chicago
A film that teaches vital life lessons on friendship, loyalty, and skipping school to enjoy the simple pleasures of life was a big hit in the 1980s from Ferris Bueller's Day Off has so many iconic moments from pranking a school principal to driving a 1961 Ferrari GT Californa around the Windy City.
Another brilliant sequence was when Ferris, Sloane, and Cameron attend a parade in downtown, only for Ferris to appear on a parade float and sing "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles, which brings joy to every Chicago citizen.
Soggy Bottom Boys at the Homer Stokes Rally
O' Brother Where Art Thou has some of the best-written dialogue, as well as musical performances. As three escaped prisoners set out on an odyssey of a life-time with bank robbers and satan on their tail, music helps the trio survive.
Unknown to them, their song "Man of Constant Sorrow", made it big, and the trio performs it at a political rally with fake beards. Pappy " the Biscuits" O'Daniel saw an opportunity and he took it.
Blues Brothers at Bob's Country Bunker
Leave it to filmmaker The Blues Brothers set out on a mission from God to provide money for the orphanage by getting the band back together to play one amazing gig.
John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd convince their bandmates they have a legitimate show at some rural hole in the wall called Bob's Country Bunker. All being blues and rock musicians, the rowdy crowd at the bar don't take kindly to the Blues Brothers, but when they step into a rendition of "Rawhide" and "Stand By Your Man", the whole t is hollering and crying at the same time.
Stillwater on the Tour Bus
There can be only one Golden God on drugs and that's Russell Hammond from Stillwater in Cameron Crowe's biopic Almost Famous that follows a 15-year-old kid, traveling with a successful rock band around the county and writing a feature piece on them for Rolling Stone Magazine.
After a very turbulent night with the band, the bandmates are on the bus, angry and not talking, when Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" starts playing and everyone on the bus starts singing along, which showcases just how music can change the world for the better. This is one of the most inspiring sequences.
Randy Watson and Sexual Chocolate at the Black Awareness Rally
Good and terrible are two words that can describe Randy Watson and his band Sexual Chocolate in the comedic hit film Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall.
Wanting to rebuild Lincoln Park, the Black Awareness rally provides some local talent for the event, which is where Murphy sings an out of key rendition of "Greatest Love Of All" by Whitney Houston in a light blue tux, complete with intermittent "Thank yous" to the audience and a fantastic mic drop. Jackson Heights' own was on top of the world that night.
Otis Day and the Knights at the Delta House at Faber College
Only the Delta House could throw an epic night of fun at their toga party where the alcohol flowed freely and the only thing to be worn was a bed-sheet. In the midst of this sweaty basement soiree and a few pledges trying to get laid, the legendary fraternity hired the amazing band Otis Day and the Knights to jump-start the fun.
Otis, my man kills it with a rendition of "Shout", which has the guys on the floor, jumping up and down, and singing along to this fantastic sequence in Animal House. Otis Day made everyone a little cooler that evening.
Marty McFly with the Starlighters at the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance At Hill Valley High
Traveling through time has its horrible consequences, but it can also have some phenomenal perks such as in Back To The Future, where Michael J. Fox runs into his parents at their school dance in 1955, where Marvin Berry and his band the Starlighters are serenading the teenagers.
Due to an accident with a car trunk, Marty McFly stands in for Marvin Berry and tells the band to keep up as he goes into that iconic Chuck Berry riff and performs "Johnny B. Goode". With Marty's impressive rock guitar skills reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix, he nails the performance, but the people of 1955 were just not ready for it.
Wayne and Garth in the Mirth Mobile
Two local public access tv hosts and their camera crew hop in a small car to head into the city for a rock concert. To amp up for the show, Wayne and Garth slide in the cassette tape of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody where they proceed to sing and head-bang to the final operatic act of the song in full.
Wayne's World was ahead of its time and delivered some wonderful messages while being laugh-out-loud funny, but it also suggested that it was perfectly alright to sing at top volume to the best songs ever made within the confines of a vehicle. Riding in a car just became fun again.
