5 Musicians Movies Need to Leave Alone for a While
Everybody is guilty of listening to a band so much that it would be embarrassing for people to know how much time you’ve actually devoted to it.
But you’re only human and “secretly” listening to band your friends can never know about is natural (Psst…They already know).
But nobody’s guiltier of repetition than Hollywood. Well, them and the radio. Between the actual movie, credits, trailer, or a hundred other mediums, it seems filmmakers and whoever makes these decisions really don’t have an original bone left in their body. Heck, the first and second Underworld trailers used the same song and they came out three years apart. Here are some other examples of bands being overused to the point of ruining their songs.
5. Wolfmother
Offending Songs: Various, namely the song “Woman,” “Dimension” and “Joker & the Thief”
Songs Featured In: Guitar Hero II, Motorstorm, Pure, Saints Row II, Tony Hawk’s Project 8, NHL 07, FlatOut 2, Rugby 06, Need for Speed: Carbon, School for Scoundrels, Jackass Number Two, Shrek the Third, Here Comes the Boom, Shoot’Em Up, The Hangover movies, Here Comes the Boom, various commercials and ads.
Songs are Generally Used To Promote Product As: “We’re edgy and rebellious in a way that everybody wants to be apart of.”
While I’m not a fan of Wolfmother, I don’t particularly have a problem with them either. That was until I heard their seemingly identical songs played in so many things that didn’t seem to have any connection to what any of the songs are actually about.
Sure, the sound is loud and wild but it seems all of them are and there are a thousand other bands to take from to promote your movie or video game as exciting and fun.
4. Kanye West
Offending Songs: “Power,” “No Church in the Wild,” “Black Skinhead” various others
Songs Featured In: Safe House, Wolf of Wall Street, Jar Head, Social Network, Limitless, The Hangover movies, Broken City, The Great Gatsby, various commercials and ads
Songs are Generally Used To Promote Product As: “This is elite and you want in on it.”
This one shouldn’t be surprising to anyone that knows who he is and is perhaps the most famous of those listed here. West’s songs are generally used to promote movies that feature people at the top of the social food chain, playing up to West’s own outlook on himself that people allow him to further with every album that goes by.
“Sometimes people write novels and they just be so wordy and so self-absorbed. I am not a fan of books. I would never want a book’s autograph. I am a proud non-reader of books.” -Kanye West
My opinion on this is pretty neutral since it’s only expected that a popular musician be featured in trailers that are meant to say “YOU LIKE THIS, DON’T YOU?!”
This is the closest entry to me having a negative outlook on the performer himself. I don’t listen to him and I still have to hear about whatever stupid thing he said that day as if it’s surprising (See above picture). Can’t we at least get his songs out of my trailers? Also, I’m pretty sure the lyrical content of “Black Skinhead” doesn’t really fit with ad for this new Motorola phone it’s featured in.
3. P.O.D.
Offending Songs: Namely the song “Boom.”
Songs Featured In: Countless ads, commercials and movies, even having a movie named after it a decade after its release in 2012, Here Comes the Boom starring Kevin James who also uses it as his theme in the movie. Major song in sport-related ads.
Songs are Generally Used To Promote Product As: “SPORTS! We’re loud and we want to win!”
I name only one song from these guys because it doesn’t seem like much else gets played from them. But being that it got a movie named after it a decade after its release is enough to make me scream while on the edge of a cliff “ALRIGHT, already! They have MORE songs than this one!” I’m pretty sure the band itself may have screamed the same thing.
I’ll never forget seeing this play during a Reign of Fire ad. Y’know, Reign of Fire? That movie about Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey killing dragons? That’s when you know that they just didn’t care. Not surprisingly, I couldn’t find it on Youtube but I can promise you I’m not making this up.
2. The Heavy
Offending Songs: “How You Like Me Now?” and “Short Change Hero,” “What Makes a Good Man”
Songs Featured In: Horrible Bosses, The Change-Up, Limitless, Turbo, Ted, The Fighter, This Means War, GI JOE: Retaliation, Parker, The Losers, Dallas Buyers Club, Strikeback (theme), White Collar, Suits, Faster, Being Human, Hunted, Longmire, Arkham City Origins, Californication, Vampire Diaries, True Blood, Borderlands 2, Sleeping Dogs, Various others, Commercials and ads.
Songs are Generally Used To Promote Product As: Range from “I’m on the top! In your face!” to “I’m a dark and gritty anti-hero/underdog. Watch out.”
The Faster trailer was the first place I think I heard British band The Heavy but it definitely wasn’t the last. From action to comedy to drama, there doesn’t seem to be a genre they won’t cross into if the right person comes along and says “Hey. Let’s use this song. I heard it in another movie and I wanna use it in ours [Repeat 50x].”
“How You Like Me Now” is played in a vein similar to “Boom” as a sort of in-your-face anthem, often in sports but it’s not past being played when one character wants to get revenge on another.
It seems all the band has to do at this point is release another song to make some sweet moolah off the profits when whatever company wants to snatch up their next fart and put it in their beer commercial.
1. The Hives
Offending Songs: “Hate to Say I Told You So,” “Tick Tick Boom,” “Try It Again,” “Come on!,” various others
Songs Featured In: Rock Band video games, Gran Turismo video games, 2007 NHL season ads, WWE Survivor Series 2007, Nike and Finish Line ads, Burn Notice, Jericho, Get Smart, MacGruber, Jumper, Get Him to the Greek, various other ads and films.
Songs are Generally Used To Promote Product As: “We’re crazy! And fun! Everybody likes those things, don’t they?!”
The Swedish rocks band’s music has been steadily cranked since they started in 1997 but they really took off with “Hate to Say I Told You So” and something about it just screamed “USE ME IN EVERYTHING!” And they did. You could hardly turn on the TV without hearing the raw, static sound of the band who probably doesn’t know their music is in this many ads. Or maybe they do and just don’t care.
They don’t look like they do.
Either way, you don’t see Miley Cyrus-levels of exposure so it’s not as though the band itself is annoying. But there are other bands with a raw garage sound that says “Hey! Look at me! We’re cool and fun!” I wouldn’t want to give anyone ideas on what should be overexposed next though.
The Hives’ latest song “Come On!” can be heard in a (Stay with me here) commercial for a commercial for the Xbox One.
Years ago, “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves (Foreboding much?) and “All Star” by Smash Mouth definitely would’ve made this list but surprisingly, Hollywood became tired of their own redundancy. We’ll see what other musicians they attempt to ruin in the coming years.
Also, The Black Keys are runner ups here but they usually seem to be played in the background where I have to look up who I was hearing. They’ve got a pass…for now.
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