Local’s advice on using a stylus | Popular music hits the charts

Songs have the unique ability to evoke emotions and connect with listeners in various ways, but when a familiar track is used in a film or TV series, it can completely transform the way we perceive it. Take, for example, Jay Reatard’s “Waiting For Something,” a furious track that became intertwined with a poignant scene in The Handmaid’s Tale, forever changing the song for viewers.

This phenomenon of songs being revitalized through visual media is not uncommon. From The Beatles’ “Twist And Shout” in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off to Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” in Stranger Things, these old and often overlooked tracks find new life through film and television placements. The power of shows like Stranger Things is evident as they bring songs like Metallica’s “Master Of Puppets” back into popular culture, despite never being released as singles originally.

Additionally, the use of iconic songs like The Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody” in Ghost or Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” in the film of the same name immortalizes these tracks and propels them to new heights. Furthermore, Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” defies conventional song lengths but manages to captivate audiences, reaching the top of the charts multiple times due to its immortalization in films like Wayne’s World and the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.

One recent example of this phenomenon is the return of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love” through the Elvis biopic. These instances of songs resurfacing in popular culture through visual media not only reintroduce them to audiences, giving them a new relevance but also pay tribute to the timeless nature of music and its ability to transcend time and trends.

In conclusion, the use of familiar songs in films and TV series is a powerful tool that can evoke nostalgia, intensify emotions, and breathe new life into old classics. These placements not only introduce a new generation to timeless music but also provide long-time fans with fresh perspectives on songs they thought they knew by heart. The relationship between music and visual media is a symbiotic one, continuously shaping our experiences and memories through the art of storytelling and the magic of sound.