You know a song is good when it nearly outperforms the movie it was written for. Here are a few songs that were written for pretty massive movies, but definitely stand on their own in terms of success.
“Purple Rain” by Prince
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“Purple Rain” was written for, you guessed it, Purple Rain. The movie came out in 1984, along with Prince‘s album of the same name. While Purple Rain did pretty well, even taking home the Academy Award for Best Original Score, “Purple Rain” is widely considered Prince’s musical masterpiece.
Videos by American Songwriter
“9 to 5” by Dolly Parton
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Parton famously started writing “9 to 5” while on the set of the 9 to 5 movie, using her long fingernails to create a percussive sound. However, when “9 to 5” comes up, it seems like everyone thinks about this smash hit before the movie.
Although the song’s title partially refers to “9 to 5” jobs, it also takes inspiration from 9to5, a women’s organization that focuses on fair pay for women and equal treatment in the workplace.
“Eye of The Tiger” by Survivor
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There’s no doubt that Rocky III was a huge success back in the day. Even so, I’d like to argue that many people nowadays know “Eye of the Tiger” apart from its iconic film.
In the US, the song was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks, an all-around impressive feat. In 2024, the song’s music video also reached 1 billion views. This just further proves that its legacy extends far beyond the Rocky film franchise.
“Call Me” by Blondie
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Lots of people know this Blondie hit, but not everyone knows that “Call Me” was written for the 1980 film American Gigolo. I’ve never seen the film, but apparently it plays when a prostitute is on the clock. If you look at the lyrics, especially in the chorus, this makes a lot of sense.
Call me (Call me) on the line
Call me, call me any, anytime
Call me (Call me), I’ll arrive
You can call me any day or night, call me.
Photo by: Ebet Roberts/Redferns