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Essential Queen: 40 Songs That Will Rock You

Clockwise from top left: Roger Taylor, Freddie Mercury, Brian May and John Deacon of Queen circa 1978 (Photo: Richard E. Aaron/Redferns); Freddie Mercury performing live on stage at Live Aid in 1985 (Photo: Phil Dent/Redferns); the band promotes their album A Night at the Opera in 1975 (Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images); the band poses in London, England in 1973. (Photo: Michael Putland/Getty Images)Graphic: Libby McGuire

Fifty years after the release of their eponymous debut album, Queen retains a space near the epicenter of pop culture. It's not just that guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor are preparing to bring vocalist Adam Lambert out for another Queen tour this fall, nor is their revived role due to 2018's Academy Award-winning film Bohemian Rhapsody, which won Rami Malek an Oscar for his portrayal of Queen's late singer Freddie Mercury. It's that Queen's outsized, outrageous glam rock remains part of the fabric of modern music, informing both rock survivors and wannabe pop idols alike.

A half-century of hindsight makes Queen's unique qualities all the more notable. Their influences were evident—it's difficult to imagine the group without either Led Zeppelin or the Beatles' Abbey Road—but the band's four forceful personalities combined in increasingly idiosyncratic ways over the course of their career. Queen was the only band where each member wrote smash hits in their own right, with May, Mercury, Taylor, and bassist John Deacon all developing complementary songwriting styles and embellishing their bandmates' compositions with distinctive flair. Their fluid collaboration is evident throughout the following list of 40 songs which run the gamut from earnest balladry to crunching hard rock, while finding space for disco, high camp, new wave, and AM pop—a range that only Queen could deliver.

Moving Music: The Greatest Movie Songs Of All Time

When it comes to crafting a watchable, let alone successful movie, numerous elements must come together, and one of the most essential is the score. Just imagine watching Rocky Balboa's relentless training in "Rocky III" without the triumphant anthem of "Eye of the Tiger" accompanying his journey. It would be nothing more than Sylvester Stallone sweating and breathing heavily onscreen.

Certain songs have become inseparable from the movies that birthed them, while others have taken on a life of their own as cultural touchstones and musical anthems. Here are some of the most iconic movie songs in cinematic history.

Image Credit: IMDb.

1. '(I've Had) The Time of My Life' from 'Dirty Dancing' (1987)

"Dirty Dancing" is abundant with catchy songs and even catchier dance moves (though attempting them at home might not end well). But, obviously, it was this one song that succeeded in getting Baby out of the corner, making cinematic history, and serving as an everlasting source of memorable, albeit occasionally disastrous, wedding dances. The energetic track by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes became a massive hit, ultimately winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Image Credit: IMDb.

'Footloose' from 'Footloose' (1984)

A coming-of-age flick centered around music and dance set against the backdrop of a town grappling with tragedy demands a standout soundtrack. And Kenny Loggins more than delivered. The upbeat song that is guaranteed to make you jump out of your seat and groove along skyrocketed to the number one spot on American charts, but it was defeated in the Best Song Oscar category, losing out to Stevie Wonder's heartwarming ballad, "I Just Called To Say I Love You.

Image Credit: IMDb.

'Over the Rainbow' from 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939)

The very epitome of a classic movie hit, "Somewhere over the Rainbow" performed by 16-year-old Judy Garland has transcended the 1939 film, inspiring countless cover versions that have taken on lives of their own. One of the most memorable renditions by the late Hawaiian artist Israel Kamakawiwoʻole has over one billion views on YouTube.

Image Credit: IMDb.

'Don't You (Forget About Me)' from 'The Breakfast Club' (1985)

Whether you were the brain, the athlete, the basket case, the princess, or the criminal (or a mix of them all) in High School, there's no chance you haven't seen the iconic 80s teen flick. There's also no chance that upon hearing the title track performed by the Scottish sensation Simple Minds you are not imagining Judd Nelson's fist-pumping moment on the football field.

Image Credit: IMDb.

'I Will Always Love You' from 'The Bodyguard' (1992)

While Dolly Parton penned and sang the heartfelt ballad, it was the tearjerking final scene in the 1992 "The Bodyguard" when Whitney Houston poured her heart that took it to new heights in the 1992 film. Even after 30 years since the film's release, Houston's rendition remains the highest-selling movie soundtrack of all time.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

'Moon River' from 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' (1961)

Few moments in cinematic history are as perfect as Audrey Hepburn strumming her guitar on a fire escape, performing "Moon River" so sweetly and sparingly, filling it with a romantic yearning for a simpler life in the 1961 film "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Composed by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, the song took home an Oscar and two Grammys and was recorded over 500 times by the likes of Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, and Judy Garland. Even Joan Rivers gave the tune a funny twist, singing, "Joan Rivers, older than the sky…" to the iconic song.

Image Credit: IMDb.

'Mrs. Robinson' from 'The Graduate' (1967)

During the final stages of film production, "The Graduate" was still in need of that special musical touch when director Mike Nichols accidentally heard a snippet of an intriguing little tune that Simon (of Simon & Garfunkel) had written as a tribute to Eleanor Roosevelt. And with a little "deet-da-dee-dee" here and "coo, coo, ca-choo," the former First Lady "Mrs. Roosevelt" evolved into the complex character of "Mrs. Robinson," and the iconic 1967s movie " found its essential musical theme. The Simon & Garfunkel song became the first to win Record of the Year at the Grammys while also topping the Billboard charts.

Image Credit: IMDb.

'Purple Rain' from 'Purple Rain' (1984)

In 1984, when Prince was at the peak of his career, he did something that rarely happens in cinematic history: he scored a soundscape that was far superior to the movie itself. While the title track served as the centerpiece of the film and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score, it became more popular as a standalone song.

Image Credit: IMDb.

'Unchained Melody' from 'Ghost' (1990)

The steamy scene in the 1990 film "Ghost" featuring Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze engaging in one of the most sexually charged versions of a pottery tutorial would have been considerably awkward if not for the accompaniment of this sweet track. Performed by The Righteous Brothers, the song became a timeless classic and remains one of the most beloved love songs of all time.

Image Credit: IMDB.

'Take My Breath Away' from 'Top Gun' (1986)

As Maverick (Tom Cruise) and Charlie (Kelly McGillis) finally act on the built-up tension and indulge in what, from this perspective, is a bit of a cringe-inducing love-making scene, a romantic power ballad by one-hit wonders Berlin plays in the background. This song, which won an Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Song in 1986, became one of the most romantic songs of the decade.

Image Credit: IMDb.

'Maniac' from 'Flashdance' (1983)

While Irene Cara's "What a Feeling" was the movie's official theme, Michael Sembello's energetic pop-rock anthem, "Maniac," became synonymous with the upbeat dance sequences and one of the most iconic movie montages of all time.The song, written by Sembello and Dennis Matkosky, achieved chart success and became a staple in the '80s music scene.

Image Credit: IMDb.

'As Time Goes By' from 'Casablanca'

"Play it Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By'," Isla Lund, portrayed by Ingrid Bergman, pleads with the pianist Sam portrayed by Dooley Wilson while humming to the melodramatic tune in what will become one of the most quoted moments in history of film. The track from the timeless 1942 film was honored with induction into the esteemed Grammy Hall of Fame in 2010.

Image Credit: IMDB.

'Stayin' Alive' from 'Saturday Night Fever' (1977)

The Bee Gees' disco hit, 'Stayin' Alive,' perfectly captured the energy and vibrancy of the disco era. The song became synonymous with the film and John Travolta's iconic dance moves, solidifying its status as a disco classic.

Image Credit: IMDb.

'Eye of the Tiger' from 'Rocky III' (1982)

Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" almost didn't happen if Freddie Mercury hadn't turned down the license for Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" as a soundtrack in the iconic training montage in Rocky III. Luckily, he did and Stallone asked Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan instead. They accepted the offer and wrote the song, timing the guitar and drum hits to coincide with Rocky's punches. It became an instant motivational anthem and went on to become one of the most recognizable and inspiring songs in popular culture.

Methodology

To identify the best movie songs, we looked around the Billboard charts and researched IMDB to identify critically acclaimed tracks that left a lasting impact on audiences.

This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.

Image Credit: IMDb.

Berlin's Terri Nunn On 1986's "Take My Breath Away": 'Everything Changed When That Song Came Out'

Remembering Roger Waters' 1990 Concert at the Berlin Wall

The sight of Terri Nunn's signature two-tone blonde-and-black hair is reassuring. Forty-five years into her professional career, the unforgettable frontperson of new wave stalwarts Berlin is still rocking that hairdo, and she slays it. Berlin has gone through its fair share of member swaps, but four years ago, Nunn reunited with original members John Crawford and David Diamond. This summer, the group joins Culture Club and Howard Jones on tour for "The Letting It Go Show."

Berlin has several sing-along songs that will have people on their feet, among them "No More Words," "The Metro," and "Sex (I'm A…)." The one audiences will no doubt be waiting for, however, is the group's stratospheric smash, "Take My Breath Away."

More from Spin:

Berlin in 1987. (L-R) Rob Brill, Terri Nunn and John Crawford. (Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Originally recorded for the 1986 Top Gun soundtrack, "Take My Breath Away" was written by Giorgio Moroder and his Ferrari-mechanic-turned-lyricist Tom Whitlock. Versions of "Take My Breath Away" were recorded by other artists, but none were clicking with the filmmakers. Berlin was brought into the equation by Moroder—much to the disgust of Crawford, the group's songwriter. But Berlin's version worked so well that, purportedly, the love scene it soundtracks in Top Gun was shot specifically for the song. In turn, Berlin's music video for the song looked like it was shot on the Top Gun set (it wasn't) and is intercut with scenes from the film.

The Gold-certified "Take My Breath Away" sold over half-a-million copies and spent 21 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, hitting No. 1. It won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song. Berlin didn't perform the song at the Oscars, and they weren't even named as the performing artist by presenter Bernadette Peters. (She mistakenly named Melba Moore and Lou Rawls, who had stepped in to perform the song at the awards ceremony, as Berlin were on tour in Taiwan.) Whitlock had their back, however, thanking Nunn and Berlin during his acceptance speech.

"Take My Breath Away" is, without a doubt, Berlin's calling card. In 2020, the group released an orchestral version of the song for their album Strings Attached. Of the many samples, interpolations, and covers of the song, Nunn favors EZI's stripped-back version. In fact, Nunn invited EZI to perform the song with Berlin last year at the Canyon Club. Nunn has perfect recall of how "Take My Breath Away" came to Berlin and how they made it their own.

Enter Giorgio Moroder

We were an underground band, played on stations that were taking a chance on new wave underground music. We were not hit artists, by any stretch. It was in no way on a large scale for us yet. We knew what we were at up to that point, but we wanted more. This is what we've done with Berlin. What could Giorgio do with Berlin? How would he see Berlin?

When we got the chance to ask Giorgio to work with us, it was so huge. He had already done Bowie and Blondie and [the films] Fame and Flashdance and fucking Cat People. My brain was blown. We couldn't afford a whole album, just one song, "No More Words." The demo was like "Warm Leatherette," very robotic. He knew there was a good song there, but he didn't get the production at all. He knew it wouldn't fly in any kind of mainstream way. He completely changed everything about the production and made it what it became.

John Crawford, my partner, hated it. He was like, "I'm trying to write stuff that the record label likes, that the fans will like, the audiences will like, and I'm struggling, and in comes this guy and changes everything, and it's not my band anymore. I don't know what I'm doing, and I'm losing my band." He was not happy.

Giorgio got the job for Top Gun while we were working on "No More Words" with him. We were not the first choice, or even the fifth choice. Luckily for us, the producers hated everybody that Giorgio was trying on it, much bigger stars than we were. He said, "What about Berlin?" They said, "Well, okay, get moving because it's getting down to the wire here."

Giorgio was a great writer and such a talent. I was all in for him. He could have farted, and I would have sung it. But John's like, "I'm not doing this. Fuck this guy. This is not our song." The record label jumped in and said, "You're doing this. You need all the help you can get. This is a movie. Regardless of whether it does well or not, your song will be on it." We had no idea it would be a single. We were in the right place at the right time.

Terri Nunn and Berlin perform at the Los Angeles Pride Festival on June 14, 2009 in West Hollywood, California. (Credit: Angela Weiss/Getty Images)

Not Getting Laid

Even though I love Giorgio, I wasn't a pushover. I was kind of ego-ed out, and in a way, that's bad. But in this case, it worked. I think one of the reasons that the producers weren't liking what the artists were doing with the song was because the demo was very poppy. It sounded Japanese. It was supposed to be in a love scene, and it wasn't romantic to me. I didn't want to fuck anything listening to it.

One of the reasons that it worked, honestly, is because, at the time, I was in such a dark place romantically. I hadn't gotten laid in probably two years. I didn't know if I would ever find love again. My job was working well, but my personal life was in the toilet. It was just awful. I couldn't sing it happy because I wasn't happy. The sadness in my voice gave the song more of the depth that I think it needed. For me, the way a song works is to connect with it emotionally in an honest way.

I wasn't crazy about Giorgio's melody either. He just had some things going on that I didn't get. Being a 20-whatever ego-ed out asshole, I sang it and gave it to him and said, "This is what I would do with it." I didn't know if we'd get the job. He actually liked it, and they loved it, so it worked out.

In the Studio

Giorgio was fucking flying at that point. He had at least three projects going while he was working with us. He had a studio complex with multiple rooms. Hans Zimmer took one of the rooms because he was also doing some of the songs for Top Gun. Giorgio would fly in for a few minutes and hear what Richie Zito came up with. Richie later became a big producer, but at the time he was an engineer working for Giorgio. He was the hands-on guy most of the time. Giorgio would come in and say, "No, take the horns out. Maybe later. Try it in the third chorus, and let it go from there." Then he was gone. It was just in and out through the whole process.

I got to a point where I thought, "I can sing this any way I want because they love me." I was trying stuff, like adding all this melody to his melody in the chorus, thinking I'm the coolest R&B singer of all time. Giorgio pulled me back into the studio three times and said, "Just sing the melody, only the melody. People want to sing along. They cannot remember all of these notes you're putting in. They will not understand you. It's not good." After the third time, I remember talking to my mom and saying, "All right, well, it's ruined now. It's his song. Fuck it. I did what he wanted. Fine. It's not going anywhere for sure now."

The Gift That Keeps Giving

Everything changed when that song came out. We got to play in countries that we'd never been to before as a band, that had no interest in Berlin before that. It opened the door to the world for me, and still does, to this day. It's a door-opener for my entire life. It is the gift that keeps on giving. It's a song that keeps going. I don't understand why one song is forever and another song isn't. It's still playing, and people still call me and ask if they can put it in this movie or that TV show. It continues to change my life.

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

The post Remembering Roger Waters' 1990 Concert at the Berlin Wall appeared first on SPIN.

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