History Main / BreakAwayPopHit

%%# Quality of the movie (TV show/video game/whatever) is irrelevant. ''Film/{{Armageddon}}'', for example, is widely reviled. However, due to the fact that it gets referenced a lot (usually in a negative manner), it has certainly not fallen into obscurity. As such, the song "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing" by Music/{{Aerosmith}} would not count as an example (even if most people couldn't tell you that it was tied in to the film). On the flip side, a movie that is considered to be very high quality does not excuse it from obscurity. As mentioned in example 3, see Creator/TheCriterionCollection for a lot of movies that are academically considered to be very high quality, yet are extremely obscure.

# The movie (TV show/video game/whatever) has to fall into obscurity. This is the most subjective part of this entry, but you can tell if it fell into obscurity by the fact that the studio either didn't release a DVD of it (not due only to [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes copyright hell]]) or they just gave it a "catalog" release (basically a bare bones DVD with just the movie and whatever cheaply available other features such as trailers or music videos are on hand. The price is usually $14.99 or lower). Just having a special edition version does not automatically mean it hasn't fallen into obscurity (for example, see Creator/TheCriterionCollection for a TON of obscure movies with the red carpet treatment). If the average person is unlikely to know about a movie (/TV show/video game/whatever), it counts.

* The "Peter Gunn Theme" by Music/HenryMancini. Nobody remembers [[Series/PeterGunn the original show]] but everybody recognizes the tune. At least some of the blame for that can be laid at the feet of VideoGame/SpyHunter.

* The theme to ''Series/TheGreatestAmericanHero'' is more popular now than the show, which lasted only a few seasons. It peaked at #2 shortly after the show began, but hung around on Billboard's Hot 100 charts for over ''two '''years'''.'' The show was cancelled some time before the song fell off the chart entirely.

One tactic that has been used in the publicity of movies (and other media, but mostly movies) for decades is to produce a radio-friendly song to go with the film. By having music intrinsically linked, you can effectively extend the advertising for both the musical artist(s) and the movie by crossing over into the two fields. It often works out pretty well, with both the movie and the artist(s) getting a ton of free publicity from each other. For example, ''Film/TheGraduate'' and the "Mrs. Robinson" by Music/SimonAndGarfunkel were both major hits when they first came out, with each giving a ton of publicity to the other. (This was the first time a pop hit was used on the soundtrack of a high-profile Hollywood film, and while the trend didn't catch on right away, it's safe to say it eventually became pretty standard practice.)

One tactic that has been used in the publicity of movies (and other media, but mostly movies) for decades is to produce a radio-friendly song to go with the film. By having music intrinsically linked, you can effectively extend the advertising for both the musical artist(s) and the movie by crossing over into the two fields. It often works out pretty well, with both the movie and the artist(s) getting a ton of free publicity from each other. For example, ''Film/TheGraduate'' and the [[MrsRobinson trope-naming song]] by Music/SimonAndGarfunkel were both major hits when they first came out, with each giving a ton of publicity to the other. (This was the first time a pop hit was used on the soundtrack of a high-profile Hollywood film, and while the trend didn't catch on right away, it's safe to say it eventually became pretty standard practice.)

One tactic that has been used in the publicity of movies (and other media, but mostly movies) for decades is to produce a radio-friendly song to go with the film. By having music intrinsically linked, you can effectively extend the advertising for both the musical artist(s) and the movie by crossing over into the two fields. It often works out pretty well, with both the movie and the artist(s) getting a ton of free publicity from each other. For example, ''Film/TheGraduate'' and the song "MrsRobinson" by Music/SimonAndGarfunkel were both major hits when they first came out, with each giving a ton of publicity to the other. (This was the first time a pop hit was used on the soundtrack of a high-profile Hollywood film, and while the trend didn't catch on right away, it's safe to say it eventually became pretty standard practice.)

* The melody known as "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" from J.S. Bach's sacred cantata ''Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben'' (BWV 147). The former title, by the way, appears nowhere in the translated text of the cantata. In fact, the melody of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" is actually from two, almost identical movements of the cantata ("Wohl mir, daß ich Jesum habe" and "Jesus bleibet meine Freude" respectively). The melody is very famous in both religious and secular circles; in the latter, the melody often appears stripped of its religious lyrics and any hint of its Baroque origin.

->''"On top of that, [WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail] introduced the now-often-used idea of using a new soft rock song by a popular artist to boost the attention of the movie. I walk into clothing stores (although not often) and they're STILL playing "Somewhere Out There" on radio stations. And every time they do, I think of Fievel Mouskewitz because I can't help it."''

* The Waitresses' new wave holiday classic "Christmas Wrapping" was originally recorded for ''A Christmas Record'', a 1981 collection of new holiday songs from the roster of experimental and post-punk label ZE Records. "Christmas Wrapping" was the most commercial song on the release, which includes some rather offbeat takes on Christmas music from the likes of Music/{{Suicide}} and Bill Laswell, and was issued as a single to promote a wider release of the compilation in 1982. While "Christmas Wrapping" didn't initially chart very high (only reaching #45 in the UK and not placing at all in the US), its reputation as an alt-rock Christmas classic grew over the years, and it's now a holiday staple that has been covered dozens of times. ''A Christmas Record'', by contrast, is relatively obscure, to the point where even some Waitresses fans aren't aware of its existence.

* ''VideoGame/Pikmin1'': In the Japanese release of the original game, Nintendo commissioned an artist to perform a promotional song called "[[NonindicativeName Song of Love]]." [[LyricalDissonance It's actually about how the Pikmin continually do dangerous deeds for the protagonist and follow him without question; even though many of them lose their lives helping him, "We don't ask that you love us."]] The game sold modestly. The song was a ''huge'' hit, particularly with the {{Salarym|an}}en who identified with the Pikmin's plight.

* The short-lived 1984 sitcom ''Dreams'' devoted each episode to a specific song that the fictional band was performing. One of the episodes featured the song "Alone", which had been previously recorded by the songwriting team of Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, but it was years after the show's cancelation that Music/{{Heart}} covered it and made it a #1 hit.

* ''Series/SesameStreet''
** "Sing" gained this title when the Music/{{Carpenters}} covered it in early 1973, and it eventually hit #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 (and #1 on their Easy Listening chart) that Spring. The ''Sesame'' team was quite taken with that version as well, as they included it on the compilation ''Music/SingSongsOfJoeRaposo'' in 1992.
** "Bein' Green" from the same show could also qualify; besides the endless covers from people like Music/RayCharles, Music/FrankSinatra and more recently on ''Series/{{Glee}}'' with [[Music/CelticThunder Damian McGinty]], the phrase "It's not easy being green" is frequently used to refer to [[GreenAesop environmental concerns]]. This context came full circle in 2006, when Kermit [[CelebrityEndorsement appeared in]] [[MuppetCameo a commercial]] for the environmentally-friendly [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMNECJpUepQ Ford Escape Hybrid]], which caused him to remark that it was, in fact, "easy being green".
** Ernie's "Rubber Duckie" song ended up becoming a surprise novelty hit, reaching #16 one Billboard Hot 100 in September 1970.
* Speaking of Kermit, "I Believe", his duet with actress Creator/TiffanyThornton, was a minor Radio Disney hit during the 2009 holiday season. Those who only heard the song from there, Creator/DisneyChannel and/or through buying the single release on iTunes may be unaware of the fact that it was originally written as a Kermit solo for the UsefulNotes/MacysThanksgivingDayParade the previous year (Thornton and Kermit even performed it there the year their version was released).

* The theme to ''Series/HawaiiFiveO''. If that doesn't sound familiar, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ9xfNn09eQ this will]]. It's been used in everything from commercials to ''Series/BillNyeTheScienceGuy'', usually accompanying surfing or anything to do with the ocean.

* The theme to ''Series/TheGreatestAmericanHero'' is more popular now than the show, which lasted only a few seasons. It peaked at #2 shortly after the show began, but hung around on Billboard's Hot 100 charts for over ''two '''years'''.''

* The theme to ''Series/TheGreatestAmericanHero'' is more popular now than the show, which lasted only a few seasons.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Encanto}}'': The showstopper "We Don't Talk About Bruno" became a viral sensation at the start of 2022, not only becoming the first Disney song to hit #1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart since [[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} "A Whole New World"]], but staying there for five straight weeks. It was even performed at that year's Oscars ceremony despite "Dos Oruguitas" being nominated for Best Original Song, as it was submitted before "Bruno" really took off.

** A song from the show about a mushroom wanting to leave the forest and go on an adventure (set to traditional Russian folk music) became a hugely popular hit and charted on the regular Japanese music charts. It was even sung live by the hosts on NHK's New Year's Eve special (one of the most watched shows of the year in Japan).

** "Sing" gained this title when the Music/{{Carpenters}} covered it in early 1973, and it eventually hit #3 on Billboard's Top 100 (and #1 on their Easy Listening chart) that Spring. The ''Sesame'' team was quite taken with that version as well, as they included it on the compilation ''Music/SingSongsOfJoeRaposo'' in 1992.

* "Somewhere Out There" from ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail'', which was released as a single performed by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram. While the film was hugely successful and indirectly led to the Disney Renaissance, the single version was successfully able to shed itself of its origins, and ended up being a hit on the Billboard Top 100 and a Top 40 radio hit, reaching #2 on the charts in March 1987. It also becomes deliciously ironic when played at proms, since it details family separation.

* The Nelly Furtado cover of "Crocodile Rock" was originally recorded for ''WesternAnimation/GnomeoAndJuliet'', which was a modest success at best. However, the song was a hit on the Radio Disney Top 30, to the point where it beat several Music/JustinBieber songs, dethroning "Somebody To Love" after a months-long streak at #1. The song still plays at [[Ride/DisneyThemeParks some of Disney's theme parks]] and places for kids like Build-A-Bear Workshop.

* CountryMusic singers Johnny Lee and Lane Brody co-wrote and recorded "The Yellow Rose", set to the old folk song "The Yellow Rose of Texas", and recorded it as the theme to the Creator/{{NBC}} soap opera ''The Yellow Rose''. The song hit #1 on the country charts a couple months before the series ended, and it remains a staple of the classic country format.

* Besides ''Makin' It'' as mentioned above, producer Creator/GarryMarshall had a nice string of theme songs that became hits. While the source shows for "Series/HappyDays" by Pratt & [=McClain=] (which got to #5) and ''Series/LaverneAndShirley'''s "Making Our Dreams Come True" (a Top 30 hit for Cyndi Grecco) are still famous, the largely-forgotten ''Angie'' produced Maureen [=McGovern=]'s Top 20 hit "Different Worlds" in 1979.

* Similar to the Heights example was the theme song to the sitcom ''Makin' It'', sung by star David Naughton. It peaked at #5 and lasted 17 weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, whereas the show only lasted 9 episodes. In fact, it peaked on the charts almost ''four months'' after the show was canceled!

* "You've Got Possibilities", covered by Barbra Streisand and Peggy Lee among others, originally came from a Broadway musical about Superman. (Yes, this happened.)

* Similar to the Heights example, the theme song to the sitcom ''Makin' It'' - sung by star David Naughton - peaked at #5 in the US four months after the show itself had been canceled.