You're watching a movie and abruptly you hear a familiar song. From the cue you know that shit is going to go down and it is going to go down hard. This trope is humbly dedicated to any song that has been used in so many movies that playing it in a new movie tells the audience exactly what's going to happen in the scene. Similar in spirit to
Ominous Latin Chanting, but uses modern songs.
See also
Standard Snippet.
Examples:
- "Back in Black" by AC/DC, as seen in most action movies.
- Bonus points if it is at the beginning of the movie.
- "We Are the Champions" by Queen, used to herald in really dramatic moments.
- Filter's "Hey Man Nice Shot" in movie trailers. See, for instance, the first Iron Man trailer...
- Likewise, "Hell Above Water" by Curve, which was used in Iron Man, Spider Man and about a bizillon other trailers.
- "O Fortuna", in the spirit of Ominous Latin Chanting.
- Similarly, Mozart's "Dies Irae."
- "We Will Rock You", also by Queen, for sports-related badassery.
- "Bad to the Bone" is also a traditional badass song, used in the second ''Terminator' film.
- Dick Dale's version of "Misirlou" also fits after Pulp Fiction.
- "Bad to the Bone" is used amusingly in Married With Children, whenever Al's about to do something badass. For example, eating a bunch of burritos in order to do horrible things to Peg's decorated bathroom.
- "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath is also used by badasses (including the Marvel Comics hero, of course).
- Irony moment: the original song's lyrics were written by Geezer Butler specifically to avoid being sued by Marvel; as a result the song is about a time-traveller who attempts to save mankind but ends up destroying it. Which are not necessarily motives and superpowers associated with Tony Stark.
- "I Got You (I Feel Good)" by James Brown is used in many scenes with really happy people.
- It also appeared in a lot of comedy trailers, which was parodied in an SNL skit where people suffer through an onslaught of previews, and all of the ones for comedies use this song.
- Village People songs and "I Will Survive" will show up in every comedy involving homosexuals.
- The "Ride Of The Valkyries" by Richard Wagner is used to herald in a villain's Crowning Moment Of Awesome or a military assault, in homage to Apocalypse Now. Bonus points if said military assault includes an attack helicopter.
- "Right Here, Right Now" By Fatboy Slim has also been used in actions movies for Crowning Moment Of Awesome.
- Snap's "The Power" used for characters using a superpower in a generally non-serious way.
- Jacques Offenbach's "Gallope" from Orpheus in the Underworld (more commonly known as the can can music) being used for comedy movies when the wacky hijinks start getting out of control. Think overflowing washing machine, tangled electrical wires and stray parrots.
- "Wipe Out" by The Safaris is pretty popular for chase scenes.
- Benny Hill's "Yakkety Sax" as well, with an added comedic affect.
- Seth Macfarlane deliberately chose Del Amitri's "Roll to Me" for a spoof Romantic Comedy trailer in an episode of Family Guy, because he believes that song is always used in rom com trailers. He's at least 85% right.
- Music by the The Rolling Stones.
- Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back In Town" for, well, scenes in which there are some boys, and they are back. In a town.
- Expect cool stuff to happen when "The Name of the Game" by Crystal Method starts playing.
- Joe Cocker and The Who will surely live out their days comfortably on the royalties from "Feelin' All Right" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" on Every. Single. Movie. Trailer.
- "Eye of the Tiger" is used is many, many fight sequences in movies. Considering it comes from a Rocky movie, not surprising.
- "Walking On Sunshine" by Katrina And The Waves was used in pretty much every trailer for family comedies in the 1990s.
