Movies and music go together like peanut butter and jelly. There is no genre that hasn’t had a memorable song associated with it. Sometimes there’s a symbiotic relationship and both are successful, but there are times when a song overshadows the movie. In a few cases, more than one song from a film becomes a hit. (Whether or not they made the charts, these are the greatest songs from American movies.)
To determine the most popular songs originally written for movies, 24/7 Tempo reviewed performance data on the Billboard Hot 100. Songs that were originally written or recorded for a feature film were ranked based on an inverse score wherein a week at No. 1 is worth 100 points, a week at No. 2 worth 99 points, and so on, up to a week at No. 100 worth one point. Chart data is current through the week of November 19, 2022.
Thirty-four songs on our list summited the Billboard Hot 100. The oldest of them is B.J. Thomas’s “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” from the Western “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” in 1969, a song that captured the breezy anti-hero vibe of the late 1960s.
Six of the songs that climbed to No. 1 stayed there for 10 weeks or longer. The longest at No. 1 was Whitney Houston’s ballad “I Will Always Love You,” from the motion picture “The Bodyguard,” (which she also starred in). The song held the top spot for 14 weeks.
Click here to see the most popular songs originally written for the movies
“Saturday Night Fever,” released at the height of disco fever in 1977, vaulted John Travolta into superstardom, and produced two Bee Gees hits that reached the Billboard Hot 100 apex, “Stayin’ Alive” and “Night Fever.”
Two songs from this year made our list – OneRepublic’s “I Ain’t Worried” from “Top Gun: Maverick,” and the collaboration of Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz and the “Encanto” cast, for “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from the animated hit “Encanto.” (See how many songs from that animated Disney hit made the list of best original songs from Disney movies.)
47. Vangelis, “Chariots Of Fire – Titles”
> Entered Hot 100: December 12, 1981
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 28
> Movie: Chariots of Fire (1981)
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46. Ray Parker Jr., “Ghostbusters”
> Entered Hot 100: June 16, 1984
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 3 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 23
> Movie: Ghostbusters (1984)
45. Whitney Houston, “I Have Nothing”
> Entered Hot 100: February 27, 1993
> Peak position on Hot 100: #4 (for 5 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 20
> Movie: The Bodyguard (1992)
44. OneRepublic, “I Ain’t Worried”
> Entered Hot 100: June 25, 2022
> Peak position on Hot 100: #6 (for 3 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 22
> Movie: Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
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43. Bee Gees, “Night Fever”
> Entered Hot 100: February 4, 1978
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 8 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 20
> Movie: Saturday Night Fever (1977)
42. Barbra Streisand, “The Way We Were”
> Entered Hot 100: November 24, 1973
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 3 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 23
> Movie: The Way We Were (1973)
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41. Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz and the “Encanto” cast, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”
> Entered Hot 100: January 8, 2022
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 5 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 20
> Movie: Encanto (2021)
40. Kenny Loggins, “Footloose”
> Entered Hot 100: January 28, 1984
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 3 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 23
> Movie: Footloose (1984)
39. Phil Collins, “Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)”
> Entered Hot 100: February 25, 1984
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 3 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 24
> Movie: Against All Odds (1984)
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38. Bryan Adams, “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You”
> Entered Hot 100: June 29, 1991
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 7 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 22
> Movie: Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
37. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, “You’re The One That I Want”
> Entered Hot 100: April 1, 1978
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 24
> Movie: Grease (1978)
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36. Christopher Cross, “Arthur’s Theme”
> Entered Hot 100: August 15, 1981
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 3 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 24
> Movie: Arthur (1981)
35. B.J. Thomas, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head”
> Entered Hot 100: November 1, 1969
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 4 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 22
> Movie: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
34. LeAnn Rimes, “Can’t Fight The Moonlight”
> Entered Hot 100: September 9, 2000
> Peak position on Hot 100: #11 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 42
> Movie: Coyote Ugly (2000)
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33. Prince, “When Doves Cry”
> Entered Hot 100: June 2, 1984
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 5 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 23
> Movie: Purple Rain (1984)
32. Dolly Parton, “9 To 5”
> Entered Hot 100: November 29, 1980
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 26
> Movie: 9 to 5 (1980)
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31. Maxwell, “Fortunate”
> Entered Hot 100: April 10, 1999
> Peak position on Hot 100: #4 (for 3 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 25
> Movie: Life (1999)
30. P!nk, “Just Like Fire”
> Entered Hot 100: May 7, 2016
> Peak position on Hot 100: #10 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 26
> Movie: Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)
29. Blondie, “Call Me”
> Entered Hot 100: February 16, 1980
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 6 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 25
> Movie: American Gigolo (1980)
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28. Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, Sting, “All For Love”
> Entered Hot 100: November 27, 1993
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 3 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 22
> Movie: The Three Musketeers (1993)
27. Janet, “Doesn’t Really Matter”
> Entered Hot 100: June 17, 2000
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 3 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 24
> Movie: Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000)
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26. Zayn and Taylor Swift, “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever”
> Entered Hot 100: December 31, 2016
> Peak position on Hot 100: #2 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 23
> Movie: Fifty Shades Darker (2017)
25. Charli XCX, “Boom Clap”
> Entered Hot 100: June 21, 2014
> Peak position on Hot 100: #8 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 25
> Movie: The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
24. Diana Ross and Lionel Richie, “Endless Love”
> Entered Hot 100: July 11, 1981
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 9 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 27
> Movie: Endless Love (1981)
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23. Survivor, “Eye Of The Tiger”
> Entered Hot 100: June 5, 1982
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 6 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 25
> Movie: Rocky III (1982)
22. Irene Cara, “Flashdance…What A Feeling”
> Entered Hot 100: April 2, 1983
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 6 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 25
> Movie: Flashdance (1983)
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21. Janet Jackson, “Again”
> Entered Hot 100: October 23, 1993
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 23
> Movie: Poetic Justice (1993)
20. Bee Gees, “Stayin’ Alive”
> Entered Hot 100: December 10, 1977
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 4 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 27
> Movie: Saturday Night Fever (1977)
19. Eminem, “Lose Yourself”
> Entered Hot 100: October 5, 2002
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 12 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 24
> Movie: 8 Mile (2002)
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18. Jennifer Lopez feat. Ja Rule, “Ain’t It Funny”
> Entered Hot 100: December 29, 2001
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 6 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 27
> Movie: The Wedding Planner (2001)
17. Miley Cyrus, “The Climb”
> Entered Hot 100: March 21, 2009
> Peak position on Hot 100: #4 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 28
> Movie: Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009)
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16. Destiny’s Child, “Independent Women Part I”
> Entered Hot 100: September 23, 2000
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 11 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 28
> Movie: Charlie’s Angels (2000)
15. Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories, “Stay (I Missed You)”
> Entered Hot 100: May 7, 1994
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 3 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 30
> Movie: Reality Bites (1994)
14. Idina Menzel, “Let It Go”
> Entered Hot 100: December 14, 2013
> Peak position on Hot 100: #5 (for 5 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 33
> Movie: Frozen (2013)
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13. Aaliyah, “Try Again”
> Entered Hot 100: March 18, 2000
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 32
> Movie: Romeo Must Die (2000)
12. Boyz II Men, “End Of The Road”
> Entered Hot 100: July 18, 1992
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 13 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 32
> Movie: Boomerang (1992)
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11. Ellie Goulding, “Love Me Like You Do”
> Entered Hot 100: January 24, 2015
> Peak position on Hot 100: #3 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 34
> Movie: Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
10. Celine Dion, “Because You Loved Me”
> Entered Hot 100: March 9, 1996
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 6 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 33
> Movie: Up Close & Personal (1996)
9. En Vogue, “Don’t Let Go (Love)”
> Entered Hot 100: November 9, 1996
> Peak position on Hot 100: #2 (for 4 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 35
> Movie: Set It Off (1996)
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8. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, “Shallow”
> Entered Hot 100: October 13, 2018
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 45
> Movie: A Star Is Born (2018)
7. Eric Clapton, “Change The World”
> Entered Hot 100: July 20, 1996
> Peak position on Hot 100: #5 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 43
> Movie: Phenomenon (1996)
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6. twenty one pilots, “Heathens”
> Entered Hot 100: July 9, 2016
> Peak position on Hot 100: #2 (for 4 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 39
> Movie: Suicide Squad (2016)
5. Khalid and Normani, “Love Lies”
> Entered Hot 100: March 3, 2018
> Peak position on Hot 100: #9 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 51
> Movie: Love, Simon (2018)
4. Kelly Clarkson, “Breakaway”
> Entered Hot 100: August 28, 2004
> Peak position on Hot 100: #6 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 46
> Movie: The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)
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3. Pharrell Williams, “Happy”
> Entered Hot 100: January 18, 2014
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 10 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 47
> Movie: Despicable Me 2 (2013)
2. Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth, “See You Again”
> Entered Hot 100: March 28, 2015
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 12 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 52
> Movie: Furious 7 (2015)
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1. Justin Timberlake, “Can’t Stop The Feeling!”
> Entered Hot 100: May 28, 2016
> Peak position on Hot 100: #1 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 52
> Movie: Trolls (2016)
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