John Hughes’s classic Pretty in Pink turned 30 on February 28th. That’s 30 years of one boy dancing in a record store, another boy named Blaine (like an appliance), movie history’s worst prom dress and some of the most classic tunes ever tacked onto an 80s soundtrack. As we toast in celebration to the classic 80s movie, it’s also a time to reminisce about that perfect soundtrack.
Hughes loves to have an iconic song to close out his films. Simple Minds in The Breakfast Club with “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”, Sam and Jake sharing a kiss in Sixteen Candles to the Thompson Twins’ “If You Were Here” and, of course, OMD’s “If You Leave” filling the final dance scene in Pretty in Pink. The strings in OMD’s single are instantly recognisable, and so synonymous with the film it was written for.
And, of course, there’s that opening tune:
The original single “Pretty in Pink” preceded the film by nearly five years, first appearing on Psychedelic Furs’ second album Talk, Talk, Talk. Though the soundtrack would feature a much different version, fairing much better in the charts with a movie being named after it. It would help create one of the best opening montages of the 80s. And really, getting-ready montages are one of the best things about 80s movies.
But Pretty in Pink lives on beyond its two best-known tracks. The well-constructed soundtrack includes some of the biggest names of new wave and indie of the time like The Smiths, New Order and Echo & the Bunnymen. Even still there are more subtle songs to enjoy like Suzanne Vega’s song with Joe Jackson, “Left of Center”. John Hughes fingerprints are all over it, despite director Howard Deutch originally wanting to include more theme music.
Imagine a movie about a girl who works in a record store not having a killer soundtrack.
These songs not only work within the realm of the film, but it plays like a soundtrack hand-picked by Andie Walsh herself. It’s easy to feel Duckie’s heartbreak in “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” or the pain felt in everyone in the love-triangle in Belouis Some’s “Round, Round”.
Though this soundtrack is lovely in each of its tracks, it’s safe to say the movie is truly made complete with the songs that are not included: Talk Back’s “Rudy” serves as some of the coolest “live” act music included in any movie, Andie’s dance with Iona is absolutely touching while The Association’s “Cherish” plays airily around them, and last but certainly not least is Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness” playing during Jon Cryer’s lip syncing scene in TRAX.
Pretty in Pink is such a wonderful film worth celebrating on its own. It is truly a story about teenagers having to make some of their first tough decisions, and facing the stereotypes that the world will love to place on them. But it’s also a movie about finding your self-worth. And every song there will help you find your way.
I recently started reading Ready Player One by Ernest Kline. It’s a novel absolutely soaked in 80’s nostalgia. Nearly every page is line after line of old school game nods, song references or movie quotes. My husband suggested I read it after he finished reading it in a matter of days. “It’s right up your alley,” he told me. And boy was he right.
Picking out all the little Easter eggs in the book is an adventure in of itself. But the first song mentioned is “Dead Man’s Party” by Oingo Boingo. There is a group of teenagers dancing away at a high school dance to the dance (if you want to know why, read the book yourself). After reading the passage, I immediately thought of the scene in Sixteen Candles where The Geek dances to Oingo Boingo’s “Wild Sex (In the Working Class).”
After that, I started thinking of the decade’s fantastic use of music. It’s so easy to recall what song was iconic in Dirty Dancing or which two songs will forever be in pop-song history from Flashdance. Dare I say that there is no decade of film that even holds a candle to how good 80’s movies were with music.
As this post progressed, I realised I couldn’t stop thinking of great scenes, and I really needed to stop at some point. Don’t worry, I won’t sleep tonight knowing I left off the montage from Valley Girl. I feel even more racked with guilt that the parade scene from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off isn’t here either… But I left the obvious choices to live in their revel in their own success elsewhere. Plus it was SO difficult not to include every John Hughes film in existence. I even left of “Try a Little Tenderness” because I have written about that movie so damn much.
Here are those scenes in 80’s movies that wouldn’t be half as good if it wasn’t for the music that was playing:
1. Van Halen “Everybody Wants Some” in Better Off Dead (1985)
One thing special about 80’s movies is that they had this fantastic knack of incorporating new music and classics (usually from the late 50s, early 60s). The best example I can think of for this is Better Off Dead. “With One Look” is a pretty decent original song for the movie done by English musician Rupert Hine. His songs are much more tame examples compared to the pop performance given by Valley Girl‘s Elizabeth Daily at the dance scene.
The movie also features a hilarious sequence of break-up songs including Neil Sedaka’s “Breaking Up is Hard to Do.” But there are two scenes that are particularly memorable for their use of music. The first is
But Better Off Dead is a really strange movie, to day the least. And no scene does it better than one with a claymation hamburger lip-syncing Van Halen’s “Everybody Wants Some” and plays Eddie Van Halen’s signature red Frankenstrat. In this scene, all-around weirdo and hero Lane Meyer has taken up a job at Pig Burger where he has to pat patties all day. The mundane job quickly sends him into a daydream – one where he is the mad scientist and creator of all musician burgers.
The amount of adsurdity is unreal, but it is fun as all hell.
2. Tim Cappello “I Still Believe” in The Lost Boys (1987)
Sorry. Not sorry. I just needed to include this one for pure entertainment purposes. Everything about this scene in this Kiefer Sutherland vampire-flick is totally bizarre, but oh-so enjoyable. The kids are all the pier watching live entertainment as the young folk do. There are stolen glances and a girl dressed like a hippie named Star. But none of the story matters in this scene.
Vampires roaming around Santa Carla? Who cares! Tim Cappello is here in all his tenor sax, bare-chested glory. It comes as no shock that his is the man who played saxophone for Tina Turner for a number of years. But really, let’s just sit and watch the clip and enjoy the tiki torch light dance off the reflection of Cappello’s oiled skin. So 80’s it hurts, but in all the right places.
Bonus fun fact: Cappello was in a “porn pop” boy band called The Ken Dolls. The world is a good place.
3. Thompson Twins “If You Were Here” in Sixteen Candles (1984)
A subtle choice, but just think of how over-blow love scenes can be. Compare the gentle love of this John Hughes movie to over-blown love scenes like Top Gun (which single-handedly ruined how cool of a band Berlin was). The choice of this Thompson Twin’s pop single is perfect. The sound epitomizes sweet, young love.
The ending scenes to Sixteen Candles still makes me squee like a teenage girl. A lot of that is due to Jake Ryan, but also to the lovely, dreamy sound of “If You Were Here.” There is still nothing better than when one of the flat-chested of us win the guy.
4. David Bowie “As the World Falls Down” in Labyrinth (1986)
Speaking of dreamy, let’s drool about David Bowie in Labyrinth.
Ok. Done? No. Me either. But let’s keep going.
I get the feeling a lot of people like Labyrinth in an ironic way. Is this film not genuinely super entertaining? Every moment has something to love about it, especially Bowie’s music for this movie. Though it certainly isn’t his most prolific or complex work ever, there is still a lot going for it. That being said, this is a scene that can be a little uncomfortable. Sarah is just a young girl, but it does seem like Jareth the Goblin King is trying to seduce her (not like that’s very difficult in those trousers, am I right?).
But this is SUCH a scene. A scene with such such-iness. It is everything I want my life to be. I would literally give up my baby brother to dance at this masquerade ball in that massive ball gown with Jareth. But without “As the World Falls Down” there wouldn’t be nearly as much dream-like quality to the scene. Perhaps an instrumental could have been used, but with Bowie singing, everything feels that much more magical and intimate (with creeper touches or not).
5. The Crystals “Then He Kissed Me” in Adventures in Babysitting (1987)
Oh the “getting ready montage.” Really a must in any movie (I request more, please). This one beats out the opening Pretty in Pink scene, but mostly because Elisabeth Shue wears a petticoat in 1987. Bonus points.
This Chris Columbus film is a bit of an over-looked one, but it’s actually really enjoyable. The scene where babysitter and co. need to escape a gang of baddies by singing in a blues club is THE BEST, but probably not THE BEST because it’s still not as good as spinning around your bedroom in a massive petticoat.
6. Karla DeVito “We Are Not Alone” in The Breakfast Club (1985)
Okay. I know most people here would say the Simple Minds’ version of “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” should be here instead, but really the star of that scene in the Breakfast Club letter, in my humble opinion. But both “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” and “We Are Not Alone” are both solid tracks in an otherwise rather uninteresting soundtrack.
What I love about the scene in the library is this true sense of celebration and liberation. DeVito’s pipes are as fantastic as always on this track. Clearly all the kids in detention get how awesome she is. But now this scene pretty much exists as a reminder of just how cool Molly Ringwald’s dance moves are, and I thank you for that, scene.
7. Harry Belafonte “Banana Boat Song” in Beetlejuice (1988)
This scene scared the shit out of me as a child. Actually, play this and Mars Attack! back to back and you’d have 5-year-old me’s worst nightmare. At least now I am old enough to appreciate the absolute hilariousness of this scene.
Between Belafonte’s “Banana Boat Song” and “Jump in the Line” (which was used in the closing scene), I much prefer the latter. The scene with dancing ghost football team and a floating Winona Ryder left a massive impression on me, but the dinner scene edges out the competition. The bizarre decor, the awful-looking meal and uncomfortable dinner conversation all add up to one fantastic scene. The only thing that could top it is a haunting of the house ghosts, who are literally so harmless the worst they can do is make them dance and lip sync.
Now everyone! “Lift six foot, seven foot, eight foot BUNCH!”
Daylight come and me wan’ go home…
One more thing…
Here’s just one last treat before we hit the road:
From the opening drums on “If You Leave” to the closing trembles of the mandolin on “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” the soundtrack for Pretty in Pink is front to back everything I love.
There’s something to be said for a record you can share your soul with. I know that’s a statement most people wouldn’t allow for a compilation soundtrack, but many of John Hughes’ soundtracks were different than most. Each was like a love letter to his movies and characters that could be shared with fans.
As a teenager, I deeply related to Andie Walsh. Not the whole “being torn between two men” thing (because let’s face it, I was no Molly Ringwald when I was 17), but the sort of inability to fit in knowing you were destined for something better. As the Suzanne Vega song says, “f you want me you can find me / Left of center off of the strip / In the outskirts and in the fringes / In the corner out of the grip.” It takes an outsider to know one. Plus she worked at an ultra-cool record store.
Still my dream job.
In 2012, there was a special Record Store Day release that was numbered and came on a bright pink vinyl. It’s super lovely, but unfortunately this isn’t it. I do have some comfort in knowing that if I was a teenager in 1984, I would still be buying this copy. This specific copy was found in an antique mall – just peering from the stacks waiting for me to pick it up. I had been a massive fan of the movie and its soundtrack and knew we belonged together.
And Jon Cryer’s Duckie remains to be the ultimate in cool/’we’re pretending he’s actually a dork.’ I know I’m married and everything, but this character still remains one of my biggest crushes. As I watched this movie growing up, I knew I needed to be with someone who loved Otis Redding as much as I did. Found him.
Anyway, I mean just watch this clip of Cryer reviving his classic character on this week’s Late Late Show. He’s still just as cool:
The soundtrack is full of what are now considered many of 80s alternative staples like OMD, The Smiths, New Order and Echo & the Bunnymen. But in 1986, not many of these bands were massive names in the States. John knew what songs would help create the character of the music-obsessed Andie: all the must-haves with the carefully selected odd track by fringe bands like Belouis Some.
This particular record holds such a part in my heart. Even though I’ve grown a bit older, this still sounds how it feels to be…me.
If there was one writer/director who summed up American lives perfectly, that would be John Hughes. His films dealt with the pains of fitting in, having your family on your back and themes of loss. All of this was done with fantastic music. I have attempted to rank the best soundtracks to some of John Hughes’ most iconic films. The songs taken into consideration are the songs played in the movie, not just the ones that appear on the soundtrack.
6. Some Kind of Wonderful – ‘This is 1987. Did you a girl can be whatever she wants to be?’
This was one of Hughes’ last teen movies of the 80s and it has a noticeably more mature feeling than the rest of the films on this list. The music is more somber and grown-up than previous ventures. The storyline even features a one of the main characters as a musician, showing Hughes’ love music in the story line. Tracks like celtic London band Lick the Tin’s cover ‘I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You’ is a sweet and joyous track that sums up this ‘wrong side of the tracks’ love story. The true gem of the entire film is Flesh For Lulu’s ‘I Go Crazy.’
5. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – ‘Sooner or later, everyone goes to the zoo.’
Everyone needs a friend like Ferris. The cool one that always has your back and makes you do the most ridiculous things (you’ll listen every time, no matter how much you say you hate him). Oh and he has the most killer taste in music. Bueller’s room was decorated with posters of Cabaret Voltaire, Simple Minds and Killing Joke. Like a cool friend would, there is no official soundtrack for the film. But there was everything from The Beatles ‘Twist and Shout’ to the wonderfully cheesy ‘Danke Schoen’ sung by Wayne Newton (and Broderick in the shower) to the hidden indie tracks like the Flowerpot Men’s ‘Beat City.’ Of course one can’t talk about Ferris Bueller’s Day off without mentioning Yellow’s fairly silly but loveable ‘Oh Yeah.’
4. Breakfast Club – ‘Does Barry Manilow know that you raided his wardrobe?’
This is possibly the film with the best known theme from any of Hughes’ films. ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’ is an 80s standard. Although . Breakfast Club is best when quiet. The dialog is so important in this film that music is rarely used, and often just to highlight the heightening of feeling like when Bender loses it after discussing his family life, running in the halls from Mr. Vernon to ‘Fire in the Twilight’ or the wonderful dance montage to Karla De Vito’s ‘We Are Not Alone.’ It is so of its time that it sounds dated, but it still feels right.
3. Sixteen Candles – ‘I mean, I’ve had men who’ve loved me before, but not for six months in a row.’
Going off the sweet humor of Weird Science is Sixteen Candles, the tracks for this film are a mix of soft love songs paired with wacky tunes. The original soundtrack was only five songs long, but there are actually loads of songs used. What’s most important in the film is the airy Thompson Twins’ ‘If You Were Here.’ The song is so achingly 80s, but in the film Hughes’ pairs it with the right moment that it really does remind you of young love. It’s one of the most effective uses of music in any of his films.
2. Weird Science – ‘Gary? By the way, why are we wearing bras on our heads?’
A movie so deliciously goofy deserves an equally quirky soundtrack. Bands like Wall of Voodoo and Los Lobos make up a delightful mix of ‘boy songs’ and literal ‘Tenderness.’ Having Oingo Boingo do the title track was a match made in computer science heaven. Even making the choice of Kim Wilde’s ‘Turn it On’ was a well-thought choice. The boys would probably kill to have her around as a friend for computer-made Lisa.
1. Pretty in Pink – ‘His name is Blane? Oh! That’s a major appliance, that’s not a name!’
The star in Hughes’ films is a personal favourite of mine. Main girl Andie Walsh spends her days working in a record shop with the eccentric Iona. She juggles her friendship with Duckie while falling for posh-o boy Blane. All this happens while listening to a delectable palate of tunes. The film is filled with gorgeous bits of Echo & the Bunnymen, New Order, and Suzanne Vega. Teenage lovers’ angst has never sounded better. The most memorable scenes are set to music. Duckie slides into the Trax to Otis Redding’s ‘Try a Little Tenderness’ for one of the best dance scenes in movie history. Andie and Iona enjoy a sweet dance together to the Associations’ ‘Cherish’ while reminiscing about youth. There are also some great ‘live gig’ shots in the film with bands like Talk Back. Plus, has there ever been a prom song that is more memorable than OMD’s ‘If You Leave’?
American of London 