Music used in movies has created some of the most iconic moments in cinema history. Songs like “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor and “Hip To Be Square” by Huey Lewis and the News are forever associated with the movies they appeared in. And there are two types of music heard in a film: diegetic, which is music heard by the characters in the film; and non-diegetic, which is only heard by the audience.
Whichever way the song is used, it is meant to invoke a feeling in the audience. Coming-of-age stories are notorious for choosing songs that create memorable movie moments. Many songs used in coming-of-age movies have become inextricably associated with these films. The coming-of-age genre expertly chooses songs that can resonate with both current and future audiences. Here are nine iconic songs used in coming-of-age movies.
9 If You Leave by Orchestral Manoeuvres in The Dark — Pretty in Pink (1986)
Directed by Howard Deutch and written by teen comedy legend John Hughes, Pretty in Pink is a staple in ’80s coming-of-age movies. It stars Molly Ringwald as Andie, a poor high school student who lives with her widowed dad on the other side of town. Her eccentric best friend Duckie (Jon Cryer) is unabashedly in love with her, but Andie has her eyes on a rich-but-sweet boy named Blane (Andrew McCarthy).
Torn between class solidarity, her friendship, and the very real feelings she has for Blane, Andie must decide what is most important to her. The movie has more than one memorable musical moment, but the song played toward the end of the movie during the prom is the one that stands out, “If You Leave” by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.
An Upbeat Song to End the Movie
The song was a perfect choice to end the movie. It’s upbeat and effectively sums up the relationship that has developed between Andie and Blane. By this point, Andie has made amends with Duckie, and he has realized they are meant to be just be friends. Andie has decided that she doesn’t care about her background or Blane’s, she just wants to be with him.
The lyrics “I need you now, like I need you then” sum up Andie’s feelings for Blane. It is also a wonderfully ’80s song that is just as catchy as it was 37 years ago. Rent on Prime Video or Apple TV.
8 Oh Yeah by Yello — Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
John Hughes truly inspired a genre and a generation during the ’80s and ’90s with his movies. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is one of his films that is still beloved by many. It is a classic coming-of-age story about a mischievous teenager named Ferris (Matthew Broderick) who convinces his parents, school, and the entire Chicago suburbs that he is too ill to go to school one day.
He uses this as a prime opportunity to ditch school with his neurotic best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) and his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara) and explore the city unsupervised. The movie has many iconic scenes, such as Ferris’ infamous parade float performance to the Beatles’ “Twist and Shout,” but the song that the movie is most associated with is Yello’s “Oh Yeah.”
A Wacky End Credits Song
It’s the song most people think of when talking about the movie. The almost slow-motion, synthesizer style of the song contrasts with the fast-paced antics Ferris and his friends get into, but it’s just upbeat enough to pair perfectly with the tone of the movie. The song is a bit wacky, which fits well into the rather odd shenanigans the characters participate in. Plus, the little “chicka, chicka, chi-kah” heard at the end of the post-credit scene is iconic itself. Stream on Paramount+ or Pluto TV.
7 Bitter Sweet Symphony – The Verve — Cruel Intentions (1999)
The Verve’s “Bitter Sweet Symphony” is just one of those songs that feels like it belongs in a movie. The song was going to be used at the end of Scream 2, but the filmmakers used “She Said” by Collective Soul instead. Which ended up working in favor of the filmmakers of Cruel Intentions two years later, in 1999.
The movie follows two wealthy step-siblings, Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Sebastian (Ryan Phillippe), who attend an elite Manhattan prep school. The two take part in a cruel wager to see if Sebastian can seduce and deflower the new headmaster’s daughter Annette (Reese Witherspoon) before the end of summer break. “Bitter Sweet Symphony” was used as the song played over the film’s final scene.
A Perfect Fit of Lyrics and Scene
The song has been irrevocably associated with Cruel Intentions for almost a quarter of a century now. If you have seen the movie, it is nearly impossible not to hear the song and immediately think of the ending scene where Kathryn has finally received her comeuppance.
The title of the song resonates with the film’s ending as well. It’s extremely satisfying to watch her go from spoiled brat to mortified in a matter of seconds, but it is also bittersweet considering Sebastian’s fate. Stream on Tubi.
6 Love is a Battlefield by Pat Benatar — 13 Going on 30 (2004)
Gary Winick’s 2004 rom-com 13 Going on 30 is one of the most beloved coming-of-age movies of the 2000s. After young Jenna Rink (Christa B. Allen) is humiliated at her 13th birthday party, she wishes she was “thirty, flirty, and thriving”, and by some magic, she wakes up the next day in her future self’s 30-year-old body. She has her dream job, dream apartment, a fabulous wardrobe, and successful friends.
Jenna at 30 (played by Jennifer Gardner) thinks it’s everything she’s ever wanted until she meets her childhood best friend Matt (Mark Ruffalo) as an adult. This is another movie with more than one iconic song used in its soundtrack, but undoubtedly the most iconic is Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield.”
An Anthem for Teenage Girls
The song bridges the gap between Jenna’s generation and the generation of the teenage girls she’s made friends with in the future. Jenna is really 13, like the rest of the girls at the sleepover, but she’s from an entirely different generation than those girls are. Music from the ’80s is what Jenna knows and feels comfortable with. She made the song relatable and fun for them, which led to Jenna and the girls bonding over it and essentially making “Love is a Battlefield” their anthem. Stream on Netflix.
5 We Got the Beat by The Go-Go’s — Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Amy Heckerling’s incredible coming-of-age film Fast Times at Ridgemont High is arguably one of the best teen comedies ever made, and it is just as humorous as it was in 1982. The movie follows several high school students as they try to navigate school, relationships, and friendships.
Freshmen Stacy (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and Ratner (Brian Backer) each receive life advice from seniors Mike (Robert Romanus) and Linda (Phoebe Cates) throughout the year. The movie’s introduction is a montage of dozens of teenagers working varying jobs and hanging out at the local mall, all to the tune of The Go-Go’s “We Got the Beat.”
A Fun Introduction to a Teen Movie
The song captures the fun, colorful spirit of the early ’80s. The opening scene shows teenagers just being teenagers with no adult supervision, content with being themselves. We see them working retail and fast food jobs, shopping with their friends, and going to the movies.
The playful vibe of the song matches the carefree attitude of the teens. The mall was the ultimate hangout spot in the ’80s, and the song perfectly captures the euphoria of being young and having fun with friends. Stream on Netflix.
4 Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons — 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
The movie that put the late Heath Ledger on the map, 10 Things I Hate About You is a loose, modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) wants to date Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), but can’t until her free-spirited older sister Kat (Julia Stiles) has a date too.
Cameron enlists the help of the mysterious bad boy Patrick (Ledger) to convince Kat to go out with him. The scheme becomes complicated quickly, and the ongoing shenanigans lead to arguably the movie’s most well-known scene. In a humorous attempt to win Kat’s affection, Patrick starts strutting around the riser on the school’s field and sings Franki Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” to Kat.
The Always Charming Heath Ledger
If you remember only one scene from this movie, it is more than likely this one. It shows Patrick’s funny side while cracking the tough exterior that Kat has built for herself. Patrick is trying to convince Kat that going out on a date with him is worth it, so singing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” is a comical way of pleading with her.
The song was already well-known by the time the movie came out, but since its release, it has becoming permanently tied to this movie, and to the late great Heath Ledger. Stream on Prime Video or Disney+.
3 Miracles Happen by Myra — The Princess Diaries (2001)
Another adored coming-of-age film from the early 2000s, The Princess Diaries, follows unpopular teenager Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) as she suddenly discovers that she is the apparent heir to the throne of the small fictional European country of Genovia, when her grandmother Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julia Andrews) arrives in town.
Her life is thrown into utter chaos as she begins learning how to be a princess while balancing school and deciding whether she wants the throne. Most coming-of-age films include a few songs that are either already popular or have become popular due to the success of the movie, and that would be the case for “Miracles Happen” by Myra.
A Teenage Girl’s Dream Come True
While Mandy Moore’s performance of “Stupid Cupid” is also an iconic moment in the film, it doesn’t hold a candle to “Miracles Happen.” The song essentially describes Mia’s life after learning that she is the rightful leader of a dream-like European country.
Mia went from being a shy, nearly invisible teenager to a proud princess without losing sight of herself. It was a miracle in her life. The song possesses the optimistic, joyous beat that made pop songs of the early 2000s a hit with young people. Stream on Disney+.
2 Decode by Paramore — Twilight (2008)
The sheer pandemonium that erupted when Stephanie Meyers’ Twilight Saga was adapted into a movie franchise in 2008 is nothing short of a cultural phenomenon. The soundtrack for the first Twilight, in particular, is one of the reasons the movie has received as much adoration as it has, with songs like “Supermassive Black Hole” by Muse or “Leave Out All The Rest” by Linkin Park on the list.
Nevertheless, there is one song that is inextricably bound to the movie, more so than any of the other songs on the soundtrack. Paramore’s “Decode” is probably the most iconic song to come out of the whole series, which is a feat considering how popular the soundtracks for each movie are.
All the Right Angst
Twilight tried to adopt a more serious tone than was warranted with the muted color palette and lack of intentional humor, and the soundtrack reflected that. Paramore was and still is an extremely popular band, and their pop-punk style of music fits in perfectly with the atmosphere the first movie was trying to build.
It has almost a mysterious edge to it that feels like it parallels Bella’s (Kristin Stewart) and Edward’s (Robert Pattinson) obsessive attraction to each other. The song also has an infectious beat that makes you want to scream-sing it out loud. Stream on Starz.
1 Don’t You (Forget About Me) – Simple Minds — The Breakfast Club (1985)
John Hughes strikes again on this list. Hughes completely revolutionized the coming-of-age genre with his ’80s teen dramedies and set the standard for every teen or young-adult-centered movie that followed. And arguably, his most famous film would be 1985’s The Breakfast Club.
It follows five strangers from different social backgrounds who meet for Saturday detention. On the outside, they couldn’t be more different, but as the day goes on, they realize that they are all much more similar than they realized. The ending scene is not only one of the most well-known scenes from this movie, but of movies in general. Part of that is due to the use of Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” in the background.
A Perfect Sentimental End to the Film
By this point, the five students have bonded profoundly and realized that they all have similar relationships with their family and friends despite their situations being completely different. The song represents that sentiment and adds a needed musical component to the scene. It also provided the opportunity for one of the most iconic movie endings of all time, when Bender (Judd Nelson) triumphantly thrusts his fist into the air. Stream on Freevee.
