4 Unforgettable Needle Drops From the Films of Cameron Crowe

It makes perfect sense that filmmaker Cameron Crowe would utilize music in his movies better than just about anybody else. The guy grew up as a rock journalist at a time when most kids were still navigating middle school.

Throughout his career, Crowe has displayed a knack for knowing not just the right song to use, but also the right time to use it. Here are four of the most memorable examples of that skill.

“Moving In Stereo” by The Cars (from ‘Fast Times At Ridgemont High’)

Crowe didn’t direct Fast Times At Ridgemont High. (Amy Heckerling did). But he did write the razor-sharp screenplay, which he based on his time going undercover as a student in a California high school. While there are many unforgettable scenes in the film, music fans and fans of Phoebe Cates likely return to one specific moment. It’s a scene where Judge Reinhold’s character, who secretly lusts after the high schooler played by Cates, does a bit of fantasizing while she’s at the pool. When she comes out of the water, “Moving In Stereo”, a highlight of The Cars’ debut album, plays. Ever since, many people who saw that scene likely can’t help but imagine the song in slow motion.

“In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel (from ‘Say Anything’)

Here’s a little-known fact that might blow your mind when it comes to perhaps the most iconic moment ever in an 80s rom-com. Crowe originally commissioned power poppers The Smithereens to record a new song for the scene in Say Anything when John Cusack tries to win over Ione Skye by blaring a song from a boombox outside her house. Pat DiNizio of the group wrote “A Girl Like You” for the occasion. But he balked at handing over the song when Crowe wanted a change to the lyrics. Crowe eventually decided on “In Your Eyes”, which had already been released a few years earlier by Peter Gabriel on So. It was a perfect fit, the beauty of the song matching the highly emotional moment.

“Secret Garden” by Bruce Springsteen (from ‘Jerry Maguire’)

Here’s a case where the actual moment when the song in question appeared in the movie, while undoubtedly effective, wasn’t quite as memorable as the other examples in this list. But the combination of music and movie ultimately provided a boost to all involved. Crowe could boast that a Bruce Springsteen original appeared in his film, which is a rare get indeed. Meanwhile, Springsteen benefited when a cut of the song containing bits of dialogue from Jerry Maguire made it to radio stations. “Secret Garden”, which The Boss had released on a greatest hits collection in 1995, suddenly found new life. The song reached the Top 40, the last hit of that magnitude for Springsteen.

“Tiny Dancer” by Elton John (from ‘Almost Famous’)

Almost Famous, a loose retelling of Crowe’s exploits as a teenage Rolling Stone reporter, created a fictional band to stand in for some of the groups he followed back in the day. But Crowe still delivered some expertly timed needle drops from actual rock legends. Elton John was his go-to artist for the movie. The lovely ballad “Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters” plays in a scene set in New York City. Most memorable of all was how the filmmaker got the most out of “Tiny Dancer”. On a tour bus after the band has been at each other’s throats for various reasons, the song starts to play. Before you know it, everyone on board is singing along to John’s stirring melody, restoring all good spirits in a flash.

(Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)

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