20 Awesome and Horrible Uses of Rock Songs in Movies

Our favorite musical genre here at Cracked is classical music, because no headbanging stoner anthem even compares to Shostakovich, and mind-twisting guitar riffs are nothing next to good ol’ Bach. Rock and/or roll comes in second, so we thought we might explore the way rock songs have been used in movies. You know, like Fincher choosing The Pixies’ wonderful “Where’s My Mind” to cap his mind-losing masterpiece, or the way every single movie ever uses The Clash’s “London Calling,” well, whenever the word “London” is uttered.
In this Pictofact, then, we examine 20 awesome and horrible uses of rock songs in film. Some of these are sung by characters, others are background soundtrack songs, so we’re mixing our diegetic and non-diegetic music here, for all you jargon nerds. In every case, though, this is about uses of rock music we love (in which case we headbang in approval), or we profoundly dislike (in which case we cross our arms and say, “Wait, how do you manage to begin your movie with a Pink Floyd song and then not use it in the climactic set piece?). So grab your whisky bottle and pump up your speakers, and let’s rock.
Back to the Future

Universal Pictures
Guardians of the Galaxy

Marvel Studios
Wayne's World

Paramount Pictures
Miramax Films

Miramax Films
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny

New Line Cinema
Yoga Hosers

Invincible Pictures
Terminator Salvation

Warner Bros.
Suicide Squad

Warner Bros.
Ocean's Twelve

Warner Bros.
Captain Marvel

Marvel Studios
Jennifer's Body

20th Century Studios
The Hunger

MGM
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Columbia Pictures, MGM
Daredevil

20th Century Studios
Bring It On

Universal Pictures
BASEketball

Universal Pictures
Aquaman

Warner Bros.
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

Warner Bros.
Army of the Dead

Netflix
Transformers

DreamWorks SKG, Paramount Pictures