The Beatles are the Breaking Bad of rock bands — challenged by a couple of close contenders but generally considered to be the all-time best. Not only have they been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; all four members have since been inducted individually. Between 1960 and 1970, the magical chemistry shared by the Fab Four resulted in some of the greatest music ever produced, with dozens of timeless classics and a few masterpieces that can be compared to Beethoven in terms of influence.
Unfortunately, all of this means it’s really expensive to license one of their songs to use a movie. But it’s usually worth the price-tag because the indistinguishable sound of the Beatles invariably evokes strong emotions in a given scene.
“Baby, You’re A Rich Man” In The Social Network
Thanks to Aaron Sorkin’s razor-sharp script and some incredible performances, David Fincher’s The Social Network took a really dry story and turned it into captivating, cinematic drama.
For the most part, the movie has an original score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, but it also features a few licensed tracks, like the aptly placed Beatles song “Baby, You’re A Rich Man.”
“Come Together” In A Bronx Tale
Robert De Niro’s directing suggests he’s learned a lot from his longstanding collaboration with Martin Scorsese, including how to juxtapose pop music against violent scenes.
In De Niro’s crime masterpiece A Bronx Tale, the Beatles’ “Come Together” plays over a fight scene that’s initially an exciting brawl involving a biker gang. When Chazz Palminteri’s mafioso character locks the gang inside his bar and the jukebox is smashed in the ensuing melee, however, the song cuts out and, in the absence of music, the shocking reality of the violence sets in.
“Happiness Is A Warm Gun” In Bowling For Columbine
Michael Moore tackled the dicey issue of gun control in his controversial documentary Bowling for Columbine, which examines American gun culture in the wake of the Columbine school shooting.
The most memorable montage in the movie is set to “What a Wonderful World,” but there’s also an unforgettable string of clips set to the Beatles’ “Happiness is a Warm Gun.” The montage features such troubling footage as the televised murder of Maritza Martin, the suicides of R. Budd Dwyer and Daniel V. Jones, and a Utah town passing a law that requires all residents to own firearms.
“Because” In American Beauty
It’s pretty uncomfortable watching Sam Mendes’ Oscar-laden satirical drama American Beauty these days, as it stars a pre-#MeToo Kevin Spacey as a middle-aged man who sets his sights on his teenage daughter’s friend. Those disturbing connotations are especially unfortunate because American Beauty is a really great movie.
As the film reaches its jaw-dropping conclusion, the melancholic tones of the Beatles’ “Because” — covered by Elliott Smith — play over the end credits.
“Twist And Shout” In Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Just as Ferris and his friends prepare to head home in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, they come across a parade moving through Chicago and Ferris decides to do one last crazy, spontaneous thing before calling it a day.
He hops up onto a float and lip-syncs “Twist and Shout” while all the paradegoers break into a large-scale choreographed dance.
“Hey Jude” In The Royal Tenenbaums
Wes Anderson’s quirky family saga The Royal Tenenbaums exemplifies his unique filmmaking style more clearly than most of his other movies. It has symmetrical compositions, an abundance of deadpan humor, and the Futura font everywhere.
The Mutato Muzika Orchestra’s version of “Hey Jude” gives the movie one of its most memorable soundtrack moments, alongside “Needle in the Hay” and “Ruby Tuesday.”
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” In Withnail & I
It’s hardly surprising that a Beatles track appears on the soundtrack of the beloved dark comedy Withnail & I because the movie was produced by HandMade Films, co-founded by none other than George Harrison.
The movie’s soundtrack features the Fab Four’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” which had some uncredited contributions by Eric Clapton.
“I Want To Hold Your Hand” (German Version) In Jojo Rabbit
Over the opening credits of Taika Waititi’s Nazi satire Jojo Rabbit, the director plays a montage of Adolf Hitler’s heavily populated rallies set to the German version of “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”
The footage introduces the audience to the world that Jojo inhabits — a world that views Hitler as a charismatic leader — and using a Beatles track draws a sly comparison between the widespread admiration of Hitler and the craze of Beatlemania.
“Yesterday” In Once Upon A Time In America
Sergio Leone’s crime epic Once Upon a Time in America stars Robert De Niro as a New York gangster who leaves the city behind as a young man and eventually returns in the 1960s as a grizzled old man and finds it’s transformed into a completely different place.
At this point, Ennio Morricone’s breathtaking score morphs into a rendition of the Beatles’ “Yesterday,” whose lyrics beautifully capture what De Niro’s character is going through.
The Whole Soundtrack Of A Hard Day’s Night
In a world of Spice Worlds and Glitters, A Hard Day’s Night stands out as a curious anomaly. It’s a movie starring a popular band as themselves getting into hijinks in a loosely structured plot and it’s not completely awful. In fact, it’s one of the greatest musical comedies ever made.
Directed by Richard Lester, A Hard Day’s Night defined each Beatle’s public persona. The soundtrack album is one of the best records from the band’s early days.