Nicknamed the "Godfather of Punk,” Iggy Pop is one of the most revered and influential musicians in the world. With both his proto-punk band The Stooges and his work as a solo artist, Pop has incorporated such genres as punk rock, hard rock, heavy metal, jazz, blues, electronic, and new wave to create a sound that is entirely his own.
Pop has been noted as an influence on such artists as the Sex Pistols, Nirvana, and Nine Inch Nails. He’s also had a big impact on some filmmakers, like Danny Boyle and Wes Anderson, who have included Pop’s music in their movies.
“The Passenger” In War Dogs
Although the movie itself has a lot more style than substance, Todd Phillips’ War Dogs has a soundtrack to die for: “Sweet Emotion” by Aerosmith, “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd, “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head” by Dean Martin — the list goes on.
Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger” plays when the movie’s gunrunning leads, David and Efraim (played by Miles Teller and Jonah Hill, respectively) arrive in Jordan.
“Nightclubbing” In Trainspotting
Danny Boyle’s pitch-black comedy Trainspotting stars a pre-Star Wars Ewan McGregor as a heroin addict who tries to get sober when his and his friends’ addiction results in the death of a baby.
Iggy Pop’s “Nightclubbing” provides the perfect soundtrack for a scene in which one of his friends shoots up heroin in the apartment.
“She’s A Business” In The Cabin In The Woods
One of the wildest horror movies to come out in recent memory is The Cabin in the Woods, a meta gem playing on the genre’s most familiar tropes and flipping them on their head.
In one scene, the Jules character flirts with a wolf’s head mounted on the wall before making out with it. Iggy Pop’s “She’s a Business” plays on the soundtrack.
“Gold” In Gold
Iggy Pop teamed up with Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton, as well as director Stephen Gaghan and composer Daniel Pemberton, to create a theme song for the movie Gold.
Pop had previously collaborated with Danger Mouse on the song “Pain” from the 2010 album Dark Night of the Soul. The movie itself is nothing special, but Matthew McConaughey gives a great performance.
“Living On The Edge Of The Night” In Black Rain
Ridley Scott’s underrated action thriller Black Rain stars Michael Douglas as a New York detective who travels to Japan with his partner to track down a gangster who escaped custody while being taken to Osaka to stand trial.
In addition to songs by UB40 and Gregg Allman, the Black Rain soundtrack features “Living on the Edge of the Night” by Iggy Pop.
“Real Wild Child (Wild One)” In Clueless
Although it didn’t get included on the movie’s soundtrack album, possibly due to licensing issues, Iggy Pop’s cover of “Real Wild Child (Wild One)” has a prominent spot in Clueless itself.
The song was also used heavily by the studio in its marketing campaign. Alicia Silverstone made a timeless icon out of the movie’s lead character, Cher Horowitz.
“Down On The Street” In Coffee And Cigarettes
The Stooges’ “Down on the Street” plays early on in the segment of Jim Jarmusch’s black-and-white anthology movie Coffee and Cigarettes starring Jack and Meg White from the White Stripes. Iggy Pop himself is actually in the cast of the movie.
The segment, “Jack Shows Meg His Tesla Coil,” sees Jack White showing Meg White a Tesla coil that he claims to have built himself. The scene subtly perpetuates the now-debunked rumor that they’re siblings.
“Repo Man Theme Song” In Repo Man
Alex Cox’s low-budget directorial debut, sci-fi comedy Repo Man, is a quintessential cult classic. Emilio Estevez stars as a punk rock fan in L.A. who takes a job in car repossession and finds himself tracking down a mysterious Chevrolet Malibu with ties to alien life.
Iggy Pop offered to write and perform a theme song for the movie after his manager saw a screening of it. This fit in perfectly with Estevez’s character being a punk fan.
“Search And Destroy” In The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
Around the midpoint of Wes Anderson’s underappreciated cult hit The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, the titular oceanographer’s vessel The Belafonte is boarded by pirates who want to steal their vault and take a hostage.
In the middle of the attack, Steve bites through the rope around his wrists, grabs one of the pirates’ guns, and shoots at them until they retreat. As the shootout commences, the Stooges’ “Search and Destroy” kicks in on the soundtrack.
“Lust For Life” In Trainspotting
“Nightclubbing” isn’t the only Iggy Pop song featured in Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting. “Lust for Life” has a pitch-perfect place in the opening scene as Renton and Spud frantically flee from police officers.
The Prodigy remix of “Lust for Life” played over the end credits of the sequel, T2 Trainspotting, which felt more like a postscript or epilogue or even a retrospective than a true sequel.