Podcast Summary: Pop Culture Happy Hour – "Most Overused Songs In Movies" (October 9, 2025)

Overview

In this lively and insightful episode, hosts Aisha Harris and Stephen Thompson dig into the phenomenon of songs that have become cinematic clichés due to overuse in movies. They nominate well-worn tracks for "retirement" and recommend fresh alternatives filmmakers should consider. The conversation is inspired by affection for the music and a desire to see more of the world's rich catalog explored on soundtracks. Their discussion is peppered with pop history, humor, and gentle nostalgia, all while keeping the tone light-hearted yet critical.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Makes a Song "Overused"? (00:23–01:34)

• Aisha frames the chat: “There are some songs that are so overused in movies they become cliches. So we're rounding up a few. We’re nominating for retirement and suggesting a few worthy replacements.” (00:23)
• Criteria for “overuse” is subjective—a “you know it when you hear it” situation. Instrumental/classical tracks are excluded from this discussion.

2. Nominee #1: “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC (01:34–05:42)

• Stephen clarifies: “These are all great songs. …I’m talking about specifically retiring them from use as signifiers in movies.” (01:34)
• “Thunderstruck” is referenced as a near-ubiquitous cue for fight/action scenes, showing up in everything from Deadpool to Super Mario Bros. (Chris Pratt version), The Fall Guy, Varsity Blues, and more. (02:26–02:48)
• Aisha jokes: “There are so many.” (02:48)
• Stephen urges filmmakers to “explore the hard rock canon for other sounds, for other riffs… for other variations on ‘guys are about to fight.’” (02:49)

Replacement Recommendation

• Stephen proposes swapping out “Thunderstruck” for “I Get Wet” by Andrew WK:
  • “Every second of it is engineered for maximum rock and roll fury… There are three different songs on this album with the word party in the title… All of them would work brilliantly to achieve the exact kind of effect that you’re going for with a song like Thunderstruck.” (04:14)
• Aisha: “I can just envision chairs being thrown and people getting hit over the head. Maybe even a food fight at a cafeteria.” (05:23)

3. Nominee #2: “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone (05:44–12:23)

• Stephen recalls “Feeling Good” as a signature, but over-deployed, mood piece, highlighting Aisha’s essay on how its repetitive use flattens Simone’s complex legacy. (05:59–06:45)
• Aisha: “They always use the same part. It's the opening… you just get her voice, no accompaniment whatsoever, and she’s just gliding over the melody. And I'm feeling good.” (06:46–07:02)
  • Cited films include Cruella (2021), Perfect Days (2023), and A Quiet Place: Day One.
• The song is typically used to underscore a character’s epiphany or transformation, but its repetitive use has dulled its impact.

Replacement Recommendations

• Stephen provides two:
  1. Use other Nina Simone tracks—her catalog is deeper than “Feeling Good.”
  2. Bring in more Jimmy Scott: “You don’t hear a ton of Jimmy Scott’s voice in movies and on TV shows… He has this kind of amorphous quality to it. And it soared so beautifully. So 'When Did You Leave Heaven?' …has this kind of mysterious quality, but it's also just a very, very beautiful straight ahead love song.” (10:17)
  • Memorable aside: “David Lynch had some of the best taste in music imaginable. And he knew Jimmy Scott would evoke a certain mood.” (10:27)
• Aisha suggests Dinah Washington’s “What a Difference a Day Made” for a similar transformative, uplifting theme, emphasizing a desire for more women’s transcendent voices in cinema. (11:03–12:23)

4. Nominee #3: “Dreams” by The Cranberries (14:22–18:47)

• Stephen: “Having lived through the 90s, I can promise you there is a deep and rich mine of incredible music that does not get played in movies or on TV shows nearly as often as the song 'Dreams' by The Cranberries.” (14:28)
• The song is flagged for its endless use in films and trailers, including The Next Karate Kid, Boys on the Side, You've Got Mail, Madame Web, and covers like Liza Anne’s in the Aftersun trailer. (15:11–15:49)
• Aisha remembers her own encounter with the song in The Babysitter’s Club movie trailer.

Replacement Recommendation

• Stephen recommends “Noel, Jonah and Me” by The Spinanes:
  • “It's very 90s… that explosion of drums, those big, chunky, buzzy riffs, that voice that’s kind of floating over it all.” (17:57–18:31)
• Aisha responds: “This is very Reality Bites… very 90s. I’m seeing flannel, I’m seeing it all.” (17:52–18:47)
• Both hosts agree movies often lean on a handful of songs to signify nostalgia or mood rather than exploring deeper cuts.

5. Rapid-fire Additions: 60s War/Protest Songs (18:47–20:33)

• Stephen and Aisha discuss how certain songs for 1960s war/protest—especially “Fortunate Son” and “All Along the Watchtower”—have become so overused they’re nearly “parody.” (19:07–19:35)
• Quote: “You could just replace it with a voiceover that says ‘they were turbulent times.’” (Stephen, 20:03)
• Aisha jokes: “Have you ever watched a movie made by a male boomer? Then you’ve probably heard this song.” (20:12)
• Stephen’s tongue-in-cheek solution: “Never make another movie about the 1960s.” (20:33)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “These are all great songs. So when I say that they should be retired, I’m talking about specifically retiring them from use as signifiers in movies.” – Stephen (01:34)
• “It’s just become a signifier of like, this is an action movie. This is a movie in which buildings are gonna get knocked down and punches are gonna get thrown.” – Stephen on “Thunderstruck” (04:14)
• “You have all the music in the world to choose from. Don’t give me these signifiers of a mood that are clear shade shortcuts.” – Stephen (09:39)
• “It's like, have you ever watched a movie made by a male boomer? Then you've probably heard this song.” – Aisha, on “All Along the Watchtower” (20:12)
• “My foolproof plan for replacing these overused songs is to never make another movie about the 1960s.” – Stephen (20:33)
• “I feel like I've lived it [the 60s] over and over and over again since I was born.” – Stephen (20:46)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:23 – Topic Introduction: Why do songs get so overused in film?
• 01:34 – #1 Nominee: “Thunderstruck” (AC/DC) – Discussion and replacement
• 05:44 – #2 Nominee: “Feeling Good” (Nina Simone) – Discussion and replacement
• 10:17 – Audio sample: Jimmy Scott, recommended alternative
• 12:23 – Aisha suggests Dinah Washington alternative
• 14:22 – #3 Nominee: “Dreams” (The Cranberries) – Discussion and replacement
• 17:52 – Audio sample: “Noel, Jonah and Me” by The Spinanes
• 18:47 – Rapid-fire round: “Fortunate Son,” “All Along the Watchtower”
• 20:33 – Stephen’s tongue-in-cheek solution: retire 60s movies entirely
• 21:18 – Closing thoughts and listener call-out

Tone and Takeaways

The episode is playful yet purposeful, aiming not to shame the songs themselves, but to challenge lazy soundtrack choices. The hosts champion musical diversity, call for more thoughtful music supervision, and suggest listeners lobby for their own picks. The tone remains generous and affectionate to the songs and artists while nudging filmmakers to dig deeper—and more creatively—into the world’s music.

Aisha: “We love Feeling Good. I would just love to hear it when I want to hear it, and not when some filmmaker has decided to just drop it in at any moment.” (12:23)

Suggested Alternatives (Summary Table)

| Overused Song | Noted For | Replacement Suggestion & Rationale | |------------------------------- |------------------------------------------- |---------------------------------------------------------| | “Thunderstruck” (AC/DC) | Fight/action/montage scenes | “I Get Wet” (Andrew WK) – equally amped, less overused | | “Feeling Good” (Nina Simone) | Transformation/epiphany moments | “When Did You Leave Heaven?” (Jimmy Scott) for mood, or “What a Difference a Day Made” (Dinah Washington) for a similar theme | | “Dreams” (The Cranberries) | 90s nostalgia, bittersweet/freedom moments | “Noel, Jonah and Me” (The Spinanes) – same era, fresher sound | | “All Along the Watchtower,” “Fortunate Son” | '60s protest/war, particularly Vietnam | "Just stop making movies about the 1960s" (jokingly) |

For more musical variety in films, Stephen and Aisha challenge both creators and audiences not to settle for the same old standbys—and to push for more creative, diverse musical choices.