General Gregory N. Pigott: Late Night Music Part 156......."Curtain Closers"

It is always interesting to watch a really good movie and then have it end even better because the song playing in the last scene or ending credits makes the movie that much better......or that much worse.

In order to be included in this category the song had to be featured in the CLOSING CREDITS or the FINAL SCENE leading to credits in a motion picture. The song being included on the official motion picture soundtrack was not considered. Also receiving votes in this category were "Miss Misery" by Elliott Smith from "Good Will Hunting", "Mad World" by Gary Jules from "Donnie Darko", "Age of Aquarius" by 5th Dimension from "The 40 Year Old Virgin", and "We'll Meet Again" by Vera Lynn from "Dr. No".

"Save Me"- Aimee Mann ("Magnolia"). This song written specifically for the 1999 epic "Magnolia" earned Aimee Mann an Oscar and Grammy nomination in 2000. In a super cool video, the actors from the movie stayed after the film wrapped and appeared in this video which interestingly doesn't use any of the scenes from the actual movie. This was done due to "Magnolia" screenwriter's Paul Thomas Anderson's connection to Mann, as he claimed that he wrote "Magnolia" while listening to Aimee Mann's music, and immediately included her in the soundtrack with this awesome track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNbTC6xLVg0

"The Living Proof"- Mary J. Blige ("The Help"). With all the Oscar nominations "The Help" received, this one that it was passed over for really upset me. This song closed out the epic Mississippi film based on the critically acclaimed novel of the same name. This song written specifically for the movie was never released as a single, but is without a doubt one of Mary's best efforts in quite a while, and how this song was not included mention in any awards still baffles me. When this song started with Viola Davis walking down the street in the closing scene, I can't remember many more times I was more overcome emotionally in a movie. If you haven't seen this movie, ESPECIALLY if you are from Mississippi, you need to see it immediately. This song was the perfect addition to a nearly perfect film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwI4zsNteU8

"Stop Crying Your Heart Out"- Oasis ("The Butterfly Effect"). I love when a movie uses a song that was unreleased in the United States to get the song American exposure. That was the case here when "The Butterfly Effect" rolled this song in the closing credits which was off of Oasis's 2002 album Heathen Chemistry, but never released in the United States despite peaking at #2 on the British Singles Chart and being one of the band's favorite songs. In a great ironic twist (I love when this happens) this video for the song shown here was filmed completely in Los Angeles despite the song never being released in the United States. The popularity of the song led to it being covered by Leona Lewis (I smell a bonus video), and it was also included in the Patrick Dempsey "Made of Honor" and the TV Show "Smallville". As far as "The Butterfly Effect", it's always been one of my favorite movies despite the inclusion of Ashton Kutcher and the unbelievably huge plot hole about halfway through the movie. I guess I'm just a sucker for time travel movies. If you get a chance to see it, definitely worth watching though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QyVil0dwhk

"Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometimes"- Beck ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"). What a great conclusion song for a fantastic movie! This cover of the original song by Korgis was covered by Beck specifically for the movie. This psychologically complex movie always has been a favorite of mine just because Jim Carrey is so good and underrated in dramatic roles, and his on screen chemistry with Kate Winslett was undeniably awesome (she earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actress). I would imagine also, that if you wanted a cover song done by an artist that can really make a song memorable even though the song was already off genre, that Beck would be the person to do it. This track is amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1X5UgZprp0

"There You'll Be"- Faith Hill ("Pearl Harbor"). I wasn't a huge fan of this movie, but it wasn't bad. I did love the historical aspect of it, but Josh Hartnett in a love triangle is pretty vomit inducing to me in most instances. However, Mississippi's own Faith Hill took this Diane Warren written song to #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 as part of her "crossover" mission in the late 90's and early 2000's. This song also earned Warren and Hill an Oscar nomination in the award that has always alluded Warren. I was actually kinda upset that this movie came out on Memorial Day, but focused more on the love triangle than the actual historical story of Pearl Harbor, that's a slight slap in the face to the men and women who served at Pearl Harbor, but I won't get on that soapbox today. Despite that, Hill used this song to release a Greatest Hits album later the same year with this song as the title track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QuInFGeV8Y

"How Do I Live"- Trisha Yearwood ("Con Air"). I don't care what any of you say, this version is so much better than LeAnn Rimes! The two singles were actually released on the same day in 1997, and despite the better chart success of Rimes version peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 compared to #23 by Yearwood, the producers of Con Air must have known LeAnn Rimes really sucks, as Yearwood beat Rimes for the Grammy for Best Female Country Performance (the first and only time two artists were nominated for the same song in the same category), and fell victim to the "Titanic" bandwagon at the Oscars where it was nominated for Best Original Song and even included a stellar performance by Yearwood at the ceremony. I've always loved this song and I have to admit, if I was a female, I would do this song karaoke all the time. "Con Air" is a pretty awesome and funny movie at the same time- one of Nicolas Cage's better efforts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFnD3uwKHag

"Can You Feel The Love Tonight"- Elton John ("The Lion King"). I have to admit, I thought of only including his song "Someday Out Of The Blue" from the movie "The Road to El Dorado", but I feared the backlash and took the easy road. This song and soundtrack to the 1994 Disney classic helped Elton John resurrect his career in the early 90's after falling late in the previous decade, and gave us some of Elton John's best songs in an unbelievable career. This song also shot Disney back into top of the industry hot off the momentum from the previous year's "Aladdin". This song introduced Elton John to a whole new audience when it peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and made "The Lion King" one of the highest selling soundtracks of all time. This song also took home the Academy Award for Best Original Song in a category Elton John had THREE entries in. Talk about a slam dunk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1hcc1QvM2Q

"Believe"- Josh Groban and Beyonce ("The Polar Express"). I get blown away every time I see this performance from the 2005 Academy Awards. Beyonce can make even Josh Groban sound better- just proves how talented she really is. This Oscar and Golden Globe nominated song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart- a familiar spot for Josh Groban. I have to admit, I just recently saw "The Polar Express" for the first time 2 Christmases ago. I wondered why it took me so long. I would really like to see these two collaborate again soon, both of them seem to really benefit from it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcABY5jlgqU

"Skyfall"- Adele ("Skyfall"). Holy shnikees! How in the world is Adele so awesome? This slam dunk Oscar Winner from this year (see my prediction there?) helped make "Skyfall" one of the highest grossing films of all time and showed that Adele is quite possibly the best female artist out there right now. This song peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, but went to the top 10 in basically every country that has a chart. I swear everything this woman touches turns to complete solid gold. I could listen to her voice and this song over and over and over again. I've never really been a huge James Bond fan, but this song and video really makes me want to see this movie. I think it also says a lot about Adele's songwriting that she could write a song that so close to the mood of a Bond film, as this video and song seem to fit together perfectly. I have to admit, I'm really looking forward to watching the Oscars just to see Adele do this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-gLRp5bSpw

"One Wing"- Jordin Sparks ("Sparkle"). This song and this ending scene from "Sparkle" was one of those songs that just catches you off guard. This R Kelly written song was the closing number in the recent remake of "Sparkle" which featured Whitney Houston in her final role. Not to overshadow that was this unreal performance from Jordin Sparks. I never gave a crap about Jordin Sparks, as I put her with most "American Idol" winners of being just nothing but bubblegum singers who happened to win a popularity contest. However, she blew me away in this movie and with this song because she should have been doing R & B music all along and not messing around with teeny bopper stuff because this is her true persona here. I really hope the success of the movie propels her into a new level so we can enjoy more songs like this from her. As far as the movie, I'm sure it's not as good as the original, but the acting was definitely above average and this song as well as others from the Curtis Mayfield original soundtrack make it a really good watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czf7kqtPOUw

"Under The Same Sun"- Scorpions ("On Deadly Ground"). This one is almost funny that I know this. Who in the world was even thinking about Scorpions in 1994? This song from their 1993 album Face The Heat was included in the 1994 Steven Seagal Alaska oil Chuck Norris wannabe movie. This single failed to really catch on, peaking at just #16 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Chart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwyXnft6ZVk

"Nobody Does It Better"- Carly Simon ("The Spy Who Loved Me"). Another Bond song here I included just because it's so weird. Who in the world would ever think of this song as a Bond theme? Also, even though the movie title is in the lyrics, how confusing is it that the song title and movie title aren't even close? This single peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 tying it with Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die" as the highest ever charting Bond theme. This song can also be considered Simon's biggest hit ever, as it's been covered by both Aimee Mann and Oleta Adams (I smell bonus videos).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNA7DcVppEs

"Don't You Forget About Me"- Simple Minds ("The Breakfast Club"). There would have been a riot if I didn't include this one. Quite possibly the best ending scene/closing credits song ever. This song was surprisingly written specifically for the 1985 John Hughes classic and peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 helping the film make over $51 million on a $1 million budget! This song is also easily Simple Minds best known song in the United States, as they never really saw the success in the United States that they found in Europe. However, they made an eternal stamp in pop culture with this theme song to one of the greatest teen movies ever made.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruuTYALeFhU

"The Sound of Silence"- Simon and Garfunkel ("The Graduate"). This Billboard Hot 100 #1 song in 1966 was included the next year in the Dustin Hoffman classic "The Graduate". At the time, buying rights to a song that had previously charted to be included on a movie soundtrack was unheard of, but the decision to include this song helped this movie become a box office hit and one of the highest grossing films all time while it boosted the careers of Simon and Garfunkel, with the soundtrack album knocking The Beatles out of the top spot on the albums chart in 1968 fueled by the success of the re release of this song and the other #1 hit from the movie "Mrs. Robinson".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLEmyeQlS5M

"Bittersweet Symphony"- The Verve ("Cruel Intentions"). I can't think of this song without thinking of this movie. I never really cared for the movie, but this is such a great ending scene and great song. Released the previous year after seeing success in the UK, this song peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 making The Verve a pretty memorable one hit wonder in the United States. Also, as much as I hated this movie, I will forever love Sarah Michelle Gellar. I'm just saying- nothing can ever change that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2xCLOjOWco

"Exit Music (For A Film)"- Radiohead ("Romeo and Juliet"). This song is freaking genius and is a great ending to a surprisingly creative movie despite my hesitation of watching it just due to the fact that at the time Leonardo DiCaprio was such a teen idol vomit inducer I couldn't bring myself to watch it until well after the movie had come out on VHS (DVDs were not around yet! man I feel old!). The unbelievably popular movie included the song in the closing credits, but not on the soundtrack at the request of Radiohead, who wanted to include the song on their upcoming mega album OK Computer, which was released the following year. The craziest thing is that the song was written specifically for the film's closing credits and the band was inspired to write it by watching the Claire Danes suicide scene in the movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu-m4e0DzTs

"What A Feeling"- Irene Cara ("Flashdance"). I had to do it. Irene Cara hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and a Golden Globe in 1984 and an Oscar in 1983 for this theme song to the 1981 cult classic "Flashdance". The Golden Globe made Irene Cara the first ever black woman to receive a Golden Globe award. Cara would only crack the top 20 one more time, but left us with this unbelievably memorable song from an embarassingly memorable movie. There were actually 3 arrangements of the song recorded. One for the opening credits, the closing credits version seen here, and the most famous single version- bonus video coming up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65ynRuXN7GI

"Where Is My Mind"- The Pixies ("Fight Club"). I can't lie. I liked this movie, but I can't say that I got it. Definitely creative, but also very confusing. This song was originally on The Pixies 1988 debut album Surfer Rosa and was written by lead singer Black Francis after his experience scuba diving in the Caribbean. It was used in this famous ending scene which turned out to be a flashback in "Fight Club", but the song was also used the previous year for the movie "The Adventures of Sebastian Cole". This song is always played at Pixies live shows, as the band has previous reunited after a hiatus, but I bet they still can't tell you what "Fight Club" is really about, because I know I can't.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCD14IrOcIs

"Cole's Song"- Julian Lennon ("Mr. Holland's Opus"). What an unbelievably awesome seemingly completely unknown song! This song used in the closing credits of the Richard Dreyfuss masterpiece "Mr. Holland's Opus" actually uses the melody of "The American Symphony" which is used in several parts of the film including the climax at the end. Despite this song being released as a single, it never caught on, and thus never even charted. Julian Lennon has always been given a bad wrap and I bet it sucks being a Beatle's child- talk about lofty expectations! I thought that this song was a perfect ending to one of my all time favorite movies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2TnmtDsc38

"When You Believe"- Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston ("The Prince Of Egypt"). I have to admit, I've never seen this movie all the way through, but this has always been one of my favorite songs and still to me one of the most inspirational songs ever written. This Stephen Schwartz pinned song peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and took home the Academy Award in 1999 for Best Original Song. The song was also featured on Whitney Houston's 1998 album My Love Is Your Love and on Mariah Carey's 1999 greatest hits album #1's. This was always one of both artists more under appreciated songs and to me, one of the best songs of the 90's. Their performance at the 1999 Academy Awards still gives me chills. Yeah, bonus video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxIN79n4jVo

"Don't Stop Believing"- Various Artists ("Rock of Ages"). This movie is super cheesy and cliche, but the singing is phenomenal and the musical tribute to 80's rock ends with the ultimate 80's rock anthem featuring the entire cast of the movie. Does the song even need an introduction?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E1xRJLwZts

BONUS VIDEOS- "Someday Out Of The Blue"- Elton John.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Dp22KRD5zM

"Nobody Does It Better"- Aimee Mann.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=finaXhHQw_I

"Nobody Does It Better"- David Sanborn featuring Oleta Adams.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ9feIf3xy0

"When You Believe"- Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston (Live at 1999 Academy Awards).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7qX3eQVnQ0

"What A Feeling"- Irene Cara.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GelOkOzQ9cw