Nothing but Hits: Difference between revisions

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== Film - Live Action ==
== Film - Live Action ==
* The movies ''[[Forrest Gump]]'' and ''Remember the Titans'' used only well-known songs in their soundtracks, and a ''hell'' of a lot of them; there are enough songs included that roughly 90% of each movie contains a hit song, and no two scenes in either flick re-use the same tune.
* The movies ''[[Forrest Gump]]'' and ''Remember the Titans'' used only well-known songs in their soundtracks, and a ''hell'' of a lot of them; there are enough songs included that roughly 90% of each movie contains a hit song, and no two scenes in either flick re-use the same tune.
* In ''[[Apollo 13]]'' the teenage daughter's radio was playing during almost every scene they showed Lovell's family, clearly to sell yet another late 60s/early 70s classic rock movie soundtrack.
* In ''[[Apollo 13]]'' the teenage daughter's radio was playing during almost every scene they showed Lovell's family, clearly to sell yet another late 60s/early 70s classic rock movie soundtrack.
* Many movies set in the very early 90's will include ''Fight The Power'' by [[Public Enemy]]. ''[[Buffalo Soldiers]]'', ''[[Jarhead]]'' and ''[[Three Kings]]'' all used it.
* Many movies set in the very early 90's will include ''Fight The Power'' by [[Public Enemy]]. ''[[Buffalo Soldiers]]'', ''[[Jarhead]]'' and ''[[Three Kings]]'' all used it.
* Averted in ''Zodiac'', where most of the contemporary music heard is more obscure than the songs usually used in films set in the 1970s. Ironically, one of the cuts David Fincher made to ''Zodiac'' before it hit theaters was a blank-screen audio montage that denoted the passage of time between 1973-1977 with a "nothing but hits" soundtrack spanning the era. The Director's Cut restores this, utilizing well-known songs by Roberta Flack, Wild Cherry, Bachman Turner Overdrive and other ubiquitous hits.
* Averted in ''Zodiac'', where most of the contemporary music heard is more obscure than the songs usually used in films set in the 1970s. Ironically, one of the cuts David Fincher made to ''Zodiac'' before it hit theaters was a blank-screen audio montage that denoted the passage of time between 1973-1977 with a "nothing but hits" soundtrack spanning the era. The Director's Cut restores this, utilizing well-known songs by Roberta Flack, Wild Cherry, Bachman Turner Overdrive and other ubiquitous hits.
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* In ''[[Indiana Jones And The Crystal Skull]]'', the movie starts with Elvis singing the song "Hound Dog". Welcome to [[The Fifties]], folks.
* In ''[[Indiana Jones And The Crystal Skull]]'', the movie starts with Elvis singing the song "Hound Dog". Welcome to [[The Fifties]], folks.
* Nicely parodied in ''[[Tropic Thunder]]''. Seriously, do we ever need to hear "For What It's Worth" in a montage about [[The Sixties]] again?
* Nicely parodied in ''[[Tropic Thunder]]''. Seriously, do we ever need to hear "For What It's Worth" in a montage about [[The Sixties]] again?
** Ironically, the scene in question is actually taking place in roughly our own time. The main characters are actors filming a [[Vietnam War]] story on location in Southeast Asia, and they're trying to stay in character even after it becomes clear [[Dramatic Irony|(to us)]] that the movie's director has been killed and his cast has wandered off the script. Tugg Speedman remains clueless longer than anyone else: even after he's taken prisoner by heroin dealers in the dreaded Golden Triangle, he assumes they're just actors playing Viet Cong.
** Ironically, the scene in question is actually taking place in roughly our own time. The main characters are actors filming a [[Vietnam War]] story on location in Southeast Asia, and they're trying to stay in character even after it becomes clear [[Dramatic Irony|(to us)]] that the movie's director has been killed and his cast has wandered off the script. Tugg Speedman remains clueless longer than anyone else: even after he's taken prisoner by heroin dealers in the dreaded Golden Triangle, he assumes they're just actors playing Viet Cong.
* Averted somewhat in ''[[American Graffiti]]''; while there are plenty of familiar hits like "Rock Around the Clock" or "Johnny B. Goode", you also get such relatively obscure rock and R&B singles as the Five Satins' "To the Aisle" or the Heartbeats' "A Thousand Miles Away". (Granted, that film ''was'' only a decade removed from the period it depicted...)
* Averted somewhat in ''[[American Graffiti]]''; while there are plenty of familiar hits like "Rock Around the Clock" or "Johnny B. Goode", you also get such relatively obscure rock and R&B singles as the Five Satins' "To the Aisle" or the Heartbeats' "A Thousand Miles Away". (Granted, that film ''was'' only a decade removed from the period it depicted...)
* There was an interview with the director of ''[[Let the Right One In]]'' where he mentioned that he made a conscious effort to avert this trope: although the film is set in the 80s, he didn't want it to be a nostalgic sort of film, so didn't use any period music. Instead, he took the novel approach of hiring a contemporary musician to write a song that ''sounded like'' it was from the 80s.
* There was an interview with the director of ''[[Let the Right One In]]'' where he mentioned that he made a conscious effort to avert this trope: although the film is set in the 80s, he didn't want it to be a nostalgic sort of film, so didn't use any period music. Instead, he took the novel approach of hiring a contemporary musician to write a song that ''sounded like'' it was from the 80s.
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** An inversion occurs in one of the opening scenes of ''Back to the Future III'', Marty comes out of the restroom at a drive-in theater dressed like a cheesy 1950s cowboy. He comments that he doesn't think Clint Eastwood would ever wear such a thing, and Clint Eastwood is the name he chooses to go by for the rest of the movie. When he says this, he gestures to the movie posters showcasing what movies are currently showing at the drive-in. The two movies are ''[[Revenge of the Creature]]'' and ''Tarantula'', two forgetful, cheesy, 50s monster flicks, but also the first two movies Eastwood ever appeared in.
** An inversion occurs in one of the opening scenes of ''Back to the Future III'', Marty comes out of the restroom at a drive-in theater dressed like a cheesy 1950s cowboy. He comments that he doesn't think Clint Eastwood would ever wear such a thing, and Clint Eastwood is the name he chooses to go by for the rest of the movie. When he says this, he gestures to the movie posters showcasing what movies are currently showing at the drive-in. The two movies are ''[[Revenge of the Creature]]'' and ''Tarantula'', two forgetful, cheesy, 50s monster flicks, but also the first two movies Eastwood ever appeared in.
* In ''[[Precious]]'', which takes place in 1987-'88, Precious' mother is shown watching ''227'' and an unidentified game show, both of which are not things that people think of when they think of the 80's.
* In ''[[Precious]]'', which takes place in 1987-'88, Precious' mother is shown watching ''227'' and an unidentified game show, both of which are not things that people think of when they think of the 80's.
* Thankfully averted in ''[[When Harry Met Sally]]'', which is set between 1977 and 1989. Instead of contemporary music, the movie uses much older classics by the likes of Sinatra and Bing Crosby.
* Thankfully averted in ''[[When Harry Met Sally...]]'', which is set between 1977 and 1989. Instead of contemporary music, the movie uses much older classics by the likes of Sinatra and Bing Crosby.
* Kind of present but also somewhat averted in ''[[Donnie Darko]]''. It does use some 80s nostalgia tracks like "Head Over Heels" by Tears For Fears but also some more obscurish songs like "The Killing Moon" from Echo & The Bunnymen. Most of what's shown on TV is coverage of the 1988 election and the film shown in the theater is a double bill of The Evil Dead and The Last Temptation of Christ rather than some current film. Present though in the opening scene where Donnie's mother is shown reading ''It'', which is a bit like showing someone reading ''[[The Da Vinci Code]]'' in a film set in 2007.
* Kind of present but also somewhat averted in ''[[Donnie Darko]]''. It does use some 80s nostalgia tracks like "Head Over Heels" by Tears For Fears but also some more obscurish songs like "The Killing Moon" from Echo & The Bunnymen. Most of what's shown on TV is coverage of the 1988 election and the film shown in the theater is a double bill of The Evil Dead and The Last Temptation of Christ rather than some current film. Present though in the opening scene where Donnie's mother is shown reading ''It'', which is a bit like showing someone reading ''[[The Da Vinci Code]]'' in a film set in 2007.
* Mostly averted in ''[[Adventureland]]'', where the soundtrack is more obscurish songs and music from the underground of the era, rather than a standard "Greatest Hits of the 80s" type deal.
* Mostly averted in ''[[Adventureland]]'', where the soundtrack is more obscurish songs and music from the underground of the era, rather than a standard "Greatest Hits of the 80s" type deal.
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* ''[[The Wackness]]'', set in 1994, largely averts this with a soundtrack of mostly obscure hip-hop songs, rather than a pure [[Grunge]] soundtrack one would associate with the era. However, it is ''somewhat'' anachronistic, as some of the tracks were not released until after the time period the film is set in.
* ''[[The Wackness]]'', set in 1994, largely averts this with a soundtrack of mostly obscure hip-hop songs, rather than a pure [[Grunge]] soundtrack one would associate with the era. However, it is ''somewhat'' anachronistic, as some of the tracks were not released until after the time period the film is set in.
* A somewhat odd example happens in ''[[The Wackness]]'' and ''Hardball'' (that Keanu Reeves baseball flick) Where [[Biggie Smalls]] is constantly played. Averted in both as the main character in ''[[The Wackness]]'' constantly carries a walkman with him. And in Reeves in ''Hardball'' requests it at a bar.
* A somewhat odd example happens in ''[[The Wackness]]'' and ''Hardball'' (that Keanu Reeves baseball flick) Where [[Biggie Smalls]] is constantly played. Averted in both as the main character in ''[[The Wackness]]'' constantly carries a walkman with him. And in Reeves in ''Hardball'' requests it at a bar.
* Semi-averted in ''[[The House of the Devil]]'', which isn't set in the early 80's so much as [[Retraux|it is specifically designed to look and feel like it was originally filmed during that period]]. Three 80's singles are listened to by characters. "One Thing Leads To Another" by The Fixx is well-remembered enough to show up on many 80's hits compilations. On the other hand, "One Of Our Submarines" by Thomas Dolby and "The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)" by The Greg Kihn Band are a bit more obscure. All three of these songs were released within a few years of each other and would place the film around 1983 or so. And then the soundtrack also uses much more recent music by Gods Of Fire, which is just influenced by 80's metal enough to not stick out too much.
* Semi-averted in ''[[The House of the Devil]]'', which isn't set in the early 80's so much as [[Retraux|it is specifically designed to look and feel like it was originally filmed during that period]]. Three 80's singles are listened to by characters. "One Thing Leads To Another" by The Fixx is well-remembered enough to show up on many 80's hits compilations. On the other hand, "One Of Our Submarines" by Thomas Dolby and "The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)" by The Greg Kihn Band are a bit more obscure. All three of these songs were released within a few years of each other and would place the film around 1983 or so. And then the soundtrack also uses much more recent music by Gods Of Fire, which is just influenced by 80's metal enough to not stick out too much.
* ''[[The Wood]]'' has 80's rap and R&B hits during the flashbacks to 1986.
* ''[[The Wood]]'' has 80's rap and R&B hits during the flashbacks to 1986.
* ''[[Let Me In]]'' (the American remake of ''[[Let the Right One In]]''), set in 1983, indulges in this with songs by [[Culture Club]], [[David Bowie]] and [[Blue Öyster Cult|Blue Oyster Cult]] playing in the background.
* ''[[Let Me In]]'' (the American remake of ''[[Let the Right One In]]''), set in 1983, indulges in this with songs by [[Culture Club]], [[David Bowie]] and [[Blue Öyster Cult|Blue Oyster Cult]] playing in the background.
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** "Paperback Writer" by [[The Beatles]] was heard in a scene from the Patrick Troughton story "The Evil of the Daleks" when the Doctor wanders into a contemporary coffee bar, and "Oh Well" by [[Fleetwood Mac]] accompanies a factory scene in the Jon Pertwee story "Spearhead From Space". There are many others throughout the show's long history.
** "Paperback Writer" by [[The Beatles]] was heard in a scene from the Patrick Troughton story "The Evil of the Daleks" when the Doctor wanders into a contemporary coffee bar, and "Oh Well" by [[Fleetwood Mac]] accompanies a factory scene in the Jon Pertwee story "Spearhead From Space". There are many others throughout the show's long history.
* ''[[Freaks and Geeks]]'' did an excellent job at averting this.
* ''[[Freaks and Geeks]]'' did an excellent job at averting this.
* ''[[Smallville]]'' episode ''Relic'' has a series of flashbacks set in the '60s, and at one point the song "Earth Angel" is playing from a car radio... in a scene involving an alien (Jor-El) and his new human girlfriend (Louise).
* ''[[Smallville]]'' episode ''Relic'' has a series of flashbacks set in the '60s, and at one point the song "Earth Angel" is playing from a car radio... in a scene involving an alien (Jor-El) and his new human girlfriend (Louise).




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