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The Ten Most Painful, Earwormiest Soundtrack Songs of All Time

By Dustin Rowles | Lists | June 23, 2010 |

By Dustin Rowles | Lists | June 23, 2010 |


A bad, earwormy soundtrack song is a lot like jingles from local radio and television commercials — they’re not really meant to be good. They’re meant to stick in your brain and remind you, interminably, of the product the song is essentially advertising. And it just jangles and jangles around in your brain for hours upon hours, killing brain cells and offering an unwelcome reminder of the product you’re meant to buy. They work, too. How many of you know this telephone number: 1-800-54-GIANT? Or this telephone number: 588-2300? Likewise, you hear the songs below, and whether you want to or not, in most cases, you think of the movie. It’s brilliant execution. And it makes me want to tear the limbs off of bunnies and shove the stumps into someone’s eye sockets.

Here’s the ten most painful, earwormiest soundtrack songs of all time.


10. I Got You Babe, Sonny & Cher (Groundhog Day)

9. Gangsta’s Paradise, Coolio (Dangerous Minds)

8. Wind Beneath My Wings, Bette Midler (Beaches)

7. Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing, Aerosmith (Armageddon)

6. I Believe I Can Fly, R. Kelly (Space Jam)

5. “It Must’ve Been Love”, Roxette (Pretty Woman)

4. Kiss From a Rose, Seal (Batman Forever)

3. The Crying Game, Boy George (The Crying Game)

2. Lady in Red, Chris DeBurgh (Working Girl)

1. All Star, Smash Mouth (Mystery Men)