Certain songs have become veritable stars of the big and small screens. According to a study conducted by music analysis site Chartmetric and Tunefinder, a number of songs are regularly featured in movie and TV productions.
Based on an analysis of music credits from hundreds of movies and TV shows, the study reveals that Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It” tops the list of most frequently used music, with 52 occurrences since its release in 1995. Salt-N-Pepa’s “Push It” takes second place with 50 uses, followed by Etta James’ “At Last”, used in 49 films or shows.
So, why do filmmakers keep coming back to the same tracks? According to the analysis, it’s because they function as instant cues for the viewer.
When a director inserts “Fix You” into a scene, they know in advance that Coldplay’s chords will unleash a torrent of emotion. Similarly, “At Last” immediately evokes a moving romance, without the need for further contextualisation.
This recurrence transforms these tracks into veritable “audio memes”, the research explains: their mere appearance is enough to trigger an emotional response conditioned by decades of on-screen use.
But while this technique is effective, it can also lead to a feeling of excessive repetition, or even lazy storytelling, the study points out.
Yet, there is another beneficial effect to this practice: musical rediscovery. If these songs are often considered clichés, their repeated use has the unexpected effect of helping new generations discover musical works.
For example, Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” enjoyed a spectacular resurgence in popularity after its use in “Stranger Things”, leading to a surge in listens on music streaming platforms. Other tracks have followed the same trajectory: Nirvana’s “Something in the Way”, for example, was revived thanks to the film “The Batman”.
According to data gathered by Chartmetric, productions rely most heavily on songs from the 1980s (23%), 2010s (19.2%), 1970s (17.5%) and 1990s (16.2%). Directors tend to favour songs from their own youth, creating an effect of shared nostalgia with the audience.
But this could well change: the emergence of new viral hits, thanks in particular to TikTok, could disrupt this trend and potentially lead to a diversification of musical choices on screen.
In the meantime, these classics remain anchored in the collective imagination. So, the next time you hear “Let’s Get It On” in the middle of a romantic scene, you’ll know it’s not just a musical choice, but a real narrative code inscribed in our audiovisual subconscious.
The most frequently featured songs in movies and TV shows are:
- “This Is How We Do It” – Montell Jordan (hip-hop & rap, 1995): 52 appearances
- “Push It” – Salt-N-Pepa (hip-hop & rap, 1986): 50 appearances
- “At Last” – Etta James (pop standard, 1960): 49 appearances
- “Fix You” – Coldplay (alternative, 2005): 42 appearances
- “Fade into You” – Mazzy Star (alternative, 1993): 41 appearances
- “September” – Earth, Wind & Fire (disco & dance, 1978): 39 appearances
- “Tubthumping” – Chumbawamba (pop, 1997): 39 appearances
- “Walking On Sunshine” – Katrina & The Waves (pop, 1983): 38 appearances
- “Let’s Get It On” – Marvin Gaye (R&B & soul, 1973): 38 appearances
- “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” – Rupert Holmes (pop, 1979): 36 appearances