'Cine'cism

After breaking out of my comfort zone this week and writing about the state of rock music, I thought it appropriate to list my favorite, original movie songs of the last decade.

These are by no means the best, the most iconic or the most praised, but they are the ones I actually enjoy listening to regularly because they have the ability to transcend the screen. 

“Accidentally in Love” by Counting Crows — “Shrek 2”

This happy little upbeat tune is actually one of Counting Crows’ better singles, and it makes the perfect start to the surprisingly solid “Shrek 2.” Although not as iconic as Smash Mouth’s “All Star” from the original movie, I prefer this joyous number that was nominated for an Oscar.

“Down to Earth” by Peter Gabriel — “Wall-E”

I know some of you stayed during the credits of “Wall-E.” They serve as an elegant epilogue to an already lovely film, but “Down to Earth” is a very fitting theme to the movie, and it is actually quite representative of a classic Peter Gabriel song.

“Falling Slowly” by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova — “Once”

The chemistry of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova simply emanates from their soulful melodies, and this Oscar-winning ballad is just as moving to listen to as it is to watch live. Seeing them perform at the Academy Awards was as touching as the uninterrupted song featured in “Once.” This is by far the best song on an equally great album filled with soothing emotion.

"The Hands that Built America” by U2 — “Gangs of New York”

This 2002 single is a bit of a departure for U2, being light on Edge’s guitar and heavy on xylophone, violins and operatic vocals, but it is nevertheless an enchanting chance to hear Bono wail. It was also one of the 10 Oscars for which “Gangs of New York” was nominated.

“Hard Sun” by Eddie Vedder — “Into the Wild”

Eddie Vedder’s original score for “Into the Wild” was such a visceral, integral part of Sean Penn’s vivid nature film, and “Hard Sun” was the best single off that album. It’s a catchy acoustic melody not without range or intensity, and the same could be said about the rest of the “Into the Wild” soundtrack.

“I’m Shipping Up to Boston” by Dropkick Murphys — “The Departed”

Technically, “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” isn’t original. But the song has become synonymous with the Federal Maahshalls genre of gangster and crime movies. Who would’ve thought an accordion and a banjo could go together so well to make a brutal hard rock song?

“Love, Reign O’er Me” by Pearl Jam — “Reign Over Me”

OK, so “Reign Over Me” was a terrible movie, but it was worth it to hear a faithful and worthy cover of The Who’s “Love, Reign O’er Me” as done by Pearl Jam. Vedder approaches the vocals in a lower register, but he proves to be just as wild as Roger Daltrey.

“The Wrestler” by Bruce Springsteen — “The Wrestler”

The ambiguous final shot of “The Wrestler” is forever ingrained in my mind, partially because of the perfectly placed acoustic strumming of Bruce Springsteen. The title track song is remarkably indicative of the film’s underlying theme, and Springsteen carries and builds throughout the song to a chilling degree.