The most memorable songs from '00s movies

When we think of classic movie songs, many of us still think about the ‘80s and ‘90s. However, songs from the 2000s can be considered classics now, and many of them are memorable. The new millennium began with several songs that have become indelibly connected to films of the 2000s. Here are some of our favorites.

Homer Simpson may have declared that Starland Vocal Band “sucks,” but Ron Burgundy and crew would disagree. One of the indelible absurdist moments in the iconic comedy “Anchorman” is when Ron and his friends burst into an a cappella version of “Afternoon Delight,” the sole hit of Starland Vocal Band.

“8 Mile” was a massive moment for Eminem. The rapper got a chance to star in what was a not-very-thinly veiled biopic of his own life. The release of the movie coincided with the release of the hit song “Lose Yourself,” which shares a lot with the film thematically.

Yes, in hindsight it was very annoying. Natalie Portman tells Zach Braff that the song she is listening to will “change his life” in “Garden State” and that’s just obnoxious. That being said, it is a famous 2000s music moment in film, and the song in question is “New Slang” by The Shins. Life changing? Maybe not, but it’s a good song.

“Once” was a quiet little music that struck it big. The main reason why? The song at the center that enters up winning Best Original Song at the Oscars. That song is “Falling Slowly” which honestly is a hit whose popularity surpasses the film.

Do we dare to say that a film from the 2000s now culturally owns a Elton John song? John and his song “Tiny Dancer” were both already extremely famous and iconic. And yet, when you think of “Tiny Dancer,” you probably think of “Almost Famous” now, right? Everybody joining in on an Elton John singalong? Count us in.

“Napoleon Dynamite” is a polarizing movie. Personally, we’re not a fan, but you can’t argue with the fact it captured the zeitgeist. You may not know “Canned Heat” by Jamaroquai by name, but you definitely remember Napoleon’s dance routine from the climax of the film. That dance is choreographed to “Canned Heat.”

“Man of Constant Sorrow” is a traditional folk song that has been around for over a century at this point. Many have recorded it, but there is only one version we can think of. That’s the version recorded by The Soggy Bottom Boys in the Coen Brothers’ “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” That soundtrack was a massive hit, and the version from the film actually won a Grammy. Sadly, George Clooney didn’t actually do the lead vocals.

Once upon a time, it would have been hard to imagine an Oscar going to a song with the word “pimp” in the title. Then, it happened. The song from Three Six Mafia was performed by Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson in “Hustle & Flow,” which means Three Six Mafia has more Oscars than many of your favorite filmmakers. That’s another thing we never imagined saying once upon a time.

Speaking of songs that won Oscars, it’s a little less surprising that Bob Dylan has one of those. Dylan’s song “Things Have Changed” is used to good effect in the movie “Wonder Boys.” That movie hasn’t been discussed much in recent years, but that song definitely stuck out at the time.

“Dreamgirls” featured an early acting role from Beyonce. Eddie Murphy was nominated for an Oscar for the film as well. Even so, there is one thing that you probably remember from that movie, and it’s Jennifer Hudson’s incredible performance of “And I Tell You I’m Not Going.” It was Hudson’s film debut, but she won an Oscar for it, largely based on that song and performance.

DuJour means family. “Josie and the Pūssycats” was a flop at the time, but since 2001 it has gained a much-deserved cult following. However, we aren’t going with one of Josie and the Pūssycats’ songs from the film. Instead, we have to give a little love to the parody of a boy band that appears at the beginning of the film. This includes their massive hit “Backdoor Lover.” It’s not what you think…or maybe it is?

There are two thing that are largely remember about “Coyote Ugly.” One is the fact that the female bartenders dance on top of the bar. The other is the song “Can’t Fight the Moonlight,” a contemplative torch song written by the legendary Diane Warren and sung by LeAnn Rimes.

“Moulin Rouge!” is a jukebox musical, which means a lot of famous, and not-so-famous, songs were used. “Lady Marmalade” was originally a hit for Labelle, but at the time of “Moulin Rouge!” it was remade by the supergroup of Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Pink, and Mya. Their music video may be even more famous than the film.

“Charlie’s Angels” – the film starring Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu – is a fun little comedy with a “girl power” message. Naturally, they needed a song to showcase that. Up stepped Destiny’s Child, who brought us “Independent Women.” What’s so impressive about that song is it became a hit outside the movie, even though they explicitly mention Charlie’s Angels in the song.

“Loser” isn’t a great movie, and “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus is kind of a corny song. OK, it’s a really corny song. And yet, you can’t talk songs from 2000s movies and not include “Teenage Dirtbag.” It’s indelible. You still hear it. People still cover it. “Teenage Dirtbag” has outlived “Loser” and likely will always have some place in the culture.

It’s kind of incredible a song by The Moldy Peaches gained any level of fame. This is an “anti-folk” band that has a song called “Who’s Got the Crack?” However, the popularity of “Juno” put the band on the map. Their song “Anyone Else But You” is a significant part of the movie. In fact, Elliot Page and Michael Cera even sing it in the film.

“I will now sell four copies of ‘The Three EPs’ by The Beta Band.” And with that, Rob Gordon has made a wager in his record shop in “High Fidelity.” How does Rob plan to do it? By putting their song “Dry the Rain” on to play through the store. The Beta Band wasn’t exactly big, so getting namedropped certainly helped put them on a lot of radars and, fittingly, probably sold some copies of “The Three EPs.”

The band Smashmouth is kind of indelibly connected to the movie “Shrek,” two things the internet enjoys making fun of. While “All Star” is also in the film, that song has long existed outside of “Shrek.” On the other hand, Smashmouth’s cover of “I’m a Believer” definitely screams ogres and donkeys. Sorry if it’s stuck in your head now.

Leave it to Quentin Tarantino to craft a moment. “Woo Hoo” is a song that’s been around for a while, but the most-famous version probably comes in Tarantino’s film “Kill Bill: Vol. One.” In the movie, the Japanese rock band The 5.6.7.8’s are playing “Woo Hoo” among other songs. The catchy chorus of that song, though, is what makes it stick out above the rest.

“Where The Wild Things Are” is an epic movie, and it needed an epic soundtrack. It got one, largely thanks to Karen O, best known from the band the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The single from the soundtrack is “All is Love,” which was credited to Karen O and the Kids, a supergroup of indie musicians. While the song somehow failed to get an Oscar nomination, it was nominated for a Grammy.