10 Bad Films With Great Tie-in Songs

Almost every bad film has its merits, be they unique special effects, the odd standout performance, or in worse case scenario they're so bad it's funny. In other cases however, it's the films soundtrack that can act as a final leg for it to stand on. While it is very rare that a good soundtrack can actually salvage a bad film, they can at least make for an enjoyable companion piece to an otherwise terrible film.

Which brings me to the film tie-in song. While nowadays these are usually limited to animated movies or, ahem, the 50 Shades films, movie tie-in songs were all the rage in the 80's, 90's, and early 2000's. From Ghostbusters, to Men in Black, these catchy numbers act as nice little add on's to their respective films and are still fairly iconic today. While it's true that not all movie tie-in songs are good, it can also be said that there are some truly bad films out there that have brilliant tie-in numbers. So without further ado, here are 10 bad films with great tie-in songs.

10. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen- 'New Divide' by Linkin Park

While none of Michael Bay's Transformers films are good, there is a special place in hell for the second installment, Revenge of the Fallen ("I am directly below the enemies scrotum"). Messy, noisy, and just generally trashy, Revenge of the Fallen was a failure with critics and is generally regarded as one of the worst in the franchise. However, its tie-in single 'New Divide' by Linkin Park is actually a bit of a tune. From its epic sci-fi sound to the unbeatable vocals of the late Chester Bennington, 'New Divide' certainly feels tonally consistent with the films genre, but Revenge of the Fallen is in no way deservant of it. Still, despite the film being a critical failure, 'New Divide' actually did fairly well with music critics and still remains one of Linkin Parks most successful songs today. 

9. Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare- 'Why Was I Born' by Iggy Pop

The first of two hard-rock horror tie-ins on our list, 'Why Was I Born' acts as a theme song of sorts for the sixth Nightmare on Elm Street film. The somewhat underwhelming 'final' entry to the Elm Street franchise finishes off with an end credits sequence consisting of a montage of Freddy's greatest moments, set to the sound of Iggy Pop's gravely vocals. The fast-paced hard-rock number works really well when set to this montage of Elm Street clips and in some ways feels like a better tribute to the franchises big bad than anything else in the actual film. Who better to sing Freddy Krueger out than Iggy Pop himself?

8. Tron Legacy- 'Derezzed' by Daft Punk

Tron Legacy isn't inherently bad, it simply lacked the substance to match its grand spectacle and immense sense of hype. One of the reasons behind this hype was the films soundtrack which was completely composed by French electronic duo Daft Punk. Its signature track 'Derezzed' is a pounding electronic bop that, despite being less than 2 minutes long, manages to embed itself in your brain for long after the film ends. The song itself features in the films club scene where Daft Punk themselves make a cameo appearance as the resident DJ's, it's one of the only scenes in Tron Legacy I can actually remember, all thanks to 'Derezzed'.

7. Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth- 'Hellraiser' by Motorhead

I mean objectively Hellraiser III is a bad film, especially in comparison to both its predecessors, but I have a bit of a soft spot for it regardless. One of the reasons for this is its wonderful tie in song, Motorheads cover of Ozzy Osbournes 'Hellraiser'. The song itself plays just as the credits begin to roll at the end of the film, so if you're thinking of turning it off then I'd suggest sticking around for a little while. It's also accompanied by a music video that intercuts between clips from the film and shots of frontman Lemmy playing cards with Pinhead himself (with Doug Bradley reprising his role). The heavy sound and on-the-nose title make it an appropriate companion piece for Hellraiser III and the video is just a little bonus for all you Pinhead fans out there.

6. Godzilla- 'Deeper Underground' by Jamiroquai

The less said about the 1998 incarnation of Godzilla, the better, however it's soundtrack is surprisingly decent in comparison to the film itself. One of the signature tracks is 'Deeper Underground' by jazz-funk band Jamiroquai, that has an entertaining music video to match. The video sees a group of cinemagoers watching Godzilla in 3D only for the films titular monster to break out of the screen, flooding the theater and causing all sorts of chaos. Band member Jay Kay then proceeds to dance around the ruined picture house, because why not. It looks like a really expensive video that feels reminiscent of Dario Argento's Demons, and acts as a worthy companion to Jamiroquai's acid-funk sound. In my eyes it even done Godzilla more justice than the '98 film ever could.

5. Armageddon- 'I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing' by Aerosmith

Back to Michael Bay now but remaining in 1998, Armageddon was Bay's schlocky disaster flick about a group of drillers sent by NASA to stop an asteroid from colliding with Earth. Yep, I know, and that's not even the half of it. If one good thing did come from Armageddon however, it's Aerosmiths iconic power ballad 'I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing' that was recorder specifically for the film itself. The hefty number remains one of Aerosmith's most recogniseable songs and continues to be played during wedding dances and somewhere in the gift shop after Disney's Rock 'n Roller Coaster ride. Armageddon may be a forgettable film, but this is certainly not a forgettable tune.

4. Wild Wild West- 'Wild Wild West' by Will Smith

Remember this 1999 steampunk Western adventure? Well neither do I, but I do remember the catchy hip hop tune that Will Smith recorded for it. With its perfect balance between funky sound and cheesy lyrics, 'Wild Wild West' may be something of a novelty tune, but its a damn catchy one at that. Sure it's no 'Men in Black' but if you're a fan of Big Willy Smith then you'll be sure to love this. The video is intercut with clips from the film and sees Will Smith and Salma Hayek reprising their roles, as well as cameos from Stevie Wonder and a Kenneth Branagh lookalike. If you're in the mood for some cheesy 90's hip hop then look no further than 'Wild Wild West'.

3. Twilight- 'Decode' by Paramore

Much like the way that vampires are blessed with immortality, but cursed to feed on the blood of the living, the Twilight franchise was cursed with bad films but blessed with great soundtracks. The first film featured the likes of Muse and Radiohead on its soundtrack, as well as Paramore's 'Decode' which acted as a tie-in number due to its music video. With its ambient sound and heavy chorus, the song has since become one of the most beloved Paramore songs and is often considered to have been wasted on a film like Twilight. The music video features Hayley Williams and co. performing in a gloomy woods while intercutting with clips from the film, arguably better than the actual film itself. Trust Paramore to save the day.

2. The Beach- 'Pure Shores' by All Saints

It's hard to imagine Danny Boyle adapting an Alex Garland novel to turn out bad, but low and behold The Beach is fairly awful. While the film itself never seems to actually go anywhere, at least we get some good music to enjoy for along the way, the most iconic being 'Pure Shores' by All Saints. This ethereal little electronic number was written for the film itself and the scene that it plays in is arguably one of its only enjoyable moments. Like most of the videos on this list, the one for 'Pure Shores' consists of clips of the film intercut with footage of the band, and honestly it makes the film look a lot better than it actually is. Don't be deceived by the hypnotic video however, it really isn't a good film.

1. Batman Forever- 'Kiss From A Rose' by Seal

Ah 'Kiss From A Rose', even after all these years you still never fail to pull on the heart strings. Batman Forever was a big departure from Tim Burton's films that preceded it, being much more campy in tone, with performances that range from forgettable to just bizarre (looking at you Tommy Lee Jones). This time however Batman didn't save the day, but Seal did, swooping into the films soundtrack with 'Kiss From A Rose' and salvaging whatever he could. The beautiful number had already been released a year prior, but Seal re-released it for the film along with a new video where he serenades the Bat-signal atop GCPD. Batman Forever may have been the beginning of the end for 90's Batsy, but at least it will always have 'Kiss From A Rose'.