Looking over it's 77 year history of premiering some of the greatest films of all time, here the musical moments that we can't stop thinking about.

‘Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon’ by Urge Overkill from Pulp Fiction

Starting off strong with arguably one of the best movie soundtracks of all time, Urge Overkill’s ‘Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon’ needle drop - or in this case, button push - in Pulp Fiction is just as atmospheric, eerie and tongue-in-cheek as you’d expect from Tarantino. Playing with diegetic and non-diegetic sound, Uma Thurman’s Mia Wallace sings along, drawing you in and out of the world as the tension builds.

‘Nightcall’ by Kavinsky & Lovefoxxx from Drive

Moving on to another director who knows their way around a score or two, Nicolas Winding Refn’s first collaboration with composer Cliff Martinez takes us on a sonic odyssey into the Neo-noir world of Drive from the very first needle drop. Opening the film with Kavinsky and Lovefoxxx’s ‘Nightcall’ sets the tone for the wild ride of a movie in a way only the greats could.

‘Plainsong’ by The Cure from Marie Antoinette

The reigning queen of killer soundtracks though, is the one and only Sofia Coppola, whose contemporary choices transport you into the psyche of her characters no matter the era or narrative. In terms of Marie Antoinette, it's a tough toss-up between the satirical pastel-perfect montage to Bow Wow’s ‘I Want Candy’ and this, our winner, the superb needle dropping moment when The Cure’s ‘Plainsong’ blasts through the speakers. A band who are no strangers to theatricality, the crashing drums and sparkling synths result in a cinematic masterpiece - despite the fact it got booed and walked out of when it premiered at Cannes back in 2006…

‘Late For The Sky’ by Jackson Browne from Taxi Driver

Another film premiere at Cannes that ignited boos and walkouts, the Palme D’Or winning Taxi Driver is mostly an exquisite Bernard Herrmann score, which ceases for a quiet moment with Robert De Niro’s Travis Bickle. Jackson Browne’s ‘Late For The Sky’ captures the isolation and loneliness so evocatively explored by filmmaker Martin Scorsese, and captures a turning point for his protagonist in a way only music, cinema and art could.

'Wicked Game' by Chris Isaac from Wild At Heart

Continuing in the theme of absolute masterpieces that got booed at Cannes, we step into the avant-garde world of David Lynch and his Palme d’Or-winning fifth feature film Wild At Heart. A director with many an iconic music moment, the lilting sorrowful tones of Chris Isaac beautifully soundtrack an intimate car ride with Laura Dern’s Lula and Nicolas Cage’s Sailor. A must watch.

‘Mary Don’t You Weep’ by Prince from BlacKKKlansman

Although only a part of the film’s end credits and trailer, hearing Prince is always a formative experience, and here creates a vital needle drop moment for BlacKKKlansman. Marking Spike Lee’s return to Cannes after a 22-year-absence, the Brooklyn filmmaker won the Grand Prix after premiering his feature at the festival and went on to win his first Oscar for it too. Capturing the spirit of the film with an utterly emotional rendition of ‘Mary Don’t You Weep’, Prince and Spike Lee’s cinematic connection runs deep.

‘Hallo Space Boy’ by David Bowie from Moonage Daydream

OK, perhaps a slight cop-out to use a music moment from a documentary about one of the best musicians to ever live, but this artistic and innovative feature captures the ethereal eccentricity of David Bowie through an utter rabbit-hole-fall into his world. Perhaps the best needle drop is ‘Hallo Space Boy’, a song from his lesser-known 20th studio album, Outside, which draws us into a ‘90s psychedelic dreamscape. An absolute must watch which premiered at Cannes in 2022, where it was deservedly nominated for both the Golden Eye and Queer Palm awards, but (stupidly) didn’t win either.

‘Funkytown’ by Lipps Inc. from Shrek 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSyCI51qB34

Now what would a cinematic 10Trax be without a shout out to the best animated series soundtrack of all time: Shrek. In this case, the ‘Funkytown’ needle drop of Shrek 2, where Lipps Inc. soundtrack the moment the crew enter the land of Far Far Away. Transformative.


‘All The Things That I’ve Done’ by The Killers from Southland Tales

Controversial, boundary-pushing, and a little bit silly (aka all the things a movie should be), Richard Kelly’s Southland Tales also has a soundtrack worthy of being talked about a whole lot more than it is. Caveating here that we wanted to include Sarah Michelle Gellar’s ‘Teen Horniness Is Not A Crime’, but apparently that clip’s impossible to find on YouTube for some reason, so settled for this bizarre fourth-wall breaking moment with Justin Timberlake mouthing along to The Killers.

‘The End’ by The Doors from Apocalypse Now

Rather appropriately finishing the list with ‘The End’ by The Doors, the opening scene of Francis Ford Coppola’s magnum opus is soundtracked by one of the most atmospheric songs to ever exist. Reflecting the existentialist questioning at the heart of Apocalypse Now, no other voice could carry the message as well as that of Jim Morrison and the psychedelic raga rock of the LA band.