No, you are not seeing double! The title says, “5 Iconic Needle Drop Needle Drops.” Before we go any further, let’s discuss what a “Needle Drop” is. The needle drop is a film technique that uses an existing song to highlight a particular character or scene. If a director wants a moment in their film to be memorable, adding a needle drop with an iconic song is the way to go. So what is a “Needle Drop Needle Drop?” In a scene, if a character literally drops the needle on a record, it will queue when the music begins. Now that we’re on the same page let’s look at a few.
Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse | "Hypnotize" - The Notorious B.I.G.
Shameik Moore
Jake Johnson
Hailee Steinfeld
Mahershala Ali
Brian Tyree Henry
Lily Tomlin
Luna Lauren Velez
Zoë Kravitz
John Mulaney
Kimiko Glenn
Nicolas Cage
Kathryn Hahn
Sony Pictures’ smash Marvel comics hit Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse–directed by trio Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman–is a stunning animated film with an outstanding soundtrack. In New York City, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), an intelligent but unmotivated teenager, gets his world turned upside down after being bit by a radioactive spider and assuming the role of Spider-Man after the original one (Jake Johnson) dies. During the scene introducing Miles’ Uncle Aaron (Mahershala Ali), New York’s very own The Notorious B.I.G. begins to play after Aaron lays the needle down on the iconic record “Hypnotize.” As the smooth, groovy track plays, it is interestingly juxtaposed with hectic scenes of Miles trying to make his way to his Uncle’s apartment.
Check out the full Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack here.
The Iron Claw | "Tom Sawyer" - Rush
Zac Efron
Jeremy Allen White
Harris Dickinson
Stanley Simons
Holt McCallany
Maura Tierney
Lily James
Michael Harney
Aaron Dean Eisenberg
Kevin Anton
Scott Innes
Cazzey Louis Cereghino
Directed by Sean Durkin, A24’s heart-wrenching, biographical sports drama follows the Von Erich family through several tragic deaths as they climb to the top of the wrestling world in the 1980s. Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” can be heard in a scene after the youngest Von Erich brother, Mike (Stanley Simons), drops the needle on the record and pumps the volume up enough that the track can be heard all around the house. The blaring rock track gives older brother Kerry (Jeremy Allen White) the idea to make it their entrance song for future wrestling endeavors as it begins to play during a montage of the Von Erich brothers’ (including Zac Efron and Harris Dickinson) training and complete domination of their local wrestling scene. Rush's screaming guitar and rolling drums pair perfectly with muscular men in tight underwear.
Check out the full The Iron Claw soundtrack here.
The Shawshank Redemption | "The Marriage of Figaro" - Mozart
Tim Robbins
Morgan Freeman
Bob Gunton
William Sadler
Clancy Brown
Gil Bellows
James Whitmore
Mark Rolston
Jeffrey DeMunn
Larry Brandenburg
Neil Giuntoli
Brian Libby
In this 1994 cult classic directed by Frank Darabont, “The Shawshank Redemption” is one of Stephen King’s less horrific tales and a staple in the prison drama filmography. In one of the film’s most important scenes, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) drops the needle on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” and plays it over the intercom. “For the briefest of moments, every last man at Shawshank felt free,” as Morgan Freeman’s character, Ellis profoundly describes the situation. Not exactly the most modern of songs, but the film and this particular scene are far too iconic not to have on this list.
Check out the full The Shawshank Redemption soundtrack here.
Iron Man 3 | "Jingle Bells (Bombay Dub Orchestra Remix)" - Joe Williams
Robert Downey Jr.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Don Cheadle
Guy Pearce
Rebecca Hall
Jon Favreau
Ben Kingsley
James Badge Dale
Stephanie Szostak
Paul Bettany
William Sadler
Dale Dickey
Marvel Studios’ Iron Man 3–directed by Shane Black–was the final chapter of Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) witty and exciting trilogy. The film follows Tony as he seeks to rehabilitate himself mentally and spiritually after being in a rut that kept him in his workshop, away from his responsibilities. In a scene where Tony begins to try out his new tech, he asks Jarvis (Paul Bettany) to drop the needle on a flashy version of “Jingle Bells” as the film takes place around the holiday season. If I had a billion dollars, I, too, would shamelessly dance like Tony does in this scene.
Check out the full Iron Man 3 soundtrack here.
Good Morning, Vietnam | Nowhere to Run - Martha & The Vandellas
Robin Williams
Forest Whitaker
Tom T. Tran
Chintara Sukapatana
Bruno Kirby
Robert Wuhl
J.T. Walsh
Noble Willingham
Richard Edson
Juney Smith
Richard Portnow
Floyd Vivino
Last but not least, Robin Williams stars in the brilliant, funny, and challenging war film “Good Morning, Vietnam” directed by Barry Levinson. In it, he stars as chipper radio host Adrian Cronauer, who was stationed in Saigon in the middle of the Vietnam War as a morale booster for the troops. As Adrian finds his groove in a new setting, he drops the needle on the classic track “Nowhere to Run” by Martha & The Vandellas. The punchy, soul classic continues to play through a montage of American troops on base who are trying to enjoy a little piece of home.
Check out the full Good Morning, Vietnam soundtrack here.
