TODAY MARKS 30 years since Flashdance … What A Feeling was released and became one of the most memorable songs of the 80s.

It’s one of a rake of songs from movies that became chart hits at the time.

UnidiscMusic / YouTube

In the 30 years since Flashdance everything from Bond movies to Twilight have had successful tunes off the back of their respective films.

But doesn’t it feel like the golden age of the soundtrack and hugely successful songs from films is behind us?

Here are some of the  songs and artists that will make you miss the good old days of massive movie soundtracks.

1. Berlin – Take My Breath Away

As featured in Top Gun this is still one of the best slabs of melodramatic 80s pop balladry and a nice reminder of a simpler time for us and Tom Cruise

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2.  Bryan Adams – Everything I Do (I Do For You)

A song so huge in it’s own right you’d almost forget this came from the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, this power ballad harks back to a time when a huge song and a huge movie could take over the world.

bryanadams / YouTube

3.  Trainspotting

The main tune we all remember from 1997′s Trainspotting is of course Born Slippy from Underworld (Fun fact: it was actually Born Slippy.Nux that became the hit single, the original has no vocal) but the soundtrack was a massive hit alongside the film’s rampant success.

It was so popular that they even released a second soundtrack album of songs including ones “inspired” by the film. Remember when that used to happen?

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4. Celine Dion

You were no 90s pop success if you didn’t grab a few hits from a bunch of movies.

Of course the one we all remember Celine for is My Heart Will Go On from Titanic. Even now that intro will either make you weep for Jack and Rose or make you want to break your best mate’s cassette of it in half.

TitanicFan / YouTube

There was the time she had a hit with her theme song for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast alongside R&B singer Peabo Bryson

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She sang When I Fall in Love for Sleepless In Seattle

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And her tune Because You Loved Me was the theme song to 1996 flick Up Close & Personal and became one of her biggest songs ever.

We’re surprised Celine even had time to see half these films at the cinema with all the hits she was having

naim2011 / YouTube

5. Eminem – Lose Yourself

Maybe you found Celine Dion’s movie jams lacking in some hip-hop cred.

Well then Eminem’s monster hit Lose Yourself might tick that box.

One of Eminem’s biggest singles ever, it tied in with his acting debut in 8 Mile.

InterscopeEminem / YouTube

6.  Coolio – Gangsta’s Paradise

Coolio may seem like something a pop punchline now but Gangsta’s Paradise tied in with the release of Michelle Pfeiffer’s classroom drama Dangerous Minds and became his biggest song ever.

It still sounds melodramatic and impressive and it’s fun to see Michelle Pfeiffer in a glossy music video.

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7.  Madonna

If you thought Celine Dion was the movie music queen then Madonna has her beat.

Her 80s hit Into the Groove tied into her first big film in Desperately Seeking Susan

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Also in the 80s was Who’s That Girl (from the film of the same name starring Madge), her early 90s megahit Vogue was part of the soundtrack to Dick Tracy, alongside lesser known single Hanky Panky.

80s ballads Crazy For You and Live To Tell became movie theme songs (for Vision Quest and At Close Range respectively), 90s forgotten gem I’ll Remember turned up in the the movie With Honours and role in A League of Her Own made this a 90s hit:

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One of her best was in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me however, the psychadelic pop of Beautiful Stranger

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She also had her Bond theme Die Another Day, the entire musical Evita, her cover of American Pie for The Next Best Thing (shudder) and the tune Masterpiece for the movie she directed in 2012 W.E.

We’re exhausted just reading that Madge.

8.  Aerosmith – I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing

Whatever your feelings on Michael Bay’s 1998 action hit Armageddon there’s no denying that this tune from Aerosmith was to become one of their biggest hits ever.

It’s power ballad perfection tied to a ridiculous action movie at it’s zenith (honourable mention to Trisha Yearwood’s How Do I Live in Con Air at this point)

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9. Goo Goo Dolls – Iris

Similar to Aerosmith, US rockers Goo Goo Dolls hit on slushy rock gold with Iris, it’s appearance on the soundtrack to Nicholas Cage / Meg Ryan film City of Angels sending it to the top of the charts worldwide (it also did big things for Alanis Morisette’s Uninvited. Ah, the 90s)

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10. Des’Ree – Kissing You

If you were a 90s teen with cool to spare, chances were you owned the soundtrack to Baz Luhrman’s glossy Shakespeare rework Romeo + Juliet.

Des’Ree’s Kissing You is one of the most loved tracks from the film a melodramatic ballad that almost makes us forget about Des’Ree’s still cringey tune Life. Almost.

DesreeVevo / YouTube

Baz Lurhman would continue to use soundtracks for his stylish movies, with tracks such as Lady Marmalade as featured in Moulin Rouge and the forthcoming Great Gatsby soundtrack which will be helmed by Jay-Z (and will feature Beyoncé and Andre 3000 covering Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black)

11. Destiny’s Child – Independent Women Part 1.

This is still one of the R&B group’s signature tune and helped turned the 70s TV remake Charlie Angel’s into a huge box office hit in 2000, with Beyoncé and the rest of the girls getting to try their hand at their own Charlie’s Angels moves in the video

DestinysChildVevo / YouTube

12. Whitney Houston

Houston’s debut film role in The Bodyguard would go on to be a success for both movies and music.

Obviously there was the small matter of her cover of Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You, that would become her signature song

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But the soundtrack was absolutely huge beyond that including other Houston smashes such as I Have Nothing, Run To You, I’m Every Woman and Queen of the Night and also featuring a host of other artists.

The soundtrack has gone on to become the biggest of all time having sold over 45 million copies worldwide.

Houston managed similar success with the soundtrack to her 1995 film Waiting To Exhale. She sang the theme song, another addition to her clutch of big tunes and the album itself featured Toni Braxton, TLC, Mary J.Blige and Aretha Franklin.

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13.  Batman

Tim Burton’s 1989 take on the classic comic character became a runaway hit and the involvement of Prince on the soundtrack gave things a unique contemporary feel.

Prince used the film as the basis of his eleventh album Batman (in a similar vein to how the Purple Rain movie inspired the accompanying album)

Most of the material from that set is forgotten today although the thoroughly odd Batdance is worth a look now, not least for the video

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The 3rd film Batman Forever also enjoyed a hit soundtrack featuring our very own U2′s Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me

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It also featured the Seal megahit Kiss From A Rose one of his best known songs which was re-released to tie in with the film.

InTheBegining / YouTube

14. R. Kelly – I Believe I Can Fly

If you need any more proof that movie soundtracks were big business in the 90s just look at this tune from 1996′s Space Jam.

R&B crooner R. Kelly scored a huge hit with an inspirational ballad from a movie starring cartoon characters playing basketball. Seriously.

TheWeslelymen / YouTube

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