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Summary
- The use of the right song at the right time can create memorable needle drop moments in comic book movies, enhancing the storytelling experience.
- The MCU and DCU have both showcased excellent musical accompaniments in their films, connecting with the tone and intention of specific scenes.
- Comic book movies like "The Suicide Squad" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" have utilized songs that perfectly complement the overall tone and character development, creating powerful and relatable cinematic moments.
The comic book movies of the MCU, the DCU, and beyond have all proved that using the right song at the right time can make for a perfect needle drop moment. In modern cinema, comic book movies dominate the box office, and one of the biggest draws of adapting beloved comic characters to the big screen is the potential to enhance their stories by employing the benefits of a medium that is more than just visual. Music can be used to enhance a scene in any number of ways, leading to a "needle drop" moment, in which a song kicks in to perfectly complement the story.
The MCU often uses classic rock songs in its soundtracks, which has led to many excellent musical moments, but the franchise isn't the only one to employ unforgettable needle drop moments. The DCU has seen its share of perfect musical accompaniments, as have other comic book movies outside of the two major shared universes. By finding a song that connects with the tone or intention of a specific scene, comic book movies have provided audiences with some incredibly fitting musical moments.
10 Hey – The Suicide Squad
James Gunn's first DCU effort continued his track record for excellent musical choices at key moments in his films. The Suicide Squad features a number of musical moments, but it's as Task Force X - the titular Squad - is heading into seemingly insurmountable odds on Corto Maltese that the film's best needle drop moment comes. As the antiheroes emerge from a cloud of dust and rubble, Pixies' "Hey" begins to play.
The soft bass riff and haunting vocals follow the Squad as they step onto the field of battle through a fog of dust and rain, with its piercing drums sounding as the action ramps up. It's only a brief moment though, as the song is brilliantly cut off at the exact moment that a projectile embeds itself in the head of an unsuspecting henchman. It's a moment that's equal parts awesome and ridiculous, perfectly matching up with the overall tone of Gunn's movie.
9 Shoot To Thrill – Iron Man 2
The use of classic rock songs throughout the MCU's Iron Man trilogy is one of the franchise's best choices. It matches Stark's reckless rock star personality, also fleshing out the character by establishing his specific sound. Nowhere does this come together better than in Iron Man 2's opening scene, in which AC/DC's "Shoot to Thrill" is used to introduce Stark during a public appearance.
The timelessly cool guitar lick plays as Stark leaps from a moving aircraft, taking to the skies as Brian Johnson's iconic vocals ring out. The chorus is perfectly timed with Stark's landing in front of a huge American flag, complete with dancers and fireworks. It's a moment where the music perfectly captures Stark's character, his showmanship, and his effortlessly cool nature.
8 Come And Get Your Love – Guardians Of The Galaxy
The MCU is known for its needle-drop moments, and Guardians of the Galaxy's opening scene remains one of its finest. After the movie briefly establishes his backstory, Star-Lord is formally introduced as he attempts to retrieve the Space Stone from Morag. As he enters the abandoned temple, Redbone's "Come and Get Your Love" is heard, with the hero dancing his way through the opening credits.
The song and accompanying dance capture Star-Lord's casual approach to life, with the funky bassline perfectly setting the tone for Gunn's film. The song epitomizes Guardians of the Galaxy's '80s soundtrack, also serving to encapsulate the sense of fun that runs through the movie. It's a hall-of-fame MCU moment, and it helped establish Star-Lord as one of the franchise's most relatable heroes.
7 Just A Girl – Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel may be one of the MCU's most powerful heroes, but her introductory outing comes complete with a needle drop moment that sees that power a whole different meaning. After discovering that she has been manipulated by the Kree to serve their twisted purpose, Carol Danvers is forced to face off with her former friends and mentor. As she prepares to do so, No Doubt's "Just a Girl" begins to play ahead of the climactic fight scene.
The song does more than just match up with Captain Marvel's '90s setting. It gels with Danvers' spirit of rebellion and rightful outrage as she finally allows herself to use her full power in order to defeat her mentor (and manipulator) at long last. It's a powerful moment of liberation, with Gwen Stefani's vocals offering an additional air of feminism to Danvers' awakening.
6 Kickstart My Heart – Blue Beetle
Given Blue Beetle’s commitment to strong Latin cultural representation, it should come as no surprise that the soundtrack is largely dominated by Latin music. But it’s actually a less fitting musical choice that stands out as the best needle drop in the first DCU hero’s debut outing. Alongside Cypress Hill’s “I Ain't Goin' Out Like That” (which plays during the obligatory corridor fight scene), Mötley Crüe’s “Kickstart My Heart” is the perfect accompaniment to a high-octane action scene.
When Uncle Rudy and co. fire up Ted Kord’s Bug ship, Mick Mars’ growling guitar mirrors the engines before the song kicks in as the Bug smashes through Victoria Kord’s henchmen. Not only deftly pitched to Kord’s late ‘80s heyday, the tubthumping heavy metal is the perfect match to the comically-edged action. It’s impossible not to love the choice.
5 What’s Up Danger? – Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
As one of the most celebrated comic book movies of all time, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a veritable feast for the senses. Much of its splendor is visual, but it also features an unforgettable needle drop moment. This comes in the form of "What's Up Danger?" by Blackway & Black Caviar.
After reaching a critical moment in his journey, Miles Morales realizes he must let go of his self-doubt and embrace his new abilities to become the hero the Spider-Verse needs. Miles hears the voices of his loved ones reassuring him as the song's pulsing bass thrums, reaching its crescendo as his powers finally begin to work for him. It's a song used to illustrate Miles' journey of self-discovery, punctuating his transformation with a triumphant message.
4 The Chain – Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continued the original's tradition of putting its excellently diverse soundtrack to good use, offering up another MCU needle drop moment. After learning that Ego, the cosmic entity that also happens to be his absentee father, was responsible for his mother's death and had only been using his son for his own gain, all seems lost for the despairing Guardians. As Star-Lord sheds a tear for his mother, Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" begins to play.
The steady rhythm of the song's instantly recognizable intro beats as Star-Lord's anger builds, with its powerful lyrics speaking almost exactly to Quill's predicament. The words "If you don't love me now, you'll never love me again" communicate the hero's realization of his father's manipulation, as he fights to break free from Ego's power. It's a deeply touching moment that precedes one of the MCU's most upsetting deaths, and it's made even more powerful by the use of the Fleetwood Mac song.
3 Barracuda – Birds Of Prey
Birds of Prey marked Harley Quinn's DCU redemption, with a story that followed her break-up with the Joker and her subsequent identity crisis. Despite its comedic edge, it explores themes of feminism, abusive relationships, and self-discovery, and it also features a number of excellent songs by female artists to complement its female cast. It's the film's final action scene that provides its best needle drop moment, though, as Heart's "Barracuda" plays over the Birds of Prey's fight with Black Mask's henchmen.
The driving guitar riff and powerful bassline provide a relentless rhythm for the action sequence to follow, with Quinn, Black Canary, and Huntress all fighting for their own personal form of liberation. The use of a song sung by an all-female band for the scene is a perfect choice - not only does it exactly match the energy of the film itself, but it reinforces its deeper themes in the process. It's a fitting marriage of song and scene in a tonal and thematic sense.
2 Immigrant Song – Thor: Ragnarok
It's no secret that the MCU uses classic rock songs to great effect, but there is no other moment that quite captures it like Thor: Ragnarok's climactic battle. The film sees Thor's MCU story take a tragic turn (or two or three), but it ends with him realizing that his greatest power is one he's been overlooking for some time. As he harnesses the power of lightning to fight back against Hela, Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" begins to play.
Robert Plant's howling screams serve as the soundtrack for Thor's charge into battle, with its galloping guitar riff underpinning the action as Thor attempts to reclaim Asgard. The song's lyrics are also fitting with the character's roots, as they are inspired by Norse mythology. It remains the MCU's most unforgettable needle drop as the God of Thunder fights back against self-doubt to the sounds of one of the greatest rock songs ever written.
1 Free Bird – Kingsman: The Secret Service
When it comes to needle drop movie moments, few scenes spring to mind faster than Kingsman: The Secret Service's church scene. After discovering that the film's villain, Richmond Valentine, has developed technology capable of driving anyone into a murderous frenzy, the hero's mentor, Galahad, finds himself in a church surrounded by upstanding citizens. However, it's at that moment that Valentine employs his technology, sending Galahad and all of the people around him into a state of uncontrollable rage. As the chaos begins to unfold, Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" begins to play.
The classic song juxtaposes the extreme violence on display as Galahad discharges his weapon into the masses in time with the beat. The bloodlust on display meshes with the song's lyrics in the most twisted sense, with the hero descending into a murderous spiral as one of the most staggeringly choreographed action scenes ever made unfolds around him. The film isn't part of the MCU or the DCU, but in of needle drop moments in comic book movies, it may be the best there is.
