Few things in the world give me as much unexplainable joy as a good needle drop. I start grinning from ear to ear, trying everything in my conscious power not to start kicking my feet and giggling obnoxiously in the theater. A good needle drop can’t always save a subpar film, but it’ll make one moment of it memorable. It’s the reason why the only MCU films I watch are the Guardians of the Galaxy ones, or why I’m always seated for a new musical adaptation no matter how bad it might be. A really good needle drop represents the sublime combination of music and film in the most memorable, stunning way. 

Needle drops of years past still consistently make their way into my usual Spotify rotation. I’ll never forget “What A Life” by Scarlet Pleasure played over the ending dance sequence in Another Round, or J.Lo’s alluring pole dance to Fiona Apple’s “Criminal” in Hustlers, or the iconic entrance set to “Across 110th Street” by Bobby Womack in Jackie Brown. The following are my favorite needle drops of the year, all the danceable moments I hope I’ll never forget seeing for the first time. 

Soundtrack Shout-Outs:

A needle drop is an existing song that plays (or is sung!) within the film, which excludes all the lovely original songs we get each year. If this year-ender is really about my love for music, then it’d feel wrong not to write at least a little bit about these!

• “Nothing You Can Take From Me” by Rachel Zegler, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The surprisingly good Hunger Games prequel gave perhaps our first YA-dystopian movie musical, and though I’m not clamoring for more from this surging new genre, the titular songbird in the form of Rachel Zegler’s Lucy Gray Baird was astounding. Her imaginative elegies for life off of Panem’s grid were delightful and haunting.  What was that Stevie Nicks lyric? You’ll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you. 

• “I’m Just Ken” by Ryan Gosling, Barbie

The unforgettable anthem of the summer, I doubt I’ll ever listen to “I’m Just Ken” on my own like I’ll stream “Speed Drive” or “Barbie World,” but the song’s scene in the film is truly unforgettable. Ryan Gosling, you will always be famous!

The Countdown: 

10. “P.I.M.P.” by The Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, Anatomy of a Fall

I originally had a different song here, thinking that I must choose something more serious, more tonally consistent, but hear me out. The melody to 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P” is undeniably catchy, an inspired, hilarious choice for the song in which a man dies in Anatomy of a Fall (by murder or suicide? We’re not really sure). It’s loud and unrelenting and obtrusive, a perfect framing for the dramatic and accusatory theatrics that follow. It’s the most fun-sounding song one could die to!

9. “Always Be My Baby” by Mariah Carey, Beau is Afraid

Simultaneously cheesy and disturbing, Beau is Afraid feels like a nightmare deliberately, disgustingly constructed by Ari Aster, in one of the indie horror’s rising stars’ attempt at a comedy. Though many off-kilter or otherwise abstract films are helmed as cinematic fever dreams, none have unsettled me so viscerally like Beau is Afraid did, making the Mariah Carey needle drop even more powerful. 

8. “Maneater” by Hall & Oates, No Hard Feelings

Percy’s (Andrew Feldman) confession that he was scared of the lyrics of this song as a kid, followed by a stunning piano rendition of the song, spoke to the core of my being. There is something equally scary and funny about first love, especially one marred by such comedic strangeness like that of No Hard Feelings. I always love a little piano spin on an iconic song (see: the cover of “Bye Bye Bye” in Red Rocket), and this sweet performance is a really great moment in such a hilarious, raunchy film.

7. “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” by Lil Nas X, Theater Camp

Much like the excitement I felt hearing the first “WAP” needle drop in Cha Cha Real Smooth last year, hearing one of the most essential songs of my high school experience, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” by Lil Nas X, was life changing. I can envision a future where I nonsensically explain to younger cinephiles how big this song was back in the day, back when my friends and I would scream along to “Industry Baby” in the car and danced to “Montero” at our outdoor prom. Theater Camp is imperfect, but its warm, beating heart makes it impossible not to love, especially for anyone with even the smallest inclination towards theater (I was never a true theater kid, but I spent so many hours listening to the Hamilton soundtrack on repeat, so I suppose I’m adjacent). Most of all, Theater Camp gives me hope for Lil Nas X needle drops of the future, which in turn, makes me believe the future of needle drop cinema is brighter than ever. 

6. “The Power of Love” by Frankie Goes To Hollywood, All of Us Strangers

“The Power of Love” is a haunting, ghostly devotional that sums up All of Us Strangers in all of its tearful beauty. I cannot wring the lyrics “I’m so in love with you/Purge the soul” off of my hands, a testament to old British pop and with it, a longing to live in the past forever. It matches the themes of the films so powerfully, and with all its drama and theatrics, makes the emotion of the film even more visceral. 

5. “This Is The Day” by The The, Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3

Though I am not an MCU fan by any means, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Guardians of the Galaxy films, mostly because of the soundtrack. There are so many excellent options to pick from the latest installment, including the acoustic version of “Creep” by Radiohead, “Do You Realize??” by The Flaming Lips, and “Dog Days Are Over” by Florence + The Machine, but it’d take years to get “This Is The Day” by The The out of my head. Glistening with angst and ambitious, hopeful energy, “This Is The Day” is the perfect addition to any awesome mix, for beginnings and endings alike. 

4. “City of Dreams” by Talking Heads, Dream Scenario

I spent the entirety of Dream Scenario doing two things: marveling at the cinematic essence of Nicolas Cage, and anticipating which dream-titled track would grace the credit roll. “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac? “Dreams” by the Cranberries? But the Stop Making Sense outfit references throughout the film should have clued me in – of course we get to end with a Talking Heads song. The smash cut to black bursts with life when “City of Dreams” plays, a perfect ending to the tale of dreamlike wander and fantastical lust. 

3. “I Will Always Love You” by Dolly Parton, Priscilla

Elvis Presley’s estate refused Sofia Coppola’s biopic the rights to any Elvis music, a fun fact that couldn’t be more telling of the essence of Coppola’s film, but it works out perfectly in the final product. As Priscilla drives off, free from the famous older man she was tied to since the age of fourteen, embarking on her independence and life, Dolly Parton’s loving voice carries her off, a sweet testament to timeless love, for others and for oneself. 

2. “Perfect Day” by Lou Reed, Perfect Days

I’m a sucker for a song/title parallel (see also: “Blue Velvet” in Blue Velvet), and “Perfect Day” in Perfect Days is, well, perfect. Wim Wenders’ slow, meaningful story is made all the more honest and beautiful with the excellent selections that Hirayama (Koji Yakusho) listens to on his drives to work every day. The arrival of his niece shakes up his life and routine for the better, and Lou Reed’s beautiful track exemplifies wonderfully the joy and love that emerge in one’s simple day-by-day, as it’s shared with someone else. 

1. “Complicated” by Avril Lavigne, Bottoms

With a y2k edge and plenty of angst, this Lavigne karaoke classic meshes perfectly with the outrageous, hilarious, bloody Bottoms. The needle drop cements the timelessness of the film, a high school set in a fantasy land of lust, which asserts that the American teenage experience is every bit as disgusting and ridiculous as a full slaughter on the football field. That’s my Friday Night Lights!