Songs Written For Movies That Became Serious Billboard Hits

Soundtracks can make a movie, but there are times when a song transcends the motion picture to soar to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Now, this list isn't as an exclusive club as one may think, as there are many, many songs written for movies that went to No. 1 and transformed the culture in the process.

For instance, "Saturday Night Fever" featured several Bee Gees songs that confirmed 1978 was the best of their career, but the association between the Gibb brothers and the film is so intrinsically linked that it would feel almost too easy to include them here. Same as Prince and "Purple Rain." Where's the challenge in that, right?

So, what we have done is to explore a few other choices that you might not know were specifically used in films first and turned into chart-toppers beyond just a week. We're talking about hits like Blondie's insatiable "Call Me" or Bryan Adams' epic love song "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You." So, join us as we create your next favorite playlist of movie hits.

"The Karate Kid Part II" sees Daniel LaRusso (played by Ralph Macchio) put aside his squabbles with Cobra Kai for a second as he heads to Okinawa with his mentor, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita). There, Daniel finds himself in all sorts of new trouble, but he also finds love with Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita). Their romance's soundtrack is provided by Peter Cetera's "Glory of Love," which is also referred to as the 1986 film's official theme song.

The former Chicago singer scored the biggest solo hit of his career with this track as it swept the leg of everybody in its path to conquer the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks. Overall, "Glory of Love" spent 21 weeks on the chart and secured Oscar and Grammy nominations.

Interestingly, Cetera's song was written for another famous movie, but the "Rocky IV" team K.O.ed the idea. "About two weeks later, the people from 'Karate Kid II' were looking for a song, so they came to the studio where I was working and I played them 'Glory of Love' and they immediately loved it, so I changed a few words to make it even more fitting," Cetera told The Daily Telegraph.

There's a sense of melancholy to 1985's "A View to a Kill." It's the last time that moviegoers saw Roger Moore as the famous 007. Is it the best James Bond movie? No, but Moore didn't know how to give a bad performance as the suave superspy.

Shaking — but not stirring — the "A View to a Kill" soundtrack is Duran Duran's song of the same name. There's a pop-rock swagger to the track that might have been missing in previous 007 themes, as this confident earworm crawls inside the head and has everybody screaming, "Dance into the fire!"

"A View to a Kill" stayed in pole position on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, while it lingered on the chart for 17 weeks in total. It also holds the distinction of being the only Bond theme to hit No. 1. Amazingly, the opportunity happened after Duran Duran bassist John Taylor met Bond producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli at a party hosted by Michael Caine. "In my arrogance, I said, 'When are you going to have a decent theme song again?'" Taylor told 105.7 WROR. "He said, 'You want to write it?' I went home that night, called the guys and said, 'Listen, I think we got a crack at the Bond film.'" Undoubtedly, just another chapter in the crazy real-life story of Duran Duran.

The best-charting rock single of 1980 wasn't supposed to happen the way it did. Producer and composer Giorgio Moroder needed a powerhouse song for the film "American Gigolo," starring Richard Gere as Julian Kay in a story about, well, a major part of the plot is given away in the title, so let's dodge the censors here. Initially, Moroder sought out Stevie Nicks for the opportunity, but she declined.

Moroder turned to Blondie — specifically vocalist Debbie Harry — next. Fortunately, Harry didn't say no. Moroder had a blueprint for the song, which he called "Man Machine" at the time, but Harry unleashed a ferocious lyrical storm that resulted in a name change and one of the most hook-laden choruses of all time. The rest of Blondie joined to record the track thereafter.

"Call Me" turned out to be Blondie's longest-running No. 1 hit, sitting at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks. Funnily enough, this is a case in which the song has become more famous than the film it's from. Nowadays, more people remember the track than they do "American Gigolo," while "Call Me" has gone on to feature in other productions too, such as 2026's "Supergirl" trailer.

Looking back at 1991's "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves," it's an adaptation jam-packed with talent. From Kevin Costner as Robin of Locksley to Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Lady Marian, there are stars everywhere. While it might not have been the best-reviewed movie, it certainly contains the greatest song to ever feature in a Robin Hood film.

Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" is instantly identifiable by the opening piano that leads into a full-blown ballad that's served as a wedding song for many. The song turned out to be a massive hit for Adams, securing the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks. Even though the musician has a classy catalog of classics like "Summer of '69," "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" and "Heaven," this theme from "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" is the bullseye that occupied the most time at No. 1 for him.

What's even more remarkable is the surprising amount of time it took for Bryan Adams to write his biggest hit. "Writing 'Everything I Do' with Mutt [Lange] took about 45 minutes and it was a moment that I've only felt a few times — it's the moment when you know it's a good song, you don't know if it's a hit, you just know it's good," he told SongwriterUniverse.

Ask anybody to name a Survivor song. Chances are high that they'll list "Eye of the Tiger" off the top of their head. It's become the ultimate anthem about facing adversity, as many people have shadowboxed in the mirror to the song's rhythm in an effort to prepare themselves for a hard day at work with unreasonable bosses and annoying colleagues.

"Eye of the Tiger" is off 1982's "Rocky III" and features in the scene in which Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa trains to get into tip-top fighting shape so that he can slug Clubber Lang (Mr. T). In fact, one could argue that it's as important a song to the franchise as the original "Rocky" theme.

Survivor guitarist Frankie Sullivan credited the band's record label Scotti Brothers Records (run by Tony and Ben Scotti) for suggesting the group's music to Stallone. "I think we came up with the music in 10 minutes for 'Eye of the Tiger,'" Sullivan told the Sinclair Broadcast Group. "The lyrics took us a day or two. We were done with the song in three days, and that was because the title didn't come to us until the third day." Much like the Italian Stallion from the movie, "Eye of the Tiger" triumphed against all odds, landing at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and holding the position for six weeks.