A Collection of Common Background Songs: Part 4

(See part 1 , part 2, and part 3!)

 

 

Here's some more Common Background Songs!

 

 

1. "Sing Sing Sing" by Benny Goodman

 



 

This song is everywhere. If it's not "In the Mood" or one of the other songs on the previous parts of this list, it's this song about singing.

 

 

2. "The Sailors Hornpipe" by... somebody...

 

 



This song is played in Popeye cartoons a lot, I think, and any other funny shows involving sailors as well!

3. "The Pink Panther Theme" by Henry Mancini

This is one of my favorite songs. It is used when people are being sneaky and spy-like. You probably already know this song and hear it all the time.

4. "Peter Gunn Theme" by Henry Mancini

Another fun song that brings to mind spies and suits and dirty gin martinis.

5. "James Bond Theme" by Monty Norman.

If you don't know this song... um... why are you reading/listening to this list?

6. "Secret Agent Man" by Johnny Rivers

This song is forever connected to the James Bond theme in my mind.

7. "Linus and Lucy" by the Vince Guaraldi Trio

Another of my favorite songs. I love all things Peanuts and every single song Vince Guaraldi wrote and recorded for any of the specials.

8. "Christmas Time is Here" by Vince Guaraldi Trio

One of the saddest Christmas songs, and one of my favorite. I like it so much I covered it myself.

That's it for now! If I'm missing any songs in this list, please let me know in the comments so I can have a part 5!

A Collection of Common Background Songs part 3!

Here's some more Common Background Songs! These are more well-known than some of the others I've posted so far. (See part 1 and part 2)

1. "Also Sprach Zarathustra" by Richard Strauss

It's the theme from "2001: a Space Odyssey". It's been used over and over again in so many parodies.

2. "The Good the Bad and the Ugly Theme" by Ennio Morricone

Also parodied to death.

3. "The Girl from Ipanema" by Antonio Carlos Jobim with lyrics in Portuguese by Vinicius de Moraes and in English by Norman Gimbel

Another song used in many, many backgrounds of many, many things. Often as elevator music... Muzak...

4. "Theme from Mission Impossible" - by Lalo Schifrin

Used whenever someone is sneaking around.

5. "Romeo and Juliet Overture: Love Theme" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Used in every funny romantic running-towards-each-other-on-the-beach scene ever.

6. "Agua De Beber" by Antonio Carlos Jobim

Used whenever a Bossa Nova song is called for, but they decide not to use the others I've already listed.


That's it for now! What songs are missing from the list? Please leave any suggestions in comments.

Here is a link to the playlist I've created of every Common Background Song listed so far!

A Collection of Common Background Songs 2!

Read and Listen To Part 1 Here!

Here's some more background music you hear all the time but don't know what it is!

1. "Soul Bossa Nova" by Quincy Jones

Yep, the Austen Powers theme. I don't know if it's from anything else, but it is a great background song that captures a certain feeling. I like it a lot.

2.  "Somba De Uma Notaso (One Note Samba)" by Antonio Carlos Jobim, performed by Stan Getz

I hear this a lot in different shows and commercials and stuff. I can't think of specifics. Another great song.

3. "Sabre Dance" a movement from the ballet Gayane (1942) by Aram Khachaturian

 You hear this all the time whenever there is something crazy and/or complicated going on. Or circus tricks. I believe it's in "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure".

4. "Mais Que Nada" by Sergio Mendes

This seems like it's in every show about the 60's. Another great one, but aren't all of these songs great?

5. "La Vie En Rose" by Edith Piaf

This song makes me think about love. I guess it was just in How I Met Your Mother. I haven't seen that episode yet, I'm sure it's lovely. I read that it was in Wall-E too.

That's it for now! If you know of any other common backgrounds songs not mentioned in this or Part 1, please send them my way! (leave a comment, send an e-mail, etc...)

A Collection of Common Background Songs

Have you ever been watching a movie or TV show or preview and thought to yourself "Hey, this song sounds kind of familiar... I think I've heard this song before. Lots of times! In lots of movies, TV shows, and previews... What's this song called?"

I say this to myself all the time! In my Internet searches and googlings I have not found any lists of common background songs, so I am starting my own!

Here are the first five Common Background Songs that I hear a lot in movies, TV shows and previews. I plan on adding more as I think of them. Please send me any suggestions or questions about songs you hear a lot that are not on this list. I will try to find out what they are and add them!

1. "Powerhouse" by Raymond Scott

This is the Common Background Song often heard in the background on Looney Tunes and other Warner Brother cartoons when there is an assembly line or factory setting. I thought the "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" main titles had this song as the title music, but I just listened to it again. It sounds very similar, but I think it's a different song.

If the beginning doesn't sound like the factory/assembly line music you remember, listen to the rest of the song. The first part is different from the second part.

2. "Oh Yeah" by Yellow

I know this song best from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", but it's been used in lots of movies, TV shows, and previews. I remember on some cartoon or show (I can't remember which one) they had a bunch of previews for Shelley Long movies and each one had "Oh Yeah" playing as background music.

3. "Un Homme et Une Femme" by Francis Lai

I am not sure where I've heard this song, I just know I've heard it a lot. You have too I'll bet.

4. "Holiday for Strings" by David Rose

I know this best from the Ren and Stimpy Show. It is used whenever there is a scene showcasing home goods and vacuums and stuff, 1950's style. I like this one a lot.

5. "Alligator Crawl" by Fats Waller

I, and probably most of you, know this song best as the Intermission music from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". This is a long song and only a small section of it was used and looped for the Intermission music. I have heard this used various places for Intermission music, and it is almost always a reference to Monty Python.

And that's all I have for now! If you have any suggestions, please send them my way. I would like to eventually have an exhaustive list of all the Common Background Songs that people hear a lot, but have no idea what the title of the song is or who recorded it. That way people who want to look up such things could find them without too much trouble.