The 15 Best Motown Movie Moments

superThe Motown sound was radio gold, and it turned out to work well in movies too. Berry Gordy Jr.’s record label turned out soul, R&B, and funk hits that have been used to set the tone in a host of movie scenes over the years. When a Motown song plays in your favorite movie, it’s hard not to sing and dance along. Here are 15 of the most memorable Motown movie moments.

1. “Good Morning Heartache” by Diana Ross in Lady Sings the Blues

Uploaded to YouTube by Diana Ross

Diana Ross sings Billie Holiday’s famous song in Motown’s biopic of the legendary jazz singer. She was nominated for an Oscar, and the soundtrack repopularized Holiday’s music as it hit number one on the Billboard chart.

2. “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” by G.C. Cameron in Cooley High

Uploaded to YouTube by Boys II Men

G.C. Cameron’s version of the soul song didn’t make much of a splash upon release in 1975, but its use in the funeral scene of Cooley High made it a cultural touchstone. Many others sang “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” over the years as a goodbye song, and Boyz II Men made a radio hit out of it in 1991.

3. “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder in The Thing

Uploaded to YouTube by Stevie Wonder

It’s the perfect song to turn up (even when a recent gunshot victim is yelling to turn the music down), and it’s the perfect song for a foreboding scene hinting at a strange presence on an Antarctic research camp.

4. “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” by The Temptations in The Big Chill

Uploaded to YouTube by The Temptations

Although its soundtrack is chock full of Motown hits, The Big Chill’s best musical moment comes as the group of friends finds solace in dancing to an old song during a difficult time. The song was included in American Film Institute’s “100 Years … 100 Songs” program in 2004.

5. “I Just Called to Say I Love You” by Stevie Wonder in The Woman in Red

Uploaded to YouTube by Steve Wonder / Universal Music Group

Stevie Wonder’s 1984 megahit was the best-selling Motown song ever in the U.K. Gene Wilder’s film “The Woman in Red” included other original Wonder songs, like “Love Light in Flight” and some duets with Dionne Warwick.

6. “The Tracks of My Tears” by The Miracles in Platoon

Uploaded to YouTube by Smokey Robinson – Topic / Atlantic Records

After serving in the U.S. Army in Vietnam, Oliver Stone wrote a script called Break that he struggled for decades to get made into a movie. When he was finally successful, the film Platoon was roundly praised for its realistic portrayal of the Vietnam War, both in terms of horrific combat and scenes like this one that show companionship wrought from the conflict.

7. “Nowhere to Run” by Martha and the Vandellas in Good Morning, Vietnam

Uploaded to YouTube by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas – Topic / Universal Music Group

Robin Williams’ kooky performance as an Army radio deejay during the Vietnam War earned him his first Oscar nomination. The movie’s soundtrack is a spirited list of ’60s pop music, and it includes Martha and the Vandellas’ hit “Nowhere to Run.”

8. “Do You Love Me” by The Contours in Dirty Dancing

Uploaded to YouTube by The Contours / Universal Music Group

Baby Houseman gets her first taste of dirty dancing, watermelon in hand, at a secret staff party in the Catskills. The Contours were an early Motown success, and Dirty Dancing renewed their popularity in 1987.

9. “Ball of Confusion” by The Temptations in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit

Uploaded to YouTube by The Temptations / Universal Music Group

Whoopi Goldberg trains a choir of nuns to perform Motown hits in Sister Act. In the sequel, they’re seasoned soul sisters with a heavenly Temptations routine that more than does the song justice. Kathy Najimy and Mary Wickes are comedy gold.

10. “Baby Love” by Diana Ross and the Supremes in Jackie Brown

Uploaded to YouTube by The Supremes / Believe SAS

Quentin Tarantino’s love of funk and soul music is on display in this 1997 tribute to blaxploitation films. Hattie Winston serenades an aloof Robert De Niro with a classic Supremes song in full royal blue sparkling garb in a short but memorable scene.

11. “Machine Gun” by The Commodores in Boogie Nights

Uploaded to YouTube by The Commodores / Universal Music Group

The Commodores’s dynamite clavinet instrumental was used widely as a theme in the 1970s and 80s (as well as Beastie Boys’s “Hey Ladies”). Porn star Dirk Diggler shows off his disco moves in his new platform shoes to the song in Paul Thomas Anderson’s chaotic Boogie Nights.

12. “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in Stepmom

Uploaded to YouTube by Movieclips

The 1999 drama about a family being ripped apart and mended back together uses one of Motown’s best duets. As a woman who has just received a cancer diagnosis along with news that her ex-husband will remarry soon, Jackie reconnects with her children by lip syncing Marvin Gaye’s and Tammi Terrell’s hit.

13. “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye in High Fidelity

Uploaded to YouTube by Marvin Gaye / Universal Music Group

In his breakout film role, Jack Black sings Marvin Gaye’s sensual masterpiece “Let’s Get It On.” The song has been used in countless commercials and movies to set a sexy tone, but never was it sung quite like it was by the Tenacious D frontman.

14. “Super Freak” by Rick James in Little Miss Sunshine

Uploaded to YouTube by Movieclips

Unbeknownst to the rest of their family, junior beauty pageant hopeful Olive and her grandfather prepare a dance routine to Rick James’s risqué funk hit about a “very kinky girl” that you “don’t take home to mother.”

15. “I Want You Back” by Jackson 5 in Guardians of the Galaxy

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Uploaded to YouTube by The Jackson 5 – Topic / Universal Music Group

The old school soundtracks of the popular Marvel franchise feature several Motown hits, but the most iconic among them is perhaps “I Want You Back,” playing to a dancing Baby Groot in his adorable resurrection scene.

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