It can be a wise move to write a song for a movie and time that song's release with the film's release. Many artists have achieved some of their biggest hits by doing this, as if someone enjoys a movie and a song that was written for it, there's every chance they'll want to track it down and listen to it once the movie's over.
If the movie comes first, it does make sense for that to be more memorable than any song written for it. If the song's particularly popular, perhaps the song and film will be equally popular (like Titanic and "My Heart Will Go On"). However, it's sometimes the case that a song becomes more popular than the movie it was written for. Whether it's because the song was hugely popular or the movie was sort of forgettable, the following 10 songs all eclipsed the movies they were made for.
"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" by Bryan Adams - 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves' (1991)
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is far from the definitive Robin Hood movie it might have been expected to be. It's a live-action, big-budget take on the iconic character and his story, though doesn't endure to this day as a classic, with perhaps Alan Rickman's take on the Sheriff of Nottingham being its strongest element.
Also enduring beyond the film itself is the power ballad by Bryan Adams, "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You." It's the kind of song that most have likely heard, and could be surprised to hear it was even written for a movie. It's among the best-selling singles of the 1990s, while the film itself can't claim to be nearly as popular, at least not nowadays.
"Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan - 'Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid' (1973)
Sam Peckinpah was a groundbreaking director whose films have held up well, even if he didn't have as much success in his time. His best-known films are likely The Wild Bunch and the Steve McQueen vehicle, The Getaway, leaving some of his other films, like Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, criminally underrated.
At least Bob Dylan's song "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" fared much better, ultimately becoming one of the folk/rock musician's most iconic songs. He wrote it for the film, and also acted in it, in a supporting role. Everyone else was unfairly overlooked for their efforts in making this great western, but thankfully, the tide's turned in the years since its release, and it's now more widely recognized and appreciated.
"New York, New York" (covered by Frank Sinatra) - 'New York, New York' (1977)
An unusual film within Martin Scorsese's filmography, New York, New York is a romance/musical that depicts the turbulent relationship between a saxophonist and a young singer in the years following the end of World War Two.
The song "New York, New York" was originally written for the film, and sung by its star, Liza Minnelli. However, just a few years after the film's release, the title song was covered by Frank Sinatra, and immediately became one of the singer's biggest hits. Many would likely be surprised to find out that Sinatra's version was a cover; that's how much more popular it became than the movie it originated from.
"Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley - 'Blue Hawaii' (1961)
When it comes to Elvis Presley, it's fair to say that many of his songs have endured more than most of his movies. While he had a prolific career as an actor, he's still best known for his music, and that goes for Blue Hawaii and the song "Can't Help Falling in Love" extra notably.
It's an instantly recognizable classic love song that most have likely heard, or at least heard referenced/covered by other musicians. The number of people who've actually seen the movie it was written for (especially nowadays) is surely far lower.
"Cut to the Feeling" by Carly Rae Jepsen - 'Ballerina' (2016)
Let's face it: not many people have heard of Ballerina. It was an animated family movie that was also a Canadian and French co-production, and centers on a young girl who'll do whatever it takes to become a world-famous ballerina.
While the song "Cut to the Feeling" by Carly Rae Jepsen might not have been the cultural juggernaut that "Call Me Maybe" was (even though it's flat-out a better song), it's still more well-known than the movie it was written for. It's one of Jepsen's best songs, and an amazing pop song that's well-regarded in many music circles, even if it hasn't achieved worldwide fame. Still, it's certainly more well-known than the movie Ballerina.
"Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio - 'Dangerous Minds' (1995)
Dangerous Minds is a fairly obscure movie now, in the 2020s, even if it stars Michelle Pfeiffer, who's maintained relevance and popularity throughout the 21st century. It's a film that follows a white woman who becomes a teacher at a high school with students who are mostly Latino and African-American, and becomes about the experience she has teaching those who come from different backgrounds to her.
It's not a film that's really endured to this day, but the song "Gangsta's Paradise" has certainly endured as a classic 1990s song. It's easily Coolio's most widely-recognized song, and achieved mainstream popularity in a way the film it was written for ultimately failed to do.
"Call Me" by Blondie - 'American Gigolo' (1980)
At the risk of being too blunt, "Call Me" by Blondie is too good for American Gigolo. The 1980 movie about a high-class male prostitute definitely isn't terrible, but it doesn't hold a candle to the song that was written for it, which stands as one of Blondie's biggest hits, and is a defining song of the 1980s as a whole.
Ultimately, the film's soundtrack ends up being filled with the song. It plays constantly throughout the film, often as an instrumental, with very slight efforts made by Giorgio Moroder to tweak and remix the classic song to fit the scenes it accompanies. Who can blame Moroder, really, when the song is as fantastic as "Call Me" is?
"Going Home: Theme from Local Hero" by Mark Knopfler - 'Local Hero' (1983)
Local Hero is a quiet and unassuming - yet ultimately compelling - movie about a small coastal town in Scotland clashing with an oil company that wants to drill off their shore. It might not sound particularly exciting, but it's well-made, nicely shot, and features some very good acting, making it a solid film overall.
However, it's the rare film where its main theme ultimately became more popular than the film itself. Mark Knopfler (of Dire Straits fame) wrote the instrumental theme, and it's one that once heard, is impossible to forget. It's almost a perfect instrumental pop song, so while Local Hero is a good movie, it ultimately can't compete with the earworm that is Knopfler's theme.
"Together in Electric Dreams" by Giorgio Moroder and Philip Oakey - 'Electric Dreams' (1984)
Electric Dreams is a strange film that's likely not for everyone, but those who get on the film's wavelength will likely find it's one of the most underrated films of the 1980s. Broadly speaking, it's about a young man and his hyper-intelligent computer, and a love triangle that develops between man, machine, and an attractive young woman who lives in a neighboring apartment.
Its loose take on the story of Cyrano de Bergerac is silly but charming, and the film overall is helped immensely by the fantastic soundtrack. The crown jewel in said soundtrack is "Together in Electric Dreams" by Giorgio Moroder and Philip Oakey (from The Human League), which stands as one of the greatest anthems of the 1980s, and an incredible song that eclipses the movie it was written for (even while said movie is still very good).
"Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" by David Bowie - Cat People (1982)
1982's Cat People is a loose remake/update of the 1942 film of the same name. It's a horror film about a woman who has a fear of turning into a giant cat, and with this 1982 version, considerably ups the ante content-wise compared to the original film it's a loose remake of.
It's not a bad movie, but it spawned an iconic song that's overtaken the film in terms of popularity. David Bowie's "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" has become recognized as one of his best post-1980 songs, receiving extra attention in recent years for its iconic use in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. Cat People might stand as a decent horror film, but Bowie's song for the film inevitably stands as a certified pop/rock banger.