Pick a Day

Music History Events: Movies

March 31, 2000 The movie High Fidelity, starring John Cusack and Jack Black as record store clerks, and featuring a cameo by Bruce Springsteen, opens in theaters.More

August 12, 1999 The Kiss-produced movie Detroit Rock City, the story of fans on their way to a Kiss concert, opens nationwide.

February 6, 1998 Blues Brothers 2000 opens in theaters. James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin and Erykah Badu are among the musicians to appear in the film.

January 23, 1998 The Spice Girls movie Spice World hits theaters in America.More

December 19, 1997 Titanic opens in theaters. It becomes the top-grossing movie of all time, with a soundtrack that sells about 15 million copies, thanks mostly to the Celine Dion hit, "My Heart Will Go On."More

November 7, 1997 The Titanic soundtrack is released. It contains just one song with vocals - Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" - but sells well over 10 million copies and goes to #1 in most countries thanks to the runaway success of the film.More

March 21, 1997 The movie Selena debuts in theaters, chronicling the life of the late Tejano singer, who was murdered two years earlier by the former president of her fan club. Jennifer Lopez is lauded for her breakout performance in the title role, which inspires her to pursue a singing career of her own.

October 4, 1996 That Thing You Do!, a musical film starring its writer/director Tom Hanks, who plays the manager of fictional '60s band The Wonders, is released to US cinemas. The title track to the film was written by Adam Schlesinger, bass player for Fountains of Wayne.More

December 22, 1995 Three years after her feature film debut in The Bodyguard, Whitney Houston gives her second acting performance in Forest Whitaker's romantic drama Waiting to Exhale, leading an all-African American cast that includes Angela Bassett and Dennis Haysbert.More

August 11, 1995 Dangerous Minds, starring Michelle Pfeiffer as an inner-city schoolteacher, debuts in US theaters. The movie's soundtrack tops the Billboard albums chart thanks to its lead single, Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise."

July 19, 1995 Clueless debuts in theaters, reviving the teen movie genre and boosting the film career of Alicia Silverstone, who appeared in the music video for Aerosmith's "Cryin'." The accompanying soundtrack gives retro hits a modern makeover, with the pop-punk act The Muffs covering Kim Wilde's "Kids In America."More

June 15, 1994 The Disney film The Lion King hits theaters. A runaway hit, the movie takes in over $300 million in 1994, second only to Forrest Gump. The soundtrack goes Diamond, meaning over 10 million copies sold - a record for the soundtrack to an animated film.More

August 21, 1993 For one week, standards outsell rap as the soundtrack to the hit romantic comedy Sleepless In Seattle knocks Cypress Hill's Black Sunday off the top of the Billboard 200. More

June 25, 1993 Nora Ephron's romantic comedy Sleepless In Seattle, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, opens in theaters. With songs from Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, and Harry Connick, Jr., the movie spawns a hit soundtrack and renews interest in standards.More

June 9, 1993 Tina Turner's life story, including her stormy relationship with her husband Ike, is portrayed in the film What's Love Got To Do With It, starring Angela Bassett as Tina.

February 2, 1993 Bill Murray can't stop waking up to the Sonny and Cher song "I Got You Babe" in the movie Groundhog Day.More

November 25, 1992 In her first film role, Whitney Houston plays a pop diva under the protection of Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard. The highlight of the movie is Houston's rendition of "I Will Always Love You," which hits #1 three days after the movie's release.More

September 18, 1992 Cameron Crowe's film Singles hits theaters in the US. While at first glance, the movie could be seen as an epilogue to all those teen angst films of the '80s with the cast of offbeat and quirky rebels and outcasts moving through early adulthood with no less angst than before, it quickly proves to be much more than a post-adolescent coming-of-age flick. Pearl Jam and Soundgarden appear.More

February 14, 1992 Thanks to Alice Cooper's appearance in Wayne's World, we learn that "Milwaukee" is Algonquin for "the good land." We also get a fresh blast of "Bohemian Rhapsody."More

January 17, 1992 The movie Juice opens in theaters, starring Tupac Shakur, Queen Latifah and Cindy Herron of En Vogue.

May 24, 1991 After a limited release in major cities (starting with Los Angeles), Madonna's concert documentary Truth or Dare opens in theaters.More

February 25, 1991 Director Cameron Crowe brings members of the cast and crew of his movie Singles to the Off Ramp in Seattle, where Pearl Jam, who appear in the film, are playing. Matt Dillon and Campbell Scott hang out with the band all night, but the real Seattle scene is a little too grungy for the other actors, who leave early.

August 1, 1990 After writing "Blaze of Glory" for the film, Jon Bon Jovi makes his acting debut in Young Guns II, playing an inmate who gets shot.

May 25, 1990 ZZ Top appear in Back to the Future Part III, playing an Old West-themed rendition of their #1 rock hit "Doubleback" when Marty McFly travels to 1885 to rescue Doc Brown. The regular version plays over the closing credits. Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers also reprises his role as Marty's nemesis Needles.

March 23, 1990 The romantic comedy Pretty Woman, starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, debuts in US theaters. Named for Roy Orbison's classic tune, it also boasts an impressive soundtrack, including the #1 hit "It Must Have Been Love" by Roxette.More

February 5, 1988 The John Hughes film She's Having A Baby debuts in US theaters. Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern star as a young married couple whose lives are about to be upended by the birth of their first child. The soundtrack features Kate Bush's heart-wrenching ballad "This Woman's Work," written and recorded expressly for the movie.More

November 28, 1987 The Dirty Dancing hit "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" goes to #1 in America as the "Swayze-lift" becomes a popular dance move.More

July 24, 1987 The movie La Bamba, a somewhat fictionalized biography of Latin rock star Ritchie Valens, opens in the US. It's generally well received, especially the soundtrack by Los Lobos. Lou Diamond Phillips stars as Valens, who died in the infamous plane crash that killed Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper; Marshall Crenshaw appears as Buddy Holly and Brian Setzer as Eddie Cochran.

February 6, 1987 Featuring a title song written by Bruce Springsteen, the movie Light of Day hits theaters. The film stars Joan Jett and Michael J. Fox as leaders of a struggling band called The Barbusters.

December 20, 1986 Thanks to its use in the movie of the same name, Ben E. King's "Stand By Me," originally released in 1961, reaches #9 in the US.