12 Timeless Rock Songs Influenced by Classic Films

      Here are some iconic rock songs influenced by beloved classic films. Some references are clear while others might surprise you.

      We’re not referring to tracks created for classic films. Instead, we mean instances when an artist watched a movie—like the timeless Casablanca—and felt so inspired that they went home and crafted an amazing song.

      Alright? Let’s dive into this compilation of classic rock songs inspired by classic movies we cherish.

      Bob Dylan – ‘Motorpsycho Nightmare’ (1964)

      Credit: Paramount Pictures

      Janet Leigh in Psycho. Paramount Pictures©

      Dylan's 1964 track explicitly references La Dolce Vita, but it draws even more from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, even mentioning its star and one of its most famous scenes:

      There stood Rita, just like Tony Perkins / She asked, “Would you like to take a shower? I’ll show you to the door / I replied, “Oh, no, no, I’ve seen this movie before.”

      David Bowie – ‘Space Oddity’ (1969)

      Credit: C/O

      2001. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer©

      “Space Oddity,” which tells the tale of a doomed astronaut named Major Tom, was inspired by Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey, as Bowie recounted in the book David Bowie: Starman by Paul Trynka.

      “I went completely stoned to see the film, and it really freaked me out, especially the trip sequence,” Bowie remembered.

      “Space Oddity” was quickly sent to radio stations to coincide with the moon landing in July 1969. British TV even used the song during its coverage of the historic event—reportedly, the producers didn’t realize at first that the soon-to-be classic rock track was about an astronaut left stranded.

      Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Bad Moon Rising” (1969)

      RKO Radio Pictures – Credit: RKO Pictures

      John Fogerty revealed that CCR’s hit “Bad Moon Rising” was inspired by a scene from the 1941 film The Devil and Daniel Webster, which tells the story of a farmer who sells his soul to the devil for success but then seeks the help of lawyer Daniel Webster to escape the pact.

      Fogerty was particularly struck by a scene following a hurricane where debris is scattered everywhere. Notable lyrics include:

      I hear hurricanes blowing / I know the end is coming soon / I fear rivers overflowing / I hear the voice of rage and ruin.

      Blue Oyster Cult – ‘Godzilla’ (1977)

      Credit: Toho

      Godzilla. Toho©

      Is there even a need to justify this one?

      The lyrics include:

      With a purposeful grimace and a terrible sound / He pulls down the high tension wires / Helpless people on the subway train / Scream bug-eyed as he gazes upon them / He picks up a bus and throws it back down / As he wades through the buildings toward the town center / Oh no, they say, he’s got to go /

      Go go Godzilla, yeah / Oh no, there goes Tokyo / Go go Godzilla, yeah.

      Deep Purple – ‘Why Didn’t Rosemary’ (1969)

      Credit: C/O

      Mia Farrow in Rosemary’s Baby. Paramount Pictures

      This 1969 track by Deep Purple is inspired by Roman Polanski's 1968 film Rosemary’s Baby, based on Ira Levin's 1967 novel. It contemplates the plight of Rosemary (played by Mia Farrow), who is impregnated with the devil's child:

      Why didn’t Rosemary ever take the pill? / Lying there waiting, waiting for the kill / Oh, man won’t do it but the devil will