For decades, theme songs like Evergreen or Arthur’s Theme or (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life were huge radio hits, often peaking at No 1 on the pop chart and going on to win the Academy Award for best original song.
But in the past few years, filmmakers like Cameron Crowe and Wes Anderson (following the example set by directors like Martin Scorsese) have been more likely to choose pre-existing songs to punctuate a moment or create a certain mood.