Wes Anderson is the king of picking the perfect music to compliment his scenes, even though he’s never won an Oscar for it. Dedicated fans know that they can count on the director for a good tune, and we’ve put together a list of some of the best music moments in Wes Anderson history.
Van Morrison: ‘Everyone’
The Royal Tenenbaums
Wes Anderson definitely knows how to finish his movies, and The Royal Tenenbaums is just one example. The lyrics of the song seem to perfectly fit the mood of the scene, where the family gathers together for a funeral.
Faces: ‘Ooh La La’
Rushmore
Speaking of movies that have the perfect ending, Rushmore definitely falls into that category. The movie tells a coming of age story, which seems to be perfectly paired with the song, in which the chorus says “I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger.”
Françoise Hardy: ‘Le Temps De L’Amour’
Moonrise Kingdom
The French language has long been referred to as the language of love, which makes this song the perfect one to truly narrate the budding young romance.
The Bobby Fuller Four: ‘Let Her Dance’
Fantastic Mr. Fox
This one is short but sweet. Wes Anderson had actually heard this song years before Fantastic Mr. Fox was even in the making, and saved it for a rainy day. When the movie came to fruition, they knew this song would be the perfect fit.
David Bowie: ‘Life on Mars’
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
Throughout this film, there are several David Bowie covers by Seu Jorge, who sings the songs in Portuguese. But for this scene, Anderson chose to use the original track, and it makes the scene stand out in all the right ways.
Sigur Ros: ‘Staralfur’
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
This scene is possibly the best one in the movie, and that has a lot to do with the music. Legendary oceanographer, Steve Zissou, finally confronts the jaguar shark and makes peace with his past.
Elliott Smith: ‘Needle in The Hay’
The Royal Tenenbaums
Once again, Anderson perfectly captures the emotions of the scene with music, which could best be described as desperation. Fair warning, this scene can be a bit hard to watch compared to the others on this list.
The Ramones: ‘Judy is a Punk’
The Royal Tenenbaums
Because we haven’t talked about The Royal Tenenbaums enough yet. The energy of this montage scene about Margot Tenenbaum goes perfectly with this tune from The Ramones. By the end of the scene, you definitely know that she smokes.