“The Playlist” Salutes The Greatness of Filmmaker John Hughes

Go back about 2 years ago and you may remember that we lost a filmmaker who spoke to a generation and entertained during a 20-year run of films that are probably a part of your DVD collection.  John Hughes is saluted this week on "The Playlist".

On August 6th of 2009, John Hughes died of a sudden heart attack while out for a walk in NYC.  Hughes was only 59 - too young for him to leave this earth, and leaving us without any more of his talent.

Hughes created 30 films between 1983-2002, and most of them are classics.  From the Vacation movies to the Home Alone trilogy, from 16 Candles to The Breakfast Club, from Mr. Mom to Maid In Manhattan ...... Hughes created films that are a part of the pop culture fabric that exists today.

Everyone has a favorite Hughes film, everyone has a favorite line from a Hughes film, and everyone has a "guilty pleasure" film from John Hughes (mine is Dutch with Ed O'Neill - was not a huge success, and I still wonder to this day why not?)

With a John Hughes movie usually came a great soundtrack.  Hughes knew the importance of music to a movie, and he helped launched some careers, resurrect others, and create lasting moments with the music being intricate to that film shot.

The Playlist has 20 songs that tie to John Hughes - all these songs were in a Hughes film somewhere, and most found their way onto the film's soundtrack.  Enjoy these songs, and I hope they bring back good memories:

Simple Minds -- Don't You Forget About Me (from The Breakfast Club / after 8 album releases in the UK, Hughes launched this Scottish group into orbit with this #1 smash in '85)

Oingo Boingo -- Weird Science (the band's biggest hit of their career with the title tune from Hughes' 1985 film)

Psychedelic Furs -- Pretty In Pink (this song inspired Hughes to create the film of the same name)

OMD -- If You Leave (Pretty In Pink pushed this band's first US hit to #4 in 1986)

New Order -- Shell-Shock (Top-10 U.S. Dance hit from the multi-million selling Pink soundtrack)

Nik Kershaw -- Wouldn't It Be Good (this one-hit wonder was also on the Pink soundtrack)

Billy Idol -- Rebel Yell (orginally out in 1983, featured in 16 Candles in '84, and finally became a hit in '85)

Lindsay Buckingham -- Holiday Road (not his biggest solo hit, but his most recognizable thanks to Hughes and the Vacation movies)

The Beatles -- Twist and Shout (a hit again in '86 as it cracked the Top-25 thanks to Ferris Bueller's Day Off)

Maxwell -- This Woman's Work (originally done by Kate Bush for the Hughes film She's Having A Baby, Maxwell's version was a significant hit from his MTV Unplugged in 1997)

Lou Bega -- Mambo No. 5 (#1 across the globe in 1999, and used in Hughes' 2001 flick Just Visiting)

General Public -- Tenderness (this Top-30 hit in 1984 was used in 2 Hughes films, but was featured on the Weird Science soundtrack)

Van Halen -- Pretty Woman (peaked on the Billboard chart at #12 in '82, and was a part of Weird Science)

Norah Jones -- Don't Know Why (featured in Hughes' 2002 film Maid In Manhattan, then a monster hit in 2003)

Jennifer Lopez -- Baby I Love You (she starred in Maid In Manhattan, and this song was her hit at the time of the movie)

Van Morrison -- Someone Like You (used wonderfully in Only The Lonely in '91, and the song seems to get better with age)

Tone Loc -- Wild Thing (found its way onto Uncle Buck, and was #1 everywhere in 1988)

The Power Station -- Some Like It Hot (part of European Vacation soundtrack in 1985, and the song peaked at #6 in the U.S. that year)

Tom Petty -- Christmas All Over Again (this rock holiday classic was used in Home Alone 2)

John Hughes left us 2 years ago, and his talent will be missed, but we have to feel lucky to have his legacy that will never die!