Part 2 When Music Married the Movies…the 70’s

Raised by Radio: When Music Married the Movies

Part Two – The 1970s (Still Rolling Strong)

If Part One proved the marriage worked…
Part Two proves it was built to last.

The ’70s had this uncanny ability to introduce a song on the radio and then let the movies give it emotional weight, drama, or pure adrenaline. These weren’t just songs from movies — they became inseparable from the films themselves.

Here are five more moments when the radio made us listen…
and the movies made us feel.

1. “Ben” – Michael Jackson

Ben (1972)

This one still blows my mind.

A movie about a killer rat somehow gave us one of the most tender, emotional songs of the decade — sung by a young Michael Jackson. On the radio, “Ben” sounded sweet and heartfelt. In the movie, it became oddly powerful and unforgettable.

It didn’t matter what the movie was about — the song stood on its own, and radio made sure it stayed with us.

2. “The Morning After” – Maureen McGovern

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

If you heard this on the radio, it felt calm… hopeful… reassuring.

Then you saw the movie.

Suddenly the song carried survival, loss, and the quiet belief that maybe — just maybe — things would be okay. When it won the Oscar, it felt inevitable. This was one of those songs where the movie didn’t overpower it — it deepened it.

3. “Freddy’s Dead” – Curtis Mayfield

Super Fly (1972)

Cool. Gritty. Unapologetic.

Curtis Mayfield didn’t just write a song — he delivered social commentary wrapped in funk. On the radio, “Freddy’s Dead” sounded sharp and stylish. In the movie, it became part of a larger message about survival, temptation, and consequence.

This was the ’70s at its most fearless — and radio made sure you heard it.

4. “Live and Let Die” – Paul McCartney & Wings

Live and Let Die (1973)

This was Bond… turned up to eleven.

From the first orchestral hit to the reggae breakdown to that explosive refrain — this song felt cinematic even on AM radio. But once it hit the opening credits? It became one of the greatest Bond themes of all time.

Radio made it a hit. The movie made it iconic.

5. “Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky)” – Bill Conti

Rocky (1976)

You didn’t need lyrics.
You didn’t need dialogue.

The first notes of this song told you everything you needed to know.

Hearing it on the radio was energizing. Hearing it in the theater — watching Rocky run those steps — was transformational. To this day, that theme doesn’t just remind you of a movie… it makes you feel like you can do anything.

Pure movie-radio perfection.

And Then There Was Star Wars…

Let’s be honest — John Williams changed the rules.

You didn’t hear “Star Wars” themes on pop radio the same way — but once that opening crawl hit in 1977, movie music was never the same. It proved that instrumental themes could live forever in our heads right alongside Top 40 hits.

The ’70s didn’t just marry music and movies —
they built the foundation everything else stands on.