Best Closing Music in Films

[wittoner]

Won't spoil it as it's still on general release but the Music over the end credits of "Ghost Stories" will send you out with a smile after all the chills.

[Felicity, I guess so]

In conjunction with the desolate images of his life being ripped apart, the sound of Gene Hackman's Harry Caul playing jazz sax along to the off-screen music** that has become the theme tune of his isolation at the end of The Conversation is brilliant.

**Rather than playing along (amazingly slickly) to his vinyl jazz recordings, as earlier in the film

[Haddock]

Signifying Rapper by Schoolly D at the end of Bad Lieutenant

[Janik]

Admission - I like Radiohead. So...

Exit Music (For a Film) is pretty good if wildly overused. But when it was fresh, i.e. in the movie it was written for (Romeo + Juliet), it worked. But then it would, being a commentary of the action on screen. See also Knockin' on Heaven's Door, which doesn't close the movie but soundtracks a death scene* so is at least the closing of one character's story.

* - a death scene, or more like multiple scenes as comes at the end of a gun fight, and is played absolutely superbly. The look of both emptiness and pity in James Coburn's eyes as the man he has shot dies in front of him and the interplay between Slim Pickens (playing the character for whom the song was primarily written) and particularly Katy Jurado (playing his wife). Anyway, it's all here:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjR7_U2u3sM

[Stumpy Pepys]

Having been sent to prison at a time of polyester suits and afros, Frank Lucas's release from prison in American Gangster to the soundtrack of Can't Truss It by Public Enemy, is very poignant.

[NHH]

The closing credit to Escape to Victory are so good, we chose it as the walk-out music for our wedding. Bill Conti's finest hour, even better than Rocky II.

[pebblethefish]

That is fucking superb NHH. I now want to get married just so I can have the same. Has anyone got a spinster sister / other realtive going spare?

[Anton Gramscescu]

The closing credit to Escape to Victory are so good, we chose it as the walk-out music for our wedding.

That is fantastic.

I second the motion for "Just Like Honey" at the the end of Lost in Translation. Would also like to suggest Joan Jett's rendition of "You're going to make it after all" at the end of Drop Dead Gorgeous.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Thought hard about this. It has to be something in synch with the first impression of the movie I've just witnessed. But it also has to be something I've never heard before, otherwise the music will colour the experience of the film with its own associations. So Jarvis Cocker's Running the World from Children of Men ticks both boxes.

[Sean of the Shed]

Having been sent to prison at a time of polyester suits and afros, Frank Lucas's release from prison in American Gangster to the soundtrack of Can't Truss It by Public Enemy, is very poignant.

Excellent choice. Also De La Soul - Held Down from Buffalo Soldiers