Not every song is created equally. Some might write a tune and hope it does well, perhaps hitting number one on the charts. Others are more whimsical and meant to fill a hole in a movie or series.
We should hope that nearly everything we hear is at least good. If it's added to a flick, the sound should be solid. Otherwise, it's just fluff.
In the three tunes below, none were trying to be chart-toppers. A couple (maybe all three) were passion projects, though short works. All are excellent.
3 magical songs where you might be surprised by who wrote them
Ricky Gervais - "Little Fat Man" (David Bowie, 2006)
The story with this song isn't about it being a hit because it wasn't. Instead, it's about Gervais explaining how the song came to be on the second season of Extras on The Overlap. Gervais said he wrote the lyrics and Bowie wrote the music, but only after Gervais asked him somewhat jokingly to come up with something like "Life on Mars?"
Bowie likely sarcastically said he would come up with something like that quickly, and while he didn't, Bowie did create something very fitting. Plus, Gervais added that working with Bowie was "one of the best days" of his life, and that Bowie was willing to go along with whatever needed to happen to create comedy magic.
Jim Carrey - "Phantom Regret by Jim" (The Weeknd, 2022)
This might not be overly surprising as Carrey is also a voice on the tune. He is the narrator, though it might seem obvious unless one really listens to the words. There is not a lot of melodic ideation that happens here, but that isn't Carrey's fault. The fault lies in the production.
Is this tune ever going to be a hit? Nope. More like something one might hear if they worked at Lumon Industries. It is still interesting, and Carrey doesn't try to overdo it. The Weeknd is hardly felt and maybe that is good thing. The song would have seen seen the light of the proverbial day without him, though.
Steve Martin - "Pretty Flowers" (Dolly Parton and Vince Gill, 2009)
While Martin was an iconic stand-up comedian for years and a comedic actor who churned out successes such as The Jerk, he has always been a good musician, too. His banjo playing is Grammy-winning, as are his comedy albums.
So, when he writes a song like "Pretty Flowers," people notice. Parton and Gill join in on this ballad with a beautiful and brilliant harmony. This is something that Gill might have written instead of something that an actor throwing down Indian rubber vases might have created.