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For Sale Mar 31, 2026 at 11:46 AM

Music videos that reference movies?

Posted by UnfeelingMonster


What are your favourite music videos that reference movies? I recognised at least five of the movies referenced in [this music video (What is Love? by Twice)](https://youtu.be/i0p1bmr0EmE) (there must be more that I'm not familiar with) and it got me wondering about other music videos that either pastiche or recreate scenes from movies. I can think of lots of music videos that are connected with movies because they're on the soundtrack and have clips of the movie or characters/actors from the movie appearing in the video for that reason, but I'm having a hard time thinking of other examples where the music video references a movie without that kind of direct connection. I would love to see more of these, so please help me build a list!
TWICE "What is Love?" M/V
YouTube
TWICE "What is Love?" M/V
TWICE(트와이스) "What is Love?" M/VSpotify https://goo.gl/jVLYYYiTunes & Apple Music https://goo.gl/DKyKZfGoogle Music https://goo.gl/DxAtPdTWICE Official YouTub...

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NerdfestZyx Mar 31, 2026 +14
The music video of Madonna’s “Material Girl” pays homage to Marilyn Monroe's performance of the song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" in the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
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UnfeelingMonster Mar 31, 2026 +2
Oh yes, that's a classic!
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PornFilterRefugee Mar 31, 2026 +11
Fancy by Iggy Azalea is basically just Clueless
11
UnfeelingMonster Mar 31, 2026 +2
I haven't seen that one but I love Clueless so I will definitely look it up now, thank you
2
yakusokuN8 Mar 31, 2026 +8
[Smashing Pumpkins' music video for "Tonight Tonight"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOG3eus4ZSo) references the old silent movie, "A Trip to the Moon" [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A\_Trip\_to\_the\_Moon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Trip_to_the_Moon) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonight,\_Tonight\_(The\_Smashing\_Pumpkins\_song)#Music\_video](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonight,_Tonight_(The_Smashing_Pumpkins_song)#Music_video)
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UnfeelingMonster Mar 31, 2026 +3
This is a great one! I've seen the music video before but I never really made that connection, I'll watch it again with fresh eyes now, thank you
3
Illustrious_Toe1987 Mar 31, 2026 +7
The Beastie Boys "Sabotage" video is basically a perfect 70s cop show parody 🔥 Also Fall Out Boy's "Uma Thurman" does this whole Pulp Fiction thing that works surprisingly well. There's definitely more out there but those two always stuck with me because they actually put effort into getting the aesthetic right instead of just throwing in random movie references.
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UnfeelingMonster Mar 31, 2026 +1
Absolutely love Sabotage. Pulp Fiction/Tarantino in general has got to be one of the most referenced based on the replies so far.
1
ViewAskewed Mar 31, 2026 +6
Telephone by Lady Gaga leans pretty heavily on Kill Bill, up to and including the P**** Wagon.
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CottonStig Mar 31, 2026 +1
absolutely gorgeous truck
1
UnfeelingMonster Mar 31, 2026 +1
Ahh yes of course! I need to rewatch this one
1
Asclepius-Rod Mar 31, 2026 +3
Walk by Foo Fighters is a direct reference to Falling Down with Michael Douglas (fantastic song too)
3
UnfeelingMonster Mar 31, 2026 +2
Oh I think I've seen that one but before I'd seen the movie so I didn't get the reference at the time - I will have to watch it back again now!
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MasterTeacher123 Mar 31, 2026 +3
Ashanti’s foolish references Goodfellas
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UnfeelingMonster Mar 31, 2026 +1
That's awesome, I will look that one up
1
Okfoot826 Mar 31, 2026 +3
Movies - Alien Ant Farm
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theastro_not Mar 31, 2026 +2
Heartless by The Weeknd & Hotel Lobby by Quavo and Takeoff Both are inspired by / reference Fear and Loathing
2
phaedra_p Mar 31, 2026 +2
"We Can't Be Friends" by Ariana Grande references Eternal Sunshine.
2
yakusokuN8 Mar 31, 2026 +3
And her video for her song, "Thank u, next" - [https://youtu.be/gl1aHhXnN1k?t=84](https://youtu.be/gl1aHhXnN1k?t=84) references Mean Girls. There's a moment where she dances just like the Plastics' dance scene. Also, references Bring it On and Legally Blonde. Others are saying that it also references 13 going on 30, but I never watched that movie, so I can't confirm.
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UnfeelingMonster Mar 31, 2026 +2
Oh yes, I have seen "Thank u, next" and that's a great example! I haven't see "We Can't be Friends" so I'll look that one up
2
phaedra_p Mar 31, 2026 +1
It's a great song! And I'm not a huge Ariana fan
1
phaedra_p Mar 31, 2026 +2
With Jennifer Coolidge too!
2
Calinthalus Mar 31, 2026 +3
One by Metallica is based on the book Johnny Got His Gun. The video makes significant use of clips from the movie. I watched it's premiere on MTV. It was their first official video so there was a lot of anticipation about what it would be like. We were shocked... everyone just sat quiet for a moment when it ended.
3
Loki-L Mar 31, 2026 +1
Weird Al did a bunch of movie reference parodies * **Jurassic Park** (Juassic Park) - Mac Arthur Park * **The Saga Begins** (Star Wars Episode I) - American Pie * **Gump** (Forrest Gump) - Lump Metallica's "**One**" is a retelling of and the music video uses scenes from the movie "Johnny Got His Gun" from 1971 based on the Dalton Trumbo novel of the same name. Deep Blue Soemthing's "**Breakfast at Tiffany's**" makes direct reference to the movie of the same name. There are also edge cases like Blue Öyster Cult's "**Godzilla**", which is not a reference to a specific movie but the Godzilla Franchise as a whole with perhaps an emphasis on the first serious movie.
1
ManOfWarts Mar 31, 2026 +2
[A$AP Rocky - L$D](https://youtu.be/Gx4JEBwVlXo?) is a homage to [Enter The Void](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1191111/?ref_=ext_shr)
2
zippopamus Mar 31, 2026 +2
the pretenders video for don't get me wrong references the avengers
2
Daovin Mar 31, 2026 +2
Make Some Noise - Beastie Boys: Back to the Future. I'm sure there's more.
2
Daovin Mar 31, 2026 +2
Aqua - Dr Jones - Indiana Jones
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SailorsGraves Mar 31, 2026 +2
Ice Nine Kills - every single one of them
2
Life-Pay-3779 Mar 31, 2026 +2
Oooh by De La Soul featuring Redman references The Wiz
2
President_Calhoun Mar 31, 2026 +2
"Run-Around" by Blues Traveler is a clever retelling of "The Wizard of Oz."
2
jdoe1234reddit Mar 31, 2026 +2
Ending of Take on me by A-ha references Altered States Land of Confusion by Genesis references Bedtime for Bonzo.
2
shredthecat Mar 31, 2026 +2
The video for ‘Cute Without The ‘E’ (Cut From The Team)’ by Taking Back Sunday is basically Fight Club…
2
thingsthatstopus Mar 31, 2026 +3
Sabrina Carpenter loves referencing movies in her videoclips: Tears - The Rocky Horror Picture Show Taste - Death Becomes Her, Psycho, Kill Bill, among others Manchild - Thelma & Louis, Legally Blonde, Almost Famous, and more
3
UnfeelingMonster Mar 31, 2026 +2
Ooh those are some amazing references, I am going to watch all of these, thank you!
2
mercenary06 Mar 31, 2026 +1
Stacy's Mom-Fountains of Wayne
1
Tenman44 Mar 31, 2026 +1
In to deep by Sum41 is a homage to Back To School starring Rodney Dangerfield
1
UnfeelingMonster Mar 31, 2026 +2
I had no idea! I must have watched that music video a million times when I was a teenager (showing my age here)
2
corwinV Mar 31, 2026 +1
Mushroomhead - We Are the Truth is referencing Evil Dead [https://youtu.be/NxviGrBMKKY?si=I9O\_7ugO9JaLmeoy](https://youtu.be/NxviGrBMKKY?si=I9O_7ugO9JaLmeoy) GUNSHIP - Tech Noir is referencing many various movies [https://youtu.be/-nC5TBv3sfU?si=n7D12OrVdDIGkQ2u](https://youtu.be/-nC5TBv3sfU?si=n7D12OrVdDIGkQ2u) if I remember correctly almost every video of Ice Nine Kills is referencing some of horror movies
1
LRClam Mar 31, 2026 +1
Yuqi - Freak: Makes reference to E.T., Scream, The Shining, Ringu, The Grudge and I think a few more.
1
ZorroMeansFox Mar 31, 2026 +1
Here's an unofficial music video for **The Clash's "Charlie Don't Surf"**: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1lc4rqh7ZU
1
UniversalPolymath Mar 31, 2026 +1
I don't think this is quite what you're envisioning, but [All Over by CRUISR](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKemSP-Ei58) is just one movie reference after another, and it's a beautiful piece of animation.
1
medietic Mar 31, 2026 +1
Miike Snow - Genghis Khan is a fun 007 homage/parody
1
mlledufarge Mar 31, 2026 +1
[MUNA - Silk Chiffon](https://youtu.be/fhyk9rchC2c?si=LZ7jKCzrjpeigRRT) is basically But I’m a Cheerleader
1
appuiromonsta Mar 31, 2026
TWICE's What is Love does this to an obnoxious degree https://youtu.be/i0p1bmr0EmE?si=4rBnAqw3FYmsNjg0
0
BowerickWowbagger42 Mar 31, 2026 +1
2001: A space odyssey: [Bombay Bicycle Club - Home by now](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzuCOCZuS_A)
1
trustifarian Mar 31, 2026 +1
Beat It is an homage to West Side Story. 
1
ChrisCinema Mar 31, 2026 +1
Michael Jackson's "Bad" homages *West Side Story* with the characters dancing in a subway station.
1
res30stupid Mar 31, 2026 +1
The music video for "Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Ray references the opening scene in the film Fantasia. In the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor sequence, the film shines multicolored lights onto the orchestra from the front so that their silhouettes light up the back wall behind them as a practical demonstration of the roles of different parts of the orchestra before transitioning into an animated sequence. The music video does something similar as well.
1
gottabekd Mar 31, 2026 +1
Ok so The X-Files is a TV show, but there are movies! “Be Sweet” by Japanese Breakfast is a cheesy/fun X-Files homage video. https://share.google/1DZIjRKVMWl8Vj5qC And I just realized the chorus of the song repeats the line “I wanna believe”, so maybe that was the connection between the song and video idea. Ha.
1
misterintredasting Apr 1, 2026 +1
Out of Time (The Weeknd song) and lost in translation 
1
Training-Bend8258 Mar 31, 2026 +1
this is a cool idea! off the top of my head, check out "This Is America" by Childish Gambino for a wild take on social issues and some movie vibes. also, "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry has some nods to classic films. i'm sure there are plenty more out there!
1
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