Let's create the ultimate Amazing Spiderman playlist/soundtrack!

[Venomous Mask]

Just like some movies and TV series have soundtracks with songs that aren't in them but just reflect certain events or moods, I've been thinking that Spiderman needs something similar. In lieu of ASM #700 and the 50th anniversary, I thought it would be fun to do something similar for Amazing Spiderman, to put Peter's entire career to music.



Here are the rules:

1. There is no limit to the amount of songs that can be on this playlist, but let's try not to over-represent certain events. For example, the Death of Gwen Stacy shouldn't have eight songs attached to it.
2. A few instrumentals are okay, but mostly, I'm looking for songs with vocals.
3. Profanity and other explicit lyrics aren't an issue, though rule #6 will most likely have an effect on this.
4. Mainstream to semi-mainstream songs are somewhat preferred, although independent and underground music is also welcome.
5. Songs that are about Spiderman or that directly reference them are more than welcome, including television and movie themes.
6. This one is crucial: Songs must be period pieces for the time that the story was written. If the story or event who are thinking of connecting a song to is from 1985, please pick a song that was released around that time. For example, if you want a song about when Peter and Betty were dating, an early Beatles song would work but not a Soulja Boy song. The soundtrack will be divided up by decade.
7. Please give a brief explanation (a sentence or two) as to why you picked that song.

Once it seems that this is complete (hopefully we'll have lots of songs), I'll arrange them into a master list (don't bother fitting in your numbering with mine, just create your own lists and I'll sychronize it later).

I'll start:

1960s:

1. 60s Spiderman Theme - A good introduction, and one that does a great job in reflecting the zany, wild-eyed of the Lee/Ditko era.

1980s:

1. Belinda Carlisle: Heaven is a Place on Earth - An exuberant pop tune that fits well with Spiderman's marriage to MJ.

[E. Wilson]

You can't forget "Kung-Fu Fighting", which is canonically Peter & MJ's song!

Something like this has been a hobby of mine since I learned how creative Japanese anime can get with their soundtracks. (Although admittedly, you've got a bit more rules than I usually apply, so I have to think about it a bit more, LOL.) I generally just like applying musical motifs to particular characters or storylines. With that in mind...

Atryu: Slow Burn: Theme of Agent Venom. It's actually a song about drug addiction and your life descending out of control into a pit of darkness and self-loathing and...okay, so it's pretty perfect for Agent Venom. The opening lyrics are also sublimely appropriate: "It begins with a dark burning ember/Something black burning its way out of me"


Switchfoot: Dark Horses: Ends of the Earth. It's a fairly catchy rock song about never giving up even when the world is stacked against you, but the slower bridge builds into an energetic guitar riff that really feels appropriate for the action-oriented finale`.

Matchbox-20: How Far We've Come: Spider Island. Most folks have probably heard this one, but it's a celebration of human triumphs throughout history, noting that even in the face of Armageddon, we have a lot to be proud of. The lyrics also support the idea that we started from humble beginnings, which is really kind of perfect for Pete throughout the Spider Island story. He's counted out in the beginning of the story, because it's simply too big for him to handle. But, in-universe, the rest of the Avengers and New York see how far Spidey's come as a hero, stopping the Queen and saving the Earth.

Scissor Sisters: I Can't Decide: Dying Wish. Doctor Who fans might recognize this as the song the Master was dancing to in the Series 3 finale. It's about a serial killer noting to his victim how hard it is to pose as a normal, functioning person in society, and saying that he really hasn't decided whether he'll kill the victim or not, and what method he'll use. It struck me as perfectly summing up Spock's taunting to Peter in 698. (The fact that it's a very hammy, over-the-top number make it even more appropriate.)

Hollywood Undead: Tendencies: The Gauntlet. This is pretty much a song about gang violence, and although HU is always willing to poke fun at themselves and the "gangsta' rap" culture, this one plays it straight. It's pretty much entirely about violence, and it pretty appropriate to an era of Spidey comics thematically devoted to the bad guys. A lot of the lyrics can be applied to specific villains, including Kraven ("Fucking kill you again, when I see you in Hell), and Norman Osborn. ("It's impossible to manage all the chaos and the damage/And an animal like me can use it all to his advantage.") In fact, this is so thematically appropriate for this type of scenario I'm going to use it again.

Hollywood Undead: Been to Hell: American Son/Dark Reign. This song is about the corruption of dreams and ideals, particularly contrasting LA's image as a city of glitz and fame to its seedier underbelly. So, yeah, it immediately makes me think of the Dark Avengers. The last stanza, in particular, always reminds me of the Sentry. ("Say goodbye to your soul/And say hello to your vanity.")

Blink-182: Not Now: The Other. This is a song from a band not particularly known for their deeper songs, applied to a story not particularly known for its better moments. And yeah, The Other is pretty lame. But the scenes between Peter and MJ still kind of get to me. The song is about a man on his deathbed next to his wife, trying to bargain with God for more time with her. (Oh, and another shout-out to Doctor Who fans: play this song over the ending of "The Wedding of River Song." You'll cry.)

My Chemical Romance: This Is How I Disappear: Spider-Man 3 The song is about a man losing himself without his girl, descending into some very questionable activities. It...kind of describes the three heavies in SM3: Peter, Eddie, & the Sandman. (Particularly appropriate: "If you could talk to me, tell me if it's so/That all the good girls go to Heaven, well Heaven knows...")

The Ting Tings: Fruit Machine: Jackpot. Well, okay, a bit silly, but since I was just talking about her in another thread...Anyway, the "fruit machine" is a metaphor for a man trying to size up a woman like a slot machine, figuring he can figure out the system and how to "play" her; she notes that it's not that simple. Which is pretty much Jackpot's defining trait; folks in-universe and out all think they have her pegged.

Toad the Wet Sprocket: Something's Always Wrong: Marriage on the Rocks. This is probably the only time I'm able to really adhere to the letter and spirit of the story I'm referring to taking place at the same time as the song, but this single was released in 1994. Just as the whole "I Am The Spider" thing was dying, and the Clone Saga was starting. To say something was always wrong between Pete & MJ is an understatement.

..wow, this post went on a lot longer than I anticipated.

[Venomous Mask]

Good choices. Here are some more:

80s:

Exhorder: I Am the Cross - This thrash metal song is about someone (either a mortal or a divinity) that shows his religiosity by brutally killing and oppressing people. This song would fit perfectly with the first Sin Eater storyline, which is essentially about a lunatic who does just that. The lyrics Because none escapes my Wrath./The torn throats and infants/Of the plagues are just a trickle/In the tub of my bloodbath./Just who on Earth do you think you/Are to challenge My Immortal Ways?" say it all.

90s:

Green Jello: Carnage Rules - Pretty self-explanatory, but I'd link it more with Carnage's first appearance (or his third), since he seems to be a loner in this song.

White Zombie: Blur the Technicolor - All of White Zombie's stuff is pretty demented, but this one has a special place; it goes perfectly with Maximum Carnage. Lyric like "Rush of blood burn through my face/And vicious t-bird breed on the whore/Wonder wheel cool and hellamatic/Go easy riding danger" definitely fits with the madhouse of the storyline.