Photo Creds: Sony Music

Due to the fact that "Atlantic City" is one of Springsteen's most beloved songs off his album "Nebraska" and it was used in every trailer for the movie, all movie viewers were expecting to hear this song in "Deliver Me From Nowhere' "While the vocals done by both Springsteen, on the original album, and White, in the movie,  during this song is truly remarkable, I find the backstory of the song to be far more interesting and impressive. Springsteen originally recorded the songs of 'Nebraska' in the bedroom of a farmhouse that he was renting in his home state, New Jersey.  While watching the movie, viewers learn that Springsteen's original tape for the album  was created in Springsteen's house, with only his guitar, harmonica, and voice and no band. The rest of the movie follows Springsteen as he records his album with the E Street Band, tries to recreate  the sound created on the original tape, and puts together an album he could be proud of. The lyrical genius of "Atlantic City" and the performance done by White make this song easily stand out as one of Springsteen's greatest hits. 

Photo Creds: Empire Magazine

"I'm On Fire" is by far my favorite Bruce Springsteen song. It has shockingly intricate lyrics that are hidden under the cover of it just being a fun and catchy rock song. When paired with Springsteen's vocals and music played by the E Street Band, this song stands out among the others. This song, along with a couple others, were originally recorded to be put on the "Nebraska" album but were cut by Springsteen. The album tells the story of his childhood, love life, and personal trauma. In 1982, Springsteen was trying to escape writing songs just for them to be hits in the rock scene and was searching for a deeper tie to music. This is why "I'm On Fire" didn't make the cut for "Nebraska," but it was still released only 2 years later on "Born in the U.S.A." While this song isn't directly featured in the movie, it is a symbol for what Springsteen was running away from. White tells the story of Springsteen's mental health and traumatic past through his portayal of Springsteen creating his album "Nebraska." While producers wanted "I'm On Fire" to be included on the hit album, I find it to be far more fitting on "Born in the U.S.A."

Dylan goes electric. A revolutionary idea turned into the biggest turning point in Dylan's career. During his performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, Dylan and his band played with electric instruments for the first time in front of a crowd. The electric set list was composed of three songs, "Maggie's Farm," "Like and Rolling Stone," and 'It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry." While these songs are not considered to be particularly controversial, the performance left half the crowd cheering and the other half booing. In Chalamet's recreation of this iconic performance, he captures the level of emotion felt by the audience, festival managers, and Dylan himself. "Like a Rolling Stone" is one of Dylan's most iconic songs. Chalamet's performance of this song left movie viewers just as shocked as the people at the festival. The vocals done by Chalamet were at the same level as Dylan's and brought a new interpretation of the song to life. "Like a Rolling Stone" was one of the best performances done by Chalamet in the whole movie. While this is not my favorite song, it is in my top 10. The lyrics themselves and the story behind this song make it particular special to me. 

The relationship between Dylan and Baez was formed over their shared talent for singing and songwriting. The two got to be close friends during Dylan's first couple years of living in Greenwich village. They went on to record multiple songs and travel on tour together, singing their hit song "It Ain't Me Babe". This song is one of my favorites due to the depth of the lyrics and mixed vocals of Dylan and Baez. The chemistry between Chalamet and Barbaro perfectly matched that of Dylan and Baez. They performed perfectly together while singing "It Ain't Me Babe" at the Newport Folk Festival 1964. This particular performance was one of the best done by Chalamet in the movie. The scene brings emotion and tension to the movie, with Dylan having to choose between his relationship with Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning) and friendship with Baez. The acting during this song and throughout the movie makes these three characters and actors stand out. The chemistry between Dylan and Baez which is perfectly recreated by Chalamet and Barbaro makes this one of my favorite songs ever written or sung live. 

Photo Creds: YouTube

"Suspicious Minds" is a song, which many can assume is inspired by Presley's marriage with Priscilla, that tells the story of a failing relationship. Written in the same format as a love ballad, Presley expresses that he cannot remain in a relationship with someone who is overly concerned about him cheating.  While this story does not hold true for Presley, since he did cheat on his wife multiple times while on tour, the song is an inspiration for all people going through a rough patch in their relationship. Butler is performing this song in the movie at the same time that Parker is selling his allegiance to play at the Las Vegas Hotel for the next 5 years. This scene holds a lot of emotion due to the lyrics of the song tied to the actions of Parker. Untimely, I find that "Suspicious'"earns it's spot as Presley's third most steamed song on Spotify and labeled one of the best performances in the movie.

Photo Creds: eBay

"If I Can Dream" was first performed during the '68 Comeback Special. The show was designed to be a Christmas show that would earn money for Presley and his team, but the day before the show, Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot. Presley could not support performing a Christmas show during such a tragic time for the country. Overnight he wrote "If I Can Dream" as a sign of protest to his manager Parker, who was running the whole Christmas show, and to show allegiance to African American' s protesting during the Civil Rights Movement. Butler captured the impact of this song and performance in his reenactment, not only singing the same lyrics, but using the exact same gestures Presley did during the original performance. This is my favorite song because the lyrics are inspirational on their own, but the back story makes this song even more powerful. Austin's ability to make this song just as powerful as Presley did, makes this scene one of the best in the entire movie. 

"One Love" tells the story of Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir)'s rise to fame and his role in ending the Jamaican Revolution.  The movie includes Marley's past, growing up without a father and a dismissive mother, how he met his wife, Rita Marley (Elle Fanning), and how fame turned his life upside down. The movie is a gut wrenching story that highlights how war shaped Marley's perception of the world. He fought to find peace in his music, something that all people could indulge in. Ben-Adir brings Bob Marley back to life, shedding light on the revolution which is Marley's song writing, while also singing and playing the guitar with perfection. "One Love" is not only a tribute to Marley's career but also a reminder of the effect which Bob Marley and the Wailers had on the world. The movie takes viewers through every emotion which were felt by the original band and the people working closely to them.

Trailer Creds: Paramount Pictures

Photo Creds: udiscovermusic

Kingsley Ben-Adir plays Jamaican musician Bob Marley as he goes from a young teenager, writing love songs and religious ballads, to becoming one of the most beloved and revolutionary musicians of all time. Marley dressed in simple, affordable clothing, a nod to his past as a poor, fatherless child. One Love dresses Ben-Adir the same way which Marley did throughout his entire career. 

Photo Creds: Reggaeville

"Exodus" is Bob Marley's call to humanity through a song that is inspirational and gut wrenching at the same time. The name is also shared by the album on which the song was released. The word exodus was chosen by Marley for its catchy sound and Biblical references, which include the story of the Israelites' departure from slavery and more generally used to mean a mass departure of people. The song was used to excite people about revolution and fighting for what is right. The movie takes viewers through the story of how Marley came up with the title and wrote the corous with the help of the Wailers. Ben-Adir recreates Marley's signature dance moves and general demenour when writing songs. This song in particular was a highlight in Marley's career and was used in many settings of protest, and the movie takes a large amount of time to show the large effects of the song. 

Photo Creds: The Vinyl Factory

"No Women, No Cry" is my personal favorite song by Bob Marley. It captures both the love that he has for his wife and a call to all women to feel that same amount of love in their lives. The movie uses this song to show a flashback that tells the story of Marley meeting and falling in love with Rita. The relationship between the two artists becomes complicated when Marley becomes more famous then the rest of the band, but the flashback to the past reminds the characters of where they came from and what life was like before the fame. I love this song for it's lyrics and the singing done by both Bob and Rita Marley, but more then that, I think it tells the story of millions of women living in Jamaica who haven't been as fortunate in life. The acting done by Ben-Adir and Fanning tells the story behind the lyrics. I thought that this song was included into the movie for a very important and intentional reason, to include Rita in the story of Bob Marley. And for that, I think it is both his best song in real life, and the best performance in the movie.