Clint Eastwood’s impact on pop culture can’t be exaggerated and there’s even a great rock song he inspired. From his memorable Spaghetti Western dialogue to his diversified portfolio as a director, he’s left an indelible mark on cinema. Despite rumors of retirement, the veteran has shown no signs of stopping, asClint Eastwood is currently working on a new movie.
Movies likeMillion Dollar Baby,The Bridges of Madison County, andTrouble With the Curveshowcase the man’s acting talents beyond the Western genre that he popularized and revolutionized, both as a director and as an actor. Thebest performances in Clint Eastwood-directed moviesdemonstrate his skills as a filmmaker who can bring out the best in his actors.
Beyond acting and directing, Eastwood has another talent that he often showcases in his films. He has composed the scores of some of his movies, and he even once sang an entire country album! However, that’s not where his contribution to music stops. Thebest movie ending in Clint Eastwood’s careeras an actor inspired an AC/DC song.
The Breakdown Was Inspired By The Climax Of The Movie
Sergio Leone’sDollarstrilogy has the rare reputation of being a trilogy that improves with each movie. Not only isThe Good, the Bad, and the Uglythe best Western, but it might also be the most influential Western movie ever made. However, beyond other Westerns, it surprisingly also inspired one of the most memorable rock songs of the 1980s.
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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
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The climactic shootout inThe Good, the Bad, and the Uglyis among the most iconic and memorable scenes in Western history. Similarly, long before its use inIron Man IIand the official music video featuring footage from the movie,Shoot To Thrillwas one of the most iconic songs by the Australian band AC/DC.
AC/DC’sBack in Black, released in 1980, is perhaps their most famous albumever. The second track on that album,Shoot to Thrill, was inspired by Clint Eastwood’s shootout inThe Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The scene’s iconic status is in no small part due to Ennio Morricone’s score, but it’s linked to this iconic song too.
As Angus Young explains onUltimate Albums: Back in Black, which initially aired on VH1, watching Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, and Lee Van Cleef in their Mexican standoff inspired the band.Shoot to Thrill’s unforgettable breakdown, which comes just after the main solo, was specifically inspired by that unforgettable shootout scene at the end of the movie.
While it’s only a subtle nod, the breakdown was written to mirror Ennio Morricone’s score that plays in the background during the scene. The guitarist said that Il Triello was the inspiration for the breakdown.Morricone’s score and Young’s breakdown have a similar sense of buildupthat is easy to catch if you know to look for it.
AC/DC Isn’t The Only Band To Pay Tribute To Clint Eastwood
He’s An Iconic Figure In Music As Well As Movies
Someone with Clint Eastwood’s stature and reputation has naturally been the subject of tributes from filmmakers, actors, writers, painters, musicians, and designers. WhileAC/DC’sShoot to Thrillis the best and most memorable tribute to the actorand his most iconic movie scene, there are tributes by other bands to him and his unforgettable on-screen heroic moments.
My Chemical Romance’sHang ‘Em Highwas inspired by Eastwood’s movie of the same name.
Back in 2001,Gorillaz released a song literally titled “Clint Eastwood"whose lyrics are clearly inspired by the actor’s archetype in the Western genre, and the themes in his Western movies. My Chemical Romance’s “Hang ‘Em High"was inspired by Eastwood’s movie of the same name, and its lyrics follow Eastwood’s arc in the film.
Another noteworthy song written as a tribute to Clint Eastwood is the late musician Toby Keith’s “Don’t Let The Old Man In.” As he toldBillboard, Eastwood’s simple answer to Keith’s question about the veteran actor’s energy at the age of 88 in his filmThe Muleinspired the song.Eastwood’s impact on pop culture thus goes far beyond cinema.
