Thursday night for the 17th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards on VH1, Leonardo DiCaprio, Olivia Harrison and Bob Dylan will honor Martin Scorsese with the Music + Film Award - and it literally couldn't go to a better director. Growing up watching Scorsese movies was like attending an open master class on how these two intimately connected art forms can work together at their very best. And in recent years, Scorsese has brought us a series of music documentaries including No Direction Home: Bob Dylan that carefully explore this connection in compelling ways. A few years back I had the occasion to work for a day on George Harrison: Living In The Material World and see Scorsese and his profound knowledge up close. The fact that he's our greatest living director on a strictly cinematic level doesn't hurt either. So here's a playlist of ten of my favorite songs that Scorsese has woven into his work over the years as he added Music + Film and made history in the process.
As always, please add your own musical favorites from Martin Scorsese's mindblowing oeuvre below. And while you're at it, please watch the Critic's Choice and see this critic's all-time top choice Bob Dylan perform for another enduring modern master.
JUMPING JACK FLASH- The Rolling Stones (Mean Streets)
BABY LET ME FOLLOW YOU DOWN - Bob Dylan (The Last Waltz)
DRUM BOOGIE - Gene Krupa (Raging Bull)
COME RAIN OR COME SHINE - Ray Charles (King of Comedy)
WE BELONG TOGETHER - Robert & Johnny (After Hours)
WEREWOLVES OF LONDON - Warren Zevon (The Color of Money)
JUMP INTO THE FIRE - Harry Nilsson (GoodFellas)
I AIN'T SUPERSTITIOUS - The Jeff Beck Group (Casino)
SHIPPING OUT TO BOSTON - Dropkick Murphys (The Departed)
THIS BITTER EARTH - Dinah Washington (Shutter Island)