10 Songs That Got More Popular Through Movies
6. Mad World - Donnie Darko
"Mad World" by Gary Jules has become so well-known at this point that many people forget that it's actually a cover. Originally on the debut album by British pop legends Tears for Fears, the first cut of the song was much more melodramatic, relying on stabbing synth lines and intense vocal performances. It's pretty ironic that once the song turned into a gentle ballad, things got 10x more disturbing.
Though Jules had been recording for a while at this point, this cover ended up energizing his career when it served as the main song in Donnie Darko, which fit perfectly with the movie's coming of age story. Set in the '80s, many would wonder why this kind of updated approach would be needed considering the original's synthy sheen, but this gentle version offers a different take on the world we're seeing.
As opposed to hearing some of the more extravagant moments of the soundtrack, this song makes you feel what it's like to be in Donnie's mind, as he struggles with his high school drama, authority figures, and his own sanity at one time. A song like this shouldn't really fit the aesthetic for an '80s teen movie, but when you take a closer look at what happens in the film, you'll find that the world may be a little more mad than you thought.