10 Songs That Got More Popular Through Movies
2. Hip to Be Square - American Psycho
American Psycho is probably one of the most outlandish movies of the 21st century. Following the life of investment banker Patrick Bateman, the movie is both a pastiche of the vapid yuppie culture of the '80s as well as being a case study of how said culture impacts the more erratic characters in society. There's a lot to unpack with Bateman's character, but the idea of using "Hip to be Square" by Huey Lewis and the News ends up being the perfect foil for his more heinous deeds.
As Bateman prepares to take out adversary Paul Allen, he starts waxing poetic about how great this '80s tune is, complete with one of the most cheesily awesome shimmy dances put on camera. However, when the scene turns darker, having the loud sounds of dad rock being played while Allen has a one-on-one session with an axe is both disquieting and hilarious at the same time.
Going further into the story, you realize that music is probably the only thing that Bateman can even relate to on a human level, which makes the idea of hearing '80s music all the more weird. "Hip to Be Square" already had its fans at this point, but having one of the most bloodthirsty yuppies using it is one of the more delightfully disturbing scenes in film history.