Erwin Beekveld - They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard 2005

"They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard" is a video that was published on August 16th, 2005, by Dutch musician and photographer Erwin Beekveld, as a Flash-animation on the website Albino Blacksheep. In 2006, it was re-posted to Youtube, where it gained over 12.5 million views and 38,900 comments in the first seven years. The two-minute video composed of multiple fragments from the film trilogy The Lord of the Rings became an internet meme, and has obtained a cult status mostly among fans of this trilogy. It is built out of scenes from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. In the video, actor Orlando Bloom is seen playing the elf Legolas, who repeats the line "They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!" He is occasionally interrupted by Gollum (played by Andy Serkis), and also by Marton Csokas as Celeborn, who repeatedly inquires the whereabouts of Gandalf.

The dialogue is rhythmically set to a techno version of music originally composed by Howard Shore for the movies' soundtracks, and contains among others the leitmotif of the song "Concerning Hobbits". The song caught the attention of participants of a discussion forum sponsored by the Association of Literary Scholars and Critics, in which the dactylic quality of the song's prosody was discussed at length. (Read it here!)

In the book Fan Fiction and Copyright: Outsider Works and Intellectual Property Protection, "They’re Taking the Hobbits to Isengard" is mentioned as an example for the amendment on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, an American law concerning the author's copyright on digital media. The amendment from 2010 made it legal, under certain conditions, to use fragments from movies and television shows in personal videos. Musicologist Michael L. Klein (Professor at the Temple University of Philadelphia) mentions "They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard" in his book Music and the Crises of the Modern Subject as an example of a meme and mash-up as the pinnacle of creativity in the postmodern age.

In 2013, after Orlando Bloom finished filming his final scenes on the set of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, director Peter Jackson published a video in which Bloom, dressed up as Legolas, sings along with "They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard". In the next five days, the video received more than 6.9 million views and 7,200 comments. In an interview for Rude Tube in 2013, Beekveld says people love or hate him for making the video, due to its catchy tune, and that it made him very happy to see Bloom sing along with his remix eight years later, which he states is the ultimate recognition. On 30 March 2022, Beekveld died of lung cancer at the age of 52.

"They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard" received a total of 82,5% yes votes!

Bonnie Tyler - Holding Out for a Hero 1984

"Holding Out for a Hero" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for the soundtrack to the 1984 film Footloose. It later featured on her sixth studio album, Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire (1986). The track was produced by Jim Steinman, who co-wrote the song with Dean Pitchford, and was a top 40 hit in several European countries, as well as Canada and on the US Billboard Hot 100. Its 1985 re-release in the UK reached number two (remaining there for three weeks) on the UK singles chart and topped the singles chart in Ireland.

"Holding Out for a Hero" has featured in numerous commercials, film and television soundtracks, and the song has been covered by various artists. In 2004, Jennifer Saunders recorded a version of the song for Shrek 2 which she performs in character as the Fairy Godmother. Frou Frou also recorded a version for the credits sequence. Ella Mae Bowen recorded a cover of the song for the 2011 Footloose remake. The song has been used for multiple Superman adaptations. Tyler has released re-recordings of the song in 2004 and 2011. In 2013, she recorded a new version of the song for use in a Children in Need fundraising campaign.

On 6 May 2026, Tyler underwent emergency surgery in Faro, Portugal, where she lived, to treat a perforated intestine, and was placed in an induced coma in the intensive care unit. When doctors attempted to bring her out of the coma, she suffered a cardiac arrest and was resuscitated. On 15 June, Tyler woke up from the medically induced coma, although she remained "very unwell". She died from complications of the illness on 8 July 2026 at the age of 75.

"Holding Out for a Hero" received a total of 96,1% yes votes and is currently the second Most Liked Song on this blog! 🥳🎉 Previous Bonnie Tyler polls: #712 "Total Eclipse of the Heart".

Evanescence - Bring Me to Life 2003

"Bring Me to Life" is the debut single by American rockband Evanescence from their debut studio album, Fallen (2003). It was released as the album's lead single on January 13, 2003, following its inclusion in the soundtrack of the 2003 Marvel film Daredevil. Amy Lee wrote "Bring Me to Life" at age 19, after a then-acquaintance (who later became her husband) asked her if she was happy; Lee was in an abusive relationship and in turmoil, and was shocked the person saw through her facade as she felt she "was completely outwardly acting normal". "I felt like he could just see straight into my soul. That inspired the whole song", she explained. The song is about "open-mindedness" and "waking up to all the things you've been missing for so long". After the moment that inspired her to write it, she "realized that for months I'd been numb, just going through the motions of life." Guitarist Ben Moody and David Hodges share songwriting credits on the song, which includes guest vocals from Paul McCoy of the band 12 Stones.

It is stylistically a nu metal and rap rock song. In order to market it, the label forced them to add the male rapping vocal, which Lee did not want, or the song and album would not be released. The male vocal was a compromise after the label originally demanded they include a rap on eight of the songs on the album. During an interview, Lee stated: "It was presented to me as, 'You're a girl singing in a rockband, there's nothing else like that out there, nobody's going to listen to you. You need a guy to come in and sing back-up for it to be successful.'"

"Bring Me to Life" peaked within the top 10 of more than 15 countries, and within the top 20 of several other countries, making it the band's most successful single to date. It was certified triple-platinum in 2019 for selling more than three million copies in the US. It won the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance and was also nominated for Best Rock Song. At the 14th annual Billboard Music Awards, it won the award for Soundtrack Single of the Year. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 43 on their "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time" list. The song was re-worked and re-recorded on Evanescence's orchestral-electronic fourth studio album, Synthesis (2017).

"Bring Me to Life" received a total of 92,8% yes votes! Previous Evanescence polls: #44 "Imaginary", #513 "Whisper".

NSYNC - It's Gonna Be Me 2000

"It's Gonna Be Me" is a song by American boyband NSYNC. It was released as the second single from their third studio album No Strings Attached (2000). The song was written by Max Martin, Andreas Carlsson, and Rami Yacoub, and produced by the latter. During recording, Martin consciously wanted the lyrics to be sung in a specific way, NSYNC member JC Chasez told Billboard: "ET'S GONNA BAY MAY!" instead of "It's gonna be ME".

"It's Gonna Be Me" peaked at number one for two consecutive weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) one month after its retail release, and was certified platinum in Australia and Canada. "It's Gonna Be Me" also peaked at number one in Canada, and charted in the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart, New Zealand, and Sweden music charts. The music video won Best Makeup in a Music Video at the 10th Annual Music Video Production Association (MVPA) Music Video Awards on May 16, 2001, which was attributed to makeup artists Screaming Mad George and Elan Bonglorno. In addition, it received the awards for Choice Music Video and Choice Summer Song at the 2000 Teen Choice Awards.

On March 15th, 2012, the Nairobi-blue blog on Tumblr posted a photograph of a calendar turned to April with a picture of Justin Timberlake captioned "It's gonna be May" taped over the final day. The following day, BuzzFeed reposted the image. The meme eventually caught on across the internet, which became an annually recurring joke throughout the month of April. As a more subtle way of referencing the meme, many people post the phrase "So About Tomorrow" alongside images of Timberlake.

"It's Gonna Be Me" received a total of 80% yes votes! Previous NSYNC/Justin Timberlake polls: #52 "Bye Bye Bye", #310 "Give It to Me".

Paramore - Misery Business 2007

"Misery Business" is a song by the American rockband Paramore, released as the lead single from their second studio album, Riot! (2007) and is considered the band's breakthrough hit. It peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 26 and at number three on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. It also was a commercial success in many countries including Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Brazil.

In 2020, lead singer Hayley Williams finally revealed that it was about bandmate Josh Farro. She told Vulture, "When I was 13 or 14 and I had a crush on Josh, he didn't like me back. He would go hang out with his girlfriend, who I wrote "Misery Business" about because I was a dick." Williams no longer sings the line where she refers to the girl as a whore in the second verse of this song because of both the controversy it had produced and Williams since evolving in her views. Speaking on the controversial line, she said, "What I couldn't have known at the time was that I was feeding into a lie that I'd bought into, just like so many other teenagers — and many adults — before me."

"Misery Business" is a playable track in the games Guitar Hero World Tour, in which Hayley Williams is also a playable character, as well as Saints Row 2, Rock Band 3, and Metal: Hellsinger.

"Misery Business" received a total of 89,6% yes votes!

Sixpence None the Richer - Kiss Me 1998

"Kiss Me" is a song by American Christian alternative rockband Sixpence None the Richer from their self-titled third album (1997). The ballad was issued in the US in August 1998 and in international territories the next year. It was nominated for a Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 42nd Grammy Awards. "Kiss Me" peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the country's sixth-best-selling single of 1999. Worldwide, the song reached number one on the Australian and Canadian charts as well as number four on the UK Singles Chart, entering the top 10 in 16 countries altogether.

In January 1999, Miramax used "Kiss Me" as the theme song of its teen romantic comedy film She's All That, starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook. The film's box office success helped "Kiss Me" gain widespread mainstream attention and chart success. In Italy, the film was retitled Kiss Me. The song was also included on Dawson's Creek's first soundtrack in April 1999. The original music video pays tribute to François Truffaut's film Jules and Jim, made in black and white and recreating many of the classic scenes from the film. A second music video was released later, that feature the band sitting on a park bench, performing and watching footage of themselves on a portable television or projected on an outdoor screen. Two alternate versions of this video were made with them watching scenes from either She's All That or Dawson's Creek instead.

"Kiss Me" received a total of 85,3% yes votes!

John Williams - Jurassic Park - Welcome To Jurassic Park 1993

Jurassic Park is a 1993 American science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Michael Crichton and David Koepp, based on Crichton's 1990 novel. Starring Sam Neill (14 September 1947 – 13 July 2026), Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Richard Attenborough, the film is set on the fictional island of Isla Nublar near Costa Rica, where wealthy businessman John Hammond and a team of genetic scientists have created a wildlife park of de-extinct dinosaurs. When industrial sabotage leads to a catastrophic shutdown of the park's power facilities and security precautions, a small group of visitors struggle to survive and escape the now perilous island.

Jurassic Park was a blockbuster hit and went on to gross over $914 million worldwide in its original theatrical run, surpassing Spielberg's own E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial to become the highest-grossing film of all time until the release of Titanic (1997). The film received critical acclaim, with praise to its special effects, sound design, action sequences, John Williams's score, and Spielberg's direction. The film won 20 awards, including three Academy Awards for technical achievements in visual effects and sound design. Since its release, many film critics and industry professionals have regarded Jurassic Park as one of the greatest films ever made. Its groundbreaking use of computer-generated imagery is widely seen as a turning point that shaped the visual effects techniques used in modern cinema. The dinosaurs were created with the computer-generated imagery by Industrial Light & Magic, and with life-sized animatronic dinosaurs built by Stan Winston's team. In 2018, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The film spawned a multimedia franchise that includes six sequels, video games, theme park attractions, comic books, and various merchandise.

The film score received critical acclaim and is often considered to be one of the most iconic and beloved scores of John Williams' career. Williams began writing the Jurassic Park score at the end of February 1993, and it was conducted a month later. The composition process was done in Skywalker Ranch concurrently with the sound editing process, leading Williams to get inspiration from Gary Rydstrom's work with dinosaur noises. Williams described it as "a rugged, noisy effort—a massive job of symphonic cartooning". He also said that, while trying to match the rhythmic gyrations of the dinosaurs, he ended up creating "these kind of funny ballets".

"Welcome to Jurassic Park" lasts for almost 8 minutes. Four different themes comprise this track. The first which takes up the first half is the extended version of the "Main Theme from Jurassic Park". The second is "Journey to the Island", the third is the shorter, quieter version of the "Main Theme from Jurassic Park". The fourth is simply the four notes from the theme used with the raptors and is only 10 seconds long.

"Welcome To Jurassic Park" received a total of 91,7% yes votes! Previous John Williams polls: #487 "Star Wars (Main Title)".

Muse - Supermassive Black Hole 2006

"Supermassive Black Hole" is a song by English rockband Muse. Written by Muse lead singer and principal songwriter Matt Bellamy, it was released as the lead single from the band's fourth studio album, Black Holes and Revelations (2006), on 19 June 2006. The song charted at number four on the UK Singles Chart, and reached number six on the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 74 on its list of "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". It was nominated for the Kerrang! Award for Best Single in 2006. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2015.

"Supermassive Black Hole" has been described as alternative rock and dance-rock, with elements of funk. Influences included bands such as the Beatles as well as several Belgian bands; specifically, Millionaire, dEUS, Evil Superstars, and Soulwax. Bellamy said that "these groups were the first to mix R&B rhythms with alternative guitar. We've added a bit of Prince and Kanye West. The drumbeat isn't rocky, with Rage Against the Machine riffs underneath. We've mixed a lot of things in this track, with a bit of electronica; it’s different, slow, quite funky."

The song featured in the FIFA 07 soundtrack. It was released as downloadable content for the rhythm game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was featured at the beginning of the Series 6 Doctor Who episode "The Rebel Flesh", and was used as a wake-up for Space Shuttle Atlantis astronauts on the vessel's presumed final day in space, 26 May 2010. The song is available to play on Rocksmith 2014 as part of a 5-song Muse pack. Black Mirror featured the song in the episode "Mazey Day". It was also featured heavily during a scene in Twilight, where it plays over the Cullens engaging in an intense familial game of baseball (as well as a scene from What We Do in the Shadows that pays homage to the Twilight scene).

"Supermassive Black Hole" received a total of 88,8% yes votes! Previous Muse polls: #107 "Endlessly".