5 Comedies with Great Music That Is Just as Important as the Humor

Music rarely makes us laugh, which seems to be the point of comedies. But that doesn't mean that music doesn't play an important role in films of this genre. These five movies prove that music and songs are just as important as humor and jokes for the proper perception of the picture.

The Pink Panther (2006, 5.7 on IMDb)

Available on: Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime

Padam… padam… padam, padam, padam, padadadadam… padadadadadam

You have surely heard this famous tune from the comedy starring Steve Martin as Inspector Jacques Clouseau, a half-witted police officer from a small French village who somehow manages to solve difficult cases. In the movie, Clouseau is assigned to investigate the murder of Yves Gluant, the coach of the French national soccer team. All the clues lead the detective to believe that Yves' murder was connected to the Pink Panther diamond he was wearing, which disappeared after his death.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987, 7.6 on IMDb)

Available on: Paramount+, Hulu, Amazon Prime

Another movie starring Steve Martin, John Hughes' road trip comedy follows Neal Page, an uptight marketing executive in New York, as he heads home to Chicago for Thanksgiving to be with his family. The flight is supposed to be nice and easy, but everything goes awry when the plane is diverted to Kansas because of a severe snowstorm in Chicago. Now Neal has to find another way to get to Chicago. To make matters worse, his new traveling companion is completely unbearable.

The music in the movie underscores the characters' moods and helps you understand the emotional level of each situation.

Dazed and Confused (1993, 7.6 on IMDb)

Available on: Amazon Prime

Richard Linklater's coming-of-age comedy follows a group of high school students from Austin, Texas, on their last day of school in 1976. With new lives ahead of them, the characters say goodbye to school by having the fun of their lives: drinking, doing drugs, and listening to rock and roll. The movie doesn't have much in the way of plot or conflict, but what it does have is an abundance of electrifying rock songs.

Ghostbusters (1984, 7.8 on IMDb)

Available on: Amazon Prime

There's no need to torture you with the tune from this famous fantasy comedy - you probably started humming it as soon as you saw the title. The star-studded film centers on a group of titular ghostbusters in New York City who run an unusual business helping locals deal with the paranormal and supernatural. And there seems to be no danger these brave characters won't take on to save the city from evil spirits.

The Big Lebowski (1998, 8.1 on IMDb)

Available on: Amazon Prime

The Coen brothers' crime comedy tells the story of Jeffrey Lebowski, a Los Angeles resident whose life consists of bowling and drinking. Nothing disturbs his carefree and happy lifestyle until one day he is mistaken by a group of thugs for the millionaire of the same name. Jeffrey's life is turned upside down and he is stuck in this chaotic situation, which is so much fun to watch to the accompaniment of many wonderful songs.