The Temptations really became more symbolic than anything when it comes to their name since they’re still performing today, but obviously it’s not the same group. The idea of the Temptations however is something that has lasted for far longer than those that originated the group and has become something that music has recognized as an iconic part of musical culture that can’t just be replaced or retired so long as someone is willing to take up the reins. There aren’t a lot of groups that have managed to do this over the decades, but one thing is clear, the sound and the songs of the Temptations are something that have been able to inspire and amaze listeners throughout the decades and as a musical act the group has become more important than the people that are in it. When your legend grows in this manner the individual kind of takes a step to the side in order to acknowledge what the group has done, and what they mean to people.
Here are some of their songs as used in movies and TV.
5. Ready Player One – Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
Despite the futuristic setting and the slightly depressing dystopian nature of the film there’s a lot of nostalgia that goes into the making of this movie since it’s focused almost entirely around anything and everything that happened since the 1970s. From The Shining to the Iron Giant and everything in between and after there’s no shortage of pop culture references in this movie and a lot of them might make a good number of people in the audience gasp and even laugh as they remember back to the days of their childhood when so much of this stuff was considered to be cutting edge cool.
4. Remember the Titans – Ain’t Too Proud to Beg
This movie was great for a lot of reasons, but one of them is because on a team where there was so much separation between the team members there were at least a couple of people that didn’t care who was what color, they just wanted to play the game. When even the coaches were set against one another due to their racial differences a few of those involved with the team just wanted to see the boys play and win, and didn’t care if they were black or white. On the field that kind of thing doesn’t matter, it’s who wants the win that much more and who’s willing to work the hardest to get it.
3. The Fresh Prince of Bel – Air-Ain’t Too Proud to Beg
There was a lot of culture in the Fresh Prince but there was a lot of humor and inclusive behavior that allowed people from all walks of life and all communities to fully enjoy the show as well. There were moments in which black pride and community were thrust very firmly into the foreground but it almost always seemed like more of a celebration that was meant to inspire anyone and everyone than something that was meant to divide people. The humor in this show was outstanding since it didn’t always lean one way or the other, but instead covered a very broad spectrum that made it possible for anyone to watch and enjoy it.
2. The Wonder Years – My Girl
Sometimes you really felt for Kevin and other times you wanted to smack upside the back of the head just to see if it rattled something loose. The whole idea of the show was that this was his life and how things went weren’t always his fault since he didn’t always know what he was doing. But the viewer was still free to wonder if he would ever take the hint or perhaps grow up a little, not always thinking that the writers were the ones in control. So yeah, his actions were kind of all over the place at times, but when you think about it most of us have been like this at one point or another while growing up, it’s not an isolated case, and that’s why the show was so popular, in part.
1. My Girl – My Girl
This movie was actually a big deal when it came out since Macaulay Culkin was still holding on to his celebrity status and Dan Akroyd was still someone to watch. But it was also great because it featured a time in a lot of kids’ lives when things start changing and they don’t know why. The movie is something that people remember fondly with a smile on their lips when they talk about it, though a lot of us might not remember everything that happened aside from the main character flipping out on Macaulay when she started having mood swings, or his death scene, which was unbearably tragic.
The Temptations are still around, and their sound is still something that’s considered quite wonderful.
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