Last week, we at the Weekly were delighted to hear that Hollywood action icon and our former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger would be inducted this year into the WWE Hall of Fame. Set to go in as a part of the same class as “Macho Man” Randy Savage, there seems to be an underlying theme of charismatic genetic all stars who happen to have secret musical chops. While Randy Savage's rap career has amassed something of a cult following, Schwarzenegger's impact as a constant inspiration has fallen largely under the radar. Thus, we at the Weekly are happy to present Arnold Schwarzenegger's Finest Musical Moments.
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Power Station – “We Fight For Love” (1985)
If your absurdly violent 80s action film doesn't have a quintessentially chest-beating anthem, sorry but it's not a classic. Whether you consider them cheesy or the paragon of your virtue, there's something we all love about a great 80s action movie theme. Our favorite (and yes, we will fight you over this) comes from Schwarzenegger's 1985 classic Commando. With an amazingly 80s name like Power Station, “We Fight For Love” sounds like a veritable bingo card of 80s action theme. Confidently soul-bearing vocals? Check! Ax-wielding guitars? Check! Soaring overbearing synths? Check! Inappropriate horns signifying there's an underlying theme of “fun” to the horrific violence we've just witnessed? Check and triple check! Thanks Arnold for the song that, more than any other, has helped us “let off some steam.”
“Yakety Yak” from Twins (1988)
Barbarian. Terminator. Cop. Singer? We didn't get a whole lot of Mr. Freeze's pipes over the course of Arnold's acting career, but when we did, it was magic. In the immortal plane scene from 1988's Twins, Schwarzenegger captures the sheer zeal and exuberance from one's first time hearing the classic “Yakety Yak.” Presumably inspired by his real passion for the tones that hit his ears, Arnold's real life love of music resurfaced just over a decade later when he appeared on MTV's TRL to unveil the Guns 'N' Roses -lead tracklisting to the soundtrack of his film End of Days.
“I Want More” Japanese Cup O Noodles Commercial (1990s)
Arnold has a lot going for him: muscles, likability, a packed filmography, but what hasn't gotten much of a chance to shine has been his sense of rhythm. The Land of the Rising Sun has seen the man keep a beat, as evidenced by this early '90s Cup O Noodles commercial. Listen to his chops as they lead a series of claps so forceful that they rival John Cougar Mellancamp's hand-to-hand accompaniment in “Jack and Diane!” We at the Weekly are purely speculating but probably right when we theorize the reason these commercials never aired stateside is because Americans would start exclusively eating Cup O Noodles, devastating the entire rest of the food industry.
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AC/DC – “Big Gun” (1993)
T2: Judgment Day was one of the biggest movies of all time, quickly defining the '90s and making Arnold's voice an inescapable imitation throughout the pop culture world. His follow-up, 1993's Last Action Hero, wasn't. Still, it gave us not only a headbanging soundtrack, but a promo-campaign heavy Schwarzenegger appearing in the video for the lead single “Big Gun.” It's pretty crazy to look back at what a big deal soundtracks were in the '90s to the point where Hollywood stars would cameonin their videos. “Big Gun” is probably the highest profile one, and the image of Angus Young on Schwarzenegger's shoulders makes ua smile to this day.
Predator: The Musical (2011)
While Schwarzenegger somehow reached the governorship before he reached Broadway, we believe that's because nothing's really hit the stage that's quite suited for his talents. But we got our first glimpse at a project that might be perfect in 2011 when the YouTube clip Predator: The Musical went viral. With one of the best singing Schwarzenegger imitations we've ever heard, the song's a triumph as both a funy clip as well as a downright impressive multilayered piece of music! We'll gladly support whatever it takes to make Predator: The Musical a reality.
See also:
The 50 Best Things About the OC Music Scene
The 50 Worst Things About the OC Music Scene
The 25 Greatest OC Bands of All Time: The Complete List
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