Ranking All the Songs from The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ is a 2013 adventure comedy-drama film that is a remake of the 1947 film of the same name. Both films are based on a short story by James Thurber. Steve Conrad wrote the movie, and it was directed and co-produced by Ben Stiller, who also stars in the film. Others who star in ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ include Kristen Wiig, Shirley McLaine, Kathryn Hahn, Adam Scott, and Sean Penn. The movie’s soundtrack contains tracks performed by various artists, and there are examples of several music genres. There are also several original tracks written and performed for the film by Jose Gonzalez, either alone or as part of the duo Junip along with Tobias Winterkorn. Here are all the songs from ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ soundtrack ranked.
13. Don’t Let It Pass, Junip, 2010
‘Don’t Let It Pass’ is a 2010 song performed by the Swedish folk-rock band Junip, and it features on the album ‘Fields.’ The song plays in the movie when Walter and Sean go to the Himalayas and join the soccer team.
12. Step Out, Jose Gonzalez, 2013
‘Step Out’ is the second song played during the end credits, and both songs in the end credits are performed by Jose Gonzalez and were written for the movie.
11. Stay Alive, Jose Gonzalez, 2013
The song playing at the beginning of the end credits is ‘Stay Alive’ by Jose Gonzalez. ‘Stay Alive’ was written specifically for the film and was not released on any other album than ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: Music From and Inspired by the Motion Picture.’
10. Far Away, Jose Gonzalez/ Junip, 2010
‘Far Away’ is a track written in 2013 specifically for the movie. It features in the film twice, with Jose Gonzalez singing the song once, then Junip singing another version of the track. One version of the song is played when Walter uses the skateboard to go down into the valley. The song features on the album ‘Red Dead Redemption Original Soundtrack.’
9. The Wolves and the Ravens, Rogue Valley, 2011
‘The Wolves and the Ravens’ is one of two songs performed by Rogue Valley that feature in the film, and it plays in the scene where Walter reads Rich’s email when he is writing his online resume. It featured on the album ‘False Floors.’
8. Lake Michigan, Rogue Wave, 2007
‘Lake Michigan’ is the song playing when Walter goes to Afghanistan. The song was recorded in 2007 by Rogue Wave, and it featured on the album ‘Asleep at Heaven’s Gate.’
7. Dirty Paws, Of Monsters and Men, 2011
In the scene where Walter races against the sailors for shore bikes and then rides down a road in Iceland, the song playing is ‘Dirty Paws.’ The song was recorded by the Icelandic indie folk/rock band Of Monsters and Men in 2011, and it is featured on the album ‘My Head Is an Animal.’ Not only did this song feature in the soundtrack for ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,’ but it was also used in the film’s trailer.
6. Escape (The Pina Colada Song), Rupert Holmes/Jack Johnson, 1979
‘Escape (The Pina Colada Song)’ was written and recorded in 1979 by Rupert Holmes as the lead single from his album ‘Partners in Crime.’ The song appears in ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Twice,’ once as the original version, then performed by Jack Johnson.
5. Wake Up, Arcade Fire, 2005
‘Wake Up’ is a song recorded by Canadian indie rock group Arcade Fire in 2005 as the fifth and final single from their debut album ‘Funeral.’ It peaked at number 35 on the Canadian Rock Top 30 chart and number 29 on the UK Singles Chart. The song plays when Walter flies to Greenland.
4. Don’t You Want Me, The Human League, 1981
‘Don’t You Want Me’ was recorded in 1981 by The Human League, and it featured on the band’s album ‘Dare.’ The pop song was written by Jo Callis, Phillip Oakey, and Phillip Adrian Wright. It topped the charts in the UK and became the biggest-selling single of 1981.
3. Maneater, Grace Mitchell, 2013
‘Maneater’ is a song written and recorded by the duo Hall & Oates in 1979 for their eleventh studio album ‘H2O.’ The original version topped the Billboard Hot 100 at the end of 1979, then returned to the top spot three weeks into 1980, making it the first song to top the charts in two different decades. However, the version heard in ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ was performed by Grace Mitchell in 2013 for the movie. According to Tune Find, the song plays when Walter talks to Ted in an elevator.
2. #9 Dream, Jose Gonzalez, 2013
John Lennon wrote and recorded ‘#9 Dream’ in 1974. It peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and featured on Lennon’s album ‘Walls and Bridges.’ However, the version heard in ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ was performed by Jose Gonzalez.
1. Space Oddity, David Bowie, 1969
One of the most prominent songs in ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ is David Bowie’s 1969 hit ‘Space Oddity.’ Walter’s boss refers to him as Major Tom, which is a reference to the song because he is a daydreamer. The song also features in the scene where Walter leaps onto a helicopter after imagining Cheryl singing ‘Space Oddity’ at a karaoke.