Movies That Feature Deliberately Anachronistic Music, Inspired by Baz Luhrmann’s ‘The Great Gatsby’

Dirty Dancing

Year – 1987

It’s the summer of 1963 – a much more innocent time.  Kennedy is still alive.  America is unaware of The Beatles.  And Francis “Baby” Houseman has fallen in love with a dance instructor who, unbeknownst to her, is a time traveler from the future sent back to teach resort-goers what is truly important in life.

What’s that?  That movie wasn’t about time travel, you say?  Well, I say the hell it wasn’t.  The entire film features them dancing to the likes of Frankie Valli, The Ronettes, The Contours, and The Drifters.  Then, for the climactic dance scene, Johnny walks in, announces that Baby will no longer sit in corners (because in the future architecture has eschewed the usage of right angles) and then proceeds to play “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” – a record that won’t be recorded for another 24-years.

Keep in mind…this isn’t a song that plays over the film.  We see them put the 45 on the record player.  And this isn’t the first time he’s done it either as earlier in the film he also plays “Hungry Eyes” on his record player.  Say what you will but Johnny really loves his record collection.  So either he’s a hipster from the future or he was afraid his iPod would have been a dead giveaway.