A great song can make or break a scene.

With all forms of media from television to movies using music as a tool to assist in keeping audiences engaged, push plotlines along and help to emphasize emotions, soundtracks are some of the most important aspects of cinema- though often overlooked.

In fact, when most people think of great music films, they think of biopics, such as the Johnny Cash film Walk The Line, or films that feature music from a singular artist, such as the Beatles in Yesterday. Those films had fans of Johnny Cash and The Beatles delighted, but we don’t often see a franchise showcasing alternative music in a mainstream release. Instead, the music tends to be the film’s vehicle, rather than the other way around.

One of the exceptions to that is the Bill and Ted franchise. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure tells the story of an amateur rock band, The Wyld Stallyns, and how their music changed the world. It’s fairly dated now, but it had a huge cultural influence at the time. It spawned a sequel, Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey, and a video game titled the same as the film. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Video Game Adventure dropped on all the major games machines of the time, including the NES, SNES and Gameboy. Recently, they’ve still impacted pop culture, with Coral featuring an online slot titled Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. There’s also an app on iOS and Android called Bill and Ted’s Wyld Stallyns, which has seen increased popularity following the release of the third film, Bill and Ted Face the Music. It’s fair to say that the characters have a long, lasting legacy in movies. Wired described the new film as ‘striking the perfect note’, bringing the trilogy to a close despite the 30-year wait for the final episode.

The films have also featured some excellent songs, many of which were not the headline-grabbing themes we come to recognize within blockbuster movies. Instead, in fitting with the alternative feel of the fictional band, they were often cult rock bands or songs from artists that were not well-known. Why not check out these songs, one each from the movies, and maybe discover some exciting old music you haven’t heard before?

“Play With Me” (Extreme) – Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

Extreme have been described as glam metal, funk metal and straight-up rock, and they got their big break as part of the first movie. Play With Me comes from their first album, Extreme, released in 1989, which barely registered worldwide. By 1990, on the back of their involvement in the film, Pornograffitti charted in the UK, Netherlands and Japan, going two-times platinum. Play With Me might not be their best work, but it is a great example of the films showcasing an alternative band that achieved success.

“Tommy The Cat” (Primus) – Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey

Tommy The Cat is another funk-infused track made famous by the films, appearing as part of the final scenes in the sequel. Primus plays it during a Battle of the Bands competition that is ultimately won by the Wyld Stallyns, sending them on their path to worldwide fame. It came from the 1991 Primus album Sailing the Seas of Cheese, which charted at 116 in the US and didn’t break into other charts. Their next album, Pork Soda, went platinum and charted in New Zealand, the UK and Australia.

“Story of Our Lives” (Cold War Kids) – Bill and Ted Face The Music

“Story of Our Lives” by Cold War Kids is a little different from the other tracks, as the band were already well-known outside of the US. They’ve been active since 2004 but have struggled to chart in Europe and the Rest of the World since their 2013 release Dear Miss Lonelyhearts. Could their inclusion in the last Bill and Ted film change that? Maybe, the film was well-received, and despite featuring a headline track by Weezer, “Story of Our Lives” is a highlight from the rest of the music on the film.