Have to admit that the one that really, but really grabbed me was the Peter Gabriel song, Blood of Eden, from Wim Wenders' movie, Until the End of the World. About half way through the movie, after a chase all around the world in half-comical, dark futures, cyber punk-ish vein, the two protagonists have escaped their pursuers and are flying into the Australian outback in an single engine plane. It's really noisy, they're happy and shouting over the engine, when there is a flash (which we know is a nuclear satellite exploding in orbit and covering things with an EMP pulse killing all electronics -- sounds improbable, but it's all in keeping with the world of the movie), the engine dies and there is suddenly nothing but near silence, the wind, and the tentative whisper, "it's the end of the world." So, into the silence as the plane drifts down to earth, Peter Gabriel kicks in with Blood of Eden.... For my money, this moment has to be one of the most perfect moments on film, and I was instantly obsessed with the tune.
Now, it's NOT the version on Gabriel's album, which is far more elaborately instrumented -- the one I'm after is much more bare and plaintiff. And it's not on the soundtrack at all (to my dismay), although the soundtrack is great in its own right. And, to this day, I haven't been able to find a copy of the version used in the film. Anyone have any pointers...?
Have to admit that I was exceptionally taken with the track used at the end of Hannibal, as well. After having endured (and I do mean endured) that movie in the theater, rolling the credits to such an ethereally haunting choral arrangement fairly well took my breath away. Bought the soundtrack on the way home (which is otherwise, in nearly every way, unremarkeable -- alas).