re: Name an otherwise mediocre song that gained a lot of notoriety by getting played in movies

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Name an otherwise mediocre song that gained a lot of notoriety by getting played in movies

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IF it was 'mediocre", the song at the top of any list of such songs would be Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock".

It was first issued in May 1954 as a B-side and was considered a commercial disappointment. It was not until a year later, when "Rock Around the Clock" was used under the opening credits and four additional times in the film Blackboard Jungle, that the song took off. The producers were looking for a song to represent the type of music the youth of 1955 were listening to. The star of the film, Glenn Ford, borrowed several records from his son, one of which was Haley's "Rock Around the Clock". Just think, it could easily have been Big Joe Turner's "Shake, Rattle and Roll", which was recorded the same month. Trivia: The producer of Haley's recording was Milt Gabler, actor Billy Crystal's uncle.

On July 9, 1955 it became the first "rock and roll" recording to hit the top of Billboard's Pop charts, a feat it repeated on charts around the world. The band performed the song on the May 31, 1955 episode of Texaco Star Theater hosted by Milton Berle. On August 7, 1955, the band performed the song on The Ed Sullivan Show. In 1974, the original version of the song returned to the American charts when it was used as the theme for the movie American Graffiti and a re-recorded version by Haley was used as the opening theme for the TV series Happy Days during its first two seasons. "Rock Around the Clock" is often cited as the biggest-selling vinyl rock and roll single of all time.