You see it in movies all the time, a piece of real music not made specifically for the movie is used for amazing dramatic effect, but why is it that games very rarely seem to use this technique? The only games that seem to actually use it are driving and sports games, but there are a few other examples. I really think that by putting a recognizable song in a game at certain points can be a much better way to convey the emotion of the scene than a generic orchestral soundtrack. Of course it's got to make sense in context, but if it does I think it should definitely be tried.
Just look at the recent film, Django Unchained. Do you really think that:
I think one of my favorite uses of real music has to be in Saints Row 3:
So yeah, I really think that I would take a well-thought out and well made choice of non-game music instead of generic game music any day. It is said that Kojima wanted David Bowie's Space Oddity to play in the ending credits of MGS3, but he decided on Way to Fall in the end. It made me think that the boss fight with The Fury would have been so much more memorable and amazing if they had chosen that instead of whatever music they did choose. It fit the Fury's character, and it would have made the boss battle have an entirely different feel than "Oh shit, fire!".
So, Escapist, what are your favorite uses of real songs in games? Do you agree with my opinion, or not? Discuss.