The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (theme) 80's R & B band Cameo used the theme's opening whistle in their singles "Word Up!" and "Single Life". Las Vegas, Nevada-based band Sin City Sinners always walk onto stage with a recording of the tune playing in the background. In the film , the character Jacob Moore, played by Shia LaBeouf, had a mobile cell phone ring tone of the opening tune of "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", the film coincidentally also starred the actor who played the "Ugly", Eli Wallach. In the film "Faster, "the character "Killer" also had a mobile cell phone ring tone of
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly for Blondie, ocarina for Angel Eyes, and human voices for Tuco. The score complements the film's American Civil War setting, containing the mournful ballad, "The Story of a Soldier", which is sung by prisoners as Tuco is being tortured by Angel Eyes. The film's climax, a three-way Mexican standoff, begins with the melody of "The Ecstasy of Gold" and is followed by "The Trio". Today, the iconic theme is considered one of the greatest instrumental film scores of all time. The main theme also titled "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" was a hit in 1968 with the soundtrack