"Hit it!"
— Fairy Godmother
- Of all the Silly Love Songs that could have played over the opening montage, "Accidentally in Love" by Counting Crows is the catchiest and most fitting for Shrek and Fiona.
- Harold meeting Puss in Boots at the Bad Guy Bar is set rather fittingly to Tom Waits' haunting, sinister "Little Drop of Poison".
- Shrek's restless night after meeting Fiona's parents is accompanied by the Eels' "I Need Some Sleep". It perfectly encapsulates Shrek desperately trying not to let it bother him that he's not the husband the king and queen wanted for Fiona, nor is he the husband Fiona imagined having her whole life.
- Shrek, Donkey, and Puss's escape from Godmother's factory is accompanied by a very nice Pete Yorn cover of Buzzcocks' "Ever Fallen in Love". It's an unusual choice for an escape sequence, but somehow it works.
- Harry Gregson-Williams' completely original piece "Not Meant To Be" is breathtaking. It plays the notes of what would be a lovely little fairytale song, only the tune is downbeat and solemn. As it plays during Fiona telling her parents that it was a mistake to bring Shrek here and that she is going to find him and return to the swamp where they belong, it signifies that Fiona truly believes that her parents will never accept her and Shrek for who they are and her dream of a happy family was a nothing more than a fairytale that she needs to let go of.
- The scene where Shrek and Fiona become human is set to Butterfly Boucher's stellar, soulful cover of David Bowie's "Changes", with Bowie himself appearing on the song for a great duet.
- As Shrek abandons his attempt to reunite with Fiona and lets her believe Charming is him, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' "People Ain't No Good" plays. Since the song is all about mourning a once beautiful relationship that is dead, it is quite appropriate.
- Jennifer Saunders's cover of "Holding Out For a Hero"
may be better than the original, and it helps that the scene accompanying it was awesome. It's often brought up in discussions about which covers are better than the original song. - Puss and Donkey's cover of "Livin' La Vida Loca" closes the film in a big, fun way. All the characters are performing and having fun on stage, and Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas play off each other well as they sing. The sequence also has some understated moments such as Shrek dancing with his mother-in-law, and Fiona dancing with her father.
- Another cover of "Holding Out For a Hero", awesome in its own right, graces the closing credits, performed this time by electronic band Frou Frou. Despite having disbanded the year prior, Guy Sigsworth and Imogen Heap did a one-off reunion just for the film. It sounds dark and brooding, maybe darker than it should've been for what's widely regarded as one of the best comedies of all time, but it fits given how sinister the Fairy Godmother herself was when you get down to it. It's haunting, intriguing, and just plain cool.
- While the performances in "Far Far Away Idol" are mostly Played for Laughs, with most of the contestants having a bad case of Hollywood Tone-Deaf, there are some exceptions - Donkey's pretty funky cover of "Disco Inferno", the Three Blind Mice's catchy cover of "I Can See Clearly Now", Puss' cover of "These Boots are Made for Walkin'", which makes even Simon admit that he's impressed and finally, Shrek's and Fiona's sweet "What I Like About You" duet.
